He said they took the trip in part to force themselves 'out of the comfort zone'' and experience new things. He said he remains committed to starting the job, but said he knows that he will be thinking and planning another trip like this one.

Monson graduated just before the start of the trip, and begins a new job in September. They need to be back so that Folkedahl can start classes at the end of the month in St. If not, Monson said they may rent a moving truck on their own and bring it home. If things work out as hoped, they will be bringing a semi-truck to pick up the watercraft in New Orleans and haul the trio back to the Midwest. A group of young men they met earlier in the trip from Prairie du Chien, Wis., are interested in purchasing Sea Monkey to make their own run down the Mississippi River. They have one more big trip ahead of them. He said they were very eager to get to New Orleans and spend a weekend celebrating their journey. Their lifespan can be up to one year and we have had many customer who keep. Occasionally, we have even had customers tell us they have seen them grow to on inch, although this is rare. This creature will end up growing 1/2 to 3/4 inch in length. Monson said the heat has been intense in the lower reaches of the Mississippi, and the cities farther apart. Well, the Sea Monkey, ( Artemia nyos) is a relative of the brine shrimp (Artemia Salina ). Monson said 99 percent of the people they met along the way have been nothing less than 'awesome.'' People have offered supplies and support some have even opened their homes to them. They've taken time off to visit the large cities along the way, but otherwise they spent many of their nights camped on islands or at marinas and other locations along the river. They've also mastered the seamanship needed to ride the big rollers and waves on the river in a square-shaped raft, and work the radio to keep out of the way of the massive barges. Monson said the learning curves were sometimes long, but they've now reached the point where they feel adept at reading river charts and the river to stay afloat and in the navigable channel. They have relied on a gasoline-powered motor to keep them on the move and out of the way of the large barges that ply the river. Plans to use solar panels and an electric motor proved impractical. They added barrels to make it more buoyant and a splash guard to protect against the onslaught of water from the 5- and 6- foot rollers they sometimes ride.

They had to modify the raft once they began making their way down the Big River. They built and tested their 12-foot by 16-foot raft in April on Diamond Lake. The trio spent months looking forward to the adventure, which they launched July 11 in St. 'There's always something to look forward to,'' said Monson of life on the river. Louis, and just enjoying their Huckleberry Finn-like adventure. They've had a great time meeting people along the river, enjoying the sites and activities in cities like Memphis and St. Monson said he and his crew mates, which includes his brother Josh, 25, and friend Matt Folkedahl, 23, all of Willmar, were excited about reaching their goal but also not ready to see their adventure ended. 'Excited, but also a little disappointed,'' said Ben Monson, 23, who organized the trip, when reached by telephone Thursday as they motored about 30 miles upstream of Baton Rouge, La. Born with 1 eye like a cyclops these fairies eventually will grow 2 more for a total of 3.WILLMAR - The crew of the Sea Monkey was expecting to reach New Orleans this morning and complete their 2,000-miles-plus, 35-day trip down the Mississippi River in a homemade raft.For over 45 years these creatures have been sold but they have been around for millions.Big Time Toys in partnership with Schylling Distribute these sea monkeys.That means you can revive them with a little purified water and the artemia babies hatch in 1 day. A stunning fact is the eggs from Sea Monkeys can last for years in a dried out suspended state.Artemia Nyos by Transcience is actually the breed of animal these aquatic sea animals are.Can you imagine every breath you took you had to smell your feet? Not me I will stick with breathing through my nose. These creatures actually breathe through their feet.Here are some interesting facts that most people do not know about the lives of Sea Monkeys. Other great models are the Instant life, Instant Pet, Zooquarium and Ocean Zoo. Boys and girls both love this as it puts a twist on the whole educational experience. My favorite is the glow in the dark one called the Magiquarium model 67420. Remember these are live creatures so treat them with care and you will be happy and they will provide you valuable insight to aquatic life. All kits come with the eggs needed to breed the seamonkey, food to keep your critters happy and a feeding spoon. The Schylling Sea Monkey makes a great pet as you do not need to do the daily chores associated with standard household pets like dogs or cats.

Big seamonkey