Interstate State Park

We are so lucky in Minnesota to have as many state parks as we do, and many are within just an hour's drive of the Twin Cities.  For only $25 a year, a car load of friends and family can have unlimited access to Minnesota's natural wonders. Today's gorgeously sunny, early fall day was too perfect to not take advantage of the opportunity to get outside, and what better place than one of Minnesota's state parks. 

I can't believe this is the first time I've been to Interstate State Park in Taylor's Falls.  It's only an hour's drive northeast of St. Paul and the park, along with a park of the same name on the Wisconsin side, straddles the scenic St. Croix River.  Earthquakes, lava flows and glaciers formed the river valley, the cliffs and the glacial potholes in the park. 

We started with a picnic lunch along the tranquil St. Croix River in the southern part of the park.  The boat launch and campgrounds are at this quieter end of the park.  Most tourists head straight for the northern end of the park, where the largest concentration of glacial potholes in the world is located.  That's exactly where we headed too right after lunch and arrived just in time to join the naturalist-guided "Pothole Exploration Tour."  For someone who remembers very little of my Geology 101 (aka, "Rocks for Jocks") class in college, the tour was well worth it for me.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much Oliver learned from the tour as well, since I assumed much of the information was over his head.  We need to get him a field journal now, because he enjoyed drawing pictures of things he saw on our walk with the naturalist. 

After the walk, we spent time scrambling on the rocks, exploring more of the potholes and enjoying the warm sunshine. I wished we could have gone on another hike to get away from the crowds, but little Matteo, who technically still needs to nap, but doesn't anymore because he's the fourth child, wasn't going to make it.  So we piled back in the car and took the scenic route home.  Matteo and Kiera were sound asleep within 10 minutes. 

We had a wonderful afternoon, but I'll be honest that the kids weren't exactly thrilled in the morning when they heard where we were headed.  Thus it was vindicating to hear Oliver exclaim on the Pothole Exploration Tour that he was having so much fun and wanted to do this every weekend.  He should watch what he wishes for.  I've only been to 16 of Minnesota's 76 state parks and recreation areas and I'm yearning to see more.