(when will i finally catch up?)
woke up to a sound
that can only be
described as that
which you would hear
if there had been
a nuclear attack.
jumped from the couch,
searching for the source.
found it.
someone’s damn cellphone alarm.
made my best
attempt to silence the
stupid thing and
went back to the couch.
this scene played itself
out four more times
before i realized
that i’d only been
hitting the snooze button.
i was up, so
i took it upon myself
to get everyone else
out of bed so we could
go to breakfast.
nate couldn’t make it
so that left david and cara.
got both of them up
and headed to the mpls
to meet aj & sonja at the
cuban cafe near
their house.
called grandma broccoli along
the way to see how
maddy was doing.
she still had that
awful runny nose.
combine that
with the fact that
the grandparents wanted
more time with her,
i made the decision
to not take her
on our trip to the
north shore.
met aj and sonja
at the cuban restaurant
for an awesome breakfast.
no ambulances were
called this time.
after breakfast we dropped
david off at a
light rail station and wished
him luck.
from there we headed
north on the 35,
crossing the new bridge over
the mississippi river
in search of evidence of
decreasing chlorophyll.
made it as far
north as the wyoming
before needing to stop.
aj pointed me toward something
for which we should
have saved room
in our stomachs.
and i pointed him toward
something that made
me laugh.
back on the road,
we made sure to
take note of things
we needed to stop
and photograph
on the way home.
we eventually made it
to the gooseberry falls.
i made friends
with a statue
and we all
did a little hiking.
aj and i took
lots of photos
while the ladies watched.
i’ll let the photos
do most of the talking…
on the way
back to the car
we found the only
trees in the forest
that signaled the start of fall.
got a phone call
from grandma broccoli letting
me know that madeline
was doing great,
sleeping in spite of her runny nose.
we got back on
the road,
and ended up
in a town with
some of the raddest
roadside attractions ever.
i temporarily lost
my hand to a wooden fish
and then we happened
upon something that
wasn’t quite
what we expected.
a few blocks later
we saw a giant
man without pants
and later,
a giant chicken.
finally, i took a photo
of aj
taking a photo of another
giant man.
(why are there so many giant statues in the northern mn?).
a great trip,
one i’ve been wanting to
do for years,
but never made the
the time to do so.
we made it back to
the mpls,
called in some more
friends and had dinner
in the northeast.
after dinner
we went to a dirty little
bar in aj’s neighborhood
where we were joined
by even more friends.
talked to one of
liz’s
oldest friends about the
past and the future,
a discussion that brought
both tears and smiles,
and a promise.
it was a really nice
night, with lots of
conversation and memories shared.
headed back to my mom’s
house and found madeline
fast asleep.
she woke up when the dogs
started barking,
but that was okay…
i hadn’t seen my
baby in more than
24 hours,
and it was nice
to see her smile at
me again.
59 Comments
Awesome photos again. Glad to hear you had a great trip.
I hope Madeline is feeling better soon, sucks when they are sick, Matilda is just getting over her first cold.
I commend you and anyone else that can leave their baby for that long, i think i must be a paranoid mummy because the only time i have been away from the kids that long was when was having my second and third children, and it was hard for me.
Have a great day and thinking of you and Madeline.
Sounds like you had a great time!
A beautiful time of year to head up Nort! I make a point to take a picture with the pioneer by the Little Store in Barnum every time I pass it. Sounds like a great trip. Hope Maddy is feeling better! Our doctor always said their snot bothers us more than it bothers them!!
I was wondering if you’d found the giant chicken in TH. Somehow I knew you’d stop to take a pic. Glad you found a bit of fall color. Next time you come through Duluth, give us a call. I am sure Miss M will be toddling around and would love to chase the seagulls!
Sending you peace and light, Nena and Reese
Catching up? When? Probably won’t get any easier when you have to go back to work as you’ve been periodically hinting at lately. Today’s post made me really miss the quirky part of MN, but not those runny noses that are no doubt on their way for another winter season. Thanks for the post Matt, it’s a nice Sunday treat.
I love Gooseberry Falls! Sounds like a nice day.
Glad Madeline was good, if a little snuffy, with Grandma Broccoli. She sounds really healthy.
My son has Grandmas Goose and Ginge, and Granddads Bad-Back and Clicky-Knees.
Hope the snifels have gone now.
The midwest has awesome yard art. I am forever making my grandma pull over and take my picture with junk along the roadside.
I have been reading your blog forever and am so happy to see a trip north of Minneapolis. I am from Superior (Duluth) and am now living in Omaha. Whenever we would go up to Split Rock Lighthouse or other northern MN destinations, I always loved the pics with the large statues. The rooster in Two Harbors is a favorite. Too funny.
