travel beyond the obvious
To visit Great River Bluffs State Park near Winona, Minnesota, is to enter a world where rugged bluffs are covered with a mix of woodlands and rare goat prairies and easy hiking trails lead to Read More …
The products SC Johnson (Johnson Wax) manufactures are probably familiar to most, as they include household staples like Windex cleaner, OFF! insect repellent, and (my favorite for packing) Ziploc storage bags. However, fewer people realize Read More …
What is more American than a Harley? Harley-Davidson history is American history The story of Harley-Davidson is a story of 20th century America – the roaring ‘20s, two world wars, the Great Depression, postwar prosperity, Read More …
Seeing the sandhill cranes at Crex Meadows this fall left me wanting to see a few more of them. A stop at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wisconsin, fulfilled that wish . . Read More …
In the beginning, there was Best beer Before there was Pabst – or Miller or Old Milwaukee or even Schlitz “the beer that made Milwaukee famous” – there was Best, as in Best Select, an Read More …
Looking for a hotel that does everything just right AND allows you to immerse yourself in Milwaukee’s brewing history? Then you belong at the Brewhouse Inn and Suites in the newly renovated Pabst brewery complex. Read More …
Lunchtime at the Milwaukee Public Market Arriving in Milwaukee on a rainy afternoon, we knew exactly where to head for a late lunch: the Milwaukee Public Market. Located downtown in the city’s historic Third Ward, Read More …
We’ve had a balmy fall in the Upper Midwest this year, with mostly warm days and frostless nights. While this is lovely weather for exploring, it has slowed the progression of fall color as the Read More …
Watching the Milwaukee Art Museum open its wings It’s not every day you can watch a building take a morning stretch, unless, of course, you are in Milwaukee. Here visitors and residents alike have that Read More …
Every February Hudson, Wisconsin, throws a big party built around hot air balloons. Now in its 27th year, Hudson’s Hot Air Affair is a chance for balloon enthusiasts to gather and, sometimes, enjoy a mass Read More …
It’s that time again, when it seems reasonable to take a look back at the past year before leaping into the next. In that spirit, here is a recap of my 2015 travels. International travel Read More …
We are fortunate to have friends who invite us up to Bayfield, Wisconsin, to sail on their boat. Usually we spend that time sailing within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, visiting the islands or hanging Read More …
There are a lot of boats in Bayfield, Wisconsin, including a fair number that have long-since served their purpose and been left to weather ashore. You can find them along the edges of the city’s Read More …
To see hot air balloons glowing in the distance promises a night of pure magic. There is something primeval about a hot air balloon at night. Maybe it’s the roaring flames as they shoot up Read More …
Since this is a travel blog, I thought it appropriate that I wrap up the year with a few images from my travels during the year. February We made our regular winter trip to Arizona Read More …
I’ve always found the movement of water mesmerizing. Throw a few rocks into that water, and I could be entertained for hours. Rocky Island, part of Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, has a lovely Read More …
Our August trip to Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin featured a mix of perfect winds and dead calm. I love the feel of being under sail. Windy days are more fun, but it’s Read More …
When we were in the Apostle Islands for a few days of sailing at the end of August, we spent a night tied up at the dock on Rocky Island. The next morning we awoke Read More …