The Vacation Pictures Are Coming!!!

 

Well, none but one for now.

Last Day

For our last day of vacation we decided that we really didn't have to be home all that early, so we filled the day up.
Our first stop was Split Rock Lighthouse. It isn't used any more for ships passing by because there is this thing now called GPS but it was still impressive.

While we were there we happened to see a great sailing ship come close by. Down in Duluth they were going to have a festival or something with eight of these great tall mast ships coming in. It was very fun to see.

Then we drove a little further down the road and stopped at Gooseberry Falls. Here we didn't have to hike to get to the falls but neither did anyone else, so there were lots of people. The day was warm but nice and we criss-crossed the river several times and walked right up to one part of the fall!

All along this area were people and cameras- nice cameras, nice cameras and lenses and tripods and more! I had a little nice camera envy. However, if my camera dropped in the water, I would just be out vacation pictures and maybe $100. They would be out $$$ and vacation pictures. But it was so beautiful that all you had to do (even if you knew nothing about photography) was to point and shoot. (But someday I will have a nicer camera.)

So we got to a spot where I wanted a family shot and I asked a girl if she would take our picture. She had a nice camera so when I handed her my little point and shoot apologetically she was like "Oh, I used to have one of these before I got this." But she did take a nice picture of us

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Then it was time for just the kids.

And then it was time for senior portraits. Audrey and Luke were all up for it.

Ben was not.

So that is why he is not in this fun tree picture.

We took a little hike around the area and crossed a bridge that directly under the highway for our last views of Lake Superior.

Right before we headed out for good we stopped for lunch in Two Harbors which also happens to be the town where 3M first started. I convinced Bill that since we were just blocks away from the first office we should go. So here it is. Now Bill has made the official Mecca trip to the homeland and his life is complete, or something like that. It wasn't open so we didn't go in and I didn't take a picture of him next to the building because that would be dorky.

As we were going down the highway though, we spotted the same boat and pulled over to rush out and see it again, this time with all it's sails up. After that, we were definitely done stopping and just wanted to get home.

So that's it! Thanks for hanging in there. Is this the modern day equivalent to relatives vacation slideshows? I think not since it was completely optional for you to read this, whereas you have no escape when it comes to relatives.

Duluth

We woke up Tuesday to a forecast of dreary and drizzly so we decided to swim downstream and check out Duluth. We perused all the tourist literature and then took the advice of our neighbors who told us about a big cargo ship you could tour.

The William A. Irwin is a retired cargo ship that used to haul taconite. We toured the entire ship with our tour guide, Matt. He was nice, informative, but didn't think my little Luke asking questions was adorable. Here's Matt in the center in the engine room. Wow! That was impressive! It would get over 110 degrees in there. No wonder pictures of my dad shows him so skinny. He sweat it all off! A very good stop if you are in Duluth.

Then we decided to check out this train museum since it was rainy out. Once we got there, we decided to take a train ride instead. Well, it was nice to sit down for over an hour, but personally we didn't see that much, so instead we took pictures of each other.

On the way home our neighbors again told us to stop at Betty's Pies. So since we needed supper, we did! Yep! Good food, good pies! 
But all that indoorsy stuff made us antsy and we went down to the shore near our hotel. The day before we figured out that if you can do it without breaking your neck, you are pretty much allowed to scramble or climb anything you want to. 

In this next pic, you can see the shore cropping nearest and I figured out how to get all the way up there. It really wasn't that high but you still had to be careful, especially with 4 year olds.

While we were up there, 3 teenage boys came tearing up and knew just where to dive off into the icy cold water! I was going to ask if I could take their pictures, but 2 of the 3 had already gone and one apparently had decided boxers only were good enough, so I left them alone (well, after I gave them my "If your mother only knew what you were doing" eye). Up along that ridge we explored the shore over in that area and found some huge rocks to walk on. I didn't get any pictures there because I was too busy playing (fully clothed)!


As we were headed back to our car, I asked the kids what they would rather do: Go see trains and boats, etc. or go climb rocks, explore trails and skip rocks all day. They chose the second. And that pretty much summed up the difference between our Florida vacation and our Minnesota vacation. The weather was a huge factor in our Florida vacation. It was not nice. What we hoped to do was play at the beach, but instead we ended up driving around trying to find things to do the whole time and it left us cranky. Minnesota was no Mickey, no canned activities, no expectations that this would be the greatest vacation of all time. It would just be Minnesota and maybe we would see a couple waterfalls and a lighthouse and it turned out great.  

Tettegouche State Park

Travel Sunday

We packed up our things Sunday, said our good-byes, and took off for the North Shore of Lake Superior. We decided to take the scenic route and drove through the Superior National Forest. At one point, we followed what we thought was the right road, but it ended up being this gravel road. IN THE FOREST! I quietly panicked to myself and started rationing the water since the only vehicle we saw was one going out. The kids could only eat half of their Skittles since we might need those later on when we can't kill a moose with our bare hands. What kept my faith alive is that every once in a while we saw an actual road sign. Finally after a good long washboard drive through the forest, we saw the real road. So I told Bill to stop the car (and I silently thanked God) and I took a picture of them.

