Luis and Bonnie's Great Minnesota Adventure
It started off with a flight on Sun Country Airlines.
Very affordable but nothing extraordinary
We stayed and Jerry and Kathy's in Apple Valley.
They have a great looking house....
It is soooo green here!
Their back yard backs into a pond with geese and ducks.
It's a great place to spend time when it isn't raining. The one day it did rain, we got over an inch.
Jerry had a barbecue on Labor Day and all the family came over.
The Wozniaks from Waconia were there....
Of course, they brought the mutt...that's Shadow.
Deena made it, but Moe was working and Jessica had already flown back to Phoenix.
Gotta have ribs on Labor Day.
We did take one day to go fishin'.
You can tell Bonnie was pumped about it.
This is the St. Crouix river.
It's pretty big...we are headed to where it meets the Mississippi River.
That's Howie, the guy who owns the boat and our guide.
The river divides Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thats Prescott, Wisconsin. We had breakfast there...I should have bought a lottery ticket...those cheeseheads are always winning the powerball!
We fished all day but only caught a mild sunburn.
Here's a picture of me fishin'.
The state fair is a big deal in Minnesota. This was Thursday and the place was packed.
You can find any food here...all fried and on a stick...
You can even get a fish on a stick!!
There's only one thing more popular in Minnesota than fishin' or the state fair...and that is beer. They take their partyin' seriously here. We hung out at Jerry's favorite place...the Old Town Hall Brewery.
It is right downtown....
And a great place to sit and "people watch."
Jerry and Kathy are regulars there...
Even the owner's dog likes to hang out with them.
Here's Tim Fornoff..(Moe)
AJ....one week shy of his 21st birthday...he ordered a soft drink.
The Wozniaks.
The about to be newlyweds.
We saw a lot of weird stuff in Minnesota....it is a funny, funny state...
Everywhere you go...there's water...
It's green everywhere!
Every house has stairs...(bizzare)..
The eggs come with 2 yolks. You can buy just about anything at the store...except booze!! You have to buy your favorite beverage at the state liquor store, which is closed on Sundays and Holidays! For a guy from Arizona that is amazing.
And weirdest of all....
They have an amusement park inside a mall!!
This is the Mall of America...
It was even more amazing than what people described.
Of course there are a lot of things that are the same everywhere....
The grill is still the best place to cook....
Sun and water do mix....
The kitchen table is still the best place to hang out....
The dishes get done faster when everybody helps...
Easy chairs are good in any state....especially the state of relaxation.
Bonnie and I had a great time. Thank you Schonters. Thank you Wozniaks. Thanks also to our kids who watched our animals and didn't blow up anything while we were gone.