Are you looking for a fun new place to hike and you’re interested in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park? Maybe you’re looking for a waterfall to check out, or maybe you want to have a challenging hike for a good workout. Read on to find all about it!
Last year, we had a lot of fun doing a 5 Week Workout Challenge. For 5 weeks we visited a bunch of parks for hiking and also did a couple indoor workouts. It was a lot of fun!
Although I’d love to try another challenge this year, I’m not sure what yet. I have a few fun ideas already! This year though, we have already started visiting new parks! Our first new park was Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
We’ve seen some amazing images of the waterfall at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. We also noticed on the website that they had a campground. Since we love camping, we decided to check it out.
The drive out to Nerstrand was about 45 minutes. We weren’t disappointed by the scenery, There were lovely rolling hills of farmland broken up sporadically by patches of woods and walls of rock cut through the hills.
I found it amusing that a place called Big Woods could be found in the middle of so much farmland. So many times, I could see nothing but fields as far as the eye could see, and I couldn’t imagine how a huge forest could be hiding somewhere.
As the fields turned to denser and denser trees, we all became excited at the newest adventure before us. Driving up to the park, we noticed a huge solar panel, awesome! Thankfully our state parking permit was up to date. If you don’t have a state permit, you can find current prices here.
We drove through the campground to check out the sites to see if it seemed like a place we could stay at. The campgrounds are a thinly wooded area and are moderately spaced apart. Some of the spots did not look like they could fit our large tent. Many did have adequate room, given it is an RV friendly park. So if you’re tenting, make sure to check the tent ffot print.
We parked at the entrance to the walking trails and checked out the map. The park was huge. Hidden in the dense trees, I could almost forget we were surrounded by farmland and miles upon miles of fields. On the map, the park looks like a little green dot in the middle of nowhere. In the park, you find yourself in a precious oasis of trees and trails.
We chose a shorter hike since it was our first of the season. We decided to head to the waterfalls one way and back another. Both were listed as extremely difficult.
I found out that the difficulty was most likely related to the incline. Down was easy, up, was not. Unrelated to the map, we also had to navigate the mud and puddles left behind by the winter melt. I think this was probably the hardest for our family. Trying to keep the kids from playing in the mud! Ha!
The day we came was incredibly busy. Everyone else must have been equally excited to get out of the house. Everywhere we turned on the way down were people and dogs. People in front and behind us. Given that most Minnesotans are cheerful folk, we had a lot of small chit chat and friendly greetings.
The falls were beautiful. There was still snow and ice all around. I can only imagine how they must look frozen over. The falls themselves aren’t very large. I wasn’t worried about the kids drowning in the creek, should they fall in, just that they would get wet and make a mess. I did have to constantly reign them in due to the pent-up excitement of being outside.
Our way back was pretty not so crowded. Although we could hear the gleeful sounds of children echoing throughout the park intermittently. I had to have Nate drag me up one steep hill, but other than that, the rest was a relaxing stroll.
We really enjoyed our visit. We might have to come back another time to check out some of the other trails and to see what the park looks like when it turns green! Or maybe even come back in the fall! It looks like they get a lot of beautiful color!
Have you been to Newstrand Big Woods State Park? What is your favorite hiking trail in Minnesota? Let us know, we’d love to check it out!
What I’ve Learned From A Year of Dedicated Blogging
I started my blog as a fun hobby. In the first few years, I only made a couple of posts. I knew I wanted to do more, especially since I was making the investment in paying for hosting. Letting my blog sit there seemed like a waste of money.
It wasn’t until my circumstances changed that I decided to dedicate time specifically to blogging. My health had taken a turn for the worse, I had to quit working. I was struggling with accepting my new life and the depression that came with significant change. I knew I needed to fill the void of work with a new hobby.
Blogging seemed like the perfect way to occupy my mind and fill my time with something positive. Since I stopped taking professional portraits for other people, I reminded myself that I could still be a photographer, only, I would be taking images for myself. I decided to challenge myself with something I have always wanted to do, a 52 project. It was a lot of fun and I love the way my images turned out. From there, it became easier to blog about things.
