Olsen Family Staycation Part 1

We've certainly been soaking in our share of family adventures and vacation this month. I'm writing from the front porch of our little cabin at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, the very town where I was born. In fact, my dad worked here when I was a baby and we lived maybe a mile away. Then, when we moved back to the area when I was just about to finish junior high, we lived so close that my sister and I would bike here in the mornings to play tennis on their courts. Coming back now with the family is such a treat. We're here for just a few more hours and then head back to Duluth before a camping trip at the end of the week. I would post photos from the last few days, but that takes time and we have an ice cream date in 30 minutes, so I'm going to finish this post that I began earlier.

I do hope you're having a lovely week and are staying cool! This heat is intense!

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The first week of August was the very first Olsen Family Staycation. What exactly is a "staycation," you may wonder. A staycation is a vacation that is taken in your very own town or nearby area, which we realized would be perfect for Duluth. After all, we have incredible numbers of people visiting our city every summer. Why not join in?!

Our staycation began on Tuesday at noon. Who was excited? This girl!

I did a lot of the planning for the week but only shared it with Pete. I adored the look on Ella's  face as she discovered each new adventure! Our first was a cruise on Lake Superior.

We began in the harbor...

went under the lift bridge...

and rode out onto the lake.

Ella was tickled to be able to meet the captain of the boat at the end of our ride.

She was sure she could hold down the enormous William A Irvin as we walked through the harbor.

After dinner, we dropped Sam off with our friends, Eli & Krista, so we could take Ella to her very first movie on the big screen! Pete & I were pretty giddy about it. I was relieved to see the theater was filled with other families, meaning the pressure was (mostly) off to keep Ella quiet and still the entire movie. She did a really great job, only forgetting to whisper a couple times and was good with at least staying in our row of seats when she felt the need to move. I'd give her a strong A for her first big screen experience.

We had to get in a little game action after the movie. 

Our first night we spent at a hotel in Canal Park. We decided it would be much more like a vacation if we didn't spend all our down time at our house. What happens when we end up at home? I clean, Pete works on projects, and it's like every other day. We had far more fun in a hotel!

The next morning I took Ella down to the water to throw rocks. Our hotel was right on the shore, so the boys got to take morning naps while the girls went out.

Old planes kept flying low overhead. They were fun to watch.

After a little while, Ella & I walked down to the candy shop. We also found the Canal Park fountains.

After a short time at home in the afternoon for naps, we went to our first Duluth Huskies baseball game. Eli, Krista, and Caleb joined us. It was really the perfect, summer evening outing.

That, my friends, is the first half of our family staycation. We LOVED being able to stay in our own city and play tourist!