We're back in Wisconsin, our home state; and we're near Milwaukee, where we were both born and raised. We're here to visit Glen's brother Dale and his partner, Cheryl and Glen's sister Kathleen and her husband Alan. And of course, we'll also be seeing the extended family of nieces and nephews and their children.
But before we get carried away reminiscing about the Milwaukee area... and family - let's cover the previous week.
We arrived in Apple Valley, MN on Thursday, July 10th, after driving down from Hinckley where we'd had a couple of pleasant days for rest and recuperation. Hinckley boasts a beautiful casino and resort, and the stay there was just what the doctor ordered. We even had a bit of luck at the casino, and left Hinckley with a few more dollars than we arrived with.
The Twin Cites area was home for us during the early nineties when Glen worked for Northwest Airlines; and our son David stayed there when we moved back to Wisconsin to open our bed & breakfast. So we were excited to visit Dave and his girlfriend Jenni, as well as some good friends in the Twin Cities.
No sooner had we arrived at Lebanon Hills campground (a nice park operated by Dakota county) when we received our first visitor. Our friend Donna, who worked with Glen at Northwest, stopped by on her way home from work to welcome us back. After a short visit she headed out, and a few minutes later David and Jenni arrived for some hamburgers on our grill. We made it a short night because we were tired after the drive, and because we needed to rest up for the week ahead, that Dave and Jenni had planned for us.
Around noon on Friday we arrived at Dave and Jenni's new townhouse. David was working, but Jenni drove us into Minneapolis for an afternoon of music at Orchestra Hall. Multiple outdoor venues were operating, with a variety of music styles to choose from. All was free of charge, and after sampling various musical options, Donna and Glen both agreed that the mandolin quartet was our favorite. At the end of a pleasant afternoon we packed up and headed back to the townhouse, where David had already arrived home from work and Jenni's sister Karissa had stopped over for a visit. Dave & Jenni prepared a nice dinner for us, and later in the evening Jenni's parents, Marc and Debbie, arrived from Racine, WI. This was our first opportunity to meet Jenni's family, and within a few minutes, they all felt just like family.
Saturday morning we returned to the townhouse for a light breakfast... and a surprise that Dave & Jenni had told us they'd planned. We drove to Stillwater, MN and boarded an old-time paddle-wheel steamboat for a leisurely brunch along the St. Croix River. The day couldn't have been more beautiful, and both families enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each other in such a pleasant environment. After the boat trip we all walked the streets of Stillwater - looking for bargains before returning to the townhouse to freshen up and head out to Eagan, MN where our friend Donna (who coincidentally is also Jenni's second cousin) had invited everyone over for dinner. It was a great time and a great meal. It was also great to see Donna's husband Dan and daughter Anna, who we haven't seen for a few years.
Sunday was another full day. We started out by moving the motorhome from Lebanon Hills in Apple Valley to Dakotah Meadows in Prior Lake, MN. We had wanted to stay the whole week at Dakotah Meadows, but when we tried to make reservations months ago, the park was already filled for our first weekend in Minnesota. After getting everything set up, we then headed to Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, with the intention of meeting up with the rest of the family. A lesson learned: If you want to go to Como Zoo on a beautiful day in the middle of Summer - it's best to arrive early. After driving around for nearly an hour, looking for a place to park, we gave up and decided to meet everyone later in the day. We were all invited for a barbecue with Jenni's brother Jason's house to meet him and his wife Chastity and their two children, Liam and Bedelia. We had a great time - and enjoyed meeting the rest of the family. The children are beautiful, and Jason and Chastity were warm and gracious host and hostess. On the drive home we decided we just had to stop (it's right on the way - HONEST!!) at Little Six Casino. This was the first Indian casino we ever visited (back in 1991 when we first moved to Minnesota). Like all Indian casinos, Little Six has prospered. Our first experience was in a set of double-wide mobile homes. Today the casino looks like it was transplanted from Las Vegas.
