Sunday, August 22, 2010

Maggie's grace

Here's video of our niece, Maggie, and her mom, Ruthie. Maggie didn't finish her dinner, so she wasn't allowed to have any ice cream...but as you'll see on the video, she's rewarded for good behavior.

Over the river and through the woods

We had a wonderful time in Minnesota with family! Our trip involved traveling to northern Minnesota (about 30 miles from the Canadian border) to spend time with loved ones at a mountain retreat.

This, unfortunately, wasn't our sweet ride, but check out the number of bikes on the back of this RV!
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Some highlights included sledding down the Alpine Slide in Lutsen. This involved riding a ski lift up to the top of the mountain and, using a special sled, twisting and weaving one's way back down via a concrete track.
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View from the top - notice all of the people with their yellow sleds lined up behind us
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Waiting to get the go ahead to let loose!
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Woohoo, that was fun!
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A visit to Grand Marais, MN, included a visit to the World's Best Donut Shop and Sven and Ole's Pizza - both were good eats.
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Mmmm, donuts
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Grand Marais is a picturesque little town right on the edge of Lake Superior.
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We also headed to the beach where our niece loved playing with the rocks.
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Hiking
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Skipping rocks
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Gooseberry Falls
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Most importantly, we enjoyed laughing and sharing stories and spending time with family.

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Shucking sweet corn
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The motley crew
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We're looking forward to next year's adventures! As always, we're sending lots of love and hugs across the miles...the girlz

Monday, August 02, 2010

The 'Noog

We headed to Chattanooga last weekend to celebrate Minnesota's birthday. Our first destination brought us to Lookout Mountain Flight Park on Lookout Mountain where we anxiously awaited our instructions as to next steps on our tandem hang gliding adventures.
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Turns out, we would NOT be jumping off the cliff, but rather would be starting our flight from the ground, 2,000 feet below Lookout Mountain Flight Park.

Both of us got suited up in our safety gear.
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A small plane towed us up to altitude and then the pilot cut the rope and each of us, and our "instructor" floated effortlessly above the treetops. The views were spectacularly breathtaking.
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Of course, we had see the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
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We spent a lot of time on the porch at the adorable bed and breakfast (Bluff View Inn) where we stayed.
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The Bluff View Inn was located in the arts district of Chattanooga - the grounds surrounding the district were so beautiful.
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Per usual, we sought out our favorite tantalizing treats: ice cream, donuts and cupcakes.
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Of the three, the cupcakes were the worst. Too much icing. Blech.

It was hella hot last weekend, so my umbrella made an appearance. I love my umbrella!
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Tom Otterness sculpture outside of the art museum!
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Massages at the Chattanoogan
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Farmers' market
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Making a birthday wish
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As always, we're sending lots of love and hugs across the miles...the girlz