July: Holiday Road, pt 1

Late July we began to take a ride on the holiday road as we drove up to Minne.sota for a family reunion and general visit "up nort'"

 We stopped in Oma.ha to go to their zoo.  It was fantastic and I was able to meet up with a friend from my days back in El Pa.so. 

 We then went to the Gro.tto of the Redemp.tion in Io.wa.  Created by a priest/geologist, it is the largest grotto in the world and made from stones he collected throughout his life.  Worth a visit if you're in the area (or are just looking to road trip somewhere)

 We were welcomed across the Minne.sota border by this guy!  Ho-ho-ho!

We visted Minneha.ha park and did some silly pictures in front of the statue of Hiawath.a and Minne.ha.ha

 Minneha.ha Falls.  One of the 2 Falls we saw while on vacation

 Surrey bike fun with Great Uncle Richard and Mimi.  This was quite an adventure.  Got "lost" on the trails and sometimes laughed so hard we couldn't pedal.

 Twins game!  Cotton candy time!

 Redwood Falls.  Where Mimi grew up (not in the Falls but the city named after the Falls)

 Miss F in front of the Sod House.  This farmer created a "Field of Dreams" but instead of baseball, he created a dugout, a sod house and a log cabin to show how Laur.a Ingall.s would have lived.  This, also, is worth a trip.  It was amazing.

 Laur.a Ingall.s Museum in Walnut Grove

 I bet the girls don't realize how lucky they are they didn't have to road trip in this thing!

Collapsed site of the dugout where the novel "On The Banks of Plum Creek" took place.  Glad that farmer had a field of dreams so we could go in an actual dugout!