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!

Year in Review - Part Two and Winter in America

I'm always amazed when I look back at how much I actually do, see and learn now that I've made travel my "hobby".  On to the review of the second half of 2014!

July -  Here in Wisconsin last year we went right from a winter that was too long and cold to a summer that was pretty hot.  You know, the usual.  But at least we got enough precipitation to keep the wildflowers looking good though all that damp contributed to an overly healthy skeeter and tick population this year.

restored wildflower prairie minutes from my house

I was all over Wisconsin, from camping in Crivitz by myself over the Fourth of July to camping in Two Rivers with Wayne. And let's not forget to mention meeting Barbara and Ron for some hiking at Bald Bluff!

tick infested trails at Governor Thompson State Park

marinas and lighthouses in the Manitowoc area

Barbara and Ron at Bald Bluff - fun day showing off my "backyard"

Barbara and Ron weren't the only bloggers I had the good fortune to meet in July, I met Kim from Snug Harbor down in Deerfield for some lunch and a short hike with her daughter Chablis, too.  They are practically neighbors of mine, living just over the border into the north suburbs of Chicago.

Kim and Chablis

August - In August Wayne and I had a great time kayaking out to the sea caves in Bayfield as well as visiting Amnicon Falls near Superior and stopping at Council Grounds on the way home.  Normally I don't like to camp in August due to the heat, but it was comfortable up by Lake Superior.

Not just sea caves in Bayfield, good hiking too!

kayakers heaven

short hike at Amnicon Falls

You know what all that driving around Wisconsin in the summer leads to?  More driving around Wisconsin trying to discover its secrets.  At the end of August I drove back up to Algoma to meet Katrina and we had a little outing in Door County with the flimsy excuse that I could buy some jam.  Guess what?  I'm on my last jar but I'm not heading up there this time of year...at least I don't think so, but you never know.

sunflowers in Algoma

wet wildflowers at Cave Point, Door County

Cave Point cairns

sunset from the Ice Age trail at Potawatomi State Park

September - I started the month out in the Lions Den with Wayne and ended it at Indiana Dunes with Sharon.  Two great traveling companions, what more could I ask for?  At the end of this month I will hit the road for South Carolina with my mother and my daughter, my other traveling companions, so maybe I can get some jam there instead of Door County, right?

Hiking the Lions Den trail near Port Washington, Wisconsin

Mostly well behaved women

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

While we had a good variety of things to do during our stay at the Dunes, my favorites were volunteering on National Public Lands Day...

and our last hike at Cowles Bog.  The cupcakes in Valparaiso make the list too!

Mini mushrooms at Cowles Bog

October -  Our "big" trip of the year this year ended up being a series of mishaps, but sometimes that's just the way life works out.  Being able to keep your cool and roll with the changes is a good lesson that needs occasional reinforcement.  Another lesson that is always good to revisit is that your family's health and safety is more important and precious than anything else.

Forney Ridge trail in the fog

We didn't make it as far as South Carolina due to mechanical difficulties but we made it as far as the Smokies and who would ever complain about having to stay in the Smokies?

near Middle Prong trailhead

We had to leave early and go home because Cory got in a car accident but I did get time for one hike with Sharon before we had to leave.

creek crossing by Little Greenbrier School

When we got back home I discovered sometimes you don't have to go anywhere to discover new treasures to explore.

Lake Geneva's Snake Road in October

Ice Age trail near Bald Bluff

And because I had some spare time I started knocking out sections of the Ice Age trail which made me feel really good because it had been my intention to start doing that in 2014 but I had worked too much earlier in the year to do it.

logging sled by the Oleson Cabin, Blackhawk segment of the Ice Age trail

November - The first day of November I started the month with more exploration of the Ice Age trail including the North Unit of Kettle Moraine during some frosty weather.

Milwaukee River segment

Wayne and I celebrated our 25th anniversary and ended up spending a couple of days in Milwaukee on our way to help Katrina get her stuff moved back home.

City Hall

Kilbourn Street bridge 

December - Of course at the beginning of December I joined Sharon for a bit of early winter hiking in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky.  My favorite hike we did together was probably Auxier Ridge where I got to do cool things like Kiss the Monkey and brave the ridge itself.  Otherwise December was filled with family and the rush of the holiday season.

When I was pulling into the parking lot to find Moonshiner's Arch for my solo hike in Kentucky I heard a song on my XM radio that I'd never heard before by Gil Scott-Heron called "Winter in America".  I wrote it down to look up when I got home and now I get to share it with you!

