The things we learn from SFS! Apparently Dave Chappelle did a sketch on his show where he played
The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, and talked about the need to "purify yourself in the water of Lake Minnetonka". Since the lake is just outside of Minneapolis, we headed there on Saturday morning. If you're like me, you only know about Minnetonka because of the moccasins (which aren't made in the area to my great dismay)... but it's a really nice lake town 45 minutes outside of MSP. Here is my first shot of the area:
Our initial stop was
The General Store of Minnetonka. It was a
huge store, full of kitchen/home/local gifts. After picking up a few things, we headed to
Maynards for lunch. It was a beautiful day, so we sat on their patio next to the lake and had a great time. Here's a shot of SBV:
And here's one of my mom- see the lake in the background? I have a feeling she's laughing at the person next to her...
Wouldn't you? This is how he combats the dreaded FARMER TAN!
And my Dad looking pensive (SBV took this shot- way to go!)...
The food there was SO yummy- plus the natural light was really nice so I could take some quick shots before everyone started. I can't remember who ate what, so here's a club sandwich:
Fish and chips:
And a chopped salad! (I remember this one was mine because it was DELISH! And for the record, those are black beans, not olives.)
After lunch, we went on a hunt to find a sign that would prove SFS' purification. Here's what we found...
The lake was really pretty!
The boys went off to fish, so my mom and I got to work on some crafts (I'll post about that later). Here's a view from where we sat...
Just some pretty dandelions (and Dad, I think it's okay to call them pretty because they're not anywhere near your lawn).
I eventually joined the boys during their fishing excursion.
Although I didn't have a license (shhh- don't tell), SBV let me cast a few with his
new rod and reel. I didn't drop it in the lake ONCE! Are you proud?
Unfortunately, he said if I cast it, then it was my job to clean the gross weeds from the hook. This was definitely not my favorite part of the day!
Now a note about SFS! He hooked a really big large mouth bass that day. He had reeled it in, but it got loose just as the boys were pulling it onto the dock. Although I didn't get a picture, I saw the fish and can attest to the fact that it was big and gross!
And here's another shot of my baby brother- isn't he a cutey?
This on the other hand is NOT so cute. Especially since I don't have the longest lens, and for a shot like this had to get a little too close to the fish for my comfort level. Of course SBV only increased that discomfort by shaking the fish and pretending it was going to jump out and touch me... ahhh, siblings!
Later in the day, SBV got his line hooked on the dock next to where we were fishing. These were the private docks, and you could only get there if you had a key to the gate. Since we did not, SBV literally JUMPED onto that pier and shimmied onto the dock. Of course, once he was done, he had to jump in the water to get back to us! I think this shot is him coming to terms with the fact that there's no way he could avoid getting wet.
After all that fun, we headed to
Phil's Tara Hideaway for dinner. If you ever find yourself near Stillwater, I highly recommend this Greek/American fusion restaurant... check out their pork chops:
Yummy, right? Well, that's it for our Day on Lake Minnetonka- happy Thursday!
