Farewell to Menominee

Our daughter Katrina left Menominee, Michigan and moved back in with just before Thanksgiving.  She got a lot of valuable experience during her year and a half living in Menominee and working in Marinette but felt it was time to focus on finishing her master's degree and to finding work closer to her family.

Schale Building, built in 1895 with red sandstone trim from Calumet

When we went up to move her stuff I spent some time poking around the First Street historic district in Menominee to discover its architectural secrets.

Post Office, built 1902

In the mid 1800's Menominee was prosperous due to shipping and lumber interests, and by the 1900's the mining industry brought a new wave of industrialists who brought in architects from Chicago.  Like many other Great Lakes towns that were once prosperous at the turn of the last century things are comparative quiet and "high society" has long passed these towns by.

Barclay Livery, 6th Street

The Lloyd was built in 1926 and housed a department store and a theater

Speaking of things of the past, I checked the stats for Nomadic Newfies and discovered that the posts relating to the Apostle Islands were the pages most visited by far in 2014.  Lots of folks doing searches for hiking and sea kayaking in Bayfield, apparently!  Going back and revisiting the posts reminded me that I want to go back and get out to Stockton Island for some tent camping.

Fire Station No. 1

As a matter of fact my Year in Review posts reminded me of a lot of things that I still want to do and it's a good thing I keep lists because otherwise I'd never remember half of them.

Paalzow Block, built 1895

I made a quick list of possibilities for this year the other day for when Wayne came home with the time off sheet and we had to pick our days for the year.  If it looks like we'll be going to Europe then that list would have to serve as a guide for 2016 since 3 weeks in Europe and a 3 week trip out to Glacier and a trip to Newfoundland would take care of all Wayne's vacation days this year.

Menominee County Courthouse built in 1874

I have a short list of places I'm "allowed" to go without him.  Anywhere in Wisconsin, anywhere we've already been and "Tennessee and Kentucky".  He made the mistake of making that broad generalization and don't think I won't take advantage!  Though it sounds like we might be too busy most of this year for me to make it that far on my own anytime soon.

I know Sharon wants to try to meet in Michigan sometime this year.  I hope we can make that happen as Michigan is one of those places Wayne has already seen a lot of so I won't make him sad if I go without him.

With the ridiculously cold weather we have going on here this week it's a good time to take the scraps of notes regarding travel destinations I have lying around in a pile and transfer the information to the computer.  It's probably a good idea I back up my documents, I haven't done that in a while.

Menominee County Historical Museum, former Catholic Church built in 1873

 
I just finished balancing the checkbook, paying the bills, and starting the never-ending round of loads of laundry.  Isn't being a grown-up fun?  I have to finalize some reservations for my trip to South Carolina in a couple of weeks today too.

CN Railroad Menominee River Bridge

Instead of talking about all these things I should probably go do them.  Hope you enjoyed poking around some of the sites in Menominee through my photos today, and you didn't even have to get out in the cold to do it!