Goofy Goat Farm Adventure Day

This spot makes it on our summer bucket list every year. It’s a special experience for both adults and kids! For this year, we added in a few more adventures close by for a wonderful day together. The kids had been wanting to try kayaking, so I found a park close by to explore. At Bray Park and Campground, we were able to rent kayaks for $6/hr. Such a steal compared to most locations in the twin cities! I called a few days prior to finalize our plans and the owner was incredibly kind. He asked me to call prior to driving there, as it is a hike, just to ensure that he would be there to help. On the day we decided to go, it was much cooler than the normal summer day. As a nice bonus, this allowed the lake to be very quiet. Bray park has a nice sand beach with several docks to fish from and a great shelter for a picnic. A new playground is currently being built. For the kayaking experience, I rented two kayaks and we took one kid on each with an adult. Despite the cooler temperature, the water was fairly comfortable. We stuck close to the shore line, due to the wind, and were pleasantly surprised to see a variety of wildlife up close and personal. At one point, a golden eagle flew down in front of us, picked up a fish, and landed on the shore while staring at us about 30 feet away.

After kayaking, we took a quick detour to a favorite ice cream shop of ours in Elysian, Minnesota. It’s called Scoops and not only do they have delicious ice cream, but they also have a plethora of activities for kids to stay busy. In their outdoor seating, they have a little stage with occasional performers, outdoor games, a small playground, and disc golf.

Last stop on this adventure day was to the Goofy Goat Farm. Completely free, this farm provides a fun experience that is different each time. Driving through the country, you will be astonished when you stumble upon this farm. Home to many goats, a few donkeys, and some horses, you can set up a picnic next to their field at the tables or play on the playgrounds. Scraps can be fed to the goats, with the exception of meat. If you desire, you can walk into their field where we have fed, held, pet, and watched the goats up close. It’s open year round and is sure to be a place the whole family never forgets.