July 2019 – Streaming thru America

Public Service Art

July 29, 2019July 30, 2019Posted in Art, culture, museum, Photography, satire, travel, wanderlustTagged Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago8 Comments

The Chicago Art Institute is considered one of the highly regarded art museums in the world. Its collection is deep; it is wide; and it’s displayed in 200+ galleries over three floors.

However, with only two days scheduled in Chicago and so much to do, Leah and I had less time to roam the museum than I would have preferred. What to do?

Fortunately, the Art Institute has a solution! The museum provides a guide for locating twelve essential must-sees, and comprehensive floor plans to help find them. It’s their version of a cultural scavenger hunt through time and space.

Leah and I accepted the challenge, walking 3 miles in 2 hours (which also included a visit to the Member’s Lounge to sip some coffee) until we saw all twelve works of art.

Realizing that time is precious, and many people may not have the capacity to travel, I’ve taken the liberty of recording the museum’s highlights and displaying them for all to see without spending the time or walking the distance–although it’s impossible to replace the sensation of seeing these masterpieces up close and personal.

Nevertheless, consider it a public service and a crash course in art appreciation…

El Greco's The Assumption of the Virgin — El Greco’s *The Assumption of the Virgin*

Georges Serat's A Sunday on La Grande Jette--1884 — Georges Serat’s *A Sunday on La Grande Jette–1884*

Claude Monet's Stacks of Wheat — Claude Monet’s *Stacks of Wheat*

Georgia O'Keefe's Sky above Clouds IV — Georgia O’Keefe’s *Sky above Clouds IV*

Edward Hopper's Nighthawks — Edward Hopper’s *Nighthawks*

Archibald John Motley Jr.'s Nightlife — Archibald John Motley Jr.’s *Nightlife*

Grant Wood's American Gothic — Grant Wood’s *American Gothic*

Pablo Picassa's The Old Gitarist — Pablo Picassa’s *The Old Guitarist*

Alma Thomas's Starry Night and the Astronauts — Alma Thomas’s *Starry Night and the Astronauts*

Andy Warhol's Liz #3 — Andy Warhol’s *Liz #3*

You’re welcome.

If Museums Had Wings…

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019Posted in Architecture, Art, culture, museum, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Ground Zero, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Art Museum, New York City, Oculus, Santiago Calatrava1 Comment

Our appetite for fine art took us to Milwaukee Art Museum with its collection of 25,000 works on display–making it one of the nation’s largest galleries. While I was curious about the collection, I was most interested in the Quadracci Pavilion, built by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava in 2001.

The iconic winged structure has demonstrably changed the city skyline by Lake Michigan’s waterfront…

to the point that Milkwaukee now incorporates Calatrava’s brise soleil in it logo.

Parallels to Calatrava’s Oculus at NYC–Gound Zero are unmistakable;

comparisons are inevitable.

The wings are extended most days until sunset, but stay retracted during nasty weather or high winds.

Sadly, Leah and I were greeted with high winds, but we were fortunate to tour the museum with so few visitors.

With the exception of a group of mini-pals,

and isolated cases…

here and there…

we felt like we had the space to ourselves–

which gave us more time to study some of the special artwork in greater detail without distraction or interruption:

(quickly scroll up and down for cool moiré effect)

While I never considered that the building was competing with the exhibitions, I was always eager to return to Calatrava’s public spaces…

to cleanse my palette before indulging in another bite of brain food!

Beer-drinking Cheeseheads That Bobble

July 26, 2019Posted in culture, History, humor, Photography, satire, sports, travel, video, wanderlustTagged Bobblehead, Gallery Night and Day, Historic Third Ward, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, museumLeave a comment

We had come to Milwaukee to drink some beer, eat some cheese curds and absorb some culture, and Milwaukee didn’t disappoint us.

Once home to the Big Four: Miller; Pabst; Shlitz and Blatz–Milwaukee was considered the brewing capital of the nation during much of the 20th century. However, after sell-off and consolidation, only MillerCoors remains as Milwaukee’s master brewer.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of reminders of the good ol’ days scattered around town…

For instance, on W. Wisconsin Avenue sits the Pabst Mansion.

In 2015, Pabst returned to the city with a scaled-down version of itself, manufacturing only craft beers, like many of its competitors in the region.

Likewise, the Schlitz Brewery has been converted into an office park.

But a new generation of brewers is doubling down on craft beers, with special attention going to Lakefront Brewery for its laid-back vibe and its innovative spirit, which instilled brothers Russ and Jim Klisch to brew Doors County cherry beer and the nation’s first gluten-free beer.

Leah and I sat in the Beer Hall noshing on fish tacos and award-winning cheese curds while waiting for the brewery’s 4 pm tour.

Eleven bucks buys an 8 oz. plastic cup and four wooden tokens good for four pours from start to finish of the humorous, 45-minute tour–very different from other tours I’ve taken (see Supreme Ruler of Beers and Eco-Beer), where beer sampling follows the tour as a time reward.

At the conclusion of the tour, we gathered around the bottle conveyor,

and we sang…

Additionally, the plastic cup can be exchanged for a free beer glass at the gift shop.

