Exploring with Family

Stoked. I am so flipping excited: I have a whole new family I get to explore with! Back in June when Jared and I visited his family in the northern part of the country I got to know my soon-to-be in-laws a little bit better. We spent several days with Jared's family at a resort near Bemidji, MN, and aside from the kayaking, swimming, campfires, and cookouts we held, Jared's parents, siblings, little niece, and I took off for an afternoon to explore the nearby town and state park.

Our first stop was Babe the Blue Ox and Paul Bunyan, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. Charlotte, our niece, wasn't too sure about Babe at first, but when Jared picked her up and pointed out the ox's butt from the parking lot where we stood she seemed to get over her hesitation pretty quickly. Quickly enough to pick Babe's nose, anyway. Her and Uncle Jared had a good time picking noses and pointing out Babe's rear end every time they had a chance.

From Bemidji we headed to Itasca State Park, a mid-sized park located less than an hour from town that just so happened to contain the lake that is considered the headwaters of the Mississippi River. You read that right. We got to see where the Mighty Mississippi begins its course across the country, until it runs into the Gulf of Mexico. It was full of other visitors, of course, but we couldn't pass up the chance to walk across the headwaters of the river, though it is a relatively small stream at its beginning. We spent some time splashing around in the water with Charlotte and Adam, Jared's brother, while we were watched by Jared's parents, Chuck and Renee, and Adam's wife, Kelli. Jared, Adam, Charlotte, and I all pulled off our shoes and walked across the Mississippi River!

We spent a couple hours in the park before heading back to the resort for dinner, but I'm sure it was only the first time I get to explore with my new family members. I'm determined to take Kelli on a camping trip, and I can't wait for Charlotte to grow up enough to go adventuring with me as well. Who knows, maybe we can get the whole Johnson family together for a camping trip some time in the near future. We can even bring a camper and have things like air conditioning and running water. It'll be fun, I promise!