(no subject)
Okay, as I already stated the bluffs here in Western Wisconsin/East Minnesota are absolutely beautiful. These small green mountains teeming with trees with small rock outcroppings are one of my new favorite landscape features.
So, on Saturday we drove for six and a half hours to get to our hotel in Winona, MN. After we arrived the younger siblings and Mom and Dad went to the pool. Me and my sister stayed in the hotel room because swimming didn't sound like a great idea. I started reading Deathnote, but only got through 2 chapters.
Sunday, we got up and went to mass (oh goody) and came back to the hotel to pick up my sister's stuff to take her to La Crosse, WI for a Microbiology camp at the University. We went to lunch, got her checked in, and got a quick tour of the campus. Our mom stayed for the program dinner while the rest went to a drive-in to eat (I love drive-ins). We then picked up Mom and headed back to the hotel where the kids once again went swimming.
Monday, we got up and went to La Crosse to see a huge steamboat that was going to be docked for a few hours. It was massive and awesome. Afterwards we proceeded to some Guadalupe Shrine where they were beginning a week-long celebration to celebrate the unveiling of the new shrine building on Thursday. Because we arrived too late for the mass (much to my relief) being held before the unveiling of a statue in front of the church on the hill we were offered the opportunity to just travel up the path (about a half a mile) to see all of the religious elements, and then to return and buy food and drinks from there little cafe and to browse their gift shop... Now, it was excessively hot and humid that day which put a huge damper on my mood and progressively worsened as we climbed. First along the path was some "votive candle shrine" where you could pay money to have a candle lit for whom you are praying for for either a week, a month, or a year subscription... The only thing that I cared for was the fact that this tiny building had the AC set to like 55 degrees. Next was a tarp covered statue to be unveiled on Tuesday. Then a small decorative waterfall with a statue of Joseph. And then there was a large church next to a brand new house (for the Arch-bishop in residence). The church was locked until it is to be unveiled on Thursday. We thought that was all, until we trekked up another path and there was a path with stations of the cross (basically The Passion of the Christ [eww Mel Gibson reference] for any non-Christians)... Also there was a "Rosary walk" with all of the "mysteries" to which a rosary is prayed. My mom whipped out her rosary and wanted us to pray some weird prayer. I however decided to sit in some shade on the side of the hill facing away. When we finally headed back down we reached the church and the mass from the pilgrim center below had traveled up to the front of the church where another statue was being unveiled. Of course we stopped for that... When that was finished we continued on down the hill to the pilgrim center for some free water and AC. While my mom browsed the gift shop, some weird lady sat next to me and was asking me questions. I never alluded to the fact that I even cared about being there, or even that I am non-practicing/agnostic. When we finally left we stopped at Culvers. Afterwards we drove up to the top of Grandad Bluff overlooking the city of La Crosse, which was pretty awesome. On our way back to the hotel we stopped by a Lock and Dam. Unfortunately there weren't any ships going through, but it was pretty cool to see up close. When we got back to the hotel the kids went swimming again.
Tuesday we slept in. We then went to a Go Kart place for a few rounds of racing. The kids had wanted to go swimming at a beach, but when we arrived at one we had seen earlier we found out it was closed. Some lady there said that usually it is closed due to sewage, but that no one was there to stop them when they came so they went swimming anyways... EWWW! We left and went back to the hotel where I joined in with the kids' swimming. The chlorine ruined a pair of my contacts and made my eyes all nast for the rest of the day.
Today we are going to a luncheon for our sister's program and to see the presentation for their research. After that we plan on going back to the Drive-in so our mom and sister can try it out too.
So, on Saturday we drove for six and a half hours to get to our hotel in Winona, MN. After we arrived the younger siblings and Mom and Dad went to the pool. Me and my sister stayed in the hotel room because swimming didn't sound like a great idea. I started reading Deathnote, but only got through 2 chapters.
Sunday, we got up and went to mass (oh goody) and came back to the hotel to pick up my sister's stuff to take her to La Crosse, WI for a Microbiology camp at the University. We went to lunch, got her checked in, and got a quick tour of the campus. Our mom stayed for the program dinner while the rest went to a drive-in to eat (I love drive-ins). We then picked up Mom and headed back to the hotel where the kids once again went swimming.
Monday, we got up and went to La Crosse to see a huge steamboat that was going to be docked for a few hours. It was massive and awesome. Afterwards we proceeded to some Guadalupe Shrine where they were beginning a week-long celebration to celebrate the unveiling of the new shrine building on Thursday. Because we arrived too late for the mass (much to my relief) being held before the unveiling of a statue in front of the church on the hill we were offered the opportunity to just travel up the path (about a half a mile) to see all of the religious elements, and then to return and buy food and drinks from there little cafe and to browse their gift shop... Now, it was excessively hot and humid that day which put a huge damper on my mood and progressively worsened as we climbed. First along the path was some "votive candle shrine" where you could pay money to have a candle lit for whom you are praying for for either a week, a month, or a year subscription... The only thing that I cared for was the fact that this tiny building had the AC set to like 55 degrees. Next was a tarp covered statue to be unveiled on Tuesday. Then a small decorative waterfall with a statue of Joseph. And then there was a large church next to a brand new house (for the Arch-bishop in residence). The church was locked until it is to be unveiled on Thursday. We thought that was all, until we trekked up another path and there was a path with stations of the cross (basically The Passion of the Christ [eww Mel Gibson reference] for any non-Christians)... Also there was a "Rosary walk" with all of the "mysteries" to which a rosary is prayed. My mom whipped out her rosary and wanted us to pray some weird prayer. I however decided to sit in some shade on the side of the hill facing away. When we finally headed back down we reached the church and the mass from the pilgrim center below had traveled up to the front of the church where another statue was being unveiled. Of course we stopped for that... When that was finished we continued on down the hill to the pilgrim center for some free water and AC. While my mom browsed the gift shop, some weird lady sat next to me and was asking me questions. I never alluded to the fact that I even cared about being there, or even that I am non-practicing/agnostic. When we finally left we stopped at Culvers. Afterwards we drove up to the top of Grandad Bluff overlooking the city of La Crosse, which was pretty awesome. On our way back to the hotel we stopped by a Lock and Dam. Unfortunately there weren't any ships going through, but it was pretty cool to see up close. When we got back to the hotel the kids went swimming again.
Tuesday we slept in. We then went to a Go Kart place for a few rounds of racing. The kids had wanted to go swimming at a beach, but when we arrived at one we had seen earlier we found out it was closed. Some lady there said that usually it is closed due to sewage, but that no one was there to stop them when they came so they went swimming anyways... EWWW! We left and went back to the hotel where I joined in with the kids' swimming. The chlorine ruined a pair of my contacts and made my eyes all nast for the rest of the day.
Today we are going to a luncheon for our sister's program and to see the presentation for their research. After that we plan on going back to the Drive-in so our mom and sister can try it out too.