This past weekend I took my first trip to Minnesota—I know, I know, it should have been sooner. A friend’s family has a cabin on West Silent Lake near Dent so on Thursday afternoon we piled in the car and headed north for a long weekend.

While we spent most of our time lounging around the dock, getting overly competitive about boardgames and trying our hand—literally—at catching fish, we also ventured out for ice cream (priorities). The group’s seasoned veterans had prepared me for the adventure that is duCharmes—part ice cream shop, part general store, part gift emporium and part insurance agency (but really). Pierre, duCharmes’ proprietor, gave us some time to poke around and served me up a heaping helping of raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream—his best seller.

All in all, not a bad first trip up north. Tune in tomorrow when I share latest “World’s Largest” adventure!