Valerie – Page 6 – Valerie's Voice

Idaho

When I told others we were taking a trip to Idaho most people asked why. I explained. “of the fifty states, Idaho is the only state I haven’t been in” (although my brother told me we were on a road trip with our parents and drove through Idaho to get to Washington when we were young. He is four years older so he remembers.)

Now, if people were to ask me, “Why Idaho?” I would say because it is a beautiful state with a lot to offer…including a large portion of the Rocky Mountains and 3,500 miles of rivers. We spent a lot of time by the Snake River.

This ice cream is shaped to look like an Idaho baked potato with sour cream. It was fun to try.

Idaho is known for its potatoes. While doing some research I learned about Westside Drive-In in Boise, that offered potato-shaped ice cream. That was curious. We made the drive-in our first stop out of the airport. It was tasty treat and a great way to start our vacation. Then, we drove two hours to Twin Falls and settled into an AirBnB in southeastern Idaho. We took day trips from there.

We spent a lot of time along the Snake River viewing canyons, gorges, water falls, and watching Base jumpers jump off the Perrine Bridge…counting on their parachutes to open and land safely on the ground 486’ below. It was fascinating to watch.

An experienced jumper attaches another person to his harness for a tandem jump. Unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how to post the video of this endeavor.

This screen shot is of the BASE jumper from one of the videos.

The Perrine Bridge is a stunning arch bridge and stands 486 feet above the Snake River, and has the distinction of being the eighth highest bridge in the United States. The Perrine Bridge attracts BASE jumpers from all over the world because it is one of the few structures they [jumpers] can use without getting special permits.

Trying to capture how deep this gorge is…this is looking down at the river…ripples from a motor boat and a kayak in the picture too.

(BASE jumping is an extreme sport where an individual leaps from a fixed object and uses a single parachute to land. The term “BASE” is an acronym for the four types of locations: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and the Earth (cliffs).) We were fortunate to witness four jumpers, (one tandem) while walking next to the bridge.

At the visitor’s center, on the other side of the bridge, was a temporary 911 memorial display (we were visiting close to that date). The group hung a gigantic American flag on a cable over the gorge. It was impressive.

Shoshone Falls…there is not much water flowing over the falls this time of year. (Twin Falls is considered high dessert.) However, in the spring Shoshone Falls is called the Niagara of the west and the falls are gushing and look very full (in photos).

We picnicked at Shoshone Falls, and saw Perrine Coulee Falls and many other miscellaneous waterfalls.

We also walked to the Devil’s Washbowl, a waterfall within the Malad Gorge in Thousand Springs State Park.

Looking down on Malad Gorge, formed by the Malad River that flows into the Snake River.

We hiked in Adams Gulch and caught the beautiful sight of quaking aspen trees, their leaves turning from green…to lime green… to a brilliant yellow, that contrast beautifully with the green evergreen trees.

The striking contrast of the yellow aspens and evergreen trees.

We hiked on a well-defined hiking, and mountain biking, trail.

We drove to Ketchum, the ski village near Sun Valley Resort, nestled within the Rocky Mountains, specifically in the Wood River Valley at the base of Bald Mountain.

Beautiful Bald Mountain and the Sun Valley Ski Resort.

Sun Valley was America’s first destination ski resort.

The mountains are inviting so we continued to drive north of Ketchum for several miles to see their majesty.

On our way up a mountain…and then down into a valley.

Looking at a valley from Smiley Lodge. We turned around here and drove back up the mountain pass.

We also spent time in Craters of the Moon National Monument. I will write about that another time.

Our final evening, a farewell dinner on the deck at Redhawk Gastropub, overlooking the Snake River.

Our time went fast, as it usually does while on vacation, but I’m glad we were able to see a few of the wonderful sights in beautiful Idaho, and to make some fun memories there.

And I did it! I can say I’ve been in all 50 states.

Doggie through the Window

Recently I was up in northern Minnesota at my friend’s cabin on Daggett Lake. We sat on the bench on her dock…to read, visit, or just sit and enjoy the lake.

