Sunday Salon: You Betcha

My mom and I usually take the girls for a short trip during the summer. The tradition started long ago when Big Sister was not even quite a year old.  Back then our trip might be to Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines and last a few hours.  A couple of years ago we started staying somewhere overnight.  In 2012 we visited Springfield, Illinois, to tour President Lincoln's hometown: his grave, museum, library and home.  Last year was a bigger trip, going with my siblings and their children on a car ferry to Frankfurt, Michigan a touristy area along Lake Michigan where my uncle has retired.

And this year: Duluth, MN.  You Betcha! None of us had ever been there before, but we had all heard good things about Duluth.  And I am here to tell you, the good things are all true.  We had a fabulous time!

Down on Canal Park there are plenty of good restaurants and cool shops

We took a four person bike for a spin, stopped for ice cream along the ride, and took in the view of Lake Superior.

Our carriage ride was fantastic, driving around the downtown area and learning more about Duluth and its history from our carriage driver, Kirk

Watching the bridge raise and lower to let the USS Heloise through

 The tour of Glensheen was wonderful, and the fact that a murder took place there intrigued my girls who have been reading up on the Congdon family and discussing them ever since.

 Enger Tower is set in one of the bluffs in Duluth. Its five stories provide a wonderful view of the city from above.

 And what does a librarian do on vacation? Visit a library, of course.  My kids weren't very excited about this stop, but it's always interesting to see another public library.  On the downside, I am feeling rather depressed for the poor Duluth residents because their library is not open on Saturday or Sunday.

And finally, as we drove through the Twin Cities we stopped off for Thursday night to catch up with  my dad's sisters and a few cousins.  This is me with four of my cousins below:

And my mother, my dad's twin sister, and his older sister

I loved Duluth, but I also loved catching up with my cousins and reliving some fun times of our childhoods.

With all the activity this week, and the fact that I was the driver for the trip, my reading wasn't as plentiful as I would have liked.  I have had a break from cooking for a few days, but am still struggling to come up with an idea for supper.  Nothing sounds good, and I feel like I am making the same few things over and over again.

So, instead of thinking about what to cook, I am going to curl up somewhere with Carla Buckley's The Deepest Secret.  So far it is quite good - and I have been wishing for more time to get into it.

Other than that, it's another gorgeous August day. I can't wait to enjoy it!