With the end of school nearing, I decided to add another challenge to my blogging, vlogging. This took my blogs to a new level, as I had videos to go along with my writing. I initially started vlogging for fun and as a challenge to warm me up to what I really wanted to do. I wanted to do a video series on the challenges of severe, life-threatening allergies. Along with this, I will have accompanying blogs that detail in writing the facts that go along with my videos.
Over the past 5 years of health struggles, I have done an extremely large amount of research. Some of the things I researched had little to no information and I had to really dig in order to learn. It was so hard to gain footing in the world of severe allergies. Not many people are allergic to nearly the entire world, and there isn’t a handbook that goes along with it.
I knew that I wanted to help people and make their journey a little easier, by sharing my story and experiences. I wanted to help someone avoid some of the mistakes I’d made in the beginning, or maybe find a new way to help them cope now.
I realized that I had found the purpose of my blog. I guess you could say I found my niche. This information isn’t only helpful for those with severe allergies. It is beneficial for everyone. I tell people that I am the canary in the coal mine. If my health takes a dive because of my sensitivity to chemicals, then It can’t be very safe for other people either. Even if they’re not having a life-threatening reaction to it. Toxic chemicals are not beneficial to anyone.
Holistic health and nutrition can benefit everyone live a healthier, more meaningful life. Living life without toxic chemicals reduces the risk of having cancer, heart disease, eczema, diabetes, and more.
I love sharing what I’ve learned with others. Blogging gives me a platform so I don’t have to drive my friends and family crazy by constantly talking about the latest medical article I’ve been reading. It allows me to share my photography. It allows me to be creative and give me an outlet for my lack of ability to work. Hopefully, someone out there will appreciate and enjoy my ramblings and my photography.
After a year of dedicated creating every month, I can definitely say that blogging is something I enjoy and will continue to do. Thank you for those of you who have commented, shared, liked and followed me over this last year. I have loved hearing that you enjoyed something I shared. Hopefully, I’ll have more fun things for you in this coming year!
We Went 2,341 Feet Underground!
Camping, Day 5
The Soudan Mine
Since it was another rainy day, we decided to head out to see The Soudan Mine. I didn’t know what to expect, but it sounded interesting. I had never been in a real mine before.
When I was little, my parent’s would take me to an amusement park in Burnsville. One ride that I’ll always remember is the Mystery Mine Tour. It was a fake mine shaft that shook and showed passing rocks. The doors opened and showed a mine scene while a voice over the speaker gave the guided tour.
For some reason, I loved it. I would beg to go and my Dad would take me. Every time, I would get afraid when the mine started to shake and I would climb up my Dad like a monkey. He would hold me in his arms and I would watch the rocks fly by the small window. Since I was so young, I thought it was real, even though my Dad insisted it wasn’t.
Driving up to the mine I was rewarded with a beautiful view that stretched for miles. I love a good view and this one did not disappoint. The buildings were older and made from brick, but they were well maintained.
We purchased our tickets, but since there were so many people there, our tour didn’t start for another hour. This gave us plenty of time to check out some of the other exhibits. In the main building, there were a lot of fun souvenirs. I purchased two books, one on mushrooms in our region and one about berries in our region. There were also a lot of historical photographs. I really enjoyed the rock exhibits. The kids liked the scale models of the mine.
We went to see the first visible building on the site, the hoist house. There they had giant machinery. One of the biggest things was an enormous spool winding up giant steel rope. This was attached to the cages which lower and raise people from the mines.
Since it was getting close to our tour time, we went back to the main building to use the bathroom and wait for our tour to be called back. We had more fun in the gift shop while we waited.
We started our tour in a theater room. While we waited we watched a short video with different facts on the screen. After that, our tour guide talked to us about what to expect and highlighted safety rules. Then he led us to get our safety hats on and filed us toward the mine shaft.
The shaft itself was outside. It was open to the air and quite small. Just like in mining days, we were packed into the small cage like sardines in a can. Unlike in the mining days, we were not each loaded with mining equipment. Our cage descended into the ground. I was close to the front, so I could see the rocks flying past the window. I had flashbacks to the fake mine tour as a child. Periodically I could see different levels of old mine shafts. We were going down so fast that I could only see them fly by for a brief second. Our guide chatted calmly, cracking jokes about past tours with geologists being packed in at an even larger number because they all wanted to go down at once. It made me feel at ease and not so afraid and aware of the fact that we were sinking deep into the earth.
