Day 6, 7 & 8 - Hanging out in Minnetrista, MN

Minnesota Adventures: Lakes, Lobstah, Prince & Golf (Days 6-8) Wednesday was a bit of a slower day. Jeremy had to work, so I decided to spend some time exploring. I headed over to the charming little town of Excelsior, located right on the shores of beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Excelsior is such a cute area, with plenty of little shops, restaurants, and bars to explore. After wandering around for a while, I ended up at Maynard’s, where I grabbed a drink and relaxed for a bit before heading back to the house. Then came Thursday—and what a day it was! We headed out to the lake for a boat ride. I’ve attached several pictures from the day, including one of our captain, Corey, who was incredibly knowledgeable about the river, the surrounding area, and the city. After cruising around, we stopped for lunch at Smack Shack for some Lobstah and Chowdah—and WOW… DELICIOUS! Jeremy and I spent the afternoon riding around several different lakes in the area, with the Minneapolis skyline providing an incredible backdrop. And here’s a fun Minnesota fact: despite being known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” Minnesota actually has 11,842 lakes! Apparently, they decided 10,000 sounded better. 😂 Next up was the highlight of the entire tour—Paisley Park, Prince’s legendary estate. When we arrived, they immediately took our phones and held onto them until we reached the Sound Stage Room, which is an enormous 12,500 square feet. Once we got there and were allowed to have our phones back, you better believe I started taking pictures! Those are attached as well. The Paisley Park tour was absolutely fantastic. Getting to see the place where Prince lived, created music, and brought his incredible vision to life was an experience I won’t soon forget. If you’re anywhere near Minneapolis, I would definitely recommend taking this tour. And because apparently we hadn’t packed enough into the day, after the tour Jeremy and I headed over to The Loop to play nine holes of golf. The course was almost entirely Par 3 holes, with the exception of one Par 4. It was a lot of fun, and I absolutely loved it! I’m so glad I made the trip to Minnesota. This place is pretty awesome during the summer! Beautiful lakes, great food, amazing scenery, golf, and plenty to see and do. That said… I’m not sure I’d ever want to visit Minnesota in the winter. LOL! I’m perfectly happy experiencing the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” when the lakes aren’t covered in ice! Day 8: Back to the Route Day 8 was a full day on the road as I made my way back toward Route 66 in Illinois. Tomorrow—Saturday, August 8, 2026—I’m officially back on the Route and heading south! The adventure continues… Route 66, here I come!