April 11, 2025 - Back to Minnesota (Our Final Blog)

Knowing that we had a LONG road trip ahead of us, I tried to find a place to store the boat and fly home, but it is really expensive since we need to store it for 10 months.  It would be about $5,000 (storage in Lake City is much, much cheaper).  So, we drive.

We also decided that we will not bring the fishing poles, and we will use or other bikes at home (not our racing bikes) and make sure to buy the chain protector that everyone has told us about (so they won't get as rusty while we are on the boat, and they are getting splashed on with salt water).  As you might recall, the chain on my old bike was so rusty that it broke off earlier this year and at the last marina Kip's bike was frozen and wouldn't even move (we left it in Georgia).  We also think a stand paddle board would be nice to have, so we will add that to our list for next year's trip.  

We arrived back to Elk River in two days.  We took turns driving, but it is a grueling trip (12+ hour a day).  Why the rush, you might ask.  Once Kip gets in the truck, he doesn't like to stop.  When we got home, we were both exhausted.  It is nice to be home, but it is overwhelming at first because of all of the things we need to do to put our life back together here.  

One of the tires on the trailer went flat.  We have a spare, but we don't have the tools to take it off or put a new one on.  Love's gas station came to the rescue again!  One of the mechanics let us use his personal tools to fix it.  

This is the biggest cross I've ever seen alongside a road.

Had to take pictures of the wind farms for Mary - she works in the wind farm department at her job.

We got home and looked out the window to our welcoming committee!  We love the deer that go through our yard on a regular basis.  We spent a couple of days unloading the boat, organizing, doing laundry, etc.  We also noticed that our ash trees alongside the driveway are diseased and will need to be cut down.  Bummer.  We also have plans to spend time with the kids/grandkids soon, which is always fun.

Boating is not for the faint of heart!  There are many challenges (especially when the season is windy, rainy, cold, etc.).  Each situation has to be resolved, decisions need to be made that aren't always fun, there are lots of tasks that are not as easy as it is at home (getting to the grocery store, refilling medicine, using the normal "comforts of home" when anchored out, cooking when the breakers can't handle more than one thing plugged in at the same time), well....  you get the idea.

Even with all of that - we still are in awe of the places we have seen, the people we have met / visited, the adventures we have been on, the quiet times reading, walking the docks, and enjoying the beautiful world that God has created.  It is worth the effort.

See you next January!