A Rocky Mountain Welcome

The familiar and welcome sight of the Front Range upon arrival.

The Traveler's Limbo at MSP

O-Dark-Thirty at MSP

Cribbage and Clouds Over MSP

 After a rainy and otherwise uneventful drive, we arrived at our hotel near the Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport. 

The final sunset of our Minnesota trip, viewed from our hotel near the airport.

Departure Dinner

The whole crew enjoying a farewell dinner before we all departed.

 All good trips must eventually come to an end, and we marked the occasion with a final family dinner at the Boulder Tap House in Alexandria.

A Roadside Attraction Worth the Stop

Vining, Minnesota: Nyberg Sculpture Park

This friendly visitor seems to be enjoying the local scenery.

 After seeing his panther sculpture in Parkers Prairie, we had to finish the afternoon with a trip to the source: the Nyberg sculpture park in Vining, Minnesota.

The Korkowski Cousins Convene

Our destination for the afternoon: The Old Mill in Urbank.

And now for the main event of our trip: the annual Korkowski Cousins' Luncheon at The Old Mill in Urbank, Minnesota. 

Parkers Panthers Pride

The Parkers Prairie High School panther, a gift from my aunt's graduating class.

A Minnesota Institution: Chet's Lakeside Inn

Do we do anything but eat on these trips?  

My Aunt Jenny and niece Liz, posing with the official greeter.

Pike and Pint Reunion

 After a morning of climbing at Inspiration Peak, we had certainly worked up an appetite. We headed over to the Pike and Pint in Alexandria for a well-deserved lunch. It was a great opportunity to sit down and catch up with my brother, Denis, and my cousin, Shawn. Good food and even better company are what these trips are all about.

Minnesota: Heights to Homestead

The rural landscapes of central Minnesota were on full display.

Sunrise Glow in Alex

 A quiet hotel room and a new window to look out of. There’s a simple pleasure in watching the sun come up in a different town.

The sun peeking over the horizon just after 7:30 this morning.

​ This morning, the sky over Alexandria, Minnesota, put on a vibrant, fiery display, offering a warm and colorful start to a day full of family and reunion.

​Wherever you are today, I hope your morning started with a little bit of color.

Don Bergquist – 10 October 2025 – Alexandria, Minnesota, USA

​A Flicker of Memory

​I have lost any hope of keeping an accurate count of exactly how many flights I have taken over the course of my life.

​Before the Sun, Before the Flight

 ​It's just past six in the morning, and the world outside the windows of the United Club is still wrapped in darkness.

A Calculated Retreat

Leaving the dreary hills outside Rapid City behind.