Speaking of winter in America, take a look at what we've got going on here in Wisconsn.

COLD all week, but on the bright side this weekend it's the Big Chill in Racine and the annual snow and ice sculpting display has become a yearly favorite of mine.  The holidays are behind us for another year and the wrath of January is upon us so stay warm wherever you are this week!

Year In Review - the First Half and a Surprise Announcement

I'm not much to do what other folks do usually, but this year in review thing that the bloggers do is pretty neat and I've jumped on the bandwagon.  Especially now that winter has descended and traveling has slowed it's nice to go back and remind myself of all the great experiences I had this year.  I'm enjoying everyone else's "look back" too so keep 'em coming!

January -  I started out 2014 getting up to some mischief in the hallways of Wisconsin's State Capitol with my buddy Jeanna.  Because if great architecture isn't amazing enough all you have to do is throw in a kooky gal sliding down the banisters to make your day!

"Genius of Wisconsin"

I ended the month in another State Capitol when Cory and I took a trip out to Nevada.  From getting lost on unmarked trails to an unplanned dip in Lake Tahoe, from walking around Reno's midtown district looking for treasures to treasures of another kind at the museums, and then driving out to see some boulder petroglyphs we saw all the Reno area had to offer including quite a few murals I still haven't even had time to share on the blog!  The best part though?  Still that Truckee Sourdough bread, hands down.

Lake Tahoe

Grimes Point Archaelogical Site

February - Not much happened in February.  Snowy and cold in Wisconsin tells the story.  And bored.  And I can't emphasize enough the snow and the cold.

Wisconsin entry in the
National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva

March - In March I was desperate enough to break up the winter blues that I drove up to visit Katrina in Menominee even though it was just as cold there.  Hey, at least we had cupcakes.

Night Owl Bakery in Marinette, Wisconsin

To keep the blog busy I ran some posts about the trip Wayne and I took to Yellowstone back in 2009.  Revisiting those happy times kept me going during a winter that was longer and colder than normal.

April - By early April I nuts with cabin fever and forced myself out a few times around Milwaukee and over to Kettle Moraine, but travel season soon began and that was the real story!  My mom and I drove down to Gatlinburg and rented a house and I hiked my little heart out in the Smokies.

Painted Trillium on the trail

Me and Mom at Laurel Falls

But I wasn't just hiking alone, not only did I get to meet up with Sharon but I finally got to meet Gene and Judi and hike with them on the Curry Mountain Trail too!

And as if that wasn't exciting enough I got a close encounter with mama and two baby bears too.

May - May was a very busy time for our family travel wise.  Wayne and I took Cory and Katrina to Newfoundland for a long weekend where we packed a lot in to a few days and got to spend time with those goofy newfies we call call family.

Beer with the cousins and uncles...and our pocket pals

hiking on First Beach with Aunt Agatha

hiking around Castle Hill

lobster feast

Back home in Wisconsin Wayne went back to work, Katrina went back to the Upper Peninsula and I discovered that the same wildflowers I found in the Smokies in April were blooming nearby thanks to Ranger Don's great hikes at Kettle Moraine State Forest sites.

We ended the month with a camping trip up to Munising where not only were there wildflowers but chunks of ice still floating in Lake Superior.

June - In June I started the month with some more wildflower walks in nearby Kettle Moraine.

But when the heat came on Wayne and I took the fifth wheel up to Door County where the air is a little cooler and explored some areas that are now new favorites, like the Ridges Sanctuary, Egg Harbor, and Newport State Park.

Ram's Head lady slipper at the Ridges Sanctuary

Tasty treats and an egg hunt in Egg Harbor

I'm hoping to get back out to Newport State Park for a solo camping trip this year because their trails and walk in sites looked very tempting, but timing will be everything because their mosquito population was pretty vicious.  Maybe a long weekend in April if I have some time, we'll have to wait and see what the work schedule will be like when my boss has her baby in March.  The park has camping year round, reservations aren't available though until May.

Newport State Park shoreline

That's enough for one post, the rest of the year in review will have to wait until tomorrow.  One more thing....Wayne announced last night that he wants all four of us to go to the United Kingdom this year to celebrate his turning 50.  His birthday isn't until December of course, but he's talking about a late May departure for a 3 week trip to take in everything from Dublin to Edinburgh to London too.  We'll see, but in the meantime I scrambled around to come up with a workable itinerary this morning and believe it or not I think it can be done.  Now let's see if he can conquer his fear of flying long enough to make it happen!