Minnesota: Minneapolis

When we started planning this trip, I suggested stopping in Minneapolis for a week while on our way up to Michigan. We figured it would be a good week for Nate to work and the boys and I could explore the city. It wound up being the perfect stop, a chance to rest and recharge before our final adventures up north.

We pulled into town late Sunday night after a long drive from Custer State Park. Stepping out of the car we were smacked by an unwelcome nemesis: humidity. It was grossly humid, but fortunately when we woke up the next morning we were greeted by unbelievably pleasant weather. The boys and I explored the playground near our apartment while Nate worked and later I did really glamorous errands like schlepping to the grocery store and laundromat. We were all tired from our Custer & Badlands adventures and took it easy the rest of the day.

Monday evening was a special treat for me. We drove out to the house of my good friends from college, Dan & Katie Kuyper. They hosted us for dinner and it was such a joy to see thm for the first time in we'll over a decade. We laughed a lot and left with warm hearts and full bellies.

On Tuesday we had more energy and got the bikes out to explore our neighborhood. Our neighborhood in NE Minneapolis was STACKED with playgrounds and parks every few blocks. They've done a tremendous job with creating inviting community spaces with bicycling-friendly streets. And the Minnesota public pool game is STRONG. This Minneapolis neighborhood was just one big playground for us and made our stay here very easy and relaxed.

The other special event we did during the week was on Thursday when the boys and I drove about an hour south of town to meet our Renfro cousins. The boys got to hang with their extended cousins at a local park then we ventured to another killer Minnesota public pool/water park.

The rest of the week was filled with lounging, park-going & ice cream hunting. My favorite parts of the week were seeing Dan, Katie & the Renfros. Everett's favorite thing was the bike park by the pool and Holden declared the pool his favorite, but I also suspect he would also say riding his bike everywhere was a special treat. That kid is fast on a set of wheels -- I feel like he may have a future as a bike messenger.

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