Our Vacation -- Day 2....

If you read THIS POST, you'll know that we recently returned from our vacation to Minnesota.

If you read THIS POST, you'll know about the first day of our vacation.

The second day of our vacation wasn't too much more exciting than our first day (mainly driving); however, it ENDED on a GREAT NOTE -- getting to see our friends face to face.

So, we took off in the morning from Kansas City....In that city, we crossed into the state of Missouri.

You'll have to take my word for it....I didn't have the camera ready in time for the official cross-over.



We drove and drove some more....

Then, we ended up in Iowa.



Finally, in Des Moines, IA, we saw signs to MINNEAPOLIS! YAY!



Iowa has a few too many casinos, in our opinion....But actually, in our opinion, one casino is one too many (but, I digress)....

This one, however, is absolutely worthy of making fun of....Terrible's Casino.

Oh my -- it's quite an eye-sore for the interstate. It's located very near the Iowa/Minnesota line.

I hope you appreciate the bug juice on the windshield as much as we did.



And voila -- the Minnesota state line!



We started out in Kansas City that morning a little after 9:00 A.M. We arrived in the Twin Cities right around 5:00 P.M. (on a weekday) -- just in time for the 5:00 traffic. So, once we were in the cities, it took us a bit longer than expected to actually get to our hotel.

So, it ended up being a little after 6:00 when we arrived at the hotel. Yep, it was a long day with a 2 year-old in the car; however, Luke did O.K. -- all things considered. We were quite proud of him for being such a trooper.

Our friends, Tammy and Reynold, and their two boys, Caleb and Jesse, hadn't quite arrived yet, at that point. So, we walked next door from the hotel to a Chili's.

Yes, I realize we do have a Chili's in Wichita, and yes, Marc and I typically like to try new restaurants when we visit places.

But, here were our thoughts at the time -- 1) We don't visit Chili's often AT ALL in Wichita. So, it was sort of a new experience for us. 2) We were traveling with a fairly tired 2 year-old. We knew they'd have some yummy chicken strips for him.

It worked well! I'm glad we ate there.

Can you see the "weary traveler" look in Luke's eyes? Yes, food made it all better.



After eating, we went back to the hotel, and our friends had arrived at this point. So, after a quick "Hello" and some quick hugs, we discussed our game plan for the next two days....Then, the boys all went to bed.

Tammy and I then went to a local grocery store to pick up some staples.

Then -- to bed....More on the next fews days in later posts.

But, very quickly....

Many of you know that I worked for International Dairy Queen (the headquarters for Dairy Queen restaurants) for a whopping 10 years of my life -- right after graduating from college until right after having Luke.

I'm reasonably certain I've mentioned this before on this blog, but the home office for Dairy Queen is located in Minneapolis. So, in that ten years, I spent a fair amount of time in Minneapolis. I figured I've spent, all together, probably 4 months of my life in Minneapolis. I've visited the cities in all four seasons, and I can honestly say that the spring, summer, and fall beat the winter.

I will also say that it was more fun to visit these cities without work commitments.

BUT, even though I wouldn't trade my position in life right now for anything (being a stay-at-home mom to Luke), there is a part of me that is sentimental.

So admittedly, I was somewhat excited when our GPS took us right by the home office building to get to our hotel. Yep, I took a photo.

If you've ever wondered what the big ol' DQ headquarters looks like, here it is....Notice the DQ logo on the upper right hand side of the building.



And, the "official" entrance on the other side of the building....



Marc first saw this building when he visited me up there almost 2 1/2 years ago. Marc wasn't that impressed because it isn't that exciting.

While I would agree that the outside of the building isn't that exciting, the inside is a bit more....I mean, after all, the inside of that building is where burgers and treats are created. It's where commercials are decided on. It's where ideas are formed.

It was a company that treated me well for 10 years. It was the company where I met some great people -- some of whom I still keep in contact with. It was a job which shaped me quite a bit over 10 years.

So yes, I am sentimental -- even to a building in Minneapolis.

But, I'm even more sentimental to this little guy....



And, of course, I'm sentimental toward my husband/Luke's Dad as well!

Thanks for reading....Stay tuned for more of the Friesen Vacation to Minnesota! Whoo-Hoo!