Spontaneous Family Trip!
At the end of May, my family and I decided to take a spontaneous trip out to West for my Dad’s birthday. It was just the five of us and our three dogs on the road in one little car traveling across North Dakota to Lake Sakakawea in Riverdale. We had no idea what God had in store for us!
It all began once my Mom got off from work on Friday afternoon. We loaded up the car and off we went. It was a four-hour drive, thankfully we had another beautiful sunset on the plains of North Dakota; but as soon as we arrived, we ran straight for the rolling hills to stretch our legs. Then we ate at The Iron Oar grill and pub at Sunset Lodge. It was a delicious way to end our long day of travel.
The next morning, we rented a pontoon to spend the day adventuring in. All of us and the pups had a rocky start with engine trouble and many waves, but thankfully the birthday boy knew what he was doing. My Dad fixed up the engine and we decided to head to a little island for a quick break and some exploring. On that island we came across fossils, leaf imprints, petrified wood, coal, agates, and I even found this mud that had a texture of clay. I created a rock like structure with that material and then followed my family down the coast. My Dad went further and on top of the cliff he found a bald eagle and its nest along with many geese nests and eggs. It was wonderful to see all that God has created.
After the quick break, we headed over to the marina to double check everything. We ended up getting ice cream too. We brought it on the boat, and we were off again! This time we were ready for some tubing and lunch. (And yes, dessert first because life is too short.) So, we pulled up to the loading dock and were brought cheeseburgers with fries from the grill and pub.
Once the delicious food in our tummies settled a bit, we pulled up along a shoreline to hook up the tube which we grabbed when we got our lunch. Of course, we had to explore a little first, so we once again wandered. This time we found giant boulders that had been eroded to become round on one side and when flipped you could see many rocks with in the one. Eventually, we did go tubing.
We started with all of us kids. With the pontoon we could only do so much, so we began to do tricks. We even made a human pyramid! After a little bit, we decided to take turns in the tube and driving each other. After a little while we needed another break, you can only go in circles for so long.
We all hopped out again. This time along with more stones, we found quicksand! My brother was walking along the sand with us and suddenly sunk to his knees. Next thing you knew, both my brothers and I were thigh deep playing in the muck! You would only sink till you hit a rock and then hop out quick with little movement. We then washed off and tubed some more.
The next stop we found a lean-to and two animal bones. The rocks in this area were great skipping stones. I had a whopping score of 3 while my brother had 27 skips with one stone. After this final stop, my brothers decided to tube once more. I watched while getting as much sun before the day was done. It was very relaxing, until my brother decided to tube with my puppy! Once I saw that she enjoyed it, I laid back down. It was quite an eventful day.
By this time, it was around six in the evening, so we headed back ate and were in bed by nine. We had a wonderful day on the water and were exhausted by the heat of the day. The next morning, we woke up and headed back on the road. On the way back this time we saw the Garrison Dam with hydroelectric cylinders and a field of windmills. These both power our entire state! When we reached Bismarck, we drove by the capital buildings and stopped to read about the woman who had the greatest impact on North Dakota, Sakakawea. This brought our adventures to an end.
Learning more about each little piece in God’s creation of North Dakota was an opportunity is something I will never forget. I was able to grow with my family, my state, and my God. I have never been prouder to be a part of this state. We may go through hard times, but we are North Dakota strong.
Once we made it back to Fargo and cell service, I was able to see all that had happened over the weekend. My heart is deeply saddened and with the families of George Floyd and Officer Cody Holte. Our country is divided, but both of these deaths have impacted everyone. Change in America has always been brought without peace, but that doesn’t mean we can’t remember to have peace when in difficult situations. I encourage you to read Galatians 5 and stand up for the lives of those around you. God promises us a greater end because it is with Him. Stay strong and remember to reach out!
Finding the Gold,
Stella Kaster your Miss Teen North Dakota International 2020
It all began once my Mom got off from work on Friday afternoon. We loaded up the car and off we went. It was a four-hour drive, thankfully we had another beautiful sunset on the plains of North Dakota; but as soon as we arrived, we ran straight for the rolling hills to stretch our legs. Then we ate at The Iron Oar grill and pub at Sunset Lodge. It was a delicious way to end our long day of travel.
The next morning, we rented a pontoon to spend the day adventuring in. All of us and the pups had a rocky start with engine trouble and many waves, but thankfully the birthday boy knew what he was doing. My Dad fixed up the engine and we decided to head to a little island for a quick break and some exploring. On that island we came across fossils, leaf imprints, petrified wood, coal, agates, and I even found this mud that had a texture of clay. I created a rock like structure with that material and then followed my family down the coast. My Dad went further and on top of the cliff he found a bald eagle and its nest along with many geese nests and eggs. It was wonderful to see all that God has created.
After the quick break, we headed over to the marina to double check everything. We ended up getting ice cream too. We brought it on the boat, and we were off again! This time we were ready for some tubing and lunch. (And yes, dessert first because life is too short.) So, we pulled up to the loading dock and were brought cheeseburgers with fries from the grill and pub.
Once the delicious food in our tummies settled a bit, we pulled up along a shoreline to hook up the tube which we grabbed when we got our lunch. Of course, we had to explore a little first, so we once again wandered. This time we found giant boulders that had been eroded to become round on one side and when flipped you could see many rocks with in the one. Eventually, we did go tubing.
We started with all of us kids. With the pontoon we could only do so much, so we began to do tricks. We even made a human pyramid! After a little bit, we decided to take turns in the tube and driving each other. After a little while we needed another break, you can only go in circles for so long.
We all hopped out again. This time along with more stones, we found quicksand! My brother was walking along the sand with us and suddenly sunk to his knees. Next thing you knew, both my brothers and I were thigh deep playing in the muck! You would only sink till you hit a rock and then hop out quick with little movement. We then washed off and tubed some more.
The next stop we found a lean-to and two animal bones. The rocks in this area were great skipping stones. I had a whopping score of 3 while my brother had 27 skips with one stone. After this final stop, my brothers decided to tube once more. I watched while getting as much sun before the day was done. It was very relaxing, until my brother decided to tube with my puppy! Once I saw that she enjoyed it, I laid back down. It was quite an eventful day.
By this time, it was around six in the evening, so we headed back ate and were in bed by nine. We had a wonderful day on the water and were exhausted by the heat of the day. The next morning, we woke up and headed back on the road. On the way back this time we saw the Garrison Dam with hydroelectric cylinders and a field of windmills. These both power our entire state! When we reached Bismarck, we drove by the capital buildings and stopped to read about the woman who had the greatest impact on North Dakota, Sakakawea. This brought our adventures to an end.
Learning more about each little piece in God’s creation of North Dakota was an opportunity is something I will never forget. I was able to grow with my family, my state, and my God. I have never been prouder to be a part of this state. We may go through hard times, but we are North Dakota strong.
Once we made it back to Fargo and cell service, I was able to see all that had happened over the weekend. My heart is deeply saddened and with the families of George Floyd and Officer Cody Holte. Our country is divided, but both of these deaths have impacted everyone. Change in America has always been brought without peace, but that doesn’t mean we can’t remember to have peace when in difficult situations. I encourage you to read Galatians 5 and stand up for the lives of those around you. God promises us a greater end because it is with Him. Stay strong and remember to reach out!
Finding the Gold,
Stella Kaster your Miss Teen North Dakota International 2020
