July 2, en route...

Our plane landed in Minneapolis at 10:30 a.m. MDT (11:30 CDT), a little early. We got our luggage and then found an airport restaurant, Houlihan's, where we ate lunch before renting a car and getting on the road.

Traffic was s-l-o-w for the first 45 miles out of the city, but then we were able to go at highway speeds.

The countryside here is so green and full of trees. And, of course, small and large lakes dot the Minnesota landcape.

I thought Mom would sleep much of the way to Grafton because she was really tired in the morning on the plane, but she stayed awake the whole time.

We finally got to Grafton shortly before 9 p.m.--a lot later than I expected. Our motel room was much too small for three people, but we made do.

Eve of Departure

We take off tomorrow at 8:20 a.m. via Northwest Airlines for Minneapolis, arriving there shortly before noon if all goes as scheduled. From there, we'll rent a car and head for Grafton, ND--a trip of about 304 miles.

We should arrive at the AmericInn around 6 p.m., depending on how much stopping we do along the way--or on the weather. I hear that thunderstorms are expected in the Minneapolis area tomorrow, but I don't know about the rest of the state.

David has an iPhone, so we may be able to post some blog entries along the way. I'm also hoping we can post a few pictures on the blog on Sunday when we visit Gayle's farm near Adams, ND. She has high-speed internet, and not only that, she tells me she has a block of lutefisk that she plans to prepare for my mom!