It was our good intention to attend Gallery Night directly after the beer tour…

but drinking beer interfered with our plan, so it would have to wait until Gallery Day.

The following day we drove to the Historic Third Ward, and roamed through six floors of the Marshall Building inspecting a variety of syles and mediums of different artists.

Unfortunately, the clouds rolled in and it rained like there was no tomorrow. We waited out the deluge at a nearby Shake Shack until a break in the weather, and crossed over to Walker’s Point to satisfy our random craving for novelty, humor, and are you kidding me?

As of February 2019, there’s a new museum in town, and it’s head and shoulders above the rest. It’s also a nerdatorium for dads…

and their kids.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum definitely checks the excess box with a collection of 6,500 figurines on display, covering a wide swath of popular culture,

featuring sports and mascots,

fantasy,

and politics.

The Hall of Fame Bobbleheads line the windowsills.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I asked myself, “Why?”…and patiently waited for a sign to give me guidance!

For the overly curious, the bobblehead production process is explained step by step…

However, the bobblehead timeline gave insightful commentary and instant credibility to museum founders Brad Novak and Phil Sklar.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

There’s little doubt that I’ll be raising a glass or two of Lakefront’s Riverwest Stein Amber Lager every January 7 to celebrate.

Prairie Stylings

July 23, 2019July 24, 2019Posted in Architecture, Art, culture, History, landscape, Nature, photoTagged Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin, Unity Chapel2 Comments

There’s very little to write about Frank Lloyd Wright that scholars haven’t already written.

His affinty for nature, his indefatigable energy, his genius for design, his eagerness to experiment, his immense ego, his appetite for women, his dedication to family–it’s all been revealed and discussed in numerous books and lectures. But it’s also apparent from walking through his Taliesin estate in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Leah and I would have preferred the immersive, 4-hr Estate Tour, but when I checked on-line for tickets, only one ticket was available when I needed two. It seems that no tour exceeds 21 people, matching the number of seats on the shuttle. Instead, we opted for the 2-hr Highlights Tour.

We boarded the bus at the Visitor Center–

orginally designed by Wright in 1953 as a restaurant and “gateway” to Taliesin, but Wright’s death in 1959 stalled any further construction until his former apprentices completed the building in 1967.

The ride took us past Midway Barn, Uncle John’s farming complex,

on the way to Hillside, the site of the home school he built for his Aunts Jane and Ellen Lloyd Jones.

Currently, the building is occupied by a time-shared architecture “Fellowship”–funded by the Taliesin Foundation–that occaisionally gathers in the Assembly Hall,

and takes meals in the Fellowship Dining Room,

before returning to the 5,000 sq. ft. “abstract forest” Drafting Studio.

We finished up at Wright’s intimate, 120-seat Hillside Theater–originally intended as a gymnasium, but converted by Wright to a cultural space after determining that the arts were more important than sports–

and reboarded the bus for a brief blast of air conditioning and quick trip to Wright’s home studio,

where we browsed through a drafting room filled with “Usonian” models, like the Willey House from 1934,

and assorted personal artifacts.

The house was noticably cooler, thanks to geothermal plumbing installed during the third re-build. We rounded the studio from the outside,

walked across a mound with views of the restored Romeo and Juliet windmill,

and traversed the gardens,

before re-entering the house through the expansive living room,

filled with wonderful flourishes, like glass-cornered windows (which Wright would ultimately perfect at Fallingwater)…

built-in table lamps,

and integration of sculptures that survived the previous two house fires.

Roaming through Wright’s personal bedroom (because he was an insomniac), we discovered no door, a wall of windows without window treatments, and original electric- blue shag carpeting.

The terrace offered glorious views of the Wisconsin River and Tower Hill State Park,

and Unity Chapel in the distance–

the site of Wright’s maternal family’s burial plots, his stone marker, and his empty grave.

As our driver passed Wright’s man-made falls,

our docent passed along a local story of intrigue and scandal:

During March 25, 1985, under cover of darkness, Frank Lloyd Wright’s body was exhumed from his Unity Chapel resting place by his oldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Wright Ingraham, and moved to a burial site at Taliesin West, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

She claimed to be fulfilling the dying wishes of her grandmother and Wright’s widow, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, whose ashes were united with her husband’s within a memorial wall overlooking Paradise Valley. The event sparked outrage around the globe from associates and friends who argued that the architect would have desired to spend eternity at Unity Church with his family.

Even now, Spring Green residents hope that one day their favorite son will get his ash back to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Dells

July 21, 2019July 21, 2019Posted in hiking, History, landscape, Nature, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Dells Boat Tours, geology, HH Bennett, Leroy Gates, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin River7 Comments

Long before kitsch and water parks ruled the region, visitors from around the world traveled to the Dells to marvel at the iconic sandstone formations carved by a glacier that plowed through Wisconsin approximately 15,000 years ago–leaving behind a 5-mile gorge struck from rock that’s older than anything on earth.

Word of this discovery spread quickly, attracting Leroy Gates, a lumber rafter with a notion that promotion would bring tourism to the river he loved, and earn him a buck or two to boot. In 1856, Gates offered the first guided boat tours of the Dells of Wisconsin, and made sure everyone knew it.

