🦊 Backroad Notes: Mall of America, Bubba Gump & Toddler Mealtime Adventures 🍤🎢

We decided to take today to check out the famous Mall of America, and let me tell you, this place is practically its own city!

Four levels of shops, restaurants, attractions, and even an entire indoor amusement park called Nickelodeon Universe, complete with roller coasters! You could easily spend days here and still find something you missed.

We walked through all four levels and stopped at a few shops along the way. As tempting as it was to check out the rides, games, and mini golf, we decided to save those experiences for when Bug is a little older and can enjoy them to the fullest. No point rushing it when there’s plenty of time for future family adventures!

After exploring the mall, we headed over to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., the iconic restaurant inspired by Forrest Gump. The place was adorable, with movie memorabilia scattered throughout, making it a fun stop even before the food arrived.

And the food? Delicious!

Bug had some clam chowder and fries, and we attempted to introduce him to fish sticks. Unfortunately, they didn’t look like the narrow little shapes he apparently expected, so he wasn’t interested. 😂

I honestly don’t know when, why, or how this child became such a food critic, but trying to feed him sometimes feels like Anne Sullivan teaching Helen Keller how to eat independently. One minute you’re offering him food, and the next you’re negotiating with a tiny human who seems personally offended by the shape of his dinner!

But that’s toddler life, I suppose. We’ll keep trying new things, keep experimenting, and hopefully figure out what works along the way. We’ve got 18 years to work on this… right? 🤣

All joking aside, I love him just the same. Even when mealtime feels like a full-time job, these are the little moments that make up parenthood. One day, I’m sure I’ll look back and laugh even harder at the food battles.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy one with chores and getting everything ready before we head back for the final festival weekend of our season. We’ve had a nice little break, but there’s still one more weekend of Viking fun ahead!

And before we point the camper toward home, we have one more thing to do…

You’ll have to stay tuned to find out what it is! 🦊

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling. 🧡