03 Dec Christy: Holiday travels

Duluth, Minnesota — I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! We certainly did, and we got away for a few days to enjoy some much-needed family time.

We had Thanksgiving with my side, and then dessert with Paul’s family on Thanksgiving Day. It was great to be able to spend time with all our families. After we got home, we packed up and took off early Friday morning to Duluth, Minnesota.

I have heard for awhile about Christmastime train rides and decided since we are done so early this year, that I would try to get us a ticket. We ended up with a ride on the North Shore Railroad in Duluth. Duluth is about a five-hour drive from home, but it’s a scenic, beautiful ride through Minnesota.

We arrived at the depot to pick up our tickets and headed into the museum for a story and visit with Santa. We boarded the train and enjoyed gorgeous views of Lake Superior, the Bentleyville light village and sights of the city. We were served hot cocoa and cookies and met a really fantastic family who made the ride a memorable one. If you ever get that way, it is worth the trip. Zoey enjoyed every minute, and it made me truly happy to see the magic of Christmas is still very real for her.

Next up, we headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where we stayed at the Mall of America and marked off a large portion of our Christmas gift list. Zoey had to budget her money to fit in gifts for everyone on her list, and she did a great job. She and Paul then had to try out the electric go-karts, and I got my opportunity to do a little gift shopping of my own. We finished out the day with supper at the Rainforest Café. It was great family time that we typically don’t get, so it’ll be a special time we’ll remember for a long time.

On the way home, we stopped at the Hampton Hill Tree Farm and chose our Christmas tree. It was a little on the cold side, with the temperature only at about 18 degrees, but at least it wasn’t windy. After loading up, we finally headed for home.

All-in-all, it was a great trip. It was one that was made really special because we are usually still working on harvest most years. It’s really important for us to take advantage of the extra free time when we can. I feel blessed for the time we were able to share. We hope everyone enjoyed a happy, safe and blessed Thanksgiving!