Supposedly, Gates and his associate guides would sit under umbrellas sipping lemonade, while the guests would paddle their boats up river to destined attractions…

until steamboats took over in 1873.

Fortunately, landscape photographer H.H. Bennett was there to capture it all–taking souvenir photos of the tourists, and landing a place in history as “the man who made the Wisconsin Dells famous.”

Today, Dells Boat Tours continues the tradition on the river…

with a fleet of 17 vessels that carry half a million passengers year after year.

Captain Bob piloted our riverboat north through the Upper Dells,

while First Mate Abby called out the names of rock sculptures famously characterized by H. H. Bennett:

After manuevering through the Devil’s Elbow…

Captain Bob turned into a slot canyon discovered–and affectionately named Witches Gulch by Bennett. Apparently, the name was intended to be sinister and provocative. His strategy was reinforced by similar names inside the canyon, such as:

Eventually, Bennett built a tie-up dock, threaded a boardwalk through the canyon walls, and created a photography concession at the terminus. We were about to see why, as Captain Bob eased toward the mooring.

Abby tied up the riverboat,

and we walked the boards,

for a closer look at the beauty of ancient splittered sandstone turned emerald,

and the waves of light and darkness.

gatekeeper — **The Winnebego Gatekeeper and His Dog**

Next, we cruised across the Wisconsin River to the western shoreline to visit the Dells’ most precious formation,

made famous by H.H. Bennett’s photograph of his 17-year old son, Ashley leaping onto the column from a neighboring cliff in 1886.

We gathered under the rock for an equally impressive demonstration by a trained German Shepherd from Juneau County…

that jumped the 5-foot gap without hesitation.

We completed the trail back to the boat, passing other impressive formations along the way…

until it was time to reboard the Marquette and return to the tour operator’s dock. As we cruised back under sunny skies, boat traffic on the river had blossomed.

Locals were enjoying the river to beat the heat,

which was way better than any water park would ever be.

The Trial of Devil’s Lake Trail

July 19, 2019July 20, 2019Posted in health, landscape, Nature, Photography, satire, Science, Sociology, travel, wanderlustTagged Balanced Rock, Devil's Doorway, Devil's Lake, geology, grotto trailLeave a comment

After searching for an escape from the plethora of water parks and souvenir shops in Wisconsin Dells, we settled on a hike around the quartzite cliffs overlooking Devil’s Lake. With temperatures climbing through the 90s amid an epic upper midwest heat wave, the lake was a winning getaway for hundreds of families cooling off in the water, but not for us. Reports of swimmers itch concerned us, and we scratched it off our list.

We sought hiking guidance from the Visitor’s Center, and learned of a steep trek up the southern end of the east bluff that would lead us to a flat ridge loop. The hike was demanding, stepping up and over a talus field of rock-hewn steps cut from car-sized boulders that crumbled in the wake of a glacier that shaped Wisconsin 30,000 years ago.

Miraculously, the moraine was raked and solidified by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and a trail was born.

The heat and humidity was taking its toll on us, and we were feeling our age. It was disconcerting to see millenials ambling up the bluff at twice our pace, but we perservered with patience and caution. Halfway up, our first reward was Balanced Rock…

which offered spendid views of the beach.

Continuing our climb to 500 ft above the lake, we reached a forested plateau with trails running in multiple directions. We carried on toward Devil’s Doorway, the park’s signature rock formation…

forged from Cambrian sandstone as old as 1.6 billion years,

and today, an irresistable climb for teens with mountain goat skills.

It was a mad scramble during the descent, and the perfect place for forgotten walking sticks.

Although the loop was under 2 miles, terra firma never felt better under our weary legs.

Fish Boil

July 17, 2019July 19, 2019Posted in culture, Food, landscape, photo, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Door Country, Ephraim, fish boil, Old Post Office, Wisconsin2 Comments

One of Door County’s time-honored traditions is the fish boil, originally brought to Wisconsin by Scandinavian settlers over 100 years ago. It was a simple method for feeding scores of hungry fishermen and lumberjacks after a long day on the water. And today, it’s a timeless recipe for rustic fare that’s still practiced by a handful of restaurants around the peninsula. Part history lesson, and part pyrotechnics, the fish boil is a theatrical dining experience that doesn’t disappoint.

We chose the Old Post Office Restaurant in the village of Ephraim as our dinner destination, because of its home-style, country flavors,

and its front row proximity to an anticipated Lake Michigan sunset overlooking Eagle Harbor.

We made 7:45 pm reservations for the last fish boil of the evening, but the hostess urged us to show up a half-hour before service to experience the magic of the cook.

When we arrived at the Old Post Office, we were directed to a ring of benches behind the restaurant, with a bubbling cauldren in the center. Grown-ups were drinking adult beverages (now possible after Ephaim became a wet town in 2016), and children were staring intently into a roaring fire, dispelling the literal intepretation of a watched pot that never boils.

With side dishes of red potatoes and golf ball-sized onions nearly ready, Jeremy, master boiler from Door County appeared with a basket of whitefish steaks that he claimed to have personally prepped from this morning’s local catch. Having prepared thousands of fish boils over the years, he figures that he has gutted and scaled over 20 tons of Lake Michigan whitefish to date.

