Superior North Shore

North of Duluth, MN, along the shore of Lake Superior is a beautiful stretch of clear cool water and rocky wooded shoreline. Looking out onto the lake is just like looking out on the ocean. The weather here is warm, but does not seem to be as humid as Door County or Minneapolis.

There are several nice small towns and lighthouses in this area that was built for shipping iron ore from Minnesota across the Great Lakes. Fishing, boating, sailing and kayaking seem to be excellent, but there appears to be only a few good pleasure boat harbors along this area of rugged shoreline.

Mary and I made our base camp in a town called Two Harbors. There is a great hiking and biking trail that runs between the highway and the shore and through several state parks. We hiked and biked in Gooseberry Falls State Park. The water in the falls and river were oddly warmer than the lake water. We toured the Split Rock Lighthouse and saw one of the “Tall Ships” heading for the Tall Ships festival in Duluth.

The Minnesotans (and Wisconsinites) sure like their pies. We have discovered that there is usually a “world famous” pie shop in most areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin. In Door County it was Sweetie Pies, and at the North Shore it is Betty’s Pies. The Chocolate Pecan at Sweetie Pies was definitely our favorite.

We have also discovered frozen custard. The Culver’s drive in chain has special flavors that change daily. Change is good! We have managed to maintain our weight (Mary has actually lost weight) by long stretches of dieting with small periods of indulgence. It is really kind of fun deciding which treats are “worth splurging for”.

Minnesota is also the land of gigantic statues. Paul Bunyan and Babe the Bull Ox are favorites, but who is this French Trapper without his pants?

So far the Great Lakes area is definitely “superior” to the inland Midwest. We will be continuing in the great lakes along the south shore of Superior in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before heading to the Detroit area to visit a friend of Mary’s who has been on several of Mary’s trips and retreats.

The Reunion

Being back in my hometown of Wayzata, MN, was really a lot of fun. We set up in my parent’s driveway and visited with several of the extended family. My family likes to eat, so we had great homegrown food from the garden and several new restaurant experiences.

I am really impressed with the hiking and biking trails in Minnesota. There are hundreds of miles of options all over the state. The weather was great and Bob and I rode our bikes on the Dakota Trail, a 13 mile long paved path along one edge of Lake Minnetonka. I wish we’d had more time for biking and hiking but there was just too much socializing to do.

We also visited the Hindu Temple of Minnesota with my parents. I wish we had been there at a time when they had a guided tour, but it was still very interesting to watch people visiting the various shrines devoted to the many Hindu deities.

My 40^th High School Reunion was a blast! It actually started on Friday night when a classmate who has a jazz trio was playing in town. Some old friends picked up Bob and me and when we got to the gig, there were about 25 other classmates there. It was a nice intro to what was to come. On Saturday evening we went to the reunion, which was held outside at a private home. I really enjoyed seeing about 100 classmates and was pleasantly surprised to see how good we all look!

Then on Sunday, we attended a brunch at the home of an old friend of mine who I’d lost touch with about 35 years ago. Guess where she has a summer home? In Seattle! I am so looking forward to getting to know her again. I will definitely make a point of getting to the next reunion.

While we were in Minneapolis, we saw this interesting vehicle going down the street. People were sitting at the bar drinking beer and moving the vehicle by peddling. The Peddle Pub! What a crazy idea. Maybe this can be our next business venture.

Door County, WI

Whenever we mentioned going to Wisconsin, people told us to be sure to get to Door County. We planned on staying here for 4 nights, but after only one, we extended our stay for a week.

Door County is at the end of the peninsula known as the “thumb” of Wisconsin, which protrudes into lake Michigan with Green Bay on the westside. It is quite rural with quaint small towns dotting both shorelines. Although the population is small, there are many good restaurants, shops and lodging options. It is also an area that produces tart and sweet cherries, which happen to be in season right now. You can buy anything cherry in Door County.

Bob and I set up at a nice campground in Egg Harbor, on the Green Bay side of the peninsula. It was a lovely spot in the trees, which kept us cool on the sunny warm days. We also encountered an evening of severe storms and we were prepared to run for the office if the tornado siren went off. It didn’t, but we pulled the slides in for the night anyway.

We couldn’t get Wifi at our campsite, so most days we went to various coffee houses for Bob’s latte and to check our email. Wine tasting is also a pastime here that we didn’t miss, but most of the wines are fruit based and sweet. We did find two nice red blends that we liked. Several days we rode our bikes on a ten-mile loop in Peninsula State Park and spent some time at the many small but scenic beaches on the lake. The water is very clear and fairly warm on the bayside (72+), but only about 62 degrees on the open Lake Michigan side of the peninsula.

One evening we took in a performance at an outdoor theater of “Cheeseheads, the Musical”. Bob and I both loved it! It was a really fun play based loosely on a true story about a group of workers in a cheese factory who won the lotto. We also did a few leisure activities together for the first time – bowling and miniature golf.

