Minnesota-Wisconsin Family Visits

Family Fun in Minnesota & Wisconsin, You Betcha!

July 2015

 

          We’re off to Minneapolis to visit our nephew Andy, wife Staci, & children Abigail & Henry. Auntie Marjorie has visited before, but Uncle Russ is especially looking forward to finally meeting Abigail & Henry. Adding to the family reunion fun, we’ll be joined by grandparents: Marjorie’s sister Mary & hubbie Jeff (aka Mar-Mar & Pop-Pop). And we received in the mail a ♫Message in a bottle♫: a bottle w/ enclosed message inviting us to Abigail’s 6^th birthday party w/ a luau theme; to get us in the right mood, the bottle also contained some shells & plastic flowers. Staci is legendary for her themed BD parties, so we’re all a’twitter for this one. We’d been tipped off earlier, picked up appropriate luau shirt for me (or “Hawaiian bowling shirt,”as son Matt called them during our Hawaii trip years ago) & dress for Marjorie on previous travels. This comes as a nice midsummer break, especially for Marjorie, who’s been very busily in charge of organizing a summer art camp for kids that took place the last week of June. In turn, I’m so exhausted from my grueling heading-into-retirement regimen!: playing golf for the 1^st time in some 20 years and starting my travel/photos blog. We’re also still coming down from a wonderful July 4^th: a bus trip to see the NYC fireworks, not getting home until almost 3am. No guidebooks & maps for this trip, have to rely on the locals; tho Marjorie speaks pretty good Minnesotan, you betcha!

Thursday, July 9:

          Easier travel than usual, flying Delta direct out of Albany. But very early (6:42am). My colleague Dave & wife Nancy on our flight, headed to their own family reunion in Rochester MN. On-time departure, we enjoy our small splurge on “Comfort+” seats (Whoo-Hoo!). Arrive Minnespolis 8:10, sunny w/ views of Mississippi River & Twin Cities skyline coming in. Picked up by Staci & Henry. After a stop to watch the end of Abigail’s tennis camp session,

to their beautiful house & yard in Mendota Heights. We meet their very friendly (& well-behaved, after first ignoring him per Staci’s directions) English goldendoodle “Dasher” (named for his Christmas origins, aka “Dash” or “Dasherdoodle”). We get a house tour, including their famous TV bathroom (remodeling was featured on “Bath Crashers”). 

We enjoy time with Abigail & Henry and tours of their colorful rooms, with big connecting closets. After lunch the usual routine: nap for Henry & quiet time for Abigail; and Auntie M naps on the patio. 

Andy returns from a business meeting in Seattle (he’s a high-level marketing executive with Best Buy); and by coincidence, Matt & family are flying back from Vancouver today after a trip that included a stay w/ cousin Annie (Andy’s sister) & family in Oregon. After Andy grills burgers for dinner, a stroll thru pretty nearby wetlands to end the day.

Friday, July 10:  

           A beautiful AM, gonna be warmer today. I go for an early walk; Staci directs me to a path that ends at a Senior Living facility . . . Hmmm. Abigail & Henry show some of their “Shopkins.” Totally new to us, Shopkins are the latest craze: miniature supermarket-themed character collectibles w/ cute names (e.g., “Boo Hoo Onion” & “Sarah Softner”) & little faces, each with its own bio. Marjorie & Staci go out to get cupcake supplies for tomorrow’s Birthday Extravaganza. We teach Henry “thumbs up,” but he keeps confusing thumbs and index fingers amid much giggling.  

Dash gets a bath. Mary & Jeff arrive after their drive from KC. All except baker Marjorie head to the “red park” playground.

The remainder of the afternoon & evening is mostly party prep; OMG: balloons, beads, grass skirts, leis, blowup toucans & palm trees . . . and more! 

We look like a prom committee spread around the living room and later the basement. Around a backyard campfire w/ s’mores to cap off the day.

Saturday, July 11:

          A nice AM for Party Day! Lawnmowing, yard decorating, food preparation. 

Jeff & I get permission to get out of the way with a quick trip to Mall of America, passing bright-colored light rail. Opened in 1992, MoA is 2^nd-largest (more than 400 stores) & most-visited (40 million annually) mall in the US. I find a Minnesota magnet for my collection and gawk at the large amusement park w/ many rides w/in the mall, a large LEGO store w/ many big LEGO sculptures. Back home Staci’s mother Linda has joined the party crew. 

Marjorie is creating a watermelon shark, party decorations hang from trees (Dash seems a bit freaked by the toucan), patio is now a “tiki bar” where Mary will give tattoos (the washable variety). 

Abigail and Henry look ready for a party.

And then . . . 11 little girls w/ green grass skirts & leis flit from activity to activity: hula toss, bingo, limbo, pass the coconut, sand art, piñata (which Andy has to step in to finish off). As the official photographer I try to keep up. 
more

Pigs-in-blankets (no pig roast!), Auntie M’s colorful & yummy cupcakes. Possible showers hold off. The party is a great success! 

 After the guests depart, adults relax w/ a bit of wine while Abigail opens presents. After some pizza, Marjorie & Mary still have energy to head to IKEA while the rest of us lounge to recover from the excitement.

Sunday, July 12:

          Another pretty AM. Mary’s the BD girl today, tho no elaborate celebration for her, sad to say. But it’s time to go to the lake! Since Andy has to be back at work Tuesday, we have a 3-car convoy. I join Andy in his Jeep for the 2-hour drive into Wisconsin, via Menominee & past many cornfields, to Chetek WI & Ojaski Lake, one of a chain of lakes. (And go figure  ̶  we fly to “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,” then go to a lake in Wisconsin!) First into the marina to pick up the “blue boat” (which Henry had explained was “broken”). 