After adding more water,

and stoking the fire to achieve a high boil, Jeremy waited for fish oils to rise to the top (assisted by the one-pound of salt for every two gallons of water ratio),

finally signaling the moment we’d been waiting for–dousing the fire with a can of kerosene.

The fire ball brought the heat to all of us in the circle. It was enough to cause the resultant boil over–clearing the broth of ash, foam and fish oil.

When the flames subsided,

the fish was cooked perfectly…

and it was time to eat.

We gathered at the restaurant entrance and lined up–buffet style–to receive our dinner, topped by a ladle of melted butter and a wedge of lemon.

Servers came around to offer drinks and expertly debone our fish…

giving us a plate of food that tasted as good as it looked…

and we ate until the sun went down before us.

Homemade dessert followed–a tart cherry pie from local orchards.

What could be better? Cue the sunset.

The Key to Door County

July 15, 2019July 16, 2019Posted in Architecture, hiking, History, landscape, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Algoma, Cave Point, Door County, Kewaunee, Northport, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin11 Comments

Many in the tourism industry descibe Door County as the mid-western equivalent of Cape Cod, and they make a valid point. If Cape Cod is the crooked finger beckoning the Atlantic Ocean, then Door County is Wisconsin’s thumb poking the western side of Lake Michigan. Both peninsulas offer a laid-back vibe, with historic beachtown pearls bordering sandy, rocky beaches.

We began our tour by exploring our home base in Kewaunee, a southern border town below the county line.

We knew nothing about the clock, so it took us by surprise. At noon, it chimed over and over again, then played a “bell” rendition of Amazing Grace.

A short walk to the waterfront brought us to the Ludington. Retired in 1998, the tug saw action during the D-Day invasion at Normandy by pushing barges of ammunition across the English Channel, and later as a construction tow for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Like most newcomers, we got our coastal orientation by walking out to Pierhead Light,

but following the path was like a twisted game of minefield hopscotch.

Ellis Street was closed to traffic for a smallish classic car show that appealed to locals, auto enthusiasts from Green Bay, and bloggers…

with plenty of space for antique tractors and snowmobiles in the parking lot.

Further up the coast sits Algoma, a town with a Crescent Beach Boardwalk that parallels an arc of sand and polished stones, and the Algoma Pierhead light that welcomes hundreds of roosting gulls at any time.

With so much ground to cover and little time to spare, we detoured along the coastal county roads to Sturgeon Bay, a town with a rich ship-building legacy and a lust for shopping. While not my favorite activity, we parked the F-150 and strolled the sidewalks, passing through galleries and home furnishing boutiques.

Local artists brought their imagination and decorating prowess to town, converting plain Adirondack-style chairs (or created a chair/bench of their own) for the inaugural CHAIRies, a public art project on display at most downtown corners, and a nod to the bountiful cherry groves scattered throughout the peninsula.

Continuing north, Jennifer (GPS) directed us to Cave Point County Park, the only county park within a state park (White Dunes State Natural Area).

Diving into Cave Point’s roiling water is a well-known proving ground and badge of courage for daring teenagers…

who are fortunate to clear the cliffs or avoid the crashing waves.

Riding north on WI-57, we cut through the middle of Door County’s thumbnail, and headed for Northport, known for ferry service to Washington Island at the tip of the peninsula. and the gateway to Death’s Door, a legendary passageway with a washing- machine turbulence that has shipwrecked many 19th century schooners.

We rushed along WI-42 from Northport down Green Bay’s sidelines, needing to reach the Airstream end zone after a long day of driving, but deliberately slowing around a bendy stretch of road nearby.

Then we were dodging and weaving our way through a variety of pedestian-rich towns at 10 mph, absorbing the downtown charm of Ellison Bay, Sister Bay, Ephraim, and Fish Creek from the front seat of our truck.

We vowed that we would return the following day for a glorious sunset dinner, as we settled on leftover pizza and samosas under a cloudy sky.

Family Feud Futility

July 13, 2019July 13, 2019Posted in humor, Photography, satire, technology, video, wanderlustTagged comedy, Family Feud, Steve Harvey9 Comments

When roaming through remote Great Lakes country, media options can be very limited…and often times frustrating. While Leah has her Kindle, and I have my blog, sometimes it’s nice to lounge after dinner and watch television. However, settling in at RV parks with poor TV and WiFi reception has become increasingly routine on this journey. But we will not be deterred.

As with every new campground site setup, we crank up the antennae and run the auto program, if only to prove to ourselves that, once again, there is nothing to watch but God TV–at best, a righteous and self-fulfilling prophecy.

On the occasion that we pulled into our newest destination on the edge of Munising, Wisconsin, we did our due diligence to raise the antennae and run the channels.

“Hey Neal, we got 5 channels coming through on digital air,” Leah exclaimed.

Having left the Apostle Islands, I concluded that it was probably God’s will.

The next voice I heard belonged to Steve Harvey. He was introducing the Garrett family from Conway, Arkansas, and their opponent, the Crosby family from Bonnor Springs, Kansas. Perhaps, it was some kind of omen that we were picking up the digital signal from the local FOX affiliate in Duluth. Or maybe it was my penance.

