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The 11th grade Girl Scouts had some money in their account after working on cookie sales and other fundraisers, so they decided to use the money to go to Chicago - just for fun. Holly Bennett, Maureen Flanders, Cahlean Klenke, Sami Tierney, Nicole Utsch, and Trisha Wendlandt - along with chaperones Deb Bennett and Jane Lietzman - spent three days in the Windy City.

While in Chicago, the girls visited attractions (some favorites were the Hancock Observatory and the Art Institute of Chicago), made sure every restaurant they ate at had a fun theme, and even made a game out of taking a different mode of transportation every time they went somewhere.

Pictured above are Maureen Flanders, Trisha Wentlandt, Holly Bennett, Sami Tierney, Cahlean Klenke and Nicole Utsch at the hard Rock Cafe in Chicago.

The day after they returned from Chicago, the girls met up with 10 other Girl Scouts from Paynesville for a trip to St. Croix State Park, where they hiked, swam, and tubed in the river. They also toured a historic trading post and went to a historic Swedish homestead.

Accompanying the girls on the camping trip was a Japanese exchange student. The trip, according to Tierney, was a great opportunity for the scouts to get to know their new friend, Ramey, and a great way for her to learn about Minnesota's history.