We also enjoyed seeing the full moon and its refection on the lake, and going for walks, playing cards, going out to eat, and teasing the dog next door.

The Corn Moon; the nickname for September’s full moon.

Each time we saw the neighbor’s cute, little dog meander into the front yard of my friend’s cabin, we would peek through the window and knock on the glass and wave to him.

Each time this little pup jumped…and then started barking at us, and we smiled back at him. We teased him so, but he kept coming back.

I see a dog in this cloud formation…He’s laying down with his paws out in front of him, looking out.

So it was fun to see this cloud art on our way home from the cabin, reminding us of the cute, little doggie through the window on Daggett Lake.

2025 Villa Louis Carriage Classic

As soon as I learned of the Carriage Classic, I knew I wanted to attend. A few years ago we toured the 1871 historic home, Villa Louis (on the National Register of Historic Places), on St. Feriole Island on the Mississippi River.

It is there where I learned the Carriage Classic is an annual event, going on 45 years, and is always held the weekend after Labor Day.

We visited with the owner and learned this restored carriage was a 1864 Studebaker Trap, originally owned by the Studebaker family.

Carriages came in all colors: black, yellow, cranberry, green…

…and a beautifully restored wooden carriage.

Folks from all over the United States trailer their horses and carriages and gather together in the park across the lawn from Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. They come to participate in contests and to show off their pride and joy, their horses and carriages.

Many of the carriages had an area for picnic baskets and/or luggage in the back.

The idea of yesteryear with horses and carriages, and my fairly new interest in horses, encouraged me to put the date on the calendar earlier this year, so as not to miss this event. I’m glad we made time for it.

It was a wonderful drive down the Mississippi River on our first day, stopping to take a bike ride on the Root River State Trail and discovering lefse chips. We continued on to stay overnight near the Carriage Classic so we could be at the entrance soon after it opened on Friday morning. Friday was the first day of the three-day event. We enjoyed our one day attendance a lot.

A modern horse in the front of this line…

It was unusually cold and windy. Due to the wind, I did not wear my “fancier” straw hat that I had brought along, but many of the Classic participants did wear their hats, and some dressed in costume, which is part of the tradition we were told.

There were several miniature horses too.

Many of the carriages were restored, and shone beautifully. All the horses were groomed impeccably. The carriage drivers meandered on a wide-open field before participating in their special events. Spectators could meander along with them, and take photos. That was special.

This carriage was pulled by four horses…we only saw one with four horses this day.

I enjoyed taking over a hundred photos, of the horses, carriages, hats, temporary stables, historic hotel, flowers and more…there was so much to see. It was all so picturesque.

There was a food stand with delicious breakfast and lunch items for reasonable rates so we didn’t have to leave the grounds. There were table and chairs set up for comfort, and small bleachers were at some venues. There was live music – a man and his synthesizer – playing tunes during the competitions. There was no entry fee, and no parking fee.

Even though the temperature was chilly, the sky was mostly sunny and it was a delightful day to be at the Carriage Classic watching the nuances of “another world” go by.

The large open field where we could walk among the horses and carriages.

Root River Trail and Beyond

It was a sandwich board that caught my attention while biking on the Root River State Trail.

I saw the words “lefse chips” and, being the Norwegian that I am, all things lefse makes me curious. So we veered off the trail and biked a block into the small town of Peterson, population 227.

We found the store (not too difficult) and walked through the middle of the magnetic screen door – a great invention.

This screen door is flexible. The two screens come together in the middle and latch with magnets. One can easily walk through the door. It was unique.

Tiger Trail Lefse Chip Co. is a small store that makes and sells lefse and lefse chips. I had never heard of lefse chips (much like Mexican tortilla chips) . They sell mainly online, and mostly to breweries and wineries. However, in this small storefront there were several samples of the lefse chips to taste. We liked them all. We bought a bag of the Hot Honey BBQ chips to bring home (and support this small business).

More cyclists stopped to explore the store too, and it felt festive on this chilly morning in this small town… that has big displays of gnomes, including statues, flags and wall murals.

