Last week the kids and I headed up to the Twin Cities to spend some time with my cousin and her kids. It was a lovely trip.

On the drive up I planned on stopping to play in a few places. They are much better travelers when they get to run around for a bit. The four hour drive took us seven hours with 3 playground stops and a lunch.

My cousin and I are both doing the 1000 hour outside challenge, which strives to get kids outside for 1000 hours in a year (about 3 hours a day). It was great to spend time with other kids who spend time outside. We went to a nature center with a great play area. We ended up spending 5 hours there.

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The nature center had the best sign I’ve ever seen at a playground.

The next morning we walked to another nature center. I am amazed at how many great places the Twin Cities have to get out and explore. It is such an active area. I would like Des Moines to be as progressive with outdoor activities.

The nature center had trails, poems and sculptures along the walking path, and a really great coffee shop. We had brunch there and then walked back to her house to pack up the car and head to our next stop.

I’ve been to Minneapolis dozens of times, but I had never been to Minnehaha Falls. We walked around the waterfall and then hit the road. It was a wonderful walk to move a little bit before the rest of our trip.

I did some of my best bribing on the drive home. In order to keep the stops to a minimum I let them get happy meals. It is amazing how good they can be when they know we get to stop at McDonald’s.

We stopped to play once on the way home. It was at a rest area along the interstate. My kids cannot stop talking about this park, which is odd, as it consisted of a few concrete culverts, a basic balance beam, and two sets of stairs on opposite sides of a five foot tall deck. When we ask them what they like best about Minnesota Elliot always says the goat bridge.

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It was wonderful to spend time with my cousin. Our kids are close in age and play well together. I can’t wait to go visit again.