Up Nort(h)

Up north we call it "up nort" (using a thick scandanavian accent). It doesn't seem like it would be so far, yet 200 miles pretty much straight north (in Minnesota) darn near gets you to Canada.
This past weekend I took the kids to see my family "up nort". It was MEA weekend (no school Thurs & Fri) so we had a couple of extra days.
The ride has the potential to be long and boring. Sometimes I listen to podcasts (this time I forgot to download new ones) but mostly I just listen to the sounds of Godzilla movies from the back seat. So this time I had my camera handy and became a bit of an armchair, er, drivers chair photographer. Here is your car photo tour from Shakopee to Little Falls to Motley, Akeley and Bemidji.
While it was no longer peak colors, there were still some fabulous sights to behold. The further north you go you tend to see more pines so there is a little less of the other colors. Although birch trees (of which there is also more of) turn a really bright yellow.


This was taken as we passed the Badoura State Forest Nursery near Akeley, one of 2 state nurseries where they grow trees to sell to the public. For as long as I can remember we've driven past these trees and I've always been fascinated that the grow in perfect lines, rows and rows of them.
Thanksgiving dinner. Just roaming around on the side of the road. Must not be turkey season in Minnesota. 2 weeks until deer season, didn't see a single one of them.

This one's for you, Karen!

View of Mud Lake, near Puposky. Yes, that is a plane wing. Yes, it is flying really low. Yes, I almost threw up. No, I'm not going to explain why I was in a small plane flying really low over an obscure lake in Northern Minnesota. Maybe some other day. We'll call that one overcoming your fear.