Zumbrota, MN

On the road again. I took a Friday off that coincided with a day your Dad had off and we planned an overnight trip down south (Rochester, MN). Free time has been almost non-existent lately, so we had to make this a real vacation, compressed into two days. We made some stops along the way. This park was the first.

Walk, don't run. 

It's kind of cool, but I had to wonder out loud WHY cover a bridge? What is the reason, the function, the purpose? And you know what kiddos, when I was a kid that would have meant I had to take a trip to the library and maybe, just maybe, I might be able to discover the reason in a book or an encyclopedia (what's that mysterious thing?).  You know what else kiddos? That wouldn't have happened. Mystery would have remained a mystery because the curiosity wasn't great enough for the effort needed. (lazy) [Side note: the other day Roman told me that the reason the dinosaurs disappeared was a mystery. I laughed and asked him what a mystery was. He replied that  it's when no one knows. Mysterious mysteries. He had the concept. And apparently he had been talking to Grandma Jane about this. It was just so funny and amazing to me that he could grasp that concept. Or could fake it at least.]

Back to curiosity. What is the result of curiosity now-a-days?  A couple of keystrokes (is that going to be a mysterious thing too?).  Google "covered bridge reason" and see what happens.

Wood exposed to the elements decreases rapidly, cover increased lifespan of bridge. Protected from ice. Place to stop in a downpour.

Ok. 

Place to ponder water and trees.

With your son.

Or your daughter. 

Or maybe both.

It's a very stroll -friendly place.

 

Bucolic.

Up the hill, down the hill.

And there's a really amazing playground in the park too.

Dedicated to a little girl who passed way too young.

The fence posts at the left had donor's names on them too.

A really great place for little ones

Growing ones.

And temperamental moms.

From the playground we could see what looked like a cage. It reminded me of the old cages at Como Zoo - in the building that used to house animals.  And it was a cage. Or a jail. There's some debate in this house as to what it is.

Lock her up and throw away the key, kids.

Or not.