This mural is painted on the side of the Post Office.

The light poles in the town of Peterson have banners with gnomes on them, in multiple colors.

After a good rest, we got back on our bikes to ride the “rail to trail” bike path that runs along the Root River. Yellow coneflowers, goldenrod and black-eyed susan’s were blooming along this beautiful portion of the trail.

Even though it was a chilly morning, the sky was partly sunny and the trail was busy with hardy bicyclists. Earlier in the morning we left Northfield and drove a couple hours to get the trailhead. It was about 50* when we started to bike.

After our ride, we ate our picnic lunch outdoors, at the Rushford trailhead (it had warmed up by then).

An old jail house. Through the windows you can see the bars of the small, cell inside.

The old train depot, in Rushford, is currently being renovated. Next door was an old school, a chapel and a jail house. Presumably those three buildings, along with the depot, will be part of the trailhead museum when all is finished. The town of Rushford, population 1,852, seems to be growing.

The Root River trailhead in Rushmore, Minnesota.

After lunch we continued to drive to Marquette, Iowa for an overnight stay. The drive took us through southeastern Minnesota bluff country and along the Mississippi River.

It was picturesque with green bluffs, the blue skies and puffy white clouds. A great day for a gorgeous drive. The place we stayed had some beautiful annual hanging baskets that are still vibrant.

We stopped to observe an interesting boat while driving back from the restaurant that evening.

It was intriguing to see this “pushboat” resting on land on the banks of the river, near Prairie du Chien. (This is when the internet is so useful. We found the faded name of the boat, on the outside of the bridge, so we looked up Wade Childress and found information.) We learned it had sunk near Fort Madison Iowa in 1985.

It was a fun day of discoveries.

Barn Bluff

We have hiked Barn Bluff before in Red Wing, Minnesota, but I had not known the Native American He Mai Can name meaning Hill, Water, Wood. And I had not heard the Native American legend before.

A sign at the beginning of the Barn Bluff trail tells of this legend, and it also lists names of a few famous people who have hiked the trail, including Henry David Thoreau.

The legend is told by Henry Lewis (1819-1904), an artist famous for his paintings of the American West. It reads:

Many hundreds of years ago a mountain twice as big stood in this place. The inhabitants of two Dakota Villages quarreled over possession of the mountain, and to settle the dispute without bloodshed, the Great Spirit divided it into two parts. He left one part here and moved the other half downstream to a second village. The portion that was moved, according to Lewis's interpretation, rises above today's city of Winona and is called Sugar Loaf.

I have not climbed Sugar Loaf Bluff, but I have seen it while visiting Winona.

We had a perfect weather day as we hiked up Barn Bluff: sunny skies with puffy white clouds, low humidity with temperatures in the 70’s.

We enjoyed our hike to the West Overlook, which offers great views of the Mississippi River, Red Wing and Wisconsin.

Henry David Thoreau’s quote on the sign described the view as, “Verdant plains, fruitful meadows, and numerous islands abound with the most varied trees,…But above all, reaching as far as the eye can extend is the majestic, softly flowing river.” I imagine the river is much the same, although the landscape is very different since Henry spoke those words. I like his description of the mighty Mississippi River, as softly flowing.

“…the majestic, softly flowing river.” Henry David Thoreau

After our hike we drove through Colvill Park along the river in Red Wing. This is a great eagle viewing area in the wintertime. We thought we’d check for eagles on this summer day, and we did see two eagles perched high in a tree.

Two eagles in the tree tops in Colvill Park.

We ate lunch in Lake City, at a restaurant that has an outdoor patio on the shores of Lake Pepin. There we saw another eagle. This one sat in a barren tree, keeping an eye over the patrons the whole time we were at the restaurant.

On our hike we encountered a woman with four young children. She may have been a grandmother (but seemed more like a daycare worker). I thought to myself, “good for you to bring these kids out for a hike in the woods”. It was encouraging to see children enjoying nature.

Later, while in driving through Colvill Park, we saw this same woman with the four children having a picnic lunch. Colvill Park is a large park, with a massive playground, and it struck me that they were the only ones in the park. These four children are very fortunate to have a caretaker who values the out-of-doors.

