Hoping to avoid Chicago at any cost, we targeted Minneapolis as the airport for this summer's Midwestern visit. After a late evening arrival, some tooling around the Mall of America, and visiting family in the twin cities, we found ourselves quickly zipping into Wisconsin, smiling happily at the lack of traffic and urban annoyances. I suspect Minneapolis has plenty of congested city moments, but we surely didn't encounter them on the weekend we were there. After a stop in Baldwin, WI for Culver's, Piper dozed off and we smiled as the car glided along with the cruise set at 77.




After some time rambling around the Northwoods (when the photos are fully downloaded I'll have more to say about that), we pointed the car toward Coloma where we happily tucked it in its parking spot, content to stay out of the car for a few days.

Piper is big enough to climb all over the playground at the Coloma park, and climb she did. She's probably braver than she should be, but she's also more agile and steady than she should be, so it works out nicely.

Each kid climbs and slides, dangles and jumps, and eventually sprints off towards another challenge.



Grandpa's 90th birthday celebration was a hit, and I'll certainly have more to say about that as well when the camera gets uploaded.



Like missives from the front, the texts and photos pour in. The Madison Zoo, Culver's, splash park at Stevens Point, the new park in Hancock, Culver's...

Being back in Alaska a bachelor for 3 weeks has me busy in my own right, but certainly not as much as those two kids tearing up central Wisconsin.