July 2014 - Fourth of July

M and I decided to do go on a somewhat impromptu trip for the Fourth of July.  Thankfully, I have a sister in the hotel business that was able to set us up nicely.  We stayed in Canal Park in Duluth on Thursday, July 3rd and then in Two Harbors on Friday, July 5th.


Once we got there, we went directly to see if there were any ships coming in.  We got lucky and saw one departing right away.  There were so many people there.

We then went up to Enger Tower.  I don't know if I had ever been up there before.  If I had, it was when I was a kid and I don't remember.  It's a beautiful park with a zen garden and a path to Enger Tower where you can climb up it for a gorgeous view of Duluth and beyond.  We walked around the park a bit and explored, taking a narrow wooded path where we were eaten alive by mosquitoes.  It was so bad we had to make our trip quick and turn around of the woods.  

M ringing the gong

Can you see the bridge in between the two trees?

We woke up on Friday, July 4th somewhat early, ate breakfast and got ready for the day.  Both M and I thought it would be funny, yet still patriotic to wear the some of the cheesiest 'Merica t-shirts we could find.  M originally started this a couple of weeks earlier and bought a couple of shirts because he couldn't decide on just one.  I went and bought one the week before and so I was ready too.  We reluctantly put them on and headed out for the day. We got them at Wal-Mart, the best place to find shirts like this, hands down and probably only one of the couple times a year you'll catch me at a Wal-Mart. Yuck.  I had three compliments before I even left the hotel and M had two.  It settled our nerves a little bit about wearing them out and we would seriously have lots of compliments all day long.

I would have bought this shirt had it been in my size.  A raccoon holding a patriotic cupcake with sparklers and a flag in it with a bow in its hair?  Are you kidding me?!?!

We ventured up the North Shore, stopping at Stoney Point.

We continued all the way up to Lichen Lake.  We were just there several weeks earlier but there were campers in the area where we put my dad's ashes.  I assumed since it was Fourth of July weekend there would also be campers there but we decided to take our chances.  The spot was clear when we got there!  

We saw this little guy in the middle of the road so we had to stop and help him across safely before we moved on.  

Butterflies again!  How I love butterflies. These are Silvery Checkerspot butterflies.

In September of 2013, most of us threw pennies into the lake for my dad.  M decided to put lodge his into the bark of a tree.  The first thing I did was go look at the tree to see if it was still there.  It was not but after searching for a minute or two on the ground, I found the penny.  

We drove back and checked into our Two Harbors hotel, rested a little before heading back to Duluth to watch the fireworks from Bayfront Park.  We were worried about finding a place to park so we got there early, close to 7 pm and hung out in the park in our grassy spot listening to the bands play, people watching and walking around to the different food vendors.  We saw multiple people in the park with the same shirt that M had on.  

We had heard big things about the fireworks show in Duluth and were excited. The show was good but I think St. Paul still has them beat, despite Duluth boasting the upper Midwest's largest fireworks show. (Not sure what largest really means.) We stayed around Canal Park walking around and admiring the lit up Aerial Lift Bridge before heading back to Two Harbors.  We had tons of fun in our last-minute trip!

June 2014 - Twins Game

I bought tickets earlier in the month for Keith and I to go to a Twins game for his birthday.  We went on June 30th against the Royals, the team that would lose in game 7 of the World Series later that season.

Joe Mauer is one of Keith's favorite players and when I asked him before I got the tickets where he would like to sit at the game.  He said anywhere with a good view of Joe Mauer.  Ok, so that's where we sat then.

We watched batting practice for the Royals and just before the Twins came out, Keith got autographs from three players.  

 

 

Keith may like Mauer but I'll take Trevor Plouffe.  Yes please. 

  

#bestauntieever

   

The Twins lost 6-1 but I know he had one of the best baseball experiences ever. Me too.  

June 2014 - Big Head Todd and the Monsters

We started the workweek with a Neon Trees concert and ended it with a Big Head Todd and the Monsters concert at the Minnesota Zoo.  It was hot and humid but perfect weather for an outdoor summer concert in my favorite outdoor venue with both M and his brother Ray.

June 2014 - Father's Day

June 2014 - Rochester

The weekend after the MS150, I met my sister's family in Rochester for a baseball tournament weekend for my nephew Keith.  The day we got there was his 11th birthday, on Friday the 13th.  M went on a motorcycle trip to Wisconsin instead.

I had never been to Rochester before.  I don't know if I was necessarily missing anything but it was kinda fun to explore the city a bit.  

We went to my nephew's game on Friday night, his birthday and the weather was beautiful and perfect.  After the game, I went to my ex-something's house.  He's lived there for more than a handful of years.  I had seen him at my dad's benefit in September 2012 but before that, I hadn't seen him since hmmm....I'm not sure but I think summer of 2006. We hung out at his house, talking for hours. 

Colton 

He has a good eye.

He catches.

He scores runs.

He pitches and strikes out batters.  The pitcher on his team was giving up runs like crazy and they threw Keith in there to try and get them out of the inning.  He struck out 3 batters in a row.  

Saturday's weather was a little different.  Breezy, cloudy and chilly.  I didn't really bring the clothes for that.  Keith pitched again and did well.  We had a break in between morning and afternoon games and went to lunch.  Saturday's afternoon game was postponed until Sunday due to weather, mostly scary lightning and rain.

The most perfect bunt. 

He pitches like a pro.

Keith's team congratulating his pitching performance

The birthday card I made Keith.  It had Twins tickets in it for him and I to go to a game later in the month.

 

The family went swimming in the afternoon after lunch.  We went out to dinner to Newt's in the evening and went back to the hotel to play games.  I retired to my room around 10 pm and left in the morning before Keith's game.  On my way home, a bald eagle flew parallel with my car right when I got on Hwy 52.