Minnesota

We left Champaign and headed toward Minneapolis.  On the way we stopped and had lunch in Wisconsin Dells.  We had never been there before so that was neat to see.  It's like a Pigeon Forge type place.  We walked around a little and visited a candy store.  We ended up just eating at Subway though then hit the road again.
Our next stop was the Mall of America.  I had been here once on a trip in college, and it's pretty much the same.  The rides are a little different and the characters have changed in the amusement park, but other than that it was pretty much the same.  The girls had a blast though, especially after a long day in the car.  They got to ride all the cool rides, some more than once, and they liked getting their picture made with "Ang."

From the Mall, we headed to our little cabin in the woods.  We stayed at Lake Maria State Park.  This park only has hike-in spots and three camper cabins.  The hike in is short though, so no worries.  At least we got there before dark.  I will say that every time I have been in Minnesota I have been chased by clouds of mosquitoes.  I mean, actually running away from swarms of them.  More mosquitoes than I have ever encountered in Florida, South Mississippi, or the Louisiana Bayou.  It is crazy.  And it was no different at Lake Maria.  We didn't do a lot of exploring due to the loss of blood.  But it is a very beautiful place.  The lake was picturesque.  There were swans and deer and rabbits.  The woods were beautiful.  The cabin was great!  It had no real electricity, but it did have a solar light.  And there was a guest log book that kept the girls entertained for quite a while.  Apparently people have had some fun at Lake Maria running from zombie turtles, loosing and finding their friend Dan, and staving off the insanity of wifi deprivation.  The stories of lost Dan will be with us for a while I think.