Finally took that IKEA trek this weekend!

We took a week off from work to concentrate on the kitchen cabinets, but after 6 straight days of staining and topcoating, we contracted cabin fever. So we decided to take a break from the kitchen, and go shopping at the IKEA in Minnesota.

We left a little after 10:00 am on Friday, and got there just in time for dinner. After devouring some of IKEA's famous meatballs, we laid out our strategy. We had already developed a list of items from the catalog and the website, but we needed to see them in person. So, we conducted a hasty search (search and rescue terminology) throughout the showroom that night. We prioritized all the items, and made decisions on color or stain. The next step was to actually buy the items.

IKEA did not open until 10:00 am, so we drove to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and enjoyed some of the views and wildlife on their trails. Unfortunately, the visitor center was closed for some major renovations. So after a really nice hike, we headed out to IKEA.

After buying all the items that made the final cut, we prayed that it would all fit in Junee (the name of my Honda Element). We took out the rear seats prior to our trip, hoping to avoid renting a U-haul trailer. Thanks to LD's excellent packing skills, it all fit, and the dogs still had plenty of room on top of all the new furniture to lounge around. We looked at each other and smiled because of all the extra space we still had. Then.......we did what anybody else in our shoes would do, we went back in for more! Why not? We drove all that way, and we still had some space to fit more items. So we got 4 bar stools and a coffee table to complete the list.

Well, we couldn't leave Minnesota without stopping at Black Dog Lake/Black Dog Park. It is one of the wetland units in the MN Valley NWR. After making our way through a residential neighborhood, we finally came across Black Dog Park. The trail was nice, but we were not sure it would lead us to Black Dog Lake.

It was getting late, so we decided to turn around. It was okay that we didn't make it to the lake because we have to go back anyways. There's so much more we need for the house! Well, we got home at 11:30pm, tired, but safe and sound. The dogs, however, were ready to go on another road trip the next morning! That's easy for them-they didn't drive, they slept the whole way!