Second Honeymoon!

 It is the DH here, and I wanted to share a special event that we had this year.  

On May 22 we celebrated our 45 year wedding anniversary.  In January I began wondering what we could do to make this anniversary special.  I decided that the best thing we could do would be to recreate our honeymoon!

When we were married in 1976, the DW's grandparents owned a cabin on a lake just outside of Marcell, Minnesota.  They have since sold the cabin, but we decided to camp (more like glamping) at a resort near Marcell.  

So I began planning how far we could drive each day with the pickup and camper, and where we could stop each night.  

Our anniversary ended up being on a Saturday just like our wedding was, so when I planned it out the whole trip ended up being 10 days 

Day 1 - May 20

We left our home in the Ozarks of MO, and drove to Crowder State Park just outside of Trenton, MO.  This is a beautiful little park with a very nice camping area.  We hoped to visit with the DW's aunt and uncle while there, but schedules and health issues got in the way.  It was still a very nice place to spend the night.

Days 2-3 - May 21-22

Drove up to visit my family in Northwood, IA, and parked in their driveway for 2 nights.  It was good to visit with some family.  They were all involved in the wedding, so we were able to reminisce.

On our anniversary we went back to the church that we got married in. They were getting ready for a Ladies Brunch, so we were able to see the inside.  It was a Baptist Church, but it has changed hands about 3 times in the last 45 years, and now it is a mission church.  We also went back to the college where we met, and visited the park where we had our first "date".  

When we were married, I have always said that the only taste of our wedding cake that I got was the bite that the DW fed me while we were taking pictures.  On our anniversary the DW got a white cake, and had them decorate it with Happy 45th Wedding Anniversary.  She made sure that I got a corner piece with lots of frosting on it too!

Days 4-7 - May 23-26

We arrived at the campground in Marcell around 2:00.  Every day that we were driving we had rain!  At least it was a Sunday so the traffic around Minneapolis was very light.  

On Monday our first order of business was to find the cabin and lake where we spent our honeymoon.  Using the lake finder app from the state of MN finding the lake was not difficult.  It was a hazy day, so we were able to get some beautiful pictures of the lake itself.

After 45 years, lots of things had changed, but we were able to pick out the correct cabin based on the locations of the driveways.  The neighbor cabin had a light on, and we did knock, but no one answered the door.  So we decided to do a little benevolent trespassing.  We were able to walk down to the lake, and walk around the property for a while.

The cabin had changed a lot, but it was still very rustic, and a beautiful setting.  The DW had spent many summers at this cabin, and was able to reminisce about her cousins and aunts and uncles gathering for family events.

She remembered that her mom had built the bench that is just to the right of the path, and it is still there.  We talked about canoeing around the lake when we were younger, and all the things that we did the last time we were up here.  It was a wonderful day.

There are only a handful of cabins around this particular lake, so most of the land around the lake is national or state forest.  This makes this lake very remote, and very beautiful.  We were able to drive around the north end of the lake, and found some wonderful views.  

We really wanted to get out on the lake once more, but that was not to be.  Instead we had to settle on renting a fishing boat in our resort on North Star Lake to get out on the water.  It was nice to be out on the water again, but it just wasn't quite the same.

The weather was very cool, and moist.  Not rainy, but just cloudy and misting.  It was sunny the day that we rented the fishing boat, but that was the only day.  We had the space heater running in the camper most all day long.  That just meant that we needed to cuddle in order to stay warm!

When we weren't out exploring the area or on the water, the DW and I engaged in some exciting games of Scrabble!  BC (before children) we would often play board games, or 2 handed card games.  We haven't played these types of games since our oldest daughter was born.  It was fun to challenge each other and laugh together as we played together.

Days 8-9, May 27-28

We arrived at my sister's place in Algona, IA at around 3:00 p.m.  It rained from about 30 miles north of St. Paul to 80 miles south on Interstate 35.  Fortunately there wasn't a lot of traffic, so it was easy to get through the city.

After getting all setup on the lawn, we had a very nice dinner with the family.  It was cool for May, so we had the small space heater running all the time to keep the camper warm.  

Algona was a major POW camp during World War II, and they have a couple of museums dedicated to the history of this time.  My sister is a member of the guild that supports the Nativity Scene that was created by one of the POW's that was stationed here in Algona.  This Nativity Scene is always open between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we got special permission to see the Nativity Scene.  

I've included the panorama view of the Nativity Scene below.

Day 10 - May 30-31

On Saturday we drove to Boone, IA to have lunch with my brother and sister-in-law on our way to the Lakeside Casino in Osceola, Iowa.  We stopped at the casino not because we like to gamble, but it has a full hook-up and it is cheap!  

Sunday we got going early, and arrived home at about 3:00.  It was a wonderful trip!  We were able to focus on each other, and enjoy each other's company.  Just what we wanted for a second honeymoon! 

One last comment about our trip.  Besides the DW and I on this trip, we also were accompanied by Charlie!  Charlie is our Dream Doggie since the DW dreamed about Charlie about 3 months before we found him running in traffic! 

Charlie was a wonderful companion on our trip.  He loved riding in the pickup, and was ready to go whenever we wanted to pull out.  He didn't like being left in the camper, but he knew we would always come back to our mobile den.

We hope that you have wonderful travels, and are able to spend your time with the one that you love!