2026 OneThing #9 - Blog about Costa Rica

We went to Costa Rica with Brad and Amy Gustafson in April 2023. It was fabulous! I kept a journal while we were there, but I also had a little pile of maps, wrappers, and miscellaneous stuff that I kept intending to deal with. So even though it certainly isn't time-sensitive, I decided to set it as my OneThing and finally do it! We had Brad and Amy over yesterday (Saturday, March 7) but it wasn't completely done then for me to share with them. Here I am, on Sunday, March 8th, 2026, ready to wrap this up and move on.

 

My only "regret" from the trip is that I didn't go on a coffee plantation tour. None of the others were interested, so it will remain on a "Someday" list for me. I did thoroughly enjoy the coffee, though! Every single day. I have finally thrown away the bag from the beans we brought home. (Since then, Brad has given us another bag of Costa Rican coffee beans!)

 

I have pictures of all four sides of this bag in my Vacation / Costa Rica file. I have hundreds of pictures in there!

 

 

Only one part of a story from my journal (I'm so glad I wrote each day!):

Monday, 4/24/2023

 

We were trying to figure out where to go to get a boat tour. Our map isn't very detailed. Thankfully, Amy knows more Spanish than the rest of us and we were on our way. As we drove, a guy on a motorcycle pulled out in front of us! Later, he pulled off (to see a horse, I thought), and we passed him. Later, he passed us and waved us to follow. There was a big building with lots of tour buses and vans, but the guy kept driving and we kept following. I was confident we could have gotten boat tour tickets there, but I wasn't in charge. (Thankfully!)

We were laughing so hard at the notion we were following a complete stranger into a National Reserve . . . but then we saw the parking area, bathrooms, and pier into the river with boats!

Oh! We were at Villas Sol Resort in Guanacaste, and we did two days of the "all inclusive" option. If you tell me I can eat and drink as much as I like . . . oh my goodness! Did I ever indulge.

 

 

From my notes:

Fly in to Liberia

Resort is Villas Sol in Guanacaste

An overnight in Monteverde (pic at left)

Jenifer stayed at Dreams Las Mareas earlier in April 2023! (further north on the west coast from us)

We flew down from MSP to Houston (IAH) on flight #UA2345, then IAH to Liberia (LIR) on #UA1737.

Our return trip was #UA1516 from LIR to IAH and #UA1491 from IAH to MSP.

Brad booked the flights for all of us!

 

Videos:

Shuttle Bus Trip Top to Bottom (7:03)

Shuttle Bus Trip to Restaurant, Beach, and Front Desk (5:48)

Shuttle Bus Trip from Front Desk to Our Villa (2:00)

Random Monkey Video (:17)

 

I'm realizing that there is so much more I could include here (stories, photos, memories, etc.) But this is enough. I have my file folder with maps, a postcard I sent to myself, a Costa Rica wildlife guide, etc. And I have my journal, filled with stories and memories. One more photo here (because I do love photos) and then I'm calling this done. 

Vacation 1997 - South Dakota

More decluttering. I can't believe I saved these! We had such an amazing trip, but I have photographs and my journal. This was the first time Louie and I took a TWO week vacation. We had all three boys plus Jude Hines. Nick brought his "white kitty" Beanie Baby. We joked that by the end of the trip, it was a grey kitty. Good times, good memories. These are just a few of the places we went to - not sure why I don't have brochures for Mount Rushmore, the weird "magnetic" house on a slant, the hydropower plant, etc.

We especially enjoyed the cave tours - very cool! And seeing Devil's Tower. We watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind at night in a nearby campground. What a good time!

(Added 7.17.2020)
I put the brochures in the bathroom to read before recycling. It's been fun! The science geek in me loves reading about the caves, the trees, etc. On the map of Wind Cave National Park I had written "north of Custer-Needles Hwy (87) - Sylvan Lake!" So of course I had to look up Sylvan Lake online. I really should check my journal - I probably wrote about why I enjoyed it so much. Here's the link to the lake which upon reading, perhaps I was excited that it is part of the National Treasure 2 movie . . . I really liked those movies.  

Vacation 1999 Memories

While doing some more decluttering of my house, I was able to recycle lots of pamphlets and miscellaneous papers from a trip we took to the West Coast in 1999 with all five of us and Louie's mom and dad. I didn't realize I had saved *all* the handouts . . . and still have photos, memories, journal entries, etc. to revisit that trip. However, in with all the "junk mail" of the trip were some pieces of paper.

There's a LOT of driving involved in going from Minnesota to California and back. We read books, played car games, and found other ways to entertain ourselves. But we played one game that I wanted to record here (from those random pieces of paper). Someone would suggest a theme and then we cast each person in the car into a role. Some of these I don't remember / understand, but most of them I do! Just putting this here for posterity and giggles. I've typed the info as it was hand-written on the sheets of paper (which are now in the recycle bin).

Seven Dwarves
Doc - Grandma Betty
Sleepy - Grandpa Lou
Sneezy - Morgan
Bashful - Louie
Dopey - Nick
Grumpy - Jeanne
Happy - Alex

Toy Story
Little Bo Peep - Jeanne
R.C. - Alex
Buzz Lightyear - Grandma
Rex - Morgan
Woody - Louie
Slink - Nick
Mr. Potato Head - Grandpa

??? (A video game? I should ask the boys)
Flik - Morgan
Old Queen - Grandma
Praying Mantis - Alex
Gypsy Moth - Jeanne
Potato Bug - Nick
Dim - Grandpa
Ladybug - Louie

Star Wars (I don't remember which one this is from. . . .)
Anakin - Nick
Obi Wan - Alex
Qui Gon Jinn - Louie
Jar Jar Binks - Morgan
Queen Amidala - Grandma
Padme - Jeanne
Mace Windu - Grandpa

Star Wars: A New Hope
Luke - Morgan
Han - Louie
Leia - Jeanne
Chewie - Alex
R2D2 - Nick
Obi Wan - Grandpa
C3PO - Grandma

Alice In Wonderland
White Rabbit - Nick
Alice - Grandma
Queen of Hearts - Jeanne
Cheshire Cat - Alex
Tortoise - Grandpa
Mad Hatter - Morgan
King of Hearts - Louie

Candy Bars
Snickers - Nick
Crunch - Morgan
100 Grand - Jeanne
Twix - Alex
Reese's PB Cups - Louie
3 Musketeers (soft middle) - Grandpa
Dove bar - Grandma

Beanie Babies
Radar - Nick
Princess Dye - Grandma
Hiss - Alex
Nanook - Morgan
Flip - Jeanne
Canyon - Louie
Legs - Grandpa

I remember the laughing and discussing, but not the details of how these titles came to be . . . though now I want to Google the Beanies to see what they are. Fun times!