“Gimme Dante [Garrett] and Mike [Conway], and let’s get this feud started. One hundred people were surveyed and asked, ‘Before a date, name a food a flat-chested woman might stuff in her bra,'” mused Steve.

Dante beat Mike to the buzzer. “Apple,” he asserted, and quickly got blasted with a superimposed “X” over his face.

“What!? Are you kidding me, an apple?” I asked.

Harvey turned to Mike and reiterated, “Before a date, name a food a flat-chested woman might stuff in her bra.”

“Onion,” announced Mike, which also earned him a shiny red X.

Harvey turned to Dante’s wife, Shawnte for an answer. “Pear,” she answered.

Another X.

Steve crossed over to Jessica Crosby and appealed for a correct answer. “Before a date, name a food a flat-chested woman might stuff in her bra,” he pleaded.

“Watermelon,” she proclaimed with certainty.

It turns out that Melons/Watermelon was the #4 answer. The Crosbys decided to play.

Leah and I laughed uncontrollably.

“Really!? I can’t believe that answer was up there,” said Leah.

Dustin suggested coconut, which got him an X. But Jen thought that biscuits were the best way to fill out a bra.

Surprisingly, so did the judges, as Bread/Buns was revealed as the #2 answer.

Steve Harvey approached Sandy Crosby next. “Peach,” she affirmed, and consequently, accrued a second X.

Steve returned to Mike. “Your family has two strikes against them. One more strike and the Garretts can steal your money. Give me the name of a food that a flat-chested woman might stuff in her bra,” he pitched.

“I think she would pick an orange,” expressed Mike.

Sho’nuff, it was the #1 answer.

Moving down the line, Steve turned to Shawnte again, and repeated the survey question.

“How ’bout a pepper. Y’know, like a bell pepper,” thought Jessica.

“Who are these people!?” I exclaimed.

“I think the whole question is ridiculous,” mused Leah.

“It’s not how I would prepare stuffed peppers,” I scoffed.

Meanwhile, the Garretts were huddling and wildly gesticulating behind their stage props as they considered their options.

Steve Harvey strode across the stage to the Garrett family’s side, and announced that the Garrett family can steal the Crosby’s money, if they can come up with another answer that’s on the board.

Dante Garrett steps out from the huddle and turns to Steve, “We’re gonna go with chicken.”

“That’s right, Steve. Y’know, like chicken…breasts, an’ all?” Shawnte mimed with imaginary breasts.

Leah and I were shaking the Airstream with laughter.

The TV image froze, then sputtered, then randomly pixilated all around the screen before vanishing. My television reception was lost, and the screen went blank.

“That’s how it ends for us!? I shreiked.

“What about their answer? Did the Garretts steal the Crosby’s money or not?

“I guess we’ll never know,” Leah speculated.

“You’re not curious?” I wondered.

“Not really. But I think it’s such an absurd answer–it wouldn’t surprise me if it was up there.”

“I guess we’ll never know,” I shrugged.

The following day, Leah and I hiked over .4 mi. of boardwalk to get a look at Wagner Falls.

Because the forecast was uncertain, with a high probability of rain, we figured on a nearby activity that wouldn’t require much effort or time,

but still gave the impression that we did something active.

Our next stop was the Musining Public Library for its WiFi connection. Because the library shares space with the neighboring high school the librarian personally entered the password…as if that was going to stop me from selling it to coeds, who would use it to stream porn instead of doing school research.
Once Leah finished downloading a series or two or three from Netflix, we were ready to go.

“By the way…I have the answer from Family Feud. I know how it ends.” I teased.

“So tell me,” she coaxed.

“But you said you didn’t care. You said the whole thing was stupid,” I argued. “Tell you what…

I’ll let you know online…”

And that’s why I miss TV from time to time.

Pictured Rocks Haiku

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019Posted in Art, landscape, National Parks, Nature, Photography, Poetry, travel, wanderlustTagged Bridalveil Falls, Chapel Rock, Grand Sable Dunes, Miners' Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore8 Comments

Father Time’s chisel
and Mother Nature’s palette
create monuments.

Father Time sculptures…

Mother Nature murals…

Their collaborations…

Ashland Walls and Trash Cans

July 9, 2019Posted in Architecture, culture, hiking, History, landscape, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Ashland WI, Main Street, murals4 Comments

While staying in Bayfield, Leah and I learned of Ashland’s Mural Walk. While only a half-hour from our camp site, we were so preoccupied with three full days of hiking, biking, and kayaking around the Apostle Islands, that time became a factor.

When asking around about the murals’ merits, someone local described the trip as “interesting”, so we decided to make an informed opinion for ourselves. Since Ashland was on our way from Bayfield to Munising, we boarded the Airstream, checked out of Apostle Island Area Campground, and followed GPS to Ashland Mural Walk. An actual POI pinged when I asked Jennifer (our GPS coach) for the route.

We had completed a previous mural walk in Palatka, Florida, also a county seat, and found it odd that their murals were in better shape than the town. We wondered if this was also the case in Ashland.