The town & marina exude a “Red Green” ambience*: local Café & Bob’s Diner, VFW hall, a huge fish on the front of the Rod n Gun Shop plus “Live Bait” sign & big American flag . . . real Americana! Many resorts of varying degrees of rustic. 

*For those who are Canadiana-impaired, Red Green is a Northwoodsy TV character.

We turn on 10¾ Ave., then 24¾ St.    . . . are we going to Hogwarts? 

Nope, there’s Linda’s lovely lakehouse: pretty flowers & plantings, nice wood interior, sited high among trees looking down on the lake.

          I go out w/ the ladies, but it’s not as “scenic” a jaunt as I’d hoped: shopping stops at Goodwill & Bargain Bill’s. Back to the lake, Marjorie, Abigail, & I get a boat ride w/ Andy under a bridge full of swallows’ nests underneath to meet others at Gilligan’s for dinner outside by a small marina. I enjoy Leinenkugel “Summer Shanty” (a tasty beer/lemonade mix). 

Then to more Americana: a fun water ski show. Relaxation & chatting afterwards on Linda’s deck. A last bit of excitement: I spot a skunk out the kitchen window.

Monday, July 13:

           A thunderstorm during the night, lots of lightning & rain. But a calm, mostly clear AM. I take a little stroll: photos of glistening water on flowers, a large cornfield. 

A trip to Chetek Bakery yields donuts & scones for breakfast. We poke around shops in town, are accosted by a friendly shopowner w/ fudge samples. Andy has to take the boat in for more fixing. After lunch the ladies head to Rice Lake for more shopping (& a farm stand stop for yummy strawberries to go w/ Marjorie’s shortcake later); Jeff & I go to Gordy’s for some dinner supplies (including bratwurst & whipped cream); then guys & kids relax at the lakehouse. 

Abigail & Henry are excited to find blackberries to pick. Dinner of brats & strawberry shortcake, then lounging on the deck: Andy tying flies, Henry telling about “flying berries from outer space.” Dark clouds come across the lake to bring brief rain that chases us inside, then the sun sparkles across the lake. Andy & Dash head back to Minneapolis. After the kids are in bed the rest of us play Scrabble. A very relaxing & enjoyable day.

Tuesday, July 14:

          Bob’s Diner for breakfast, including “Spudniks”  ̶  the 1^st donut-holes (potato-based) created here in 1957 in response to Russian launch of Sputnik. Staci & kids head home, Marjorie & I ride w/ Mary & Jeff for a more leisurely route. 

Partly sunny, pretty clouds, another bucolic drive: pretty farms & cornfields, a bald eagle perched in a tree, 3 deer cross the road as we near Hudson WI. 

A pretty town to stroll: nice shops, lush hanging flower pots, old buildings, a pretty riverfront w/ Boy Scout statue from 1910 on the St. Croix River. Marjorie asks at the Chamber office about local Goodwill store  ̶  “Oh, yah. Ya make a left at the Dairy Queen.” 

 Mary lingers in an antique shop, then on to Goodwill. I spot an interesting product placement: several books by ranting right-wing ideologues Rush Limbaugh & Glenn Beck next to Al Franken’s Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. On to Stillwater and more antiques! Lunch by a marina, then on home. 

Driveway painting by Abigail & Henry. To Grand Ole Creamery in St. Paul for treats on a beautiful evening. Thru nearby neighborhoods w/ impressive old houses, a distant view of the Twin Cities skyline from a bridge crossing the Mississippi.

Wednesday, July 15:

          As usual chatterbox Henry is up early. Breakfast on the porch. Some excitement: Mary broke her toothbrush!; and the Minneapolis Mayor says 26 shootings in 2 weeks is “unacceptable.” A brief shower then sunny. Still more to do, a busy AM. 

 To awesome Thompson Park, one of Dakota County’s “forever wild” parks. A pretty lake, many birds (ducks, white egret, red-wing blackbirds), butterflies, unusual dragonflies, many trails, a fun playground. 

Early lunch at Culver’s; Marjorie gets a coveted turtle sundae (nobody seems to know how to make this out East) . . . before noon! A quiet, relaxing PM. Jeff heads to his flight back to KC. Clever Marjorie goes to Youtube for directions on how to use an unfamiliar can opener to liberate beans for tonight’s chili. And tonight we get some “fruits” of Abigail & Henry’s fixation on picking berries at any opportunity: raspberries in our salads. The ladies head out for more resale shopping, come back w/ a good haul. Andy seems pleased that a big on-line event by competitor Amazon was not such a big success.

Thursday, July 16: 

 

           Cloudy & cooler today. We take Abigail to her tennis camp at Visitations HS. I stroll the pretty grounds: flowers & statues, a couple peacocks. Light rain on & off. 

To Gertens humungous garden store  . . . and much more! It seems the Midwest counterpart to Santa Fe’s Jackalope (but w/o the prairie dogs). Marjorie: “So many colors!” And you can get free financing on a $2599 grill! Sorry, won’t fit in the luggage. 

A relaxing, quiet & drizzly PM. Some creative rounds of “Story Cubes.” Staci dodges work on a neighborhood sinkhole to take us to the airport. Very friendly TSA “precheck” folks (we were so designated for both flights, simplifying security). On-time departure, up thru clouds to blue sky, 2-hour flight to Albany, pick up our car, home at 11:30.

          A wonderful trip! A good mix of family visiting, interesting activities, and relaxing. Adorable children, wonderful dog, fabulous party, lovely days at the lake . . . and did I mention the Shopkins? It was especially good to have such a long visit w/ Staci & Andy and Mary & Jeff, plus getting to know Linda better. Couldn’t help but think about the 3 cousins: Matt, Annie, & Andy. They’ve always been close, and it’s wonderful to see what fine adults & parents they (& their spouses) have become.