2018 Minnesota Field Trip For Grownups
Six totally different people joined together for a common purpose: an English full-immersion experience in Minnesota-USA.
It didn’t take very long before they became a coterie of bold learners! They experienced several outdoor recreations, cultural outings and environmental activities through experiential learning.
The program received a score of 8.9, and was described as wonderful, fantastic, transforming, productive, exciting and unforgettable!
Day 1
Our program started at the Airport of Guarulhos on Friday, April 27. We left Brazil late in the evening.
Day 2
Saturday, April 28
After a long trip, we finally got to Minneapolis on Saturday early afternoon. We got some rest at the hotel and then went out for dinner. The participants and my assistant Tales had the opportunity to meet my American sister Greta, my American brother Rob and his wife Roberta. We had a pretty good time at Psycho Suzi. After that, Rob came up with the idea to ride the ferris wheel. Terrific !
Greta, Dee, Rob and Tales
Luciana, Simone, Kelly, Claudia, Mauro and Enrico
Simone and Greta
Greta, Dee, Rob and Tales
Day 3
Sunday, April 29
We had one of our best activities in the morning - the Segway History Tour. We felt a little uncomfortable in the beginning, but after some instructions and training we got confident and took off. Our guide Chris made a few stops at the most important landmarks in town and gave us a nice talk each time. It was an amazing experience !
In the evening we had a guided tour at Surly Brewery and then enjoyed ourselves at their taproom.
Kelly
Day 4
Monday, April 30
We started our day with an amazing guided tour in the US Bank Stadium. It first opened in 2016 and it has interesting technology, from its huge doors to its glass ceiling. it’s hosted the Super Bowl, ESPN X Games, Monster Jam, concerts and other important events in town. We were impressed !
After that we took the train to the Mall of America. We spent the rest of our day and evening in the biggest mall of the USA.
Shop till you drop !
Impressive architecture
Brian and Greta joined us for dinner at Bubba Gump in the Mall of America
Day 5
Tuesday, May 1
We woke up a little earlier than usual so we could squeeze one more tour in our itinerary, the Minnehaha Park. It was worth it, though. That’s where we had our best program picture! After that, we looked around Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. And before the evening came, we had a great tour in the Mill City Museum. Finally, we had a wonderful dinner at Bucca di Beppo restaurant to celebrate our last evening in the Twin Cities before we headed to North Woods.
Grim landscape
Dinner at Buca di Beppo - Authentic Italian Cuisine!
Grim landscape
Day 6
Wednesday, May 2
Time to head to Sandstone ! We took the freeway I35E and after a 2-hour drive we got to the Audubon Center of the North Woods where we spent two nights. We stayed in a private lodge and as soon as we got settled we left for a hike. Grindstone Lake was still partly frozen so our Canoeing class had to be called off. We got a little disappointed but found a way to enjoy ourselves hiking in the woods. In the evening, we had one of our best moments of the program - dinner at my American mom’s place, Elsie Lundorff. Besides us, she invited some relatives and friends. It was a lovely evening ! We could all relax and chat in a very comfortable environment. Elsie was very kind to have us over. She even had a birthday cake and candles to celebrate my birthday !
Schwyzer Lodge - our home for 2 nights
Day 7
Thursday, May 3
Time to head north to look around Duluth and Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. When we got there, first we visited the Enger Park and Tower. Then we strolled around the Port of Duluth-Superior. After lunch we visited the Aquarium. We had a great time there, but our best moment of the program was yet to come, the sunset at Grindstone Lake, followed by marshmallows on bonfire. Gosh ! That was fun !!!
Let’s head north !
Marshmallows on bonfire are so tasty !
Let’s head north !
Day 8
Friday, May 4
Our last day in Minnesota … and our busiest day ! We started with an Orienteering & Navigation class with Kelly in North Woods. She taught us how to use a compass, we practiced a little and then she split us up in 3 teams for a challenge in the woods. Claudia, Simone and Luciana could accomplish the task first - attagirls !!! After that we headed back to the Twin Cities, checked in at Hyatt Place Hotel and went out to enjoy the nightlife in Minneapolis. We strolled through downtown, had dinner at Kieran’s Irish Pub and then had good laughters watching Age Against the Machine at the Brave New Workshop Comedy Theater.
Orienteering & Navigation class
Learning how to use the compass
Orienteering & Navigation class
Day 9
Saturday, May 5
We all woke up with the feeling that we should stay longer. The participants realized their English had been improving consistently and it would be perfect if they could spend some more time in Minnesota. Well, that wasn’t possible so we checked out of the hotel, went to the airport and took our flight from Minneapolis to Orlando. When we got there, we worked on our Program Debriefing and Personal Goals Report before having dinner. Our flight back to Brazil took off late at night and we landed in São Paulo at 8:00 AM. Our language Edventure with new friends was over!
The Coterie of Bold Learners