Matt you’re such a gifted photographer!
Your pictures make me want to go to those places. To bad you don’t visit Florida, I’d hire you to do a set.
Awesome pictures….glad you had a great road trip!
P.S. Love the rock show pics!!
So I think those giant statues may be Muffler Men and the rooster is also a bit of an icon too, he’s been there for about 40 years.
Sorry I’m a bit of a fan of Roadside America and all the oddball things you can see. I’ve dragged the kids out on many a roadtrip to see obscure and bizarre things and of course take photographs
Hope Maddy is feeling better.
great post!!
awesome pics! i even showed them to erik…makes us miss MN!!
What a fun trip! I love the polaroid pic of the 7-up sign with the sun flair. That’s awesomez.
Glad to hear you had a great trip! Love the pics!
Shit yeah i would also hire Matt to photograph my kids lol.
I like the Curling Club photo. Will you submit that to the group?
Looks like a really nice time. It’s nice to have breaks, but it’s also nice to come home and catch up on all of the baby smiles.
I hope Maddie is feeling better!!
my new favorite thing is to combine your photos into one sort of fuct up bastard of a message in my brain.
Today’s would be a tourist geared statue of a GIANT suasage and gravy filled studded condom.
with the mystic of black.
fuck yeah.
Who knew so many cool things along the road! Glad you had another great adventure. Your photos are stunning as usual!
I live in the WI, and Duluth has become my favorite vacation spot. It is such a beautiful area, and I love driving along the North Shore. Thanks for sharing the pics of Gooseberry Falls! I highly recommend the circle tour around Lake Superior if you ever get the chance. I’ve been all the way around the lake, and it’s all beautiful. Thanks for sharing all the beautiful pics of Maddy too. You are doing a great job, and your story is such an inspiration. Take care, and know you are thought of often!
I m taking my boys to Gooseberry Falls in a few weeks. I can’t wait. I am definitely gonna get a pic of us by the giant chicken.
Hope Madeline is on the mend. I am sure that Grandma Broccoli enjoyed nursing her back to health, and as hard as it was for you to be away from her for 24 hours, I am glad you had some time w/ AJ & company. Awesome pics!!
Hope the last week went well for you & Miss M. Any pearly whites break thru yet?
Has anyone ever told you that y’all are pretty fucking hilarious?
i love dirty neighborhood bars. love all the roadside pics. i’ve always intended to take more trips like that…
ROCK SHOW pics are hi-larious!
hope the snot has moved on by now!
Great pics. thanks for sharing!
where was the robot when you needed it? you may just have to do another round!
Ever since the last winter olympics, my husband has been apeshit over curling. Another reason I need to move to the MN, I guess… I can just see him running the zamboni at the Curling Club, while I toil away at my combination bookstore/coffee shop/pedicure salon/wine bar…
:: wistful sigh ::
The Mystic of Black – I guess once you’ve had it, you’ld never want to go back….the wonders of MN!
Hope Maddy’s runny nose is better, but given it was a week ago – I’m sure its long gone!!
sounds like I need a trip up North. I haven’t done that in years. I forget about all the “cool” stuff we have along the way.
Sounds like you had fun. Hope Maddy is feeling better!
I also have a few pics of me with the chicken and the giant men. Can’t help but stop and stare when you see them.
What a difference a week makes. We drove up to Duluth this weekend (didn’t make it as far as Gooseberry, though) and many more trees have changed color. I see it every year, and every year I’m still absolutely amazed at the beauty of it.
Great pics. I didn’t even ask because I knew my husband would not tolerate stopping at all the fun roadside attractions/picture sites.
Love it! Those BIG creatures from the UP NORT sure look familiar! Glad you guys had fun!
todays post made me smile, I love the photography, most of all, I feel ya on the search for decreasing clorophyll! I miss fall! Hope this weekends been a good one for you and little miss sunshine!
I heart gooseberry falls.
talk soon.
xo
beautiful pictures!
Great pics!! My grandparents had a farm up in Minnesota, and I have more pics from when I was little standing next to huge man statues with no pants, usually holding an ax. I always wondered why my dad was obsessed with getting our picture next to those things. I can see you are going to torture your daughter much the same way
Love love love the photos! What great memories… You are totally gifted.
(aside) What’s up with the Nort thing?
Great pics! TOTALLY makes me want to go outside! Right after I take a nap…but after that I *swear* I’m going outside!
Glad you got to get out and take pics of giant wooden statues. I am all over that!
Did I mention I like the pics? Cuz…I do…I do.