Ashland’s history dates to 1500, when the Ojibwe stayed on Chequamegon Point. A century later, they were followed by French fur trappers, European traders, and Jesuit missionaries. By mid-1800’s, Ashland’s first settlement was established, and the town prospered as a major quarry and port with rail service to Chicago.

Thanks to mural artists Kelly Meredith and Susan Prentice Martinsen, Ashland’s murals are a pleasant recapitulation of their proud history and their community spirit.

The murals have been beautifying downtown for twenty years. But Ashland wasn’t content to rest on its murals. Since 2017, decorative mosaic containers have been popping up on Main Street, turning trash to treasure.

There are 18 murals located around an 8-block radius of Main Street’s business district.

Leah and I gave ourselves an hour to see as many as we could (we found 12), but a 4-hour drive to Musining still loomed large, so six were left undiscovered.

For additional information on mural titles, descriptions, and locations, or to see what we missed, a Mural Walk link is provided.

Apostle Islands

July 8, 2019Posted in Architecture, landscape, National Parks, Nature, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Bayfield WI, Devil's Island, Lake Superior, Lighthouse, Raspberry Island2 Comments

We arrived at Bayfield Harbor for a sunset cruise across Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

The skies were flat with soft, diffused light, virtually eliminating all late afternoon shadows.

I had my doubts about a sunset, but at least the water was calm. We boarded the Archipelago, Apostle Island Cruises’ newest vessel–a 65-foot, 150-passenger catamaran,

and soon got underway on our 2½ hour-cruise.

There are 22 Apostle Islands grouped within the archipelago,

and according to Captain Mike, we would be running by half of them on the way to Devils Island, the furthest outpost and the geological jewel of the Apostle Islands archipelago.

Just starting out, we passed Basswood Island, the site of Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry, operational from 1868 to 1893. The bulk of the cut stone was shipped across the Great Lakes, destined for Chicago residences, but the stone stacked by the shoreline never made it off the island. It’s a reminder of a time when buildings seldom exceeded seven stories.

The quarry company went bankrupt after demand for brownstone was replaced by concrete and steel.

Continuing along, a pair of eagles nesting high in the pines was an unexpected thrill. Last year, 20 eagles were counted within park territory. This year the count has risen to 42.

Before leaving Basswood Island, Honeymoon Rock figured prominently off the northeast shore.

One of the greatest concentrations of black bears in North America is found on Stockton Island. Sadly, we found only trees and a rocky shoal.

When passing Manitou Island, we were lectured by Captain Mike about several of the fishing camps that originated in the late 1800’s.

Cabins and sheds are still standing at the southwest corner of the island.

After cruising through the channel for a half-hour, we arrived at Devils Island, the northernmost point of land in Wisconsin, and notable for the sea caves which undercut the shoreline.

We idled twelve feet from the rock formations for a closer look at the honeycombing…

While the overcast skies precluded any possibility of brightening the scenery, the balanced light offered views into the caves that otherwise would have been defeated by sunlight and resultant higher contrast.

Captain Mike promised one last photo opportunity before returning the Archipelago to Bayfield Harbor. He was referring to Raspberry Island’s lighthouse, once known as the Showplace of the Apostle Islands.

As we trolled along the stone wall, we were greeted by the lightkeeper.

The National Park Service completed renovations of the 1906 structure in 2006.

On the return trip, Captain Mike asked passengers if they knew the origin story of Apostle Islands’ name. A few volunteers tossed out some theories. One guest suggested that there was something religious about the naming. Another guest offered that the area was first mapped by the Jesuits, so that explains why they gave it a holy name.

I thought the insight was interesting but unreliable, since there were 12 Apostles, for 22 islands. Could it be that the Jesuits had been drinking too much Lake Superior moonshine and seeing double?

Nobody knows!

But photographing Devil’s Island sea caves was a fleeting, yet near-religious experience… with ironic overtones.

Northlanders

July 6, 2019July 6, 2019Posted in Architecture, Art, hiking, History, landscape, Nature, Photography, travel, video, wanderlustTagged craft beer, Duluth, Enger Tower, Fitger's, Glensheen, Munger State Trail, St. Louis River2 Comments

Seemingly, Duluthians have only two seasons: winter and summer. During the 2018- 2019 weather calendar, city residents shoveled snow from October 10 to May 9, breaking a record dating back to 1884. Temperatures were moderate for the remaining months of the year.

But when the last snow melted, the Northlanders traded their shovels and skis for bicycles and hiking shoes–eager to take advantage of the wealth of recreational resources in the vicinity. Leah and I sampled some of the more popular options during our recent visit.

The 70-mile Hinkley-Duluth segment of the Munger State Trail offers hiking, biking, in-line skating and snowmobiling on a fully paved road, cut through a forested ridge that follows a busy railway.

Leah and I cycled a scenic 8-mile stretch from Buffalo Valley Camping (our temporary home) to the Carlton terminus,

where the trail parallels Forbay Lake…

until it crosses a nearby St. Louis River dam release.

Lunch at Magnolia Cafe in Carlton gave us the energy we needed to pedal back to camp. Kudos on the cold-brewed coffee and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

With our energy restored, we drove to Duluth in search of craft beer. Despite a population center under 90,000, Duluth has earned a reputation as Minnesota’s capital of craft beer, boasting more than a dozen production facilities in the area that are eagerly taking advantage of Lake Superior’s pristine waters.