Arriving at the bottom, the door opened to a cold, semi-dark room. It was about 15 feet deep before us. To the right, the tunnel was full of a bunch of utility equipment, to the left, a long tunnel spanned into the distance. Behind us was an opening to a laboratory that was bright big and modern. The ceiling was maybe three stories high on the modern side.
In the middle of the room was a train ride. Our tour guide led us away from the doors and off to the side to begin our tour. He talked about how the temperature was a comfortably cool 51 degrees year round and gave us some interesting facts about how deep into the ground we were. Then we all climbed about the train. We were cautioned to keep all extremities inside the car at all times, lest we wanted to lose a hand or an arm. Although we were able to enjoy a fun, windy ride to the next tour site, I was amazed at the fact that the men who used to work there walked so far in complete darkness.
Arriving at the end, we were led upstairs to a giant cavernous room. I was amazed at how beautiful it was. It was basically just a giant room full of rocks, but there were lights highlighting the walls in different areas with mannequins as pretend workers. Although our path was smooth and well lit, the original workers would have had to climb over and around rocks in the dark. They would have had to avoid the holes in the ground to keep from falling into the lower tunnel. Thankfully for us, there were wooden barriers built around each one, but these did not exist in mining days.
I loved hearing facts about mining life and the stories of the men who had worked there. I found out that women were not allowed anywhere near or in mines. There were tales of deaths and superstitions so strong that when the owner of the mine, unaware of the superstitions, brought his wife to work, all the men quit and walked out!
Returning on the trains and the elevator cage going up was just as fun. I think it might have been more fun because I was less afraid. The temperature outside was considerably warmer once the doors opened. A whoosh seemed to envelop us. The children were giddy after the excitement of being 2,341 feet under4ground and 689 feet below sea level.
We walked the grounds and checked out the other buildings and sights. After having been underground, I enjoyed seeing where all of that iron ore was going. We followed it all the way down to where it was put into train carts.
We found another painted rock!
Our whole family agrees that this was their favorite part of the camping trip. I really recommend checking out the Soudan Mine if you’re in the area. If we’re ever in the area again, we’ll probably go back!
We stopped at a grocery store on the way back to the campsite. There, I was able to find a safe cream for my tea! That, mixed with the maple syrup I found at the farmers market, made for an awesome dandelion root latte.
Nate cooked up the remainder of the meat for dinner. He and the big kids enjoyed a feast. Princess and I happily ate the fruits and veggies I found at the store.
After dinner, Cat and I played with my glass globe. I’m pleased with the way the images turned out. I think I’ll use it more in the future. Mr. Awesome found a toad! All of the kids were thrilled with their new friend. I had to convince them that he would be happier staying there, in the wild, rather than at home, cooped up inside.
We finished off our last night of camping relaxing by the fire. We all enjoyed smores, Princess and I had corn free ones of course. It was a great end to a fun day.
Have you been to the Soudan Mine? What was your favorite part?
Our 4 Year Old Caught The Most Fish!
Camping Day 4
The morning started out with a panic attack. Looking back, I can’t remember what caused it. Maybe it was sleeping on a small, uncomfortable air mattress for half the week. Maybe it was having to walk a long way to the bathroom with a child who had to go to the bathroom, again. Maybe it was camping food. Maybe it was lack of creature comforts… and tea. Maybe the kids were being crazy. Maybe the Mister was being impatient. Maybe I was just homesick.
Whatever it was that caused it, I could feel anxiety climbing up me like a bomb about to go off. I was becoming irritable and panicky. Rather than freak out and start screaming like a mad woman, I told my family I was taking a timeout. I went into the tent and laid on the bed facing the window so I could watch the clouds roll by. I breathed deeply and tried to calm my racing mind and the panic that was squeezing me tightly.
When I stop a panic attack before it gets out of hand, it’s easier to calm down. I focus on my breathing. I focus on telling myself it’s ok. I try to minimize things that add to my panic, like noise and activity, and go somewhere quiet to regroup. As I begin to calm, I can start to feel not so trapped and afraid. I was at that point of mellowing out when my family began to peek in at me from the window. They made me smile, and then a laugh chased away the rest of my storm clouds. I was ready to get back to our day.
