Alexandria, Minnesota

We decided a few months ago to book a rental home on Lake Blackwell just southwest of Alexandria, Minnesota for a week. I'm super excited for our trip, coming up at the end of this month!

This will be our second time traveling with all three kiddos, our first time being to the Wisconsin Dells at the end of May. We had a great time in the Dells, but there were also all sorts of activities we could do there, so I decided we might want to plan a few fun activities (beyond the beach, teepee, and possibly kayaking) to do as a family while we're there.

It will also be our second trip to Alexandria, as Mark and I went there on our 9 year anniversary weekend this past September. We had such a great time, even if I was battling morning sickness

We've been doing vacation rental homes for the past few years, ever since bringing kids along, and we wouldn't do it any other way! It's so nice to be able to spread out a bit, have a fully-functional kitchen, and let the kids have their own rooms as well.

We had fewer options than usual this time, considering we're looking to book so late in the season, but were thrilled to find this adorable 2-bedroom bungalow was still available, and we locked it in right away for the week our daycare provider would be gone on vacation.

Of course, being on a cabin right by a lake will provide a lot of entertainment all by itself, especially with all the fun amenities this place offers.

As far as extra activities we're thinking about doing, we're thinking we might try to find a kid-friendly movie at the local theatre, possibly hitting up Casey's Amusement Park (the verdict is still out), and possibly taking the boys bowling for the first time. We'll also probably eat out a time or two and hit some of the gorgeous local trails. I highly doubt we'll do much as far as shopping, although they have a little mall there as well. Otherwise, I guess we'll just have to see what happens! We're really excited to take the boys and just have some downtime with no expectations. We've had a jam-packed year so far, and we're excited to just not be busy for a week!

Upcoming Travel Plans

::crickets chirping::

But no, really! I suppose it's like that compared to previous years where we've really lived it up, but such is life with little ones and carseats and pack and plays to lug around: We try to stick close to home.

We're thinking about taking a trip to Seaside, Florida (or somewhere else warm!) this winter at some point, but I also really want to get out to see the newest addition to our family as my brother and his wife are expecting their new little baby boy on Christmas Day. We'll see where the year takes us!

Harvest is about to get underway, so I'm not really expecting to have much free time to be traveling soon. We do hope to get together with the Ropte family for our annual get together next month, but it's hardly a "trip" when it's just a couple hours away. We shall see!

I've also thrown out the idea for a trip to the waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, but I need to get Mark on board with that :)