Quick Overview of this newsletter:

1. 🎿 Winter Sport Mix
2. ❄️ 3 Reminders Planning Cold-Desination Winter Travel
3. ☕️ How to Have a Cozy Cabin Getaway
4. 🏷️ Product of the Month
5. 🤨 Should I keep this on my site?
6. 🍓 Seasonal Treat

Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day,

Yes, I’m still celebrating the holiday over here. I love celebrating Valentine’s Day with family and friends, not just romantically. It’s just so sweet! Next year, I think I’ll start celebrating in January, just to extend the love.

One reason I’ve come back to sending the Moderately Adventurous Newsletter and working on my website (even while working full time) is that it helps me focus on something I can control. It’s something that is fully mine, and that’s empowering when I don’t feel like I have much control elsewhere. Whether that is politically or just at work.

And embracing the seasons with activities and treats has grounded to the present moment, appreciating the changes, and keeping my world small. I like the way I feel when I focus on these things, so that’s what I shall share with you.

Love,

Hanna

Winter Sport Mix

Welp, I went downhill skiing in California, and my ski boots exploded. Well, just the heels of the boots disintegrated after a very successful half-day of skiing - plenty for me since I haven’t downhill skied in 3 years! What’s funny is that I’m not even the second or third person that my parents have seen this happen to. It turns out that ski boots don’t last 20 years without consequences.

In Oregon, the snow has been spotty (understatement). Fortunately, I’ve been diversifying my winter outdoor activities for a few years now. You still need enough snow to go cross-country skiing, but it doesn’t have to be the freshest powder to still enjoy your time outdoors. That’s been my go-to of the last few years.

And even better, you don’t need any snow to do winter hiking. I’ve found that a good destination for winter hikes is one that's crowded or popular in summer. Especially those that are right off major freeways.

And a completely different alternative is enjoying the warmth of a hot spring in cold winter weather. Oregon has completely changed my view of soaking and spas, and now I cannot get enough of them.

Mixing up my winter sports and activities has made the season feel short as I try to shove it all in, which is a feat in the PNW.

Clockwise, starting top left: 1. RIP ski boots. 2. Diamond Creek Falls winter hike. 3. Cross-country skiing. 4. Salt Creek Falls winter hike.

3 Reminders Planning Cold-Desination Winter Travel

I’m currently piecing together the final details for my birthday trip that is happening next week - eeks! A March trip can be tricky with the weather, and I typically go north for one more blast of winter. Some examples of my cold destinations include Iceland, Alaska, and Canada. It’s top of mind, so I thought I’d share some reminders:

• If you’re getting a rental car, try to get one with winter tires. And check Costco prices - it was less than half the cost of going directly to the rental car company. Our tiny Iceland rental car felt incredibly stable with studded winter tires, despite the size of the car. Contrastingly, we didn’t have winter tires in Alaska, and someone had to help me move my car from an icy trailhead with gravel. Whoops. Read more tips about driving in Iceland in this blog post.​
• Make a plan, but have backup options. Winter weather is just too unpredictable, and you might benefit from waiting until closer to the trip to lock in any time-sensitive activities.
• Double-check insurance/cancellation policies before booking. Again, winter storms could delay your arrival or cancel an entire outing.

How to Have a Cozy Cabin Getaway

As I delved back into my blog, I took a look at who was linking back to me as a reference or credit. This is always quite a fun list to look at. My favorites are to see when a post of mine is referenced in a random Reddit conversation. And the post most linked to by real estate agents and BNBs across the states? How to have a Cozy Cabin Getaway.

In the post, I break down:

• Where to look for cabins
• What to look for at said cabins
• What to pack and bring to amplify the coze
• Activities and the mentality to adopt when you’re there

It makes sense why they would link to this fun post to encourage people to see the cozy side of winter. If you haven’t had a cozy cabin getaway yet, it’s not too late this year. Read through the post and let me know if you would add anything else!

Truckee cabin from blogpost on left, view from accommodations in Whistler on right.

Product of the Month

It would be silly of me not to mention the Patagonia sale that is happening right now. Certain colors of their NanoPuff that I talked about last month are 30% off. And a few of their pullovers are sub-$100, which is nice. I have an older version of their Re-Tool Fleece, and it is so warm that I have to be careful which trips I actually bring it on - haha. I’m tempted by the price, but my own is still in great shape.

Website Feedback Needed! Vote!

As I slowly work to update my blog, there are some features that I added ages ago, and I keep wondering if they are worth it. The first one I’d like your quick feedback on is the share buttons I have at the top of each post, which and they also float on the side. Do you ever use them?? Or if you’re going to share, do you just copy the link?

Take a look at what I'm talking about in the image, and then vote in the poll below. Click the image if you want to see how the share buttons fuction on my website.

Seasonal Treat

I’ve now discovered two coffee stands in Eugene with amazing seasonal menus -- Sip Happens and Espresso 58, if you happen to live nearby (I saw your email, Melody!). And if you don’t live nearby, please live vicariously through my beverages. This month, I had a delicious strawberry matcha with a heart-shaped straw (did you know these existed??) and a strawberry decorated cookie.