Monday we again drove to the northern edge of the Twin Cities to meet friends Brian and Kip - who have been our neighbors during our Gulf Shores, AL winters the past couple of years. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch, and then stopped at Trader Joe's with Brian & Kip to stock up on their fine coffee and 'all-natural' peanut butter. After returning to Brian & Kip's house for coffee and dessert, we pointed the car south - just in time to beat the afternoon rush. Jenni & Dave, and Jenni's mom Debbie then joined us for dinner at Mystic Lake's Minnehaha Cafe. (Mystic Lake is a huge recreation complex that includes several hotels, restaurants and casinos, as well as a world class golf course and the Dakotah Meadows RV resort where we were staying with the motorhome.)
Tuesday morning we took a drive out to the far southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, where we lived for four years in the early 90s. We needed new tires for the tow dolly that is pulled behind the Bounder with our Escape on board; and Fleet Farm in Lakeville seemed the perfect place to buy the replacements. While we were waiting for the tires to be mounted, we drove to see how our old house was faring. Wanting to see more than was visible from the road, we entered the drive, and were soon greeted by the new owner Krista and her son Stevie. After introducing ourselves, we were warmly greeted and received a tour of the yard. It was great to see that the 'English Country Garden' that Donna cultivated - and which Glen, along with our son David, spent a couple of years fencing - was still intact.
That evening we were scheduled for a St. Paul Saints minor league baseball game, and we used the opportunity to arrive in St. Paul a little early (along with David and Jenni... and Jenni's mom Debbie and sister Karissa) and finally got to see a bit of the Como Zoo - as well as the beautiful conservatory and butterfly house. Later, it was only a few minutes drive to Midway Stadium, the home of The Saints. What can we say about The Saints Baseball game? It's probably the most fun we ever had at a baseball game where the home team didn't even score a run. In fact, The Saints had more errors than hits - but no one in the stands seemed to be bothered by that. There is so much going on in the stadium that it feels just a bit more like a circus than baseball. (Perhaps the fact that Bill Murray of Saturday Night fame, and Mike Veeck, son of Bill Veeck, are part owners has something to do with this.) Whatever the reasons, we did a lot of laughing, and everyone agreed that the St. Paul Saints provide great entertainment and bring baseball back to the level of fun and excitement that it had in it's earlier years - before business and money took the game over. Even though this is 'minor league', more than 6300 loyal fans showed up for the game. (That's more than attended some of the regular season games we enjoyed with the White Sox in Chicago when we lived there.)
Wednesday we started the day with a visit to the Minneapolis Farmers Market. After having the opportunity to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, we then headed to Minnehaha Falls park for a picnic - again along with Jenni, Dave, Karissa and Debbie; and this time we also enjoyed having Jason and Chastity's two little ones, Liam and Bedelia, along with us. David and Jenni packed a great lunch for us, and we enjoyed the companionship as well as the opportunity to view the beautiful falls - a unique attraction in the middle of a major city. Later in the day we met our friend (and Jenni's cousin) Donna, along with her son Nate, and all headed back to the Minnehaha Cafe at Mystic Lake. While we were there we just had to give the machines another go, and happy to say - at least Glen left with more money than he arrived with. We then returned to our motorhome for a round of sad but satisfied good-byes with family, old friends, and new friends.
Thursday we packed up the Bounder and left Dakotah Meadows, on our way to a one-night stopover at Wisconsin Dells, WI - before making our way to West Bend, WI for a week of visiting with yet another branch of the family.
But before we get carried away reminiscing about the Milwaukee area... and family - let's cover the previous week.
We arrived in Apple Valley, MN on Thursday, July 10th, after driving down from Hinckley where we'd had a couple of pleasant days for rest and recuperation. Hinckley boasts a beautiful casino and resort, and the stay there was just what the doctor ordered. We even had a bit of luck at the casino, and left Hinckley with a few more dollars than we arrived with.
The Twin Cites area was home for us during the early nineties when Glen worked for Northwest Airlines; and our son David stayed there when we moved back to Wisconsin to open our bed & breakfast. So we were excited to visit Dave and his girlfriend Jenni, as well as some good friends in the Twin Cities.
