MINNESOTA BABY: North Shore: Our first baby-free weekend.

The view from the lighthouse on the way to Grand Marais

This past weekend, AJ and I got to get away for an entire weekend, and head up to the North Shore, leaving the baby boo with Grammy Pammy (AJ's mom). We had so much fun, but of course, we missed Linna a lot! I was on the fence as to whether or not we'd bring her along on this trip, but once we got there we realized we made the right decision by leaving Linna at home with grandma. AJ and I needed a weekend to share as a couple, and we did just that! Plus, it was so cold at all the stops we made along the shore.

AJ on the shore, near some type of ship thingy.

We left early Friday morning and headed up north. We stopped in Duluth to walk around, and ended up in the casino and Fitgers (delicious restaurant). AJ and I said we'd only gamble $10 each. I lost my $10, borrowed one of his dollars, won 100 pennies, then lost it all:( That's right, they have penny slots in Duluth. AJ lost $5, but decided to keep his other $5. We are obviously high rollers;) We left the casino smelling like cigs, and may have picked up a disease or two. I'm sorry Duluth, but your casino is so gross! We had fun though.

On a pier on the way to Lutsen. So cold!

We then checked into our lodge at Lutsen Mountains. It's a ski in/out resort that we shared with two other couples, and three other couples (and one single) shared the cabin next door. This is the second time we've gone on the Lutsen trip, and it is a blast! This year, it was our friend Adam Segar's 30th birthday, so we went out to dinner and the bar on Saturday night. I haven't been out dancing at a bar since Linna was born, so of course, I lived it up and shook my booty all night long!

AJ lunging on a rock. It's what he does.

I'm not a skier, so AJ and I decided not to downhill ski or snowboard, and drive to Grand Marais instead. I am in LOVE with that little town! It is so quaint and peaceful. All of the little shops and places to eat are unlike anywhere else in Minnesota. We stopped for pizza at Sven & Ole's. AMAZING! We ordered a sausage and pineapple pizza and it was perfection. The pizza at Sven & Ole's is by far the best pizza AJ and I have ever eaten... and we've eaten a lot of pizza! The crust is thin and crispy, it's loaded with stretchy mozzarella cheese, and it's baked to perfection. I may or may not have dreamed about it over the weekend:-/ We also stopped at the Trading post to pick up Linna a little gift, a book shop, and of course we checked out the shore line. We wanted to stop at The Angry Trout and The Donut Shop, but they were closed. I guess Grand Marais is more of a summer destination (according to my hubby). We also brought our cross country skis, but we were so busy we didn't get to use them! Plus, there wasn't a whole lot of snow.

Both AJ and I are in love with the North Shore and hope to own a cabin up north some day. The views are breathtaking, and it's just so peaceful and relaxing! This trip was much needed by both of us, and even though it was nice to get away for a weekend, we're so happy to be home with our little love bug! Thanks again Grammy Pammy for watching Baby Linna for us! CLICK HERE to see all the photos from our trip.