After lounging around in Idaho--hiking and mountain-biking--and blasting our way through Wyoming, we were looking forward to a more casual time in the Midwest with my family. Here are our adventures in South Dakota and our vacation in Northern Minnesota.

Ho, Ho, Ho. We woke up to the Jolly Green Giant after spending the night at the Blue Earth Campground. In Minnesota, we had Robin and my mom over for dinner at Cascade River State Park.   My Mama scrutinizing our cliff-hanging dog, Star. Tettegouche State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior.		Arriving in Northern Minnesota, I took a hike with my mom's boyfriend Robin through a river gorge.   Leslee and I spent an incredible afternoon swimming with my family near here outside of Grand Marais, MN. The dog in question walking the cliffs in Northern MN. Back in St. Paul, MN, Leslee and I met my sister's dear and charming friend, Dewey (right). She took us out for a wonderful night of Turkish food. Çok tesekkur ederim!   Star the Dog showed us how to play soccer.