No sooner had we arrived at Lebanon Hills campground (a nice park operated by Dakota county) when we received our first visitor. Our friend Donna, who worked with Glen at Northwest, stopped by on her way home from work to welcome us back. After a short visit she headed out, and a few minutes later David and Jenni arrived for some hamburgers on our grill. We made it a short night because we were tired after the drive, and because we needed to rest up for the week ahead, that Dave and Jenni had planned for us.
Around noon on Friday we arrived at Dave and Jenni's new townhouse. David was working, but Jenni drove us into Minneapolis for an afternoon of music at Orchestra Hall. Multiple outdoor venues were operating, with a variety of music styles to choose from. All was free of charge, and after sampling various musical options, Donna and Glen both agreed that the mandolin quartet was our favorite. At the end of a pleasant afternoon we packed up and headed back to the townhouse, where David had already arrived home from work and Jenni's sister Karissa had stopped over for a visit. Dave & Jenni prepared a nice dinner for us, and later in the evening Jenni's parents, Marc and Debbie, arrived from Racine, WI. This was our first opportunity to meet Jenni's family, and within a few minutes, they all felt just like family.
Saturday morning we returned to the townhouse for a light breakfast... and a surprise that Dave & Jenni had told us they'd planned. We drove to Stillwater, MN and boarded an old-time paddle-wheel steamboat for a leisurely brunch along the St. Croix River. The day couldn't have been more beautiful, and both families enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each other in such a pleasant environment. After the boat trip we all walked the streets of Stillwater - looking for bargains before returning to the townhouse to freshen up and head out to Eagan, MN where our friend Donna (who coincidentally is also Jenni's second cousin) had invited everyone over for dinner. It was a great time and a great meal. It was also great to see Donna's husband Dan and daughter Anna, who we haven't seen for a few years.
Sunday was another full day. We started out by moving the motorhome from Lebanon Hills in Apple Valley to Dakotah Meadows in Prior Lake, MN. We had wanted to stay the whole week at Dakotah Meadows, but when we tried to make reservations months ago, the park was already filled for our first weekend in Minnesota. After getting everything set up, we then headed to Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, with the intention of meeting up with the rest of the family. A lesson learned: If you want to go to Como Zoo on a beautiful day in the middle of Summer - it's best to arrive early. After driving around for nearly an hour, looking for a place to park, we gave up and decided to meet everyone later in the day. We were all invited for a barbecue with Jenni's brother Jason's house to meet him and his wife Chastity and their two children, Liam and Bedelia. We had a great time - and enjoyed meeting the rest of the family. The children are beautiful, and Jason and Chastity were warm and gracious host and hostess. On the drive home we decided we just had to stop (it's right on the way - HONEST!!) at Little Six Casino. This was the first Indian casino we ever visited (back in 1991 when we first moved to Minnesota). Like all Indian casinos, Little Six has prospered. Our first experience was in a set of double-wide mobile homes. Today the casino looks like it was transplanted from Las Vegas.
Monday we again drove to the northern edge of the Twin Cities to meet friends Brian and Kip - who have been our neighbors during our Gulf Shores, AL winters the past couple of years. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch, and then stopped at Trader Joe's with Brian & Kip to stock up on their fine coffee and 'all-natural' peanut butter. After returning to Brian & Kip's house for coffee and dessert, we pointed the car south - just in time to beat the afternoon rush. Jenni & Dave, and Jenni's mom Debbie then joined us for dinner at Mystic Lake's Minnehaha Cafe. (Mystic Lake is a huge recreation complex that includes several hotels, restaurants and casinos, as well as a world class golf course and the Dakotah Meadows RV resort where we were staying with the motorhome.)
Tuesday morning we took a drive out to the far southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, where we lived for four years in the early 90s. We needed new tires for the tow dolly that is pulled behind the Bounder with our Escape on board; and Fleet Farm in Lakeville seemed the perfect place to buy the replacements. While we were waiting for the tires to be mounted, we drove to see how our old house was faring. Wanting to see more than was visible from the road, we entered the drive, and were soon greeted by the new owner Krista and her son Stevie. After introducing ourselves, we were warmly greeted and received a tour of the yard. It was great to see that the 'English Country Garden' that Donna cultivated - and which Glen, along with our son David, spent a couple of years fencing - was still intact.