Fitger’s Brewhouse is the oldest and perhaps the most famous active brewery,

dating back to 1881…

with over 100 original recipes…

still brewed at its present location along the Lakewalk.

For views of the city, nothing beats Enger Tower, the highest point in Duluth,

and no better place to see where the city opens up to the sea,

while revealing its industrial underbelly.

The following day, we were looking for a short but moderate morning hike. All internet indicators pointed to Ely’s Peak, a popular trail reached by following the abandoned Duluth, Winnipeg, and Pacific (DWP) railroad corridor to the entrance of a 1911 railroad tunnel.

The trail was named after Rev. Edmund Ely of Massachusetts,

whose mission was converting the Fond Du Lac Native Americans during the mid-1800s.

From the tunnel to the top and back is 1.8 miles. The loop takes hikers on a 300 ft. ascent offering far-reaching views of the Fond du Lac Reservation and beyond.

We spent the afternoon touring Glensheen, a 20,000 sq ft. Beaux-Arts-styled mansion surrounded by a 12-acre estate…

built beside Lake Superior between 1905 and 1908 by Clarence Johnston, Sr…

for Chester Adgate Congdon and family.

The 39-room historic mansion is reknown for its design and craftmanship of the day…

and that almost nothing from William French’s orginal interior design has changed in 110 years–down to the furniture placement…

and the accessories that adorn the house.

But the most unusual part of the tour was what Nick, our docent would not share with the group when asked about the murders of Elisabeth Congdon and her private nurse, Velma Pietila.

Instead, we were referred to a brochure card with a disclaimer and few details.

It was a brutal crime that was sensationalized by the media, and still remains unsolved.

Leah and I concluded our day sitting in stadium chairs by the Glensheen boathouse pier, noshing on local food truck fare while listening to Charlie Parr, a local folk singer performing an evening of Minnesota moonshine music to kick off the 5th season of Concerts on the Pier.

It was the perfect way to end the day:

enjoying the sunshine and the breeze coming off the lake;

meeting and appreciating new people around us;

watching a mish-mash of vessels manuevering through an ad hoc harbor;

and being interviewed by Ryan Juntti, for WDIO’s 6:00 PM News.

Have an enjoyable and safe weekend.

Wise Guys

July 4, 2019July 4, 2019Posted in Architecture, Art, culture, hiking, History, landscape, money, National Parks, Philosophy, Photography, Politics, Sociology, travelTagged 4th of July, Crazy Horse, Gutzon Borglum, immigration, Korczak Ziolkowski, Mt. Rushmore, Planet of the Apes, South Dakota6 Comments

Although it’s been two years since Leah and I visited Mt. Rushmore, what could be more American than re-posting this visit on Independence Day?

There’s no better way to celebrate the 4th of July, than a trip to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Sure, the crowds were large; that was to be expected. But once the cars were garaged, the pedestrian traffic was easy to negotiate. And with everyone looking up at the mountain, the Presidents’ faces and intentions were never obstructed.

It was also a time to celebrate family. There were plenty of kids riding in strollers, hanging from moms in carriers, or balancing on dads’ shoulders. Generations of families–many of them immigrants–had gathered to pay homage to the principles of freedom that make our country a beacon for the oppressed and downtrodden.

Seniors were being escorted through the Avenue of Flags by their grandchildren. Extended families organized group pictures at the Grand View Terrace, unified by their love of democracy and their reunion T-shirts.

All expressed awe at Gutzon Borglum’s grand vision and remarkable achievement–the transformation of a mountain into a national symbol visited by approximately 3 million people every year.

The 14-year process of carving the rock began with dimensionalizing the Presidents’ portraits through Plaster of Paris masks, on view at the sculptor’s studio-turned-museum.

Additional exhibits detail the construction of the memorial, and the tools used by workers, like the original Rand & Waring compressor, which powered the jackhammers for all the finishing work.

A little known fact is that Mt. Rushmore was once intended to be a tribute to the “Five Faces of Freedom,” but funding ran short when the Congressional appropriation approached $1 million during the Great Depression. Hence, the unfinished carving of the Great Ape to the right of Lincoln serves as a reminder that we are never far from our true ancestors.¹

No less ambitious, and equally as impressive, the Crazy Horse Memorial is a work-in-progress located 16 miles away in the heart of the Black Hills–considered sacred land by the Lakota people.

Conceived by Korczak Ziolkowski in early 1940s,

the memorial, when completed will stand 563 ft. by 641 ft. across, and is expected to be the largest sculpture in the world. Already, the completed head of Crazy Horse measures 60 feet tall…

…twice the size of any of the presidents at Mt. Rushmore. While the first blast was conducted on the mountain in 1947, the current prospects for the memorial are to complete the outstretched arm during the next twelve years. There is no completion date available for the finished carving, which has been financed entirely by private funding since its inception.

Mt. Rushmore was created by a Danish American. Crazy Horse was created by a Polish American. And visitors to both destinations manifest the melting pot that has brought us all together as Americans. It’s our diversity that makes us strong, our ambition and determination that makes us great, and our compassion and sacrifice that make us whole.