Nate had rented the boat bright and early that morning before anyone else had gotten up. I packed up a few necessities like simple snacks, water, and wet wipes. Nate prepared everything necessary for fishing. We made sure everyone had one last potty break and drove to the boat area.
When we were packing up the boat, Nate realized he forgot the life jackets and had to go back to the rangers office to pick them up. The kids and I opted to wait by the boat. I thought they could burn off some energy playing before having to sit for a long period of time in the boat.
Once he was back, we put on our vests and set off. The view out on the water was beautiful. I wanted to explore the whole lake, but our motor was slow and battery operated. We didn’t want to get stranded in a far corner and have to row back. The forecast predicted rain, but it was partly sunny and beautiful. The kids wanted to go swimming after fishing was over. With how warm the water was, it sounded like a great idea.
Princess had been wanting to go fishing for many months. While shopping for camping supplies she was always on the lookout for fishing lures. We ended up using worms rather than lures. I was the designated worm attacher, much to my dismay. I felt guilty and sick spearing the little guys with each hook.
Princess caught the first fish. She was thrilled. She fell in love with her fish and insisted we be careful with it. Nate attached it to a rope to save for dinner as I re-wormed her hook. Shortly after, she caught her 2nd fish! Then her third!
We noticed storm clouds heading our way in the distance, so we moved our boat closer to our campsite. In our new spot, Princess caught more fish! After she caught her seventh, Mr. Awesome caught one. Then he got his second and Princess caught her 8th! Nate caught a fish and Mr. Awesome caught his third. We were constantly catching and releasing them! Out of all of those fish, only 2 were big enough to eat. We decided that Princess and I would eat those and the family would eat sandwiches.
While we were fishing, I told the kids a story about my childhood. When I was very little, maybe 3 or 4, we went on a family vacation to Howard Lake. My Grandparents were camping in a cabin nearby. My Grandpa Ray wanted to go fishing and I begged to go with. He relented but I think he was worried I would complain or perhaps scare away the fish if I were naughty.
I was so excited. Grandpa gave me my own fishing pole to use. We each had our own side of the boat. I began to catch fish! Grandpa was laughing and exclaiming his surprise. After catching maybe 5 large fish he teased that perhaps I had the better side of the boat and switched with me. I caught several more fish! He said that maybe I had the better fishing pole and let me continue to fish. If memory serves, I caught 11 large fish that day. I was so happy I made Grandpa smile and be proud of me.
It started to sprinkle so we decided to head back. We decided that we might try fishing more later in the day since the rental was for the entire day. Nate dropped me off at the boat docks so I could drive the van back to the campsite, then he and the kids set out across the lake.
I met them at the docks and we all drove back to our campsite. Since we had relied on fish being our dinner, we decided to get dinner in town for the non-allergy part of the family. Our fish would be a nice corn free dinner for Princess and me.
As we drove to town, we saw a small black bear on a hill on the side of the road. We pulled over to stop and watch for a little bit. I was thrilled, but the rest of the family grew bored quickly. Their growling tummies might have had something to do with it though.
In our haste to leave, I forgot to make sure everyone went to the bathroom. After getting food at Zupp’s Market, Princess insisted she was going to pee her pants so we stopped at a gas station. There, she found a baby loon stuffed animal. Princess is a stuffed animal addict. She must rescue every adorable stuffed animal she finds. Some of the ones we say no to, she sobs for hours after because the poor things are sad and alone and no one will take care of them. I find that letting her carry one or two of her babies everywhere seems to deter her from picking up anymore, but as this was an emergency bathroom break, at a gas station, I was unprepared. So baby loon became the newest member of our family.
We made a trip to Dairy Queen since we felt bad that the kids weren’t able to go swimming. Thankfully they were happy with the trade-off. Princess and I could enjoy our homemade snack bars and gluten-free grilled cheese once we got back to the campsite.
While waiting for Nate to bring out the goodies, I admired the many flower gardens in the parking lot. Someone had taken a lot of time and love to create such a delightful and colorful array of flowers.
Once we were back, we set to making dinner. However, someone stole our fish! They also connected and drained the battery on our boat. The kids tried to catch us some while Nate prepared dinner, but they were only able to get little ones that we released. After dinner, Nate went to get a new battery from the office. Once he got back, he set off in the boat to the main dock. I sat at the edge of the water under an umbrella with the kids for a little bit before heading back to the campsite. I was going to drive around to pick him up and then we would drop off the vests and the battery together.
