Today was a vacation day for us. Which seems strange to say since we've had joint days off during the summer. But today was one of the last days where we were free enough to head out of town. So we went to Duluth.
I like trips to Duluth but it seems just a bit further away then I want it to be. On the ride up it seems just a little bit too long. On the way home it seems eternal.
We left early so we could make it up there before lunch. We met the FP Gal's folks near Canal Park. My FIL brought some bread so we fed the poor malnourished seagulls. Then we met Carrie for lunch at Grandma's. Which was very fun (despite the attempts of the younglings).
After eating we walked out to the lighthouse. Relia showed me that one side was warm and the other was very cool. We also threw rocks in the lake. I got a couple of six skippers.
We parted ways with the in-laws and drove up to French River, which is a special spot for the FP Gal. Relia napped on the way there and was pretty unbearable for a bit. But we promised her ice cream at the nearby Scenic Cafe. We'd gotten a tip on their blueberry pie (which was wonderful). The FP Gal had some cherry pie and she pronounced it the best she'd ever had. Relia had something with gummi worms and chocolate ice cream. At one point she had an ice cream goatee.
Now that she was cheerful we stopped back at French River and threw more rocks in the lake. Then we made a break for home. Nearly half of Duluth's roads are under construction so the route was a little slow. This ruined Relia's mood again. We (finally!) made it back to I35 and drove through the set of tunnels there. I said we had to hold our breath and the FP Gal dutifully joined me. Relia would have none of it. She told us "I'm not underwater!", which cracked us up.
The ride home took a mere 15 hours. In fact, I'm not entirely certain that this is still Tuesday. We left the interstate about a half dozen times for potty breaks, food, gas and disciplinary reasons. Both kids fell asleep sometime after dark and the rest of the trip was uneventful.
A fun day and I'm glad that we went. I just wish we could simply teleport back when we're done. I think the kids do too.
4 comments:
Oooh, ouch. That drive can be painful. But usually on a Sunday night - not a Tuesday? I feel for ya.
hahahaha! Yeah, tell me about that drive. I do it ALL the time. The last time I drove back with the kids (alone) we stopped NINE TIMES between Apple Valley & Duluth. Yeah. That was fun.
It was GREAT to see you guys yesterday!! I always wish there was more time to catch up!
(oh yeah, and the road construction this year is OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!)
Carrie, I thought about you many times during our long trip back home. If it was just me and two kids I'd either give them some Dramamine 'candy' or wear noise canceling headphones. I think each trip counts towards future sainthood.
And the construction up there really has to be seen to be believed. Two car crashes and the city would be cut off by land (or something like that). Still it was worth it. It was great to see you too!
If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium.
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