These are the values reflected from the faces we’ve immortalized in stone. Yet, we would honor them more by living according to these principles.

Happy Birthday, America!

¹ Just kidding, but the photograph is real and has not been retouched.

Name Changer

July 2, 2019Posted in humor, Photography, satire, technology, travelTagged Mackinac Island, Mackinac Island ferry, Michigan, Shelper's9 Comments

Ocuppying nearly four square miles and located between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, Mackinac Island was home to the Odawas, and the epicenter of Great Lakes fur trading before the British established a strategic fort on the island during the American Revolutionary War.

Native Americans referred to Mackinac Island as Mitchimakinak because of its likeness to a “Great Turtle.” The French fur traders preserved the Native American pronunciation, but spelled it as they heard it: Michilimackinac.

However, the British anglicized what they heard, spelling it Mackinaw. Regardless, the pronunciation for Mackinac and Mackinaw are the same, with an emphasis on aw.

Today, most tourists and vacationers take the ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island from May to November. Leah and I carried our own bikes aboard for an extra $10 a piece.

On the approach, the French colonial architecture was charming.

We recovered our bikes, and headed toward the water, dodging pedestrians and horse poop, but keeping pace with other cyclists and horse-drawn carriages.

It was a step back in time, and a peddler’s paradise.

Closing my eyes, I could focus on the sound of a world without machines, because motorized travel has been outlawed since 1898.

An 8-mile highway loops around the island, hugging the shore,

offering amazing views of Lake Huron’s crystal clarity,

and access to Arch Rock, a popular geologic limestone formation close to downtown.

Equally impressive is Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel,

opened in 1887,

and still operated by the Musser family through three generations.

The all-wood hotel boasts the longest porch in the world, at 660 ft. (200 m),

and overlooks a picturesque tea garden.

Nearby, the Little Stone Church,

constructed in 1904 with field stone offers local history through its colorful stained glass windows.

After a full afternoon of cycling and sightseeing, Leah and I were aboard Shepler’s ferry, heading back to Mackinaw City.

During the 20-minute return ride, I thought about the variant spelling and linguistics of Mackinac/Mackinaw, and its similarity to immigrants who passed through Ellis Island and emerged with new surnames, courtesy of disinterested immigration officials.

So what are the chances, a real Shlepper immigrated to America and his name was changed to Shepler?

Imagine the public relations coup for his offspring today.

Sunset over Agawa Bay

July 2, 2019Posted in Canada, hiking, landscape, National Parks, Photography, travelTagged Agawa Bay, Lake Superior, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, sunset4 Comments

When the sun’s last rays warm Agawa Bay,

the bugs attack without delay.

They make their way, prepared to stay

on a patch of skin, where they can win

to my chagrin, a forearm or a shin.

Mosquitoes take top billing, and black flies are willing

to make a killing from their drilling.

But I remain to snap a frame, and find it’s still fulfilling.

Duluth Cakewalk

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019Posted in Airstream, Architecture, hiking, History, landscape, Nature, Photography, travel, wanderlustTagged Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth, Duluth Trading Company, The Lakewalk11 Comments

After one month of travelling along Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior in Canada, we crossed the border into Grand Portage, Minnesota to continue our Great Lakes circumnavigation through the States. We made Duluth our first stop.

Our reservations, made months ago, took us to Jay Cooke State Park–about 10 miles south of Duluth– where we planned to camp five nights through July 4th, but not without sacrifices.

RV enthuthiasts would agree that a level pull-through site with electric, water, and sewer is the norm for comfortability. But a site that also offers cable TV service with highspeed internet is the Holy Grail. Sadly, Jay Cooke was offering us a back-in site with 30 amp service only…for three nights. The other two nights, we were assigned to a primitive site inside the park with no amenities. This was the best Jay Cooke State Park could offer, considering the popularity of the park and high demand for the holiday week.

Originally, we called around to other area campgrounds and RV parks hoping for better accomodations, but found no availability anywhere else. By default, we accepted our fate and placement at Jay Cooke, and considered ourselves fortunate to find any place at all to park our Airstream during Independence Day festivities.

We crossed the border into Central Time, and surrendered an extra hour of daylight in exchange for arriving at the park office during operating hours, and giving Leah one last chance to modify our reservation.

Not a chance; the park was completely booked! We were directed to site 38 for three nights, and redirected to site 66 for the balance of our time.

After 40 minutes of queueing to fill our tank with fresh water, we eventually found site 38 down a very narrow access road lined with crowded spruce trees. No matter how many times I tried, and I tried, I couldn’t swing 28 feet of Airstream plus bicycles into a shallow site without sacrificing my truck to the evergreens. Simple physics wouldn’t allow it.

Leah sought a refund, while I investigated last-hope possibilities, nearby.

As if by magic, I called Darren at Buffalo Valley RV Camping, only a few miles away, who minutes ago received news of a cancellation. And just like that, we had a new address…with electricity AND water.

The following day, Leah and I strolled along the first two miles of Duluth’s 7.5 mile Lakewalk, stretching from Canal Park through Leif Erikson Park to Lester Park.