I’m so excited about today’s post!  If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed that I’ve been on a fun vacation over the past few days.  What makes this even more exciting is that I’ve teamed up with my friends over at Caribou Coffee to bring you a look into my 12-hour adventure.  (Okay, we actually had about FOUR 12-hour adventures over the past week, but believe me, Caribou Coffee was along for the ride each time.

My family and I packed up the car for a road trip from our home near Kansas City to Minneapolis for a quick family vacation before the girls head back to school.  My husband and I have been to the area a number of times, but this was the first time for the girls.  Minneapolis is a great town – beautiful, clean, great weather and a LOT to do for the whole family!

After checking into our hotel, we immediately took a walk down the block and visited the Caribou Coffee next door.  Believe it or not, Caribou Coffee was the first coffee shop I ever visited, many years ago.  I started with a Vanilla Cooler (I remember it like it was yesterday!) but have since worked my way through their awesome menu.  This trip was all about the Crafted Press.  I’m obsessed.

An early-August vacation in the Midwest definitely calls for cold coffee drinks, and their new Crafted Press is just perfect for an all-day adventure.  The cold-steeped coffee is energizing and the touch of sweetness is refreshing – really, it’s like it was made to fuel a family vacation!  You can see the contents of my #12hradventure travel bag above:  my camera, a journal, my tablet, snacks, sunglasses, flippies, money, chapstick, my hotel key, Walker Museum pass, and of course, my large Crafted Press from Caribou Coffee!

Our 12-hour adventure took us all over the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.  We visited Stillwater, Minnesota first – exploring their darling shops, restaurants and took in the riverfront, small-town atmosphere.  My Caramel Crafted Press kept me going, which was just what I needed to get my kids in and out of toy stores, candy stores and fudge shops, and into the stores I wanted to visit – antique bookstores, cooking shops and vintage storefronts.

Next stop was a trip across the St. Croix river and into Wisconsin for some fried cheese curds and beautiful scenery.  Then, a trip to Minnehaha Falls to see the gorgeous  waterfall and surrounding park.  (This is precisely the point where we visited another Caribou Coffee for a refill – Vanilla Crafted Press this time!)

Our adventures took us to Valley Fair and Soak City, the amusement and water park in town, as well as the Science Museum and the Walker Museum and Sculpture Garden.  The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory were next, as well as a trip to the Mall of America for the girls (insert Crafted Press #3 here – Chocolate!)

Everything about our trip was fantastic.  While I’m typically a beach-vacationer, I love exploring new cities, the drive to get there, staying in big fancy hotels right in the heart of the city – eating new food, shopping in new shops…and exposing my kids to everything along the way.  We had a lovely breakfast (Crafted Press #4 – White Chocolate!) in the Loring Greenway behind our hotel one morning, and my kids had a great time chasing squirrels and feeding birds, while my husband and I soaked up some sun with our coffee.

We are home now, and I’m already missing Minnesota – and I’m definitely missing my Crafted Press companions – time to adjust my commute to work so I drive right past a Caribou Coffee!  Who knows what #12houradventure awaits me in my very own city?

I’m wondering, what #12hradventure inspires you?  What would you do with your 12 hours?  I’m already planning my next one!

If you’d like to try Crafted Press, you can fill out this survey and receive one complimentary medium beverage!  And, you can sign up for Caribou Perks from their mobile app.

Hope you enjoyed this look into our #12hradventure.  Thanks for reading!

Erin

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Caribou Coffee.