Then we got back in, got on the real road and found Silver Bay. There’s a scenic outlook you can drive up to. Once we got up there, Luke said “Hey! We’re on the roof!” 

We ate at a nice restaurant for supper, played in the pool at the hotel and I got caught up on my Food Network shows. I did! We don’t have cable anymore and that’s the only thing I kind of miss. So that’s what I watched. (ok- I’ll admit, I actually did jump on the hotel bed in excitement once) I’m good now.

I like being a tourist

On Saturday the guys had big riding plans. Bill brought his motorcycle so he and Joe could go trail riding. To my knowledge Bill has a red bike, Joe has an orange one. But for all the guys reading: Bill has a Husqvarna TE 610 and Joe has a KTM 690- ar! ar! They took off after breakfast and rode for most of the day. At one point, I got a text from Bill saying “Now THAT’S what I bought this bike for!”

Joe, Audrey, Bill

Jacqui, the kids and I drove up to this great mini-golf course and met the guys there. The golf course was really nice and my kids were thrilled to play on it. Erin and Molly had never played mini-golf before. Once Erin understood the concept, she was all for it. Molly just wanted to look at the water. My favorite hole was one designed to look like a skee-ball game.

While our kids went another round of golf, Jacqui and the girls wandered around a bit and found a patch of rhubarb. She went in and asked the lady at the front desk about it. The lady had no idea if the rhubarb was still good but she said if it was we could have it. I went over and looked at it and, sure enough, it was still good. So Jacqui and I picked a huge bunch of it to take home. Also, the Paul Bunyan legend is “big” up there and we had to get a picture of the kids with Paul’s caddy!

The guys hopped back on their bikes and headed home, while the rest of us loaded up and stopped at this really cute little tourist town and headed into a candy shop called The Chocolate Ox. The kids’ eyes nearly popped out of their heads when we walked into the store! And we spotted (how could you miss?) these jawbreakers! What we got was ice cream, though and iced lattes for Jacqui and I. Yum!

Then for supper was ribs and ice cream cake. Jacqui kept us well fed during our visit. I told her the next day that I could not stay for one more meal! I love Jacqui's food! And Jacqui!

Lake Day

Our next day found us getting ready for a fun day at the lake. Joe and Bill had both taken off for work and Jacqui and I were left with the kids. So we headed across the street to a neighbor's lakefront beach for a picnic lunch and fun in the sun.


They had a water slide, so down went the kids.

And they had sand, so down went a hole.

And they had a paddle boat, so out went the crew.

Phew! They made it back! But how did Jacqui end up coasting the ride in? Is anyone pedaling that thing besides Ben?

After our time in the sun, we headed home to clean up and get ready for a double date! With no kids! Just ourselves! Eating grown-up food! And speaking complete sentences! And celebrating my birthday!

That's what we did, too! Joe and Jacqui treated us to supper at Ivan's (on the lake? shore?- I don't remember), and it was yummy. We ordered all appetizers because they looked good. The bbq thai spring rolls, the walleye fingers, the smoked chicken nachos and ceviche, which is fish that is basically cooked? cured? not raw anymore, by the acids in the lemon and lime juice and mixed with a mango salsa(!) Adult food! When the waiter asked if we wanted desserts, I said yes! So Joe and Jacqui split a Honey Sweet apple dumpling thing and Bill and I split a creme brulee!! That was my first taste!

That was my birthday. Good food and good friends. sigh- 'tis good to have a birthday!

On Our Way

A few weeks ago, we packed up and headed for a vacation in Minnesota. I know this is probably not most people's first choice for a vacation destination, but we had heard good things about Lake Superior's North Shore area and decided to check it out.
Our first destination was to get to Baxter (right next to Brainerd) to visit our friends Joe and Jacqui and their girls, Erin and Molly. They are friends of ours who used to live in Ames. Bill also had to spend a day in the Alexandria 3M plant learning about some systems they use their, so we just combined the whole thing into a week long excursion.
We stopped in Owatonna to fill up and take a break. The kids were so excited to see not just a Subway and a McDonalds but also a Coldstone Creamery in the gas station. Then they were sad when they couldn't get anything.

Not everyone cooperates for the camera!

For the 6 hour drive the kids did really well. Ben had his newly purchased DS with him, Audrey had half a library with her and Luke had a little bit of everything stuffed in his backpack! One problem with looking at game screens is the sunlight bouncing off it, so Luke draped a towel over his head to block the sun. We picked this little tip up from Ben when traveling in Florida. I always wondered why he had his head buried in his sweatshirt and he told me what he was doing. Smart kid!

Bill drove the whole way and while he drove I read aloud to him. We haven't done this in a long time because often I get audio books to listen to or we talk, etc. But the sneaking, conniving man had bought a book in hopes that I would read it. Well, I picked it up and started it and couldn't put it down. However, since Bill had already heard it on audio, he knew all about it and kept asking me questions about this and where I was at and had I got to that part, etc. until I finally said I would just read it to him so he would know where I was at and stop asking me! We finished the book and my life was changed! Maybe, if I have enough time or you really want to know, I tell you about it.
After stopping at an outlet mall (there's like this magnetic attraction between me and outlet malls!), we finally made it to Joe and Jacqui's for hellos and hugs. It was great to be there, great to see them and great to be out of the car!