Minnesota--old home week!

Started out at Lake Elmo Park Reserve not so far from where our family lived when kids were home.

Nice campground, obviously being keep tidy by a group of goats! Lots of fun wildlife around.

Lunch with dear friends Marlene, Marla and new friend Ellen--we were neighbors raising our kids on 8th street in Oakdale together. All our kid's ears must have been burning because we were sure talking about them and remembering stories.

Rembering old times and travels over a Minnesota French Silk Pie

Then out to Hudson for dinner with Loren and Rosella. 3M work mates, fellow campers, fellow travelers. Lots of memories to share here too.

Then moved RV down the road to where we "checked into Goff's Luxury RV resort." Their driveway was so accommodating and the hosts were absolutely dear!

Celebrated my Birthday with a take-out Vietnamese buffet and birthday cupcakes!  Was a lovely party with Dewain and Linda and Tess joined us too.

Turned out to be a lovely birthday with cards, emails, FB posts, e-cards, texts, and phone calls showering in. Video greetings from grandkids were great. Not so bad being suddenly 74!

And more Lacrosse

Out of town a bit is "Norskedahlen" a Norwegian Heritage Center set in rural forested farm country. A place that celebrates the Norwegian immegrant that populated this part of Wisconsin.

Buildings brought from neighboring locations and restored to original use 100 to 150 years ago.

A grainery

Rosemaling is a art that originated in Scandinavia and had a resurgence here in mid century.

Came upon an area of Wisconsin where Amish are readily seen.

Came upon a buggie shop

Stopped at a couple of Amish stores and fresh produce stands. This hardware store carries an amazing amount of inventory. Everything a farmer needs. No electricity or motors so every hand tool you can imagine.

Took a 2 hour paddle boat ride from Riverfront Park. Cool breeze on the river

Fun to see Burlington Railroad trains. That's my old employer way back in the late 60's. Now it officially BSFN, same to me

Foggy, steamy Mississippi river

A fast, drenching rain storm. There are a few hail stones on the picnic table!! The size of a quarter--no damage here as it didn't last long. Just made a lot of noise.

Big "6 pack"

Now would you rush to this restaurant?!?!

More Lacrosse

We are staying at a really great county park campground at Goose Island just outside of Lacrosse. It's a very large well done park and campground on an island in the Mississippi River.

Scenes of Lacrosse-- Friendship Garden at River Front Park and the view of Lacrosse overlooking the Mississippi from Granddad Bluff.

And then we happened upon the Guadalupe Shrine. Didn't think much about it, just saw a little sign along the hiway and thought we'd check it out. It is not to be missed. Finished relatively recently it is a multi acre Pilgrimage shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

This ceiling of a foyer of the church tells the timeline of Juan Diego's visions.

Welcome center and Chapel of lighted candles on the 1/2 mile path to the church.

And then there's this! We stopped to watch the activity on the Lock and Dam #7 and have a picnic lunch. All good, not much going on but interesting to see. Time to leave so packed up our stuff and headed to our car. By this time we were the only car in the lot. Now-- we can't find the car keys!! We tore the car apart-- we retrased our steps--dug through the garbage can--and then looked again in every conceivable place again! They had to be here--we used them to get here!! I bet we looked for 45 minutes. Just about to call a cab to take us back to RV to retrieve spare key when--someone just happened to look up!

Now, Will has never in his life put the car keys on top of the car. It will be the mystery of our life WHY he put them there when he got out of car! We are still mystified!!

It's a funny story. . .now!!

Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Brought our lawn chairs to Riverside Park in downton LaCrosse to enjoy some live music by the Lacrosse Jazz Orchestra. Perfect summer evening entertainment. The group is really good and drew a large crowd.

Last night we went out also to the Lacrosse Storytellers Festival.  Just happened to hear about it and was able to catch the last night's headliner show. Got to see Kevin Kling!  Have followed and enjoyed this man's career for 40 years. First saw this actor, playwrite, storyteller in local theater in Mpls, he has remained rooted in the region as a classic. He did not disappoint. Also Bil Lepp of History Channel fame and Kim Weitkamp. We laughed until the tears rolled, and then we laughed some more!

Biked on the Great River Bike Trail this morning. Along the Mississippi and along the train tracks.

On the Mississippi

the Lotus are blooming and the beds fill up the backwaters 

A bunch of these guys hanging around camp! Red Headed Woodpeckers are one we only see in the Midwest.

A Sawmill museum in Clinton. Local museum that was well done.

Got tickets for some summer theater. They did "Church Basement Ladies" and we laughed a lot! Setting was a Swedish Lutheran Church in a fictious Minnesota town in the 1960's when times were changing! Believe me, we "got" the humor!!

Love these Lotus!!