This summer has been busier than any summer in my recent
memory – including the summer where I got married and bought a house within
weeks of each other. I don’t know what the deal was with 2015, but shit just
went crazy. But crazy in a good way. There was always something to do and
somewhere to go, and every spare minute was accounted for.
Never fear, though: James and I made time for plenty of road
trips.
It’s no secret that James and I love a good vacation. Most
of our vacations are also road trips, and summer is prime road trip season. And
since James is a teacher, summer is about the only option for trips anyway.
Traveling weather in Minnesota is a precious commodity, and
I want to take full advantage of it. If I had my way, we’d be gone every single
spring, summer, and fall weekend. But between me working weekends and James
beseeching me to let us stay home once in a while, we don’t get to go on a road
trip every weekend. Sigh.
Our little vacations also tend to be limited to long-weekend
road trips because let’s face it – we’re not made of money. Road trips are
cheap, and plane tickets are expensive. Though I get intensely jealous of the
fancy overseas vacations I see pop up in my Facebook news feed, I must remind
myself that James and I have done a fair bit of traveling ourselves. Most of it
on four wheels.
James and I have been together for more than eight years,
and in that time, we’ve put on a lot of miles. It’s worth noting that most of
these road trips were taken in the last three years. Allow me to explain why:
2007 – 2009: both of us were in college. College = broke. We
managed trips home to see our parents and the rare getaway to Minneapolis, but
that was about it.
early 2010: a combination of me working a zillion part-time
jobs plus unpaid internships alongside James student teaching meant no
time/money for anything, let alone vacation.
late 2010 - 2011: James moved to Ellsworth and I stayed in
Minneapolis. Several months later, I moved to Sioux Falls. James was still in
Ellsworth, about an hour away. During that time of the dreaded long-distance
relationship, most resources/energy were spent driving between each other’s
apartments.
2012 – present: our circumstances finally coincided in a way
that they never had before: we were living together AND had stable jobs!
Hooray!
So it’s taken us a long time to get here, but we are finally
checking locations off our “to visit” list. Before we begin, I must tell you
how a place earns a spot on my esteemed list. Each place had to be a location
we spent some real time in, not just somewhere we drove through on the way to
somewhere else. Example: James and I went through Wyoming to and from Colorado,
but you won’t see Wyoming on our list because we didn’t do anything there. I
also allowed separate stops from one long road trip to be listed on their own.
Example: we went to Winnipeg for our honeymoon, but we made actual stops in
Fargo, International Falls, Duluth, and Minneapolis. You will see each of those
sites on my list.
We have explored a number of towns near us, but not all of
those made it onto our list. Pipestone, Sioux Falls, Brookings, Mitchell (to see the Corn Palace, obviously), Worthington…
though we found great stuff to do in all of those towns (especially you,
Brookings), they just didn’t have the feel of a road trip. You know what I
mean.
Anyway. Each of our trips really deserves a full blog post
to itself: mainly because our adventures always tend to morph into misadventures.
Someday I’ll have an elaborate story for each one, but today, a little list and
a little blurb will have to suffice. Here, state by state, is a breakdown of
our trips (road or otherwise) over the years!
COLORADO
James and I took a truly fantastic road trip to Colorado in
August of this year. James – having never been to Colorado save for one
twelve-hour stint where he flew to Denver and then drove back to South Dakota
with me the next day – loved it. And honestly, who wouldn’t? Colorado has
mountains, streams and rivers, forests, breweries, and great people. We can
hardly wait to go back.
Boulder
2015
James and I visited our college friend Sara in Boulder, and
she took us biking in downtown Boulder, hiking, and rock-climbing. We had never
been rock-climbing before and spent a few moments convinced we were going to
die, but we totally didn’t. We felt like we were at the top of the world.
Colorado Springs
2015
My cousins Royal and Lori live near Colorado Springs, so we
stopped to visit them. They are Rocky Mountain National Park pros, so they gave
us all sorts of insider tips for our trip there. We also wandered through
Garden of the Gods, which was as fantastic as its name implies. Next time on
our Colorado Springs to-do list: Pike’s Peak.
Fort Collins
2015
I put our Colorado stops in alphabetical order, so they’re
not in chronological order. Fort Collins was our first stop on the Colorado
tour, and we saw my cousins Adrienne and Greta and their families. James and I
camped at a KOA in Fort Collins – my first positive experience camping in a
tent – and went white water rafting on the Cache le Poudre (which was easily my
favorite part of the whole trip). We wandered around downtown Fort Collins that
afternoon, and we both felt like we really REALLY wanted to move there.
