Memorial Weekend

For Memorial Day Weekend Ross and I were lucky enough to get away for a couple days and "camp." It certainly wasn't camping like we have done in the past, but as I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, it was quite comfortable and a lot of fun. The In-laws decided I needed to do the classic Minnesotan get-away and they took me to all the hot spots in the Duluth/North Shore area.

We camped at the KOA in a Kabin - and they were very nice!!! Also very close to the newly remodeled bathrooms - which was great for me at 6am =) Ross' family has been there a few times before and they've been very happy with it. 

The Kabins had two rooms, one with a double bed and then 2 bunks in the back room. The mattresses were surprisingly comfortable and I slept very well. 

We  enjoyed the swing on the porch and we had a little campground visitor.

We headed out to Jay Cooke State Park on our only sunny warm day to check out the Saint Louis River (which was nearing flood stage) and walk across the Swinging Bridge. 

Me, Lynn (my Mother-in-Law) and Lauren (sister-in-Law) 

The we headed into Duluth and visited Canal Park and saw the Aereal Lift Bridge. 

And made a quick stop at Park Point/Minnesota Point - a nice beach! Almost reminded me of the West Coast... except you could see Wisconsin on the other side of the lake. 

And we took a few pictures. 

Lauren found a friend. 

Since it was Lauren's 28th birthday we went out for Happy Hour!!

I'd be lying if I didn't say I miss tequila... 

And for Dinner we went to Grandma's. I've heard a lot about this place and there is a ton of hype about it, but honestly... it wasn't all that great. There are probably better places to eat in Duluth, so if you are in the area I would say to pass this up and keep looking. The fries were cold, the fruit was bland, and the Monte Cristo was all Texas toast and not much filling. 

The next day was a bit rainy and much cooler, so it was a great day for an indoor activity. I never would have picked to tour a mansion on a weekend camping trip, but I honestly really enjoyed myself and had a great time. It was very interesting and quite beautiful to see the Glensheen Mansion.

It's right on the shore of Lake Superior. 

And flanked by this beautiful creek and bridge. 

It got to be really cold due to the wind - I was sporting Ross' down jacket since mine doesn't zip over my belly anymore! 

We made one final stop at Enger Tower before we headed back to the campsite to grill. 

Boy oh boy were my quads BURNING after climbing to the top of the 5-story tower, the wind was howling and bitter cold, but the view was great. Definitely worth a stop. 

The next morning it was even colder (about 50°) and a misting rain was falling on us, so we packed up and headed home. By the time we got back to the Twin Cities I was stripping every layer I could (I had been wearing long underwear, a down jacket and a rain jacket) down to my t-shirt because it was 90°! I couldn't believe the temperature difference! You would have thought we had flown for 2 hours, not driven. 

It was a great weekend, fun time with the in-laws, and our last little getaway before our lives change forever.