Whenever we visit a playground lately, Bennett really just wants to play in the rocks and dirt, or watch the big kids play baseball and basketball in the nearby fields, or walk the sidewalks and trails saying hi to the fellow park visitors. Tonight, he didn't want any time on the swings or playground equipment so we walked several loops along the paths and I think greeted most everyone who passed us by with a soft and sweet 'hiiiii' and wave. Such a friendly little man.
It was a great evening to pack a light dinner, some balls and bubbles, and head out for a relaxing picnic under a shady tree at the park!
I feel like it was a perfect Sunday up on the North Shore. We began the day with an early swim for the boys, filled our tummies with brunch, then walked along the water and played with the rocks. As we all know, Bennett very much loves hanging out by the water and he loved this rocky beach as he is so content and curious looking through all the rocks and sticks. We then covered a few miles of trails while hiking through Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and Gooseberry Falls State Park before calling it a day and stopping for dinner, and slices of berry and toffee cream pie on the porch at a local cafe. Thank you Northern Minnesota!
We continued on the scenic route to Two Harbors where we stayed in a lodge right on Lake Superior. Of course we hit the beach almost immediately upon arrival before later heading to a local lighthouse, hitting a trail, and seeing a bit of the town before heading out for dinner. It was quite chilly along the water, but we were happy that the big rain held off until bed time. Needless to say, we quickly fell in love with this part of the world and felt thankful that it welcomed our little family so perfectly. 
We headed up for our first family trip to the North Shore to take advantage of the longer holiday weekend and boy did we have a great time! Being the nature loving family that we are, we definitely filled our days with beautiful scenery, tons of beach time, hiking, and just overall being outside whenever the rain was not falling. We ate out at several local hot spots and small town cafes and soaked up all the family time that we could. We are good at that. We made a pit stop in Duluth before driving the extra 25 miles to our destination in Two Harbors. Here we enjoyed a nice lunch at Fitgers Brewhouse and a sunny stroll along the lake. It was a great way to get the trip started! 
We had a fun time seeing friends and celebrating my dear friend Beth at her birthday barbecue this afternoon. Happy Birthday Beth! 
To top off a great day, we all headed out for a burger at the Rollin' Inn on Saturday night - yum!
