I'm not exactly the type to go on spontaneous trips. I savor each moment of planning that goes into preparing for a camping trip, a road trip, hell... even a trip to the co-op. I have nightmares where I only have anywhere from 10 minutes to one day to pack for a trip. It's terrifying.
So when my friend Crystal asked if I wanted to leave the co-op and drive to Iowa for a Greg Brown concert at Seed Savers' Exchange that night, every instinct in me said, "Surely there is a
good reason you shouldn't do this...Surely you would need to prepare more for this." But on that day for commemorating change (We were at the closing ceremony for the long-standing
Randolph Ave. location of Mississippi Market), I decided to go for it. I headed home and packed my bag with the essentials you grab when you have just a few minutes: Sleeping bag, shorts, pickled green beans, sunscreen and Ryvita crackers.
I've wanted to visit Seed Savers' Exchange for a long time. I always buy their seeds from the Co-op or order them directly from the farm. They always have the most amazing selection of heirloom and organic seeds and they're close to MN, too!
Just look how beautiful this is! And this is just one small part of their gardens and land. It was so much fun to see the actual plants from seed varieties that I've drooled over for ages in their catalogue.
After the concert that night it was pitch black and we hadn't set up our tents yet. Luckily the Seed Savers cabin was open and we got permission to sleep there.
This adorable cabin was built long, long ago, but has been remodeled to have running water and electricity.
Don't you wish you lived here?
We "camped" in the loft and hiked through the pastures to the stream the next morning. I haven't had much experience climbing over barbed wire, but Crystal can make nearly anything look cool in a picture.
Later we visited Oneota Co-op, which is ridiculously cute. I'll forever wish I had gotten more than a tiny bag of their chocolate covered coconut curry cashews. Yep, you heard me right. Chocolate covered coconut curry cashews.
I made it out of the Seed Savers gift shop with only 2 bags of heirloom beans, 1 seed packet, and one book: The Joy of Pickling. Tonight I've perused the recipes twice, marking each one that I want to try with a pink Post-It. It would have been simpler to mark the recipes I DON'T want to try!
Overall: Awesome trip! I'll definitely be visiting Seed Savers again and will try to embrace spontaneity more often.
9 comments:
Hurray for trips on the fly!! I used tot be the same way about wanting to plan everything- but I'm come to the conclusion that I really am all about jumping up and going/doing something.. I'm glad you had such a good time- and that cabin was adorable!
I applaud your spontaneity, Liz! I'm a planner by nature too so I know how hard it can be to jump into spontaneous plans. It sounds like the trip was totally worth it.
And how was Greg Brown? Super jealous as I both wanted to hear his concert and visit Seed Savers!
I never do anything without a plan! Sounds like you had a fun trip and that cabin and gift shop are both too cute!
Glad you had fun! I would love some of those cashews.
Your trip looks like it was a lot of fun. Hooray for being spontaneous!
It sounds like you had an awesome time, even without any planning :D
Yum! I want some of those cashews! And that little cabin is too cute!
Those pictures are simply poetic :)
Great show. One of the best I've seen down there so far. The live CD from 7.7.07 is awesome. Maybe they will release another one.
Post a Comment