Ok WOW this has been here a while without posting (like last year prepped and not quite posted)… talk about a look back… long hair on me and tiny Echo! Well better late than never! A bit of a filler before I get the January reflection up and running. So enjoy the glance back at our fun in Minnesota!

There is just too much to see and do in Minnesota and we plan to do our best to share it all!!! Enjoy the overflow.

MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER

I had to do these two pictures as Scouts is new and so much fun for our Emanuel! So anything about them interests him!

Checking out an old fashioned nursery

An old projector

The house through the years had some amazing variety in cultures that had lived there!

You can see the capital building from here!

Learning all about how the Native Americans utilized the bison.

COMO ZOO

Bison

NATURE IN GENERAL!

MINNEHAHA FALLS!

View from the top

We totally took way too many photos at Como… but with Karyn there and TWO cameras… who can blame us??

Japanese Garden!

The bonsai were beautiful too.

So many wonderful animals! Tortoise and big cats and all! 

So many critters!

And so many happy kids!

Of  course I snuck the above picture in from the day before! this zoo trip was well worth the multiple attempts.

September 1-2

It took us multiple tries to get to the zoo… we totally misjudged a holiday Monday AND a fair which left the parking lot so packed we simply did not have the patience to hunt down a rather elusive parking spot even further from the entrance. Como may not be the biggest zoo in the state but as the “free” zoo there are more than a few draws to have people come out in droves to visit. Our final aborted attempt led us to a park instead.

Miss Echo squeaked in some school time… working on her name for Gammie. 

BUT we made it on the 2nd. This was Karyn’s first trip to the Como Zoo. We didn’t see everything but we had a blast.

It was the perfect day for flowers AND animals…

There was an amazing art display all carved out of wood.

We did another plastic mold. This is our third… we now have a seal, a gorilla and now a bear from the polar bear area.

I have to say the best animal of all was an accidental one – a very courageous chipmunk. He did everything but stop for a pet… running by our shoes… picking up a nut right near us. What an unexpected snack time supplement.

Two of the lions were indoors and rather restless, waiting on their dinner. Echo was VERY unsure of the experience. The enclosures are rather old school and there was only thick glass between us and the lions.

There was a couple of educational opportunities (more than just the ever helpful signs by the animals) with little booths that had helpful guides who could tell us all about the animal they were parked across from. The giraffe set up was very interesting.

I have to say, Karyn being here once again has been an amazing gift! Even better… we had an overnight trip to… of all places… Wisconsin! Of course, that will be a blog entry (or two) all its own. Lots of pictures! But until then, zoo overflow!