Golden
2015
Brian and Laurie, my uncle and aunt, live in Golden. We
visited them and, of course, went on a tour of the Coors Brewery. We also went
on an ill-fated whitewater kayaking attempt that involved me capsizing and very
nearly losing my kayak in Clear Creek. Oops.
Rocky Mountain
National Park
2015
Rocky Mountain National Park was truly amazing. James and I
had intended to spend a couple of hours there and then head on our way home,
but our couple of hours turned into many hours. How could they not? We
drove/hiked up to 12,000 feet. We saw a moose and alpine lakes. We got our
picture taken at the Continental Divide. We saw the sun set over the mountains.
Nothing can compare.
IOWA
Even though we technically live closer to Iowa than we do to
South Dakota, James and I both kind of forget that Iowa is even there. I go to
South Dakota for work every day, so that’s what I’ll blame… but James teaches
in Ellsworth, a town in which one of its borders is literally (and I don’t use
the word “literally” lightly) feet from the Iowa border. We have only made a handful of trips to Iowa, and here’s hoping we’ll stop neglecting our neighbor state
so much.
Le Mars
2011
We went to Le Mars just for Blue Bunny ice cream. Honest to God.
Okoboji/Spirit Lake
2011
It was Memorial Day weekend, and I had driven from the
cities to spend my long weekend with James. He had just wrapped up his first
year teaching in Ellsworth, and I was searching for a job closer to him. We
spent one of our three days touring Iowa – we wanted to go to Lake Okoboji, as
we’d heard it was a magical and wonderful place. But guess what? We totally
failed. All we found at Lake Okoboji was a tiny little patch of beach. As it
turned out, the rest of the beaches were private. We subsequently gave up and
went to Spirit Lake instead, which was friendlier.
Orange City
2015
James’s band marches in the Orange City Tulip Festival every
year, and I usually can’t go. They march on a Friday, which tends to be a work
day. However, this year, I worked on Saturday and therefore had Friday off. Mom
and I went to Orange City to see James march, and the Tulip Festival was
nothing short of fantastic. We looked at glorious tulips, saw a wooden shoe
carving demonstration, had street food, watched the parade (which some of the
most spectacular floats I’ve ever seen), and ate poffertjes (little Dutch pancake
things). Poor James missed all the fun stuff because he was on-duty, so he and
I went back the following weekend so he could see Orange City. The tulips were
a little wilted by then, and most of the stores were closed for the weekend,
but we still got to see Windmill Park.
Sioux City
2011
Our Sioux City road trip stands as our ultimate failure. I
had just moved to Sioux Falls, and James and I decided that we wanted to see
what Sioux City was all about. Neither of us had ever been there, and it was so
close. Why not? We got there and promptly found… nothing. Just nothing. We saw
the Floyd Monument and the Argosy riverboat casino (which is no longer there)
and could find nothing else to do. We even stopped at a gas station for
recommendations on good Sioux City food, and were given suggestions such as
Taco Bell and Perkins (“or there’s Olive Garden if you want to spend some big
money”). We ended up crossing the border into Nebraska to eat at the Crystal
Café.
LOUISIANA
Where do I even begin?
New Orleans
2008
2013/2014
James and I first visited in 2008 on a college jazz trip,
and I absolutely fell in love with New Orleans. I lived there for three months
at the end of 2009, and James and I went back at the end of 2013 for our
honeymoon. We ate so much delightful food, and we spent our days wandering the
French Quarter. We rode around on street cars and met all sorts of delightful
southerners. We went on a riverboat tour and rang in the new year by watching
fireworks lit off a barge on the Mississippi River. New Orleans feels like
home.
MANITOBA (yes, I know
it’s a province, not a state)
James and I got married in July 2013 and decided to put off
our “real” honeymoon until December (see: New Orleans). Instead, we took a road
trip to Canada. Thanks to a couple of failed study abroad attempts, I’d had my
passport since 2008, and I was thrilled to finally get to use it. Five years
later. To go to Canada.
Winnipeg
2013
Our main Canadian destination was Winnipeg: a quick seven
hour drive. We didn’t know what to expect, but I LOVED Winnipeg. It had great
parks, great architecture, and the friendliest Canadians (true to the
stereotype). And the food! I began a love affair with Tim Horton’s, and I still
pine for their yeast donuts. We hated to leave Canada, and I’d like to think
that Canada hated to see us go.
