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Weddings have dictated our summer travel plans this year: my nephew in Petaluma, Calif., tied the knot in May, and my husband's niece in Willmar, Minn. will do so this weekend. Both are joyous occasions and we're happy for the opportunity to get together with family. And both California and Minnesota are beautiful states. California wins for its mountains and beaches, but Minnesota has by far the most gorgeous fields of corn and soybeans, not to mention all the picturesque silos and farm equipment.

But these visits have precluded travel to more exotic locations — "exotic" being mainly someplace you've never been. I know that some people would say that "exotic" means that the people there talk funny and eat peculiar foods, or have strange cults. However, as you know from the movie "Fargo," Minnesotans do talk funny. And if you've never eaten lutefisk or ostkaka, well, you don't know what exotic food is. As for California, it is the home of more weird cults than you can shake a stick at, such as Rolfing, Synanon, primal scream therapy, Heaven's Gate, Scientology — and that's just the short list.

But as lovely as these two states are, and as exotic as they may seem to others, they are no longer so exotic for us, since we grew up there. Thus, we have to count on our friends to do the exotic travel and take lots of pictures, so that we can vicariously enjoy the experience.

We have acquaintances who have in the last couple of years visited Greece and Turkey, the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, and Thailand. We have ooh-ed and ahh-ed over their photos of riding donkeys on a stone-paved path up a steep hill to a small hotel overlooking the bright blue Mediterranean.

We have exclaimed over the pictures of labyrinthine bazaars overflowing with colorful foods and garments at dirt-cheap prices. We have marveled over the shots of giant iguanas sunning on the volcanic rocks of Darwin's famous islands and of ancient Incan ruins hidden among high green peaks of the Andes.

And all that exotic "travel" has cost us nothing but the price of a dinner to entertain our globe-trotting friends. Furthermore, our enthusiasm for all their thousands of photos definitely endears us to them.

Nevertheless, I'm hoping for the day when I myself can visit all those remarkable places. Maybe some niece or nephew (or son or daughter) will decide to get married someplace exotic, and I'll have a good excuse to go.

Carroll Baldwin Hall restoration project welcomes volunteers

Here in beautiful, exotic downtown Savage, we have our very own picturesque historical site: the Carroll Baldwin Hall. On Saturday, a crew of residents will be continuing work to repair the windows so they will pivot properly and open for ventilation. We will also polish the window hardware and remove staples, nails and screws from the walls, windows, doors and trims. The crew will start at 8 a.m., but feel free to stop by at any time to help for an hour or the whole day. There will be plenty of projects for any skill level. Little by little, we will restore the Hall to its former glory. Call Brian Clifford, president of the Carroll Baldwin Memorial Institute, at 301-362-1367 with any questions.