However, once I got to the van, it was locked, and I realized that Nate had the keys with him. It was getting dark fast. I ran down to get the children from the edge of the lake. I brought them back to the campsite and got them settled in the tent. I told them to stay together at all times and not to leave unless they had to go to the bathroom. I grabbed my lantern and my umbrella and set off on the long walk around the lake. Walking in the dark, in the woods alone, I was a little scared. I had encountered a bear as a child up close and I didn’t want that to happen again. I sang out loud as I walked along to alert any wildlife of my presence. Once I arrived at a dock that was across the lake from the boat launch, I started calling out Nate’s name. I didn’t see him or hear him.
It was pouring heavily. I had three options:
Walk around the lake toward the boat dock in hopes of finding Nate.
Walk up towards the office in hopes that I might find him along the way.
Head back to the children.
I felt like walking around the lake was a waste of time. He didn’t hear me calling, so chances are, he had started to walk back to the office himself. I could go back to the children, but at least I knew they were safe, dry and together in the tent with the other lantern. Nate was out there, alone, in the dark and the cold, heavy rain. I decided to head toward the office. I walked up the trail, stopping at intersections to call out for Nate.
After walking up the long road to the ranger’s office for a way, I saw a man walking toward me. I hoped that it was Nate, but his size was smaller and thinner than Nate’s tall, muscular shape. I paused as he approached me.
“Excuse me, sir, Have you seen another man walking on this road recently?”
“No, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen anyone.”
I thanked him and continued the walk to the office. I could see it’s lights glowing in the distance. Inside was a bright, warm, dry relief. The ranger on duty had seen Nate about 20-30 minutes prior. My heart sank. Nate had probably taken the far road back to the campsite after walking up there with the motor. It was the opposite side of the park that I had been on. I thanked him and took a deep breath before heading back out into the dark. I walked swiftly along the road, the temperature had dropped and the rain that was blown sideways by the wind had gotten my lower half wet. I was tired and chilly, too cold to loudly sing away the bears. I did so anyway, intermittently, in a voice quavering with shivers.
After a while, I noticed headlights approaching in the distance. As they got closer, hope sprang to my lips in a smile. It was our van. Nate had come to rescue me. I happily climbed into the warmth where the heat and seat warmers were already on.
It turns out that after Nate had been waiting a couple minutes, he got bored and put his hands in his pockets, realizing he still had the keys. He groaned and started the long walk with the heavy boat motor. Thankfully, he is strong from his manual labor at his job. He had the same thoughts running through his head that I had, what if I should happen upon a bear? He thought he might kick it in the face. I laughed because Nate taking on a bear with a boat motor and kicking a bear seemed like a not so safe idea. He is tall like Paul Bunyan though, so perhaps it would be enough to scare one away. He had walked the far way home and found the kids. After making sure they were ok, he set out looking for me in the van. He stopped along the lake and intersections as I had for him, calling out my name. We were always on opposite sides of the park. So although I was trying to be the hero, I ended up needing a hero myself. It was a silly situation all around.
Do you go fishing as a family? Who usually catches the most fish?
I woke up to the sun making glowing shadows on the roof of our tent as it passed through the leaves on the trees. Already I could feel the sun warming the chilly air.
Since it was so lovely, we thought it would be a perfect day to explore Grand Marais. We had a fun day checking out all of the little shops. I would have loved to have stopped at every shop, but there just wasn’t enough time!
I got an amethyst bracelet at a rock store, Loony’s Northwoods Emporium. Each child got to pick out a rock of their choice. We also visited Ely’s Old Fashioned Candy where we got a bunch of rare (for us) treats. I was thrilled to be able to visit Jim Brandenberg’s Art gallery. At the local Goodwill, Cupcake and I got a few books, Princess got a few sweaters and a cute pair of sandals. Nate found 4 packs of kinetic sand for 99 cents. Mr. Awesome found a toy airplane.
In between two cute shops (Mealey’s Gift & Sauna Shops), there was a well-maintained flower garden with a waterfall and fish pond hiding in the corner. It reminded me of the fish pond my Grandpa used to have in his backyard.
