Can We Have an Adventure

I've created a city slicker.  DD#2 wants another day in either St Paul or Minneapolis, having an adventure as she called it.  There was something kind of innocently sweet in the way my getting to be too cynical teenager asked.  We were guests Friday night, along with her whole confirmation class, at a St Paul Synagogue.  The entire congregation were incredibly gracious to a group of sometimes overly rambunctious middle schoolers, thankfully respectful during the service itself, of traditions, language, and customs very different than our own Lutheran ones. To get there, you pass through some trendy streets in St Paul, way cooler than the dribble of boredom we apparently have in our bedroom community. Her eyes lit up on the way home to see the dark streets lit up by the stores,restaurants, and bars, and the  bustle of people out and about on the streets. I forget just how insular living a mere 30 miles from the "big cities" can be for teens that have no regular reason to go into either city.  One bus stop was packed, and being that it was a bit chilly, and being a Friday night, a couple clusters of people were dancing and jumping up in down, probably partially to keep warm, and partially for fun. This fascinated DD#2's friend, who in spite of saying she knew all about the cities, had eyes as wide as saucers. 

We have the last of the basketball season next week, and this weekend I need to get caught up on the business of life, but I am starting to noodle around some adventures for future weekends.  One of the things, simple as it might seem, she looked forward to in planning our UK trip last year was riding the double decker buses and taking the tube all about the city. It didn't really dawn on me before that trip that public transit was just not part of my kids life before they got out of high school, so the thought of it being our sole source for transportation was an awesome one for her. One day on the trip we took about an hour just riding around on a bus, looking at the street view, until the bus came to the end of its route and we were still perched on the upper deck. Light rail transit (LRT) is a  new transportation mode in the Twin Cities.  There are just a few lines, though one that connects the two big cities together, and a newly renovated Depot in St Paul, has made it a better commuting option. I think I will get some route maps, and plan a day to travel from one end of a line to the other and back again, stopping at sites along the way.  This will be way cheaper than a round trip ticket to Heathrow, and might add a bit of thrill to her teen age life.

With no vacation time built up, I'm planning to make the most of our Saturdays and Sundays. Where would you like to explore nearby but haven't had the time or inclination yet to do so?  If you are the adventurous day tripper, what have been some of your more memorable ones? 

Past adventure-Baker Street Underground.