I think this is the first post that I have read that didn’t have any pictures of the baby in it. *Sniff*
I’m sure you missed her more than me tho
Glad to hear you had a great time.
Nothing says great roadtrip like sausage biscuits and studded condoms.
Hope M is feeling better.
We have a curling club near me. Haha.
Asalamalaykom,
“Happiness is a journey, not a destination.”
Your journeys are great! What about this for reality TV:
You don’t have the cameras come into your home, like other reality TV families. This keeps your home a much-needed sanctuary. It is more “Lonely Planet,” or “Amazing Race,” meets “The (Really) Young Ones”with a few “Oprah Show” Ah-ha! moments.
You get invites for visits from various sights and places and people (so totally free) and you just get filmed on the trip. You do your blog in conjunction with this and then just do the voice-over of what you’ve written. You snap your shots and intersperse them with the live action. You can put out a photo book of those shots. Put the music YOU LIKE into the editing. It becomes part music video. Your buddies become part of the show. The robot…well…of course the robot comes along. Keep the whole deal about grieving for Liz as part of the experience. You go global when Miss Madeline gets older.
I know that this is thinking outside of the box, but you’ve been living there for a while now any way. You’ve been showcasing your life on the internet with very little pay. This could enable you to stay with Miss Madeline, travel, and pay bills. Think about it.
I think you should move to MN and be closer to your relatives…but then …who am I to say what you should do…lol!
Just do what you think is best for you and Maddy…and not your fans or creeps!
Love the pictures. Those statues are crazy!
I remember some of those statues and ‘Big Men’ from road trips across the upper US States as a kid! Looks like a good time.
But bet you were happy to give the little one a hug upon arriving home.
Just watching P.S. I love you, and I am bawling my eyes out, for you, and Liz…………and by your writing of memories of Liz I suspect she would have made you watch it. I also suspect that you, would have rolled your eyes, and she would have shed some tears. Please consider watching it with one of Liz’s best girlfriends and some wine (in memory of her). Thinking of you guys often.
~Just another CREEPY woman
I have been reading for awhile and always loved your pictures, and its so fun to see them of a place I know! I am originally from Duluth, so I grew up going up the North Shore all the time. Its a beautiful and quirky area.
I grew up in the town with the chicken!
I have never commented before, but I have been reading for a long time. I just want to to say that the North Shore is one of the most beautiful places I have even been. Should you go back, you shoudl visit Betty’s Pies. Yum!!! We went to gooseberry falls and Split rock lighthouse, both are amazing sights to see. I also have a picture of the rooster!
I am so glad to see that things are getting better. I know you will always miss Liz and have been told thi sa thousand times, but Maddy really is blessed to have you in her life.
Best wishes, Kristal
I hope you stopped at Russ Kendall’s for some smoked salmon. One of my best lunches ever was overlooking Lake Superior, enjoying salmon with some cheese and wine on spring day when the warmth of the sun was just starting to work through the light jacket I was wearing. Fan-freaking-tabulous!
@ Melissa – Nort = North in MN speak. Think of the Coen brother’s movie Fargo. No, we don’t all really talk like that. But when one ventures Nort of Highway 2, it is a requirement to work ‘oh yaaa, you becha’ and ‘uff dah’ into our everyday language. It’s a beautiful thing.
I think I need to get on this kid-overnight-at-someone’s-house boat. My 17-month-old and I have never spent a night in separate rooms, let alone separate houses. Maybe it’s time…darn it, why don’t her grandparents live in this state?
Awesome photos on your trip North, thought for sure you’d run into the robot near Ft Ripley but nope. The Rock Show…hilarious!! So, do you think there will be a new book in the works for your traveling road show?? Maybe a sweet coffee table collection of crazy roadside attractions in time for the holidays?? Sounds like a great day.
Awesome photos from your trip to the North Shore. I drive to Duluth once a month for work and I find it hard to concentrate on the road once I hit the interstate near Hinckley.
I also loved the story about hitting the snooze on the cell phone 5 times before realizing that it was the snooze. I’ve done the same thing many times myself.
we’re headed up to the same area next weekend. hoping some of the fall color is still hanging on. and, FYI–your fave cuban restaurant in the mpls is featured on the food network’s ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ this week
Holy Crap, I almost peed my pants….those statues/pictures are so FUNNY! I must make that trip, being new to the Midwest, those are a MUST see! A friend of mine has been telling me of this blog for a while, glad I had a chance (or thankful that my boss is busy and can’t see what I’m doing). Most of all thanks for sharing Madeline’s smiles, it sure was a great way to start my day!
Okay, so I just wanted to say I think it’s ironic that behind one of the giant statues there is a “little store.”