Road Trips

Minnesota Odyssey

On TUE 7/10, we took off for David & Carmen's chalet, located on picturesque Little Island Lake near Park Rapids, MN. We enjoyed our time with David & Carmen, which included shopping, fishing, floating, & dining out at Necce's, a wonderful Italian Restaurant in Park Rapids. (I heartily recommend the manicotti.)
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FISHING REPORT:  David caught an 18" bass while we were out on the pontoon. I caught a 16" bass while fishing off the dock--the biggest bass I've caught there in years. I also caught a northern pike & some panfish while out on the pontoon. One evening we were out on the pontoon & I caught 3 bass on 3 consecutive casts while fishing a jitterbug. (They were 12" or less, but still fun to catch.)
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          On SAT 7/14, Lois' 3 sisters & a sister-in-law joined us for the Summer 2018 Hill Sister Bash. Highlights included shopping, drinking wine, dining out at Necce's, floating & kayaking, drinking wine, shopping, a boat tour on Lake Itasca--source of the Mississippi, a winery, drinking wine, & shopping.
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LAKE ITASCA:  The boat tour was a lot of fun. We saw bald eagles, loons, & trumpeter swans. We also spent time at the headwaters of the Mississippi, which included a stroll across the river & back for some of the members of our group. The Mississippi is more like a stream & only a foot or two deep as it flows out of Lake Itasca, so you can wade across it.
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          On WED 7/18, Lois & I departed for International Falls. We got there in the afternoon & had a chance to walk across the bridge spanning the Rainy River & enter Canada. It was somewhat underwhelming. We expected some time of park on one or both sides of the border, but instead it was an industrial area. We strolled through downtown Ft. Francis & again it was underwhelming, although we did spend some time shopping for souvenirs. Also, I should mention that this was Lois' first venture into Canada & the first time I'd been in Canada since November, 1974.
          On THU 7/19, we did sightseeing & hiking in Voyageurs National Park. On FRI 7/20, we enjoyed a 2 1/2 hour boat tour of Rainy Lake. Voyageurs is definitely best appreciated while on the water. We saw bald eagles & loons, We also made a stop on Little America Island & saw the remnants of a gold mine that dated back to the late 1800s. On SAT 7/21, we made the long trek home.
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NATIONAL PARKS:  We added Voyageurs National Park to our list. We've also visited Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii, Lassen Volcanic & Redwoods National Parks in California, Arches National Park in Utah, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorada, Grand Tetons & Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming-Montana, Badlands National Park in S. Dakota. (I visited Rocky Mt. National Park in Colorado on a family vacation in 1971.)
          Next summer we plan on visiting Teddy Roosevelt National Park in N. Dakota & Glacier National Park in Montana.

Another Road Trip

Today we're picking up 3 of our grandkids & heading for Platte River State Park, which is located between Lincoln & Omaha. If the weather cooperates will go to the water park at Mahoney State Park on TUE, visit the SAC Museum in Bellevue on WED, & explore the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha on THU.
          An annual summer camping trip w/grandkids has been something we've enjoyed for some time now. Last year we stayed in a caboose at Two Rivers State Recreation Area. Previously we've done Mahoney State Park, also located between Lincoln & Omaha, stayed at a KOA near Omaha, & taken the grand-daughters to the Badlands & Black Hills of S. Dakota.