There is so much to do at Interstate State Park, located on the beautiful St. Croix River right next to downtown Taylors Falls, Minn. The geology that formed Minnesota’s oldest state park intrigues visitors and brings geologists from all over the world. It boasts the deepest sinkhole in the world–60 feet–carved by boulders grinding from the flows of melting glaciers 25,000 years ago.

  I “Simpsonized” myself for your amusement.

  What do you think? Is it a good likeness?

It’s Tika, born July 13 at the zoo in Wuppertal, Germany.

I turned 33 on Friday. Sigh.

But my lovely Jeremy took me to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a long weekend. Yay!

First stop Duluth.

After a visit to the lovely Glensheen mansion we had a birthday barbeque dinner at Famous Dave’s. Yummmm!

The rest of the weekend we spent enjoying the shore. Highlights include:

• North Shore Cottages (where we stayed)
• Grand Marais
• Beaver Bay Agate Shop and Museum
• Betty’s Pies (I had beef pasty, fried cheese curds, and raspberry-rhubarb crunch pie.)

Photo Gallery:

I added in a post to finish off my early June Missouri trip. You can find it here. (I back dated it so the blog would be at least semi chronological.)

This weekend? Off to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior! Woo-hoo!

Drove down to Excelsior Springs, Missouri for the fourth. Not that long of a trip really. Maybe 7 hours.

Saw some wind farms on the way through Iowa. Wow.

Excelsior Springs was quite the destination at the turn of the century. Mineral springs made this a spa town. In the thirties, they built a “Hall of Waters” with a ginormous water bar.

We also went to nearby KC to play badminton…

Actually these are sculptures on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. They’re by the amazing Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen of Spoon Bridge and Cherry fame.

Thanks so much to Jenn and hubby Adam for hosting us. Thanks also for the South Park!

We’re out all night
‘Til broad daylight
But we drink
SULPHO SALINE
In the morning!

Actually Excelsior Springs, Missouri bound! Woo-hoo!

Have a great Independence Day everyone!