On the recommendation of the receptionist at the Brandenburg gallery, we decided to visit Kawishiwi Falls. Since we still had some 5 Week Workout Challenge days left, I thought it was a great idea! Plus, getting to explore another waterfall sounded like a lot of fun.
The hike was quite beautiful. It was a short 1.5-mile hike. There were large boulders everywhere. Birch trees grew on and around the large rocks, their roots hugging them like cozy pillows. Planks made paths through the low ground where it probably gets muddy when it rains.
Climbing the last hill before the falls, we could hear the roar of the water as it tumbled down the rocks. Once at the top, the view was breathtaking. If we didn’t have the little ones, getting closer to the water might have been a neat area to explore.
After our hike, we went back into town to see the local farmer’s market. It was in the town’s park and slightly larger than our farmer’s market. There was a lot of stands set up selling a large variety of goods. For people who didn’t have cash, they had a stand set up selling wooden chips to pay vendors. We saw candles, kombucha, fermented foods, jams, fruits, veggies, live music, maple syrup, carved wooden spoons, handmade bath and beauty products, a stand advertising the U of M dental school, and more! It was almost like a small fair!
The kids found a painted rock and hid it for someone else to find. We’re always excited to find rocks. This one had a fish on one side and said Ely Rocks FB on the back.
After the Farmer’s Market, we picked up some tent sealer to make sure our tent was leakproof. The forecast predicted rain on Wednesday and we wanted to be sure we were dry. While there I found a cute mug that has a moose on it and the words Ely, MN. I like useful souvenirs. It was another fun day of vacation!
Have you been to Ely, Minnesota? What’s your favorite thing to do there?
My Grandfather is an incredible man. For as long as I can remember, my grandparent’s house was a place of sunshine and happiness. It was a safe place in a hard world.
My grandparents were kind, patient people. They loved creating things, growing things and exploring. They would take me on walks or show me their garden. My memories of my Grandparents are among some of the happiest in my life.
My Grandmother passed away in July 2012. She had Alzheimer’s, so we lost her mind before we lost all of her. It was really hard to watch her lose most of who she was.
My Grandfather also developed Alzheimer’s, but he was not as bad as my Grandma. He still had his personality and could remember a lot of things. He would mainly get confused and sometimes seem almost like a child. Thankfully, we could still talk to him about his memories and joke around with him like always.
Recently, my grandfather got sick and ended up bedridden. My Dad told me that he was extremely dehydrated. A few days later, my parents told me that Grandpa had been put on Hospice care. They expected him to only last a few days.
My Grandpa hates the pain medication. He firmly tells the staff he doesn’t want it and for them to GO AWAY when they try to give it to him. Other than that, my Grandfather is a sweet and gentle man. I only mention this, because you can hear him in the video below when we’re singing to him.
My grandfather is in his early 80’s. I always knew that someday, we would lose him, as we lost my grandma. Still, I never expected the day to come. The kids and I started visiting him almost every day. He truly did not look well. I prepared myself mentally for the worst.
My children did what they could to show him he was loved. They colored him pictures, sang him songs, Cat played her ukulele and Cupcake played her flute. We wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.
There is a woman who works at the home that has a pet kitten. She often brings her kitty for Grandpa to hold and love up. My Grandpa loves cats and used to rescue strays from the neighborhood.
I’ve seen pictures of a pet squirrel they used to have as well. My sister Liz brought her pet squirrel Rocky to visit and snuggle with Grandpa. Rocky took turns cuddling with all of us. Princess LOVES Rocky and is always so excited when Liz lets her hold him.
When I was sitting down, Liz put Rocky on me and he climbed into my shirt to take a nap. Thankfully I had an undershirt on too, his little claws are sharp! He is such a cute squirrel though.
After we left Grandpa, we stopped by the grocery store for a few things. I got 2 new pots that were on sale. It was hard to pass on the beautiful succulents, but I’d have nowhere to put them! I’m trying to only buy plants that are helpful in some way in the future since I have accumulated so many plants. Anything that is medicinal or edible is preferred.
Once home, I set about putting away the groceries, cleaning the kitchen, feeding the family snacks and making dinner. I have been dehydrating fruit to make fruit strips and chips for camping.