MINNESOTA
As I have spent nearly eight of the last ten years living in
Minnesota, it’s naturally the place we have explored the most. Most of James’s
family lives in Minnesota, and there’s also a whole ton of stuff to see and do.
Alexandria
2014
James and I would go to Alexandria all the time when we were in college. It had the nearest Target, nearest WalMart, nearest anything. Alexandria didn't become a road trip until after we'd graduated and we made it part of a 2014 trip to Morris. We went to the fabled Carlos Creek Winery, which boasts a (delicious) line of wines called Minnesota Nice.
Duluth
2010
2011
2013
2015
Duluth, obviously, is a favorite. James and I first went
there in summer 2010. I was living in Minneapolis, and James had lived with me
for the summer and was about to move to Ellsworth for his new teaching job. Ever
since a family trip to Virginia when I was 15, I have loved huge ships – and
I’ve loved water all my love. Duluth has both. We got to watch those monstrous
ships come in, and we stuck our feet in the frigid water of Lake Superior. We
have been to Duluth several times since that initial trip: in 2011 for more
exploring, in 2013 on our way home from Winnipeg, and in 2015 for a friend’s
wedding. One of these days, we’re going to make it up the North Shore.
International Falls
2013
International Falls was one of our final stops in the
northern leg of our honeymoon trip. It was beautiful up there – so many trees
and so much wildlife. We canoed on Rainy Lake and visited Voyageurs National
Park. James also locked us out of our cabin at 5 in the morning when we got up
to watch the sun rise over the lake, but you know. Minor details.
Lanesboro
2014
You remember our ill-fated journey to Lanesboro: James had
convinced me to try tent camping, and we nearly drowned thanks to torrential
rains. Lanesboro was indeed a pretty area with a lot of character, but it’s
hard to appreciate it when you’re in a permanent state of cold dampness. We did
explore a cave and discover a delightful winery (Four Daughters) on our way
home, so there’s the bright spot. Plus, who doesn’t love a good “everything
that can go wrong did go wrong” story?
Mankato
2011
Mankato wasn’t as much of a fail trip as Sioux City, but it
came close. James and I planned to meet in Mankato right around Valentine's Day when I lived in Minneapolis
and he lived in Ellsworth – it was pretty close to halfway for both of us. We
got there and found out that there just wasn’t a lot to do in Mankato. Had we
been thinking, we would’ve met in St Peter instead. Live and learn.
Morris
2012
2014
Oddly, James and I haven’t made many trips back to our alma
mater. We returned for Jazz Fest 2012, which was a blast. We also went to
Morris the week after homecoming 2014 – not to be antisocial, but because I
worked during UMM homecoming weekend. I don’t know why we don’t go back to
Morris more often, because it brings back so many good memories. We ate at
Bello Cucina and Don’s (of course!) and got coffee at the Common Cup. We
visited the wind turbine and wandered around campus and reminisced about how
young we were. Ahh, the good old days.
New Ulm
2010
2014
New Ulm is a favorite of mine. James and I met there for
Oktoberfest when he lived in Ellsworth and I lived in Minneapolis, and I really
enjoyed Oktoberfest – even though that was before I drank beer. Now that I like
beer, I like Oktoberfest even more. I went to Oktoberfest with Mom in 2012, and
James and I went in 2014 with my brother Mitch, James’s brother Jesse, and
Jesse’s girlfriend Megan. In New Ulm, we always 1.) eat German food, 2.) go on
the Schell’s tour, and 3.) climb Hermann the German. It’s tradition, after all.
St Cloud
2014
2014/2015
James and I don’t make a lot of trips specifically to go to
St Cloud, but we did last summer to go river tubing. Ever since river tubing on
the Salt River in May 2014, river tubing is my new favourite past-time. James
and I went river tubing on the Platte River with Jesse and Jesse’s roommate,
and it was – per usual – a blast. We also went to the Benton County Fair, which was a-ok, but you can't really compare it to river tubing. Our last trip to St Cloud was for New
Year’s 2015. We brought my brother and sister and had a typical
disastrous/hilarious New Year’s.
Stillwater
2015
Our trip to Stillwater was short, but oh so sweet.
Stillwater is pretty darn close to Wisconsin on the St Croix River, and it just
adorable. I loved the little shops and the cliffs you could climb, and of
course, the view of the river and the ships on said river. We also had some
really excellent food there, which is a huge bonus.