Door County has a unique meal called the Fish Boil. It starts with a huge caldron on an open fire outside. A wire basket filled with potatoes and onions goes into it, and on top of that another basket with large hunks of local whitefish. When the food is almost done, they throw kerosene on the fire creating a huge flair up and the water boils over the top. The boil show was fun and the fish dinner was great.

Our final night in Egg Harbor, we were treated to a free concert in the park by Loudon Wainwright III. That was a name from the past that we barely remembered, but he was FANTASTIC. What a funny, talented songwriter and musician. We loved every minute of his performance and will see him again if the opportunity comes up.

This is a very special area of the Wisconsin and definitely worth a trip if you’re in the vicinity. Next stop - Minneapolis, to visit my family and attend my 40^th High School Reunion! – Cheeseheads, the Reunion?

Madison

I have fond memories of visiting my friend Jane at the University of Wisconsin in Madison back in 1972. It was a radical campus and a very exciting time for us participating in anti-war protests. I may have been there once or twice in the next few years, but I hadn’t been back since. Bob and I spent time driving around campus, and I recognized the dorm where I visited my friend and other landmarks. It’s hard to believe that those memories are still alive after almost 40 years. We spent an hour at the Memorial Union Terrace, watching the kids drink beer and dance to live music on Friday night.

Madison is the state Capital and sits between two lakes. The Capital building is visible from every direction for many miles and it’s lovely to see it rising above the green trees and rolling hills of corn. The city has a dynamic, progressive energy and seems well cared for and much loved.

On Saturday we enjoyed the huge Farmers Market that runs around Capital square and took in two Art Fairs on and off the square. Parking was difficult but it was fun to mingle with the locals. We even went into the Capital building to admire the rotunda.

Spring Green, an hour outside of Madison, is where Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, Taliesin sits. We went on a great tour of Hillside studio, his architectural school. We drove past his residence, but didn’t take the 2 hour $45 per person tour there. It’s an amazing 600 acre estate.

Just five miles down the road is the House on the Rock, built by Alex Jordan. He started with a small cabin built into the rock in 1960, and then added on for more than 25 years. It’s still preserved with the 60s shag carpet on the walls and too many kooky things to mention. Bob thought it was quite imaginative, but I found it downright weird. We only toured a small part of this attraction, including a cantilevered, convex windowed room that extends out 150+ feet above the forest floor

We also drove down to Lake Geneva to visit an old friend of mine. It’s a lovely little town on a large clear lake in southern Wisconsin, as close to Chicago as it is to Madison. We had lunch at a great restaurant and there was a Playboy Bunny reunion happening there. Wow, you should see what the bunnies look like 30 years later. You’d never guess their past. We also enjoyed a nice walk along the lake past gorgeous mansions.

Bob and I were really impressed with this area. If it wasn’t for the 5 long, hard months of winter, we might consider living here.

The Amana Colonies

On our drive north from Missouri, we made a quick stop in Fairfield, Iowa, to see the Maharishi University of Management. This consciousness-based school was founded in 1974 by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He brought Transcendental Meditation to the west. We didn’t have a lot of time and were unable to find a visitor center, but we did get a few photos.

Then we went on to the Amana Colonies near Iowa City. These seven villages were established in 1855 by a group of Germans who were escaping religious persecution. The Community of True Inspiration lived a communal lifestyle until 1932. They were farmers and craftsmen as well as inventors of the Amana appliances.

Today, the seven villages are still intact with the original charming stone and brick houses. You can visit the Woolen and furniture factories, wineries, gift shops, general stores and museums. Bob and I especially enjoyed our visit to the Church museum where we heard the story of the religion and their practices by a local elder. This is the only place in the world where this religion exists and there are only about 300 members.

Each village was quiet, peaceful and very well taken care of. It seems like a lovely place to live.

Tri-state 4th of July

Hamilton, Illinois is the hometown of four of my siblings. My sister Diana returned in 1962, when the rest of us were in Virginia, and has lived in the area ever since. Diana and Mike and their kids and grandkids all still live in the same general area. The communities of Keokuk, IA, Hamilton, IL and Canton, MO are only about 30 miles apart, but spread over three states. The area hasn’t seemed to change too much since the 1960’s.

We spent the fourth of July weekend listening to music in the park in Iowa, dancing in the streets to a very good rock and roll band in Illinois, eating with family in Missouri, and visiting Nauvoo, IL.

Nauvoo is the town where the Mormans settled under Joseph Smith in the mid 1800’s (before Salt Lake City). The Mormans actually split into two major factions after the killing of Joseph Smith. One faction, the LDS group under Brigham Young, went to Salt Lake City. The other, lesser known, faction is now headquartered in Independence, MO, and is known as the Community of Christ. Photo is of a temple in Nauvoo.

We also went with Diana to an Amish farm to get new shoes for her horses. It was very interesting to see the children working in the garden, horse drawn plows and domesticated herds of deer.

Mary and I are enjoying learning about different religious and spiritual practices, and, as you can tell, we are trying to visit any spiritual, religious or utopian communities that are close to our path.