We have reservations to go camping soon. I’m worried about my Grandfather while we’re gone. We won’t be in cell range. I’m hoping my Grandpa will be well enough to hang on for longer than expected. I can’t delay the trip because school will be starting soon and it will also be fall and too cold for camping. I can only hope and pray and see what happens.
It was a hot Saturday as we drove a little over an hour to Community Park in St Francis, Minnesota. We drove up to meet my parents and sisters at the Great American Farm Tour Minnesota Meetup.
There was a lot of major road construction along the way, and thankfully Nate was driving. I get anxiety driving in unknown places with a lot of traffic. Add detours to the mix and I might have gotten us lost.
As we neared the park, we saw a bus heading toward us. Nate asked me, “Is that them?” as he pulled the van over to the side of the road. The bus had slowed and turned onto a dirt road. The kids were hopping in their seats in excitement as we saw the Great American Farm Tour logo on the side.
We debated if that was the turn to the park, since we were so close, but decided it was a private farm. We thought they were perhaps running behind and had just gotten to their host’s house and they might be a bit late to the meetup.
The park was mostly empty when we got there. There were only 3 other cars in the parking lot. My parents greeted us and let us know that only two of the people were also waiting for the farm tour. I let them know that we had just seen the bus and perhaps they would be a little late. The children played at the park and I caught up with my parents.
As time wore on, I began to worry, was this the right park? Was this the right day? The other car waiting for the Rhodes left without saying anything. I began to look for the meetup information on my phone. My Dad was the one who let me know, but since I was behind in watching the farm tour, I personally hadn’t seen it yet.
It took awhile to find the info because I couldn’t figure out how to pull it up on my phone. I watched the youtube video to find out the date and I laughed when I realized we were indeed a day early. I could tell my Dad felt awful about it, but it honestly didn’t bother me. I called it our planning prep trip. Now we knew about the road construction and detours and we also knew exactly where the park was. Sunday, Nate would be a work and I would have to drive up instead. Plus, I got the joy of seeing my family two days in a row, a rare treat!
We hung out awhile longer, playing with the kids and enjoying our family time. Cat ended up going with my parents to spend a night at their farm.On the drive home, we stopped at Aldi’s for some snacks before dinner. It had been a fun day and we looked forward to returning to the park again on Sunday.
Have you ever gotten a date wrong that ended up being a blessing instead of a disappointment?
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 4, Day 2
Historic Fort Snelling
Today we visited Fort Snelling. My parents, my sisters Shannon and Liz and Liz’s boyfriend Jimmy had a lot of fun! We’ve been here many times and every time I find something new to enjoy.
Although I’ve always visited Fort Snelling as a tourist, my Dad visited as a child, before it was restored as a historic landmark. When he was a child, his uncle and cousins lived here!
Fort Snelling has always been one of my sister Liz’s favorite places. Since she was a child, she’s always loved the cannon blast. That might be because, when she was little, my Dad used to tell her that they set it off just for her.
After hearing the cannons go off, we went to get root beer and cream soda for the non-allergy people. Then, we practiced walking on stilts. My Dad was the best, to everyone’s amazement.
We checked out some of the usual buildings, like the tower and the schoolhouse, but my favorite was the medical rooms. There were some new displays that I haven’t seen before. I especially got a kick out of the weather diary. The climate here was judged “the most excessive among all military posts in The United States.”
Liz, Jimmy and the kids had great fun making star wands in the arts and crafts building. Liz has always excelled in making a four-sided star. In usual tradition, she gave her star to the youngest in our family, Princess. Jimmy was kind enough to give his star to Mr. Awesome.
After we were done for the day, we cooled off inside the gift shop and art gallery area before heading to our cars. This year’s exhibit was a display of beautiful photography by Paul Kitagaki. Accompanying the portraits were moving stories of families and people who had lived through the Japanese internment. There was also a fascinating display of old clocks.
Later that night, we met up with my friend Joleen and her son Drake for fireworks at our local golf course. It was a lovely evening. The fireworks were beautiful and seemed to be right on top of us. It was the perfect finish to a fun day.
Have you been to Fort Snelling? What is your favorite part? What historic sites are near your home? I’d love to hear about it, share a link to your blog post in the comments!
