Weekend at a Cabin on a Wisconsin Lake

Hey, readers! When I moved to Minnesota three years ago, one of my college friends in the Midwest told me that many people in the Twin Cities have weekend cabins outside of the cities on lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Since temperatures in Minneapolis in July and August can be in the upper 90s with high humidity, having a family cabin on a lake is a great way to escape the sticky urban heat. My friend told me not to worry - it wouldn't take me long to make friends who had a lakeside cabin outside of the Twin Cities.

This spring I did make a friend with ties to a cabin - the work-study student from my office had a boyfriend whose family had a camp with several cabins on Lake Minerva, Wisconsin, about 1.5 hours from Minneapolis. I was invited to join the Lunds (a good Scandinavian name) over the 4th of July weekend for pontoon boating, swimming, and related cabin adventures.

My friend instructed me to stop at Wayne's in Danbury, the closest grocery store for miles, to pick up some cold New Glarus beer, which is brewed in Wisconsin and not distributed outside of the state.

                                                Inside Wayne's grocery store

                                        Leinenkugel, another Wisconsin beer

                                                A diner in Danbury, WI

                                            Last Cast Tavern in Danbury

                          There are apparently many Swiss settlers in Wisconsin, in addition
                           to the many German settlers.

                                                    The Lund family camp

                                                 The waters of Lake Minerva

                                            The bar at the Lund family camp

                                                  Antique Schlitz beer light

                                                      Grain Belt beer light

                                                      Schlitz beer light

All in all, a great weekend in Wisconsin. I'm looking forward to going back!

Vacation at Lake Chautauqua

Greetings, readers! I hope you are enjoying this lovely summer. I had the good fortune of going home to NW Pennsylvania to see my family in late June, and we also spent a few days on Lake Chautauqua, in western New York state. A summer resort, Chautauqua Institution, is situated on the lake, and it is full of ornate Victorian cottages and a grand 1880s hotel, the Athenaeum. My family stayed at Chautauqua Institution on a number of occasions when I was growing up, and I jump at any chance I can get to return to that lovely summer resort on the lake.

Most people get around the grounds of the resort by bicycle or on foot. I unfortunately did not have my bicycle on this trip, but I enjoyed strolling around the grounds nonetheless.

During our stay, we visited the Athenaeum Hotel, which is always a treat. Being inside this great hotel gives one the feeling of going back to the Victorian era. And there's nothing more soothing than sitting in a rocking chair on the large wooden veranda of the hotel and watching the waves wash up onto the shore of Lake Chautauqua.

 

 On my last morning in Chautauqua, I got up early to take a walk down by the Miller Bell Tower and the Pier Club. As a kid, I swam at the beach here, so I wanted to go back to have a look. It seemed like very little has changed since my youth!

 

Minneapolis: City of Bikes

Hello, dear readers!

As many of you know, one of my favorite things about the warmer seasons is being able to ride my bicycle. And since Minneapolis is bike city, there are plenty of opportunities for me to ride. Every summer, the city sponsors several events which close main streets so that cyclists and pedestrians can walk on the streets without the threat of traffic. Local cafes and shops sell refreshments and their goods on the sidewalk.

A few weeks ago, I took my Peugeot bicycle (which I brought here from Germany) and joined my friends for some cruising up and down Lyndale Avenue.

                                                  My prized Peugeot and I

                                               Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street

                                                       Protected bike lane

                                               Lots of action at the CC Club

                                                    My bike friends and I

My Brother Visited Me in Minneapolis

Happy summer! For the past few weeks, we have been enjoying warmer weather and sunny days, meals in sidewalk cafes, bike rides around the lake, and all the other fun activities that come with late spring and early summer. I don't get guests very often in Minneapolis, so I was quite pleased that my brother decided to visit me in late May. Most people who haven't been to the Midwest assume that because the winters are so harsh, the summers are also cool. That, however, is not the case - the summers can be as extremely hot and humid as the winters are freezing and miserable. And my brother visited me during a week when it was unfortunately in the upper 80s and humid.

But we didn't let the hot weather deter us from exploring and having fun. We met up with a good friend of mine from college in a quaint town, Red Wing, which lies south of the Twin Cities on the Mississippi River. We had lunch at a local bakery, which reminded me of my hometown bakery where I worked as a teenager. We then explored the town, strolled along the Mississippi, and visited the Red Wing boot shop.

                                                  Maple bacon donut

                                                 Red Wing Foundry

                                                     Red Wing Train Depot

                                                         Grain Mill

One thing that I especially like about visiting these old industrial towns in Minnesota is that they remind me of my hometown in Pennsylvania. Many of these towns were founded in the 1850s and 1860s, and the remnants of the lumber, grain, railroad, and other industries still exist.

                                        Having fun at the Red Wing boot shop

                                         Testing out the Red Wing equipment

One of my brother's requests was that we visit some good ethnic restaurants in Minneapolis. The Twin Cities have an amazing selection of ethnic restaurants, and I think we ate out nearly every night during my brother's stay. On one particular evening, we headed to Eat Street, a few blocks from my apartment, where there are several Vietnamese restaurants and delis.
                                             

                                  Enjoying Bun: Vietnamese rice noodle salad.