West Park

After an early-morning rise, we headed to Eastman nature center for an autumn hike. The leaf-crunches were a delightful sound with each footstep we took through prairie, woods, and wetlands. Chai teas were a welcome post-hike pleasure at Avant Garden cafe.
Later, we drove an hour north to my parents’ house. My mom proudly showed us her garden, where we snacked on yellow cherry tomatoes and marveled at her last, massive “Old German” tomato harvest. We took another long hike through Spirit River, where we spotted the unofficial state bird of Minnesota: the mosquito. Luckily, Filiz and my mom fared well, though I just narrowly escaped with a dozen bites on my legs. We ended the night with classic American (veggie) burgers and cuddles with my Cairn terrier, Whizward. Another wonderful day.Read more