The Mini apple, a lake cottage dream and Norwegian wannabes

Whenever people asked us where we were going in the US many would cringed their noses and repeat disappovingly "Minnesota?". Now we've been there we realise the poeple who did that, have never been to the wondurous place "Minnesota" (im sure you all can hear the deamy and excited voice I'm saying it with). I met the Finsnes family 5 years ago at my grandparents house and all I remember is how excited I was to speak English and the little Christmas ornament that they gave us and we hang up on our tree every year. Andy is my moms distance cousin, his wife Lisa and their kids Andrew, Kate and Maria gave us the best time and impression of Minneapolis (If New York is the big apple, naturally this is the Mini Apple -lis).

From the left, Sanna, Andy, Maria, GG (mother of Lisa), Kate, Andrew, Kirstin (Andrews girldfriend) and Lisa

We started our stay with a real american Graduation Party with some of Maria friends (Maria just graduated High School - Hurrah!) Minnesota and Wisconsin is where all the Norwegians settled in the old days and we met SO many people who with great enthusiasm told us they were half or a quarter or three eights Norwegian. When they heard we were 100% and real ones the excitement was extatic. At Edina High school where Maria goes they have a "Norwegian club" with t-shirts saying "Jeg forså ikke" on the back. It means "I dont understand" just slightly misspelled .

The next day we got to visit the university of Minnesota (UofM) where Maria is going next year. So much fun to see the campus of this huge university and get the feel of going from High school to College. Minneapolis is a sunny city, using the Niceride bike system (one can borrow bikes from one station and return then in another one), we got to see the city in an easy and perfect way on a warm summer day.

With the Niceride bikes infront of Mississipi River.

Being the 10 000 lake state a lot of people have a Lake Cottage in Minnesota, but I cant't imagine anyone having a better one than the Finsness. Almost a four hour drive from Minneapolis, Lake Melissa is the perfect getaway. When we arrived friday evening it was live music and dancing at the local and only pub in the area. There we learnt something new when they showed us how to stick a pin through a dollar bill and wrap a quarter inside it. Then you're supposed to throw it up into the air so it'l stick to the ceiling. and the quarter will fall out. The ceiling was full of dollar bills and we actually managed to do it both of us. Awesome!

The back of the Cabin

View of the lake and their boat.

The Ceiling at the bar.

I'm ready and I did it!!!

It was a weekend filled with fun in the water. Jetski, boats, tubing, waterski, we did it all! Saturday evenig we had a little unformal party where got to meet more long lost family, neighbourds and "lake cousins". Meeting all these people and how they all show interest in us was very thouching. Lake Melissa is a social lake, and the sunday fleemarket is packed with people selling more of less worthless stuff. T-shirts and baseball caps with "Lake girl" written on them, showed us a thight knitted community where summers are spent year after year. It was perfectly relaxing and fun and I dont know why we norwegiand have huts in the mountains when one can have them by a lake.

Maria let me "drive" the boat. Scary but pretty cool. (I kinda want a boat now)

Åslaug stood on her second try waterskiing!

Åssi, Kate and Sanna at the bbq party.

Crazy Daisy, they're alien dog.. its NOT a dog!

Another thing that MInneapolis have thats awesome, in addition to the lakes and the bikes and the sunny weather (this is just based on my experience of course), is Mall of America! We ended up spent one and a half day in the biggest mall in the United Stated. They have it all, every shop you could ever wish to shop in, a funpark, a hotel connected, a cinema, and best of all, there's no tax on clothes and shoes!
      Thank you again Finsness, we had a great time, it's certainly a place we'd like to go back to and we hope to see you again in Norway.

Sunday Dinner outside at the Cabin. From the left, GG, Åssi, Sanna, Andy, Maria, Kate and Lisa

Yes, We're fans! Go Minnesota!