After a short rest at the hotel we left to ride the Pizza train. It was a two and a half hour trip and they served each person 1/2 of a large domino's pizza and a can of pop. That meant we got 2 large pizzas. It was a lot of pizza. Connor had never ridden a train and both kids thought it was fun after supper they got to go to the observation car for a while. People in Minnesota are very very friendly. They would stop what they were doing and wave at the people on the train, for the whole trip!!! It got to be pretty funny. Driving, playing outside, grilling, talking on a cell phone, walking the dog, It didn't seam to matter they would wave and smile. After we got back to the depot we needed to go to a Walmart as because I was hurrying Dan he forgot his belt (again). On star was wrong again. They sent us to a Walgreens instead. We found a K-mart no too far way and went there. Back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.


This ends day two.

Day two started with a trip to the aquarium
It was a pretty neat experience. They had educational shows, divers in the large tanks, and a special seahorse exhibit.

One of the touch tanks was petting a sting ray. Here I am petting one. It felt soft and not at all like I thought it would. Katlin and Connor both petted it but Dan was a chicken. Said he didn't want to die like the crocodile hunter.

They also had other animals including a couple of sea otters that were fascinating to watch. One sat and sunned himself the other would swim from one end of the tank to the other continuously.

For me the neatest things to see were the seahorses. I never knew there were so many different kinds, sizes or colors. These were the cutest. At first we thought they were pregnant but they are pot bellied seahorses. Be sure to click on the picture so you can really see them.

Another one of the exhibits was Bogey a bald eagle so named because he was found on a golf course with a broken wing.

This was one of their larger tanks. It almost looks like they are inside. If you look carefully you can see the divers behind them.

After lunch at Hell's Kitchen (not of TV fame) we rented a surrey bike for an hour. I have never laughed so hard. Poor Dan he was pulling all our weight. I couldn't pedal much because of my bad knee and Connor ,bless his heart, his legs were too short to reach the pedals but he kept trying. He finally said he was getting chafed from sliding back and forth on the seat.Katlin was a little nervous about the whole thing but she did her best. Dan finally got so tired he made us pedal back through traffic so we could get back quicker.
We did not get our full hour in.

Next we went down to the pier to be ready for our wave to the folks back home. They had a web cam mounted on the building behind the boat. I had told everyone back home the web site and said we would be there at 3:00 to wave to them. Several people from home watched us but the funny thing was the people walking up thought we were waving at them and would wave back.

Katlin and Connor wanted to play in the Lake for a while and we tried to get a picture of both of them at the same time but it was really hard because the water was so cold they couldn't stay in for very long. Finally did get this picture of the two of them but you can tell they are cold.

We walked around the shops for a while before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the Pizza train. Here Connor was trying to help out a moose.

Vacation 2009

We started out on Tuesday evening about 4 P.M. after Dan got off work. We were late picking Katlin up due to road construction on Highway#1.
we did learn a cool move from one of the construction workers who must have worked at an airport at some point in his life. It was worth a couple of laughs. Picked Miss Katlin up about 5:45 and drove to Forest Lake, Mn. to a Comfort Inn and Suites for the night. Nice comfortable beds and an exhaust fan in the bathroom. Nice.
After a good hot breakfast we left for Duluth and our first stop the Lighthouse Restaurant for lunch. Then on to Gooseberry Falls Park.


Here are Gooseberry Falls. They really were beautiful. Dan Katlin and Connor are standing to the left of the picture. There is a short video at the bottom of this page. They about gave me heart failure. But then I am height challenged. I had to go back down the path and not look.

Here they are at the top of the falls. Dan in the yellow shirt, Katlin in pink and Connor in gray

Here they are climbing down the falls. Connor and Katlin are behind that tree. The kids (all three of them ) had a good time in the park.

Here is the view of the Split Rock Lighthouse from the shores of Lake Superior. It makes a postcard like scene. Really beautiful. This was our next and last stop of the day. We went up into the lighthouse and the view was wonderful. After being in the woods at Gooseberry Park the breeze off the lake was like air conditioning.

From the look on Katlin's face I'd say the water of lake Superior is pretty cold.

To get to the bottom of Lake Superior from the Lighthouse you had to climb down and back up 171 stairs or there was a path that angled down not quite so steep.

After our full and exciting day of exploring we checked into the Holiday Inn and put on our best bib and tucker and went out to eat at the Top of the Harbour restaurant at the Raddison Hotel. It is a revolving restaurant and makes one rotatin every 70 minutes. Our waiter wasn't too friendly and the food wasn't the best I'd ever had but the view was amazing and Connor and Katlin really enjoyed the experience. It had rained before we left so took the sky walk to the hotel and it was about three miles of walking. In reality it was only three blocks away. We walked outside on the way home. This ends day one.

Kalona bluegrass Festival

Well no pictures this time unless someone else sends me some. Too busy. Dan wanted me to go to the workshop on Friday day. Last year there had been 3 or 4 bases so I said I would. But wouldn't you know it I was the only one!!! Didn't mind the workshop its self so much but in the afternoon we broke up into three different bands and wouldn't you know it I got stuck with the loser group. Or maybe it was me that made it the loser group. Could very well be. The little girl wouldn't listen to anyone talked nonstop and her stage mom picked the songs we were to do. Poor choices. One of the guitar players had only been playing 3 months ( he was only 12), the banjo player 's timing wasn't the best and he couldn't sing in the key I was used to playing the song in. The other guitar player was OK and the dulcimer player chickened out. Wish I had. Being on stage was not the highlight of the week end. It had rained most of the day and was very humid. It had stopped raining by the time the show was to start but there was no breeze and 120% humidity. I was sweating like I had been running a marathon. Of course my group had the most teeth so we had to go first. I did not know the base would be miked. so the whole campground could hear how badly I did. Also had to go up steps to get to the stage. Carrying a base up steps when I can barely get up them myself was a real challenge. Sometimes someone was there to help, sometimes not. Then Janeen's group went on and did well and Katlin's group was last and of course she was awesome. Then we had to go back as the whole Workshop Band. By that time my glasses were so fogged up I could barely see. I was never so glad for something to be over in my life.

Cindy, Shane and Kyann came on Saturday to visit but Miss Kyann would not nap so they had to leave early. Still she was cute and running everywhere. Mary and Donnie had to go to a wedding on Saturday afternoon and we thought she could sleep in their camper while they were gone but she wanted no part of that. I spent a lot of the day cooking supper and they didn't even get to stay to eat. I felt bad for them all.

All in all it was an OK weekend minus the stage show.

Mar mar time

Got to go spend a couple of days with Cindy, Shane and Kyann. Got in some good Mar mar time. She is always on the go but once in a while she will stop and smell the flowers. She is a real Mama's girl. Though Daddy is not far behind.

Can't believe all the hair! My Kids only had some peach fuzz at this age.

One of her favorite games is peak a boo. She never gets tired of it and will usually bring a smile. Some times she doesn't realize you can still see her behind things. Soo cute. She is cutting several teeth. Felt sorry for her, those molars can be brutal.

Farmer's Market

The Coal Train Steel Band playing at the Farmer's Market June 27th. the week had been very hot and humid, typical Iowa weather, but was really nice that morning. Good breeze, lots of shade and good music. Joey, Dan, Katlin, Jenny and Andy.

Bill Riley Talent Show

Katlin waiting her turn to perform.

Part of her performance. She didn't win but she had a really good time and she did a fantastic job!!