Taylor's Falls
2010
Honestly, I didn't even remember that we had taken a trip to Taylor's Falls until I started raiding my old Facebook albums for pictures for this blog post. I think we just checked out the waterfalls, crossed the border to say we'd been to Wisconsin, and went home. Who knows.
Twin Cities
more times than I can count
I’m not sure how to even make a dent in describing all our
trips to the Twin Cities. We go there ALL the time. We visit friends and
family, we eat our favorite foods, we explore our favorite lakes, and we enjoy
our favorite places (especially our favorite lakes). We to go Twins games and the state fair. We learned how to kayak. We discover new foods and new places. To say we love the Twin Cities is an understatement.
MISSOURI
Kansas City
2015
We went to Kansas City with my parents and sister for a
Twins game, and it was the GREATEST. None of us had spent any time in Kansas
City, and it was the neatest place. The food was amazing (barbecue, obviously),
and the city itself was just charming. The Twins lost and we got puked on a
little, but that’s not important. The important part is that we all fell in
love with Kansas City and are anxiously anticipating a return trip.
NEBRASKA
Omaha
2012
2013
Omaha is a fun city, and it’s only three-ish hours from us.
James and I spend so much of our time driving to Minneapolis that we forget
that Omaha is there… and slightly closer. We’ve been a few times: to see the
zoo, to see the Sue the T-Rex exhibit, to explore downtown, to attend a wine
and beer festival. And each time, we feel like we’re missing so much. Omaha
definitely deserves more of our time.
NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo
2013
Fargo is kind of a stretch, but we stopped for a couple of
hours on our way to Winnipeg. I would love to spend more time in Fargo, but in
our quick stop, we found all sorts of cool shops and restaurants. Fargo: we’ll
be back.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Black Hills
2009
2012
2014
2015
Who doesn’t love the Black Hills? We stopped through on our
way from Denver when James flew in to drive back with me in 2009, and we did
some fun touristy things like Keystone and Wall Drug. The first time James and
I went there on an actual vacation, he proposed to me at Dinosaur Park. So fond
memories, obviously. We went back in 2014 for our first anniversary, and we
borrowed my parents’ Mustang convertible. Now THAT was a road trip. We stopped
back through Rapid City on our way home from Colorado this summer, and there’s
always something interesting to see or do. We’ve been zip-lining and to the
Prairie Berry winery. We’ve been swimming in Horsethief Lake and kayaking on
Canyon Lake. We’ve driven through the Badlands and given ourselves heatstroke. We
always run out of time to do everything we want to do – are you noticing a
trend?
Lake Poinsett
more times than I can count
Lake Poinsett is always my favorite summertime destination.
Nothing beats a beer on the beach, or a sunset boat ride. We have our annual
shrimp boil at Lake Poinsett, and we always watch Fourth of July fireworks from
the boat in the middle of the lake. I learned how to waterski last summer, and
I want to make up for years of lost time and waterski ALL THE TIME. Clocking in
at an hour and forty-five minutes from Luverne, Lake Poinsett is one of the
closest of our top road trip choices. (Orange City, Le Mars, and Sioux City are all closer, but I’d choose Lake Poinsett any day.) On one (and only one) day on
Lake Poinsett this summer, James and I skied, rode a Jet Ski, tubed, kayaked,
and boated: five water sports in one day. That’s my kind of summer.
WISCONSIN
Hudson/Apple River
2015
Remember how I love river tubing? James and I met his
brothers Jay and Jesse along with Megan in Wisconsin this summer for tubing on
the Apple River. It was the perfect day for riving tubing… except that we ran
out of beer. Except for losing your cooler completely, this is likely the greatest
tragedy that can befall you while river tubing. We had a great time, though –
especially after fellow tubers took pity on our souls and shared their beer!
-----
I know that this list is relatively short, and there are so
many more places that I want to go with James. I know this is a very millennial
thing to say, but I have a serious case of wanderlust. Staying home in Luverne
= death.
Summer has more or less come to an end, and that means that
James goes back to school – which really cuts into our available vacation/road
trip time. We’ll have a few fall weekends to work with until the snow and ice
set it, at which point travel for fun basically ceases to exist. We have a trip
to look forward to in December, so that will get me through the less exciting
November/December months. I’ll pout through January and February and start
dreaming of road trips in March. Here’s to the 2016 road trip season: may it
get here quickly, because I have lots of places to go!
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