Day 8 and it is time to go home.  We have really enjoyed our escape from Nevada and hope to come back another day (but not likely in the winter).  My family and I did have the opportunity to check something off of our bucket list before leaving MN, we saw an eagle – just hanging out on the top of a tree.

©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4.5 30mm 1/1000th sec

Of course we really aren’t very close to it, but it still was a treat to see.  Didn’t see a single one when we drove across the country and through Yellowstone, but we see one in Hoyt Lakes, MN….

And, as we are also heading out of town there is one sign that I have to laugh at every time we drive by it.  If you have been following along on the blog, you understand that Hoyt Lakes, MN is a pretty small town.  But at some point someone felt it was necessary for this sign.

©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 21mm 1/250th sec

Funny.  I have not once seen this area congested in the way city folk understand congested to mean.

Our time has been relaxing and full of adventure at the same time.  I had truly been relaxing, and all was well ….until we got to the Duluth airport.  This is the smallest airport I have ever seen in my life, it only has 4 gates and only recently went up to 4 gates because Allegiant Airlines expanded the gates by one.  The TSA here take their job very seriously.  Both of my kids and my carry ons were pulled out of the security line after x-ray for manual searches – which resulted in my camera equipment being pulled out and meticulously reviewed.  I have a Pod ‘bean’ bag with a tripod mount on it (beans are small plastic pellets) which lost a lot of beans on the floor as it was being inspected.  In the end, my stuff (and my son’s) was scanned by xray three times after the manual inspection.  This caused a HUGE backup at security (because there are only three TSA folks working – one to xray and two to manually search items).  Frustrating.

I don’t know that I can go through that again…when we come back I think we will just fly into Minneapolis and rent a car.  Happy to be headed home from Gate 1.

©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 6mm 1/400th sec