Minneapolis Spring Break

Last year, about this time, we spent a long weekend in Minneapolis.  It was such a great trip, we decided to do a repeat this year.  Our days were spent doing some repeat actives, and trying out some new things as well.  When we pulled into town, the weather was beautiful, so we drove straight to Minnehaha Falls to stretch our legs and enjoy the beautiful park.      

 After the park and some dinner, we almost headed back to the hotel before noticing a couple walking down the street with an ice cream cone that looked too good to pass up.  Turns out one of the places I had already planned for us to go was just down the street!  Ice cream for everyone!

After joining in worship at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday morning, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Como Park and Zoo.  We were extremely impressed with the exhibits and grounds for a donations-only admission.  

The girls in the Sunken Gardens.

We had planned to skip the Mall of America on this trip and try out the water park, but after seeing the price of admission (good grief!!!), we opted for another trip to the middle of the mall to let everyone pick out a ride.  Bridgette was excited to ride the carousel this year, and Gretchen chose to try out her first real roller coaster.  I don't have any photos of us riding together, but she LOVED it and I love it that she loved it! =)

Minneapolis' "Sculpture Park" needs a little help.  This was the extent of the sculptures.

One morning was spent at the Institute of Art where the kids and I worked on a scavenger hunt and found artifacts from periods of history we've been learning about while Ryan read and browsed at a slower pace.

Back to Victor's 1979 Cafe for a Cuban breakfast.

We spent our last afternoon at the Science Museum.  We arrived just as the school groups were leaving from field trips and had the place seemingly to ourselves.  Rooke was old enough to try one of the experiments: observing a cheek cell sample!  I have vivid memories of doing that in the sixth grade and loved watching him try it out.  

Gretchen may be on to something . . . =)

We had a little too much fun with the giant astronaut!

It's good to get away.  We ate yummy food, did some shopping at Ikea, watched a few episodes of Little House on the Prairie, and overall enjoyed a change of scenery together. 

Minneapolis {part 2}

We packed in our last full day in the city.  After the mediocre hotel breakfast (which the kids thought was great!), we went swimming (which the kids also thought was great!).  Next we headed to the Landmark Center for their monthly (free admission!) showcase of excerpts from the ballet company's current production.  Two young girls were especially excited about this part of our day. =)

The weather was so beautiful, we took our lunch for a picnic in Minnehaha Park and then enjoyed walking the trails.  

There is a small waterfall in the park that was still frozen.

It was a beautiful part of creation none of us had ever seen, and even more amazing to experience it on such a warm day.

The girls gave us a little performance. =)

Our next stop was the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  We only made it in time to enjoy one hour before closing and wish we could have stayed longer.  The collection was impressive.

The kids completed a scavenger hunt in the museum and got to each pick out there postcards to take home.  Gretchen and Bridgette wanted to set up their own "art display" before heading out!

Our last stop of the day was Ikea!  We took advantage of kids eating free on Tuesdays and had a few specific things to pick up.  I also found a few more that weren't on the list, but needed to come home with us!

The kids and I were waiting for Ryan and decided to all pose the same to be "statues".  Bridgette's effort makes me smile. =)

Ryan and I were grateful for the complimentary breakfast food at the hotel, but were also tired of it by the fourth morning!  The kids ate a little and then we loaded up the van, stopping at 

Victor's 1959 Cafe for a real breakfast before driving home.  The Cuban food was unique and delicious.

We left our mark on the walls and then started the long drive home, which was much more smooth than the drive over.

Minneapolis {part 1}

We took a little family Spring Break trip last week and drove ourselves across the border for some fun in the Twin Cities!  As I prepared for an eight hour drive with the kids, I questioned our destination decision.  But there isn't much to choose from up in these parts, and when all was said and done, Ryan and I both agreed it was totally worth it.  We had a great time together exploring Minneapolis and St. Paul with some amazing Spring weather.  

Bridgette won Best Payne Traveler on the way over.  She did awesome in the car.  Better than her Mommy! 

We chose a route that included breakfast at Cracker Barrel!  Ryan and I have fond memories from breakfast together at the Cracker Barrel when we were dating and wanted to go back with the kids.  

We arrived in time to grab some dinner-on-the-go from Trader Joes and check-in at the hotel.  Settling in for the night.  Yes.  We let our kids jump on hotel beds. =)

We began Sunday morning at Bethlehem Baptist Church.  John Piper's sermons and Desiring God ministry has been a source of encouragement for both of us in recent years, but especially for Ryan since college days.  It was a blessing to take part in a worship service with this fellowship.

After church, we headed to the Children's Museum.  A great spot for playing and fun!

The girls stopped at the paint-your-own-face station.  I'm still not sure where it came from, but Gretchen found inspiration to paint her entire face brown.  

She went for it.  And then shortly after finishing, she regretted her decision.  Thankfully, it wasn't anything some wet paper towels and a bit of time in the bathroom couldn't handle.

We had a fun time in the "music studio"!

"Dancing Queen" was Gretchen's favorite.  Fitting. =)

We had some delicious Vietnamese food for lunch and then went for a walk in a nearby park.  The weather was incredible!

We spent most of Monday at the Mall of America.   We started at the Sealife Aquarium in the bottom of the mall, which was everyone's favorite part of the day.  Our passes allowed us to go back in the afternoon for another walk through.  

I used my Starbucks birthday drink to get the biggest frappuchino to share for our shopping treat!  We didn't really do much shopping, but just walking through the ginormous mall required a bit of energy-boosting.

In the middle of the mall are some pretty cool rides and roller coasters.  The kids each got to pick one to try.  Gretchen and Bridgette rode the carousel with Daddy.  I hope I always remember seeing pretty Gretchen's smile as she went around and around.

Rooke chose this octopus arm ride thing.  I was shocked that he picked it, but excited that he chose a more thrilling ride to try out.  Well, he hated it!  I was proud of him for not completely losing it during the ride, but he was NOT enjoying himself.  Meanwhile, all I could do was laugh!  It was a really fun ride and Rooke will now at least smile with me about the experience.    

We had a late Trader Joes picnic dinner in the hotel and called it a day.