That evening we were scheduled for a St. Paul Saints minor league baseball game, and we used the opportunity to arrive in St. Paul a little early (along with David and Jenni... and Jenni's mom Debbie and sister Karissa) and finally got to see a bit of the Como Zoo - as well as the beautiful conservatory and butterfly house. Later, it was only a few minutes drive to Midway Stadium, the home of The Saints. What can we say about The Saints Baseball game? It's probably the most fun we ever had at a baseball game where the home team didn't even score a run. In fact, The Saints had more errors than hits - but no one in the stands seemed to be bothered by that. There is so much going on in the stadium that it feels just a bit more like a circus than baseball. (Perhaps the fact that Bill Murray of Saturday Night fame, and Mike Veeck, son of Bill Veeck, are part owners has something to do with this.) Whatever the reasons, we did a lot of laughing, and everyone agreed that the St. Paul Saints provide great entertainment and bring baseball back to the level of fun and excitement that it had in it's earlier years - before business and money took the game over. Even though this is 'minor league', more than 6300 loyal fans showed up for the game. (That's more than attended some of the regular season games we enjoyed with the White Sox in Chicago when we lived there.)
Wednesday we started the day with a visit to the Minneapolis Farmers Market. After having the opportunity to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, we then headed to Minnehaha Falls park for a picnic - again along with Jenni, Dave, Karissa and Debbie; and this time we also enjoyed having Jason and Chastity's two little ones, Liam and Bedelia, along with us. David and Jenni packed a great lunch for us, and we enjoyed the companionship as well as the opportunity to view the beautiful falls - a unique attraction in the middle of a major city. Later in the day we met our friend (and Jenni's cousin) Donna, along with her son Nate, and all headed back to the Minnehaha Cafe at Mystic Lake. While we were there we just had to give the machines another go, and happy to say - at least Glen left with more money than he arrived with. We then returned to our motorhome for a round of sad but satisfied good-byes with family, old friends, and new friends.
Thursday we packed up the Bounder and left Dakotah Meadows, on our way to a one-night stopover at Wisconsin Dells, WI - before making our way to West Bend, WI for a week of visiting with yet another branch of the family.
But more of that later. In the mean time, we hope you will enjoy the photos Donna has put together of our time in Minnesota. You can check these out by going to the Picasa link:
Until the next time, when we chronicle our time in the Milwaukee area, we hope you've enjoyed coming along on our journey with us, and that you'll leave a comment and let us know you've visited the Bounder Across America blog.
Donna & Glen
7 comments:
We all had a great time with you guys! I can't believe how quick the week flew by. Safe travels and we look forward to more updates!
D & J
We had such a wonderful time I concur Dave. I am so happy that you were able to come and endure our schedule of events! My parents had a wonderful time also and really love you guys!
Jenni
We really enjoyed your blog of Minnesota. The pictures are really great.!! I feel like I've been along with you too.!!!
Bill & Mary
Jenni and Dave look great. What a condo...are you living across the road from a farm? Whew. California is so much more crowded.Jenn's family looks wonderful, and just like Jenn. Thanks for sharing all the pics. Even without the words, I'd know you were in the Midwest. Have a great time in Wisco, and drink a 'shorty' for me.
Abrazos,
Noreen
Hi Donna & Glen!
Haven't viewed the pictures yet but we are traveling right along with you and have a great time. This has really been interesting.
Have a safe trip.
We have been in WV the last two week ends for class reunion, and enjoyed it very much.
Take Care and keep in touch.
Gene & Shirley
Loved the MN photos too. You guys are having too much fun. Now it's only 3 weeks (or so) until you get here. Porch light is on... and the pups, kitties, and I are waiting...
I really have enjoyed your trip with you. The pictures confirm you are just having the most fabulous time ever. You certainly keep busy!
Betty
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