Post Pandemic Travels - April 2023

Enjoy Aprils Blog about a weekend road trip.

Finally, a well-deserved road trip to a state buzzing with activity, was exactly what the doctor ordered! I’d been cooped up, stressed out, and in disbelief of how our world turned into something unbelievable, over the past couple of years. But it was time to change my view, literally. My travelling companion and I, left our country and headed south.

We made arrangements with our work schedules, and I prepared the meals for our fur babies, for my husband. All meals of wet and dry food were individually measured and packed for Chopper and Minor, our two dogs and McGuiver the cat. I gave verbal instruction, as well as written notes on feeding times. Minor is on medication, so pills were important to add to his food. I also made a ramp for him to have free access to the bed, as he cannot jump on top. His mobility is a bit limited, as he had an injury years prior, and can only ambulate on three legs.

I gave a few household tips leading up to our departure, but all was not well. My husband had been complaining of intermittent aches and pain, and gastrointestinal issues. On the morning of the road trip, his vital signs were good, but he developed a fever. I thought there may be an underlying issue, but chalked it up as the flu. Dale, our son, was eager to hit the road. We would be texting regularly and if needed, we would turn the car around and come home. Hubby would have plenty of quiet time to recover.

The drive to Duluth, Minnesota was routine and uneventful. We listened to a lot of rap music. It’s a great way to avoid talking your mom! I didn’t get very far with that, but I was still grateful that my nineteen-year-old son, still wanted to spend a weekend with me.

A few hours more, and we’d be in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I’d forgotten how crazy it is to drive on five lane interstates. Dale was quite efficient with navigation and getting us from point A to B. He directed and I drove, while white knuckling it from place to place. We didn’t crash but had a few close calls! When we arrived at the hotel, I was exhausted. The distance and stress of driving, was a little much for a soon to be fifty-year-old girl. The hotel was extravagant, so much so, that we had to pay for parking, and breakfast. Dale wanted to enjoy some luxury, while I would’ve preferred a free night stay with points, at any Econo Lodge or Comfort Inn!

The front entrance of the hotel had a lot of glass and doors. I pulled up right in front, slammed it in park and jumped out. I was rushing and eager to flop myself onto a comfy bed after a long drive. With fatigue overtaking me, and the clean glass panels everywhere, I couldn’t see the door and walked right into a wall of glass. Dale directed me to the proper door. I’m always cool and collected, as I didn’t know if anyone witnessed a straight from a movie scene. A slight bit of embarrassment came, but mostly I was still driven to find a bed to lay on. When we finally made it to our room, it was sweet relief. I needed a good sleep to prepare myself for a weekend of adventures.

The Mall of America is the largest mall in the United States. Of course, we had to go. Shopping is my least favorite thing to do, I’d rather watch paint dry. I was however, excited to go the amusement park in the mall. We had a virtual experience called, “Fly Over,” which took us through several states and parts of Canada. It is not a ride, as you are seated in a theatre seat that tilts and turns, but it sure feels like flying through the air in a chair. The air cooled when we went through snowy mountains, and a mist of water hit our skin, when we flew above the ocean. The entire time, I clenched my fists around the arm rest of my chair so I wouldn’t fall to the earth below me. I am now convinced that I can parasail. That will be another adventure.

The shops in the mall were expensive. I ended up finding a Macys and spent less than $100.00 on a couple pairs of pants. That was enough shopping for me, but Dale was on a mission. He spent a good chunk of change on all kinds of clothes. I sat when I could, waiting and waiting. My health tracker showed that I’d walked over 19, 500 steps. My feet didn’t doubt it!

After a long day of shopping and a late supper, the bed was calling my name, but Dale wanted to go bowling. And as a good mom, I agreed. We actually ended up going twice. The first bowling alley was nice. It was set up with laser lights, a modern atmosphere and several lanes. The second place was a little different. Because our days stretched late into the evening, we only found one bowling alley that was open. It was in a seedy part of town. We passed a man talking to himself, swinging a stick around on the street corner. The entrance was a hole in a brick wall. Inside there were bar stools to the left and wall full of liquor. There were probably around six lanes. At the small desk, we tried to pay for an hour of bowling, but it is a pay per game system. The lady handed us score cards and a pencil and told us to keep track of how many games we play. The shoes were around the corner on shelves, we just chose the ones we wanted. Many of the balls had pits in them and almost every ball curved due to the uneven floors. The ball rolled back on top of the floor on a rickety track. I thought I might see the monkeys hard at work resetting the pins after each ball!

I had no idea how to keep score, as most bowling alleys keep track digitally on the screen above. The only thing I knew to do was to mark a slash for a spare and an X for a strike. When we were done, we put our stinky shoes back on the shelf. I assumed they must spray them at some point? I handed the card to the lady and said,

“I don’t know how to keep score, other then spares and strikes. I think we played two games.” She was satisfied with that, and that was our bowling fun.

I love going to museums so we couldn’t miss the opportunity to tour Prince’s home, Paisly Park. The mansion is roughly 65,000 square feet. There was a range of packages to choose from, the most expensive being the tour that allows to hold his guitar. I’m a fan, but not that much of a fan. We chose a different package. After we got through security and had our phones locked, we passed through to a room displaying his many gold records, clothing, and audio equipment. We heard the sounds of doves, which were in a cage up above, on the second level. There were several recording studios and dance floors where after-concert parties were held for the rich and famous. Everything of course was in glass cases, like his large shoe selection of over 300 pairs of shoes. Most of which were heals. Did you know that Prince was only 5.2” and 112lbs? A small package, but enormous presence with outrageous talent.

In only a few days, we packed in enough shopping and site seeing, it was home time. It never seems to matter how far or how long the trip is, the best part is always coming home. My husband survived and was on the mend, the pets missed a few treats, and were happy to see us. Poor husband could not do my job due to being sick, so I couldn’t be mad… everyone was alive. I had sweet dreams, sleeping in my own bed. And I was so happy to be back driving on our crappy old streets in our small city.

Can you see me by the mural? It was massive!