Spring Break

Dave has worked really hard this semester and after midterms it was a relief to start spring break last week! We stuck pretty close to home but as spring breaks go, this one was altogether lovely. Here's a faithful narrative of all my dealings with...spring break. ha.

Snuffy's Malt Shop. Finally!

Peanut. Butter. Bacon. Burger. Whaaaa???

Burlington's grand opening. Good thing we have been watching for it obsessively for months - face painting is Riley's favorite! And we are 90% sure this is the same artist who did Riley's princess face in Denver last summer. Hmm...

zoo trip: cold and windy outside, but visiting polar bears is always a good idea

Free ice cream cone day at DQ. Answer me this: you never really crave one, but on "free day," would you still seek one out, saving a total of about 3 bucks, never mind the mess or the fact that it's only 40 degrees outside? I'll forever be a sucker for free stuff. And Riley and Joe aren't complaining either.

Taylor Falls: only an hour from Minneapolis, Taylor falls is the sight of a bunch of glacial potholes, waterfalls, the St. Croix river, and scenic hiking trails and cliffs rigged for rock-climbing. The day we went was cold and rainy but I kind of like a little rain. When Dave first told me about glacial potholes I was a tad confused. "Aren't those just called lakes?" Um...no.

"The meltwater of a vast icefield 5,000 feet thick and the size of the state of Minnesota began to flow south past this point. That incredible current was the source of Interstate Park’s famous potholes and rock formations. Giant eddies swirled silt and rocks into the rock in a scouring motion that drilled holes as large as twenty feet in diameter and sixty feet in depth. Riverside cliffs, known as the Dalles of the St. Croix, also owe their shape to the glacial torrent." Source here.

 10 foot glacial pothole and 10 inch glacial pothole. There was a deep one with a stairwell in it but we don't know how deep it goes as it is currently filled with slushy ice.

Quaint little church overlooking the frozen lake. Wish I'd had my camera for a quality picture!

 I have really missed hiking. When there are no mountains around, one has to do a bit more research on where to go for hikes (you can't just point and say 'let's scale that one'). And who wants to hike in the winter anyway. But there are some very pretty places in Minnesota/Wisconsin to get into nature. This was an awesome one.

We also went to the Great River Water Park - always a good time, did some shopping, visited the library, caught up on our Red Box-watching, went to a primary activity for Riley about family history, rode bikes, played at the park...And then yesterday Spring officially started and this happened:

Happy spring, ya filthy animals.