The flag flies on the top of Barn Bluff.
The sumac was already turning color…oh my!

Soybeans and such

Last week friends from out-of-town came for a visit. We had a great time showing them our new home, the thriving, yet quaint town of Northfield, and some southern Minnesota landscapes.

I noticed this “new to me” mosaic art installment on Bridge Square. From this angle, it frames the original Ames Mill and the dam on the Cannon River.

One of the evenings we were sitting out on our patio enjoying dinner and summer offerings…comfortable weather, sunny, blue skies fading into dusky skies, and no mosquitos!

My friend and I gazing up at the night sky.

My friend and I even laid down on the grass for a while, to watch the stars come out.

This seemed to be a good time to pull up a soybean stalk from the field behind us. I’ve been waiting to do this. I have never seen a soybean plant up close. All summer we have been watching fields of soybeans grow in our “backyard” and I was curious what they looked like.

So, Gary climbed down the small incline and pulled up a plant, roots and all. It was about three feet tall and had several fuzzy little bean pods hanging on the stem.

We put it in a vase of water and stuck it in the corner of our patio for future reference, and for decoration. It’s slowly fading away, but the crop of soybeans in the field behind us is thriving.

A Hummingbird Haiku

A daily affair.
In mornings it comes to drink,
Sipping sweet nectar.

It flutters in place
Near a pot by the glass door,
Bringing much delight.

As it twirls around
Its beauty and its splendor
Makes my world stand still.

Valerie Bollinger 2025

Vintage Band Festival

Last Saturday, at the Vintage Band Festival in Northfield, I wanted to go up to the several young people who were dancing in the street, and tell them to never stop dancing…dance as much as you can…all your life.

I didn’t.

I so enjoyed watching these young folks dancing in sync, not just moving around like we do sometimes. They definitely brought a smile to my face, and many other onlookers (I could tell by their looks!)

Program for the 2025 Vintage Band Festival.

The Vintage Band Festival is a free, annual event, that started in 2006. It alters from a one-day to four-day event. Multiple vintage bands come from all over the Midwest to play on the outdoor stage on Bridge Square.

It’s a very enjoyable event, and last Saturday was a lovely weather day in Minnesota. Prime for an outdoor concert. Folks bring lawn chairs and sit a while (or all day) and listen to the music. Or, it’s great background music for walking around the River Walk Market Fair to shop for locally-grown produce or locally-made handcrafts.

This past Saturday I did both; set up my chair to sit and listen to the music for a while, and I got up in between bands to shop the farmer’s market.

The River Walk Market Fair extended over the 4th Street bridge.

I went home for a break, then Gary and I came back in the afternoon to listen to more music. The festival began at 9 am, and a new band started every hour, on the hour, until 9 pm Saturday night. It’s a popular event in Northfield, and always well attended.

Tin Lizzies

The town of Owatonna, Minnesota hosted the Model T Ford Club’s International 68^th Annual Tour last week.

I don’t know how they choose a location each year, but special events are planned all week for the club, wherever they end up.

The town hosts an evening for the club to display their Model T’s, also known as Tin Lizzies. The cars lined up on Broadway Street in Owatonna, for folks to come and ooh and aah over the classic cars. Most were refurbished and shiny, others had their original patina.

I learned Model T’s were made from 1909 – 1927. They do not all look alike. There were various body styles made, such as sedans, coupes, touring cars and roadsters, plus others.

This was called a Depot Hack – used to pick up passengers and their luggage at train stations…

I always like the whimsical…that the owner put a “stuffed animal” skunk under the wheel was fun!

Cedar Avenue, in downtown Owatonna, was closed off to vehicle traffic that evening. Many market booths and food trucks lined the street. There was a band in Central Park, at the end of Cedar Avenue, where we set up chairs under a shade tree which offered relief on the hot and humid evening. We listened to the music and ate our food we ordered food from a food truck. Later, we found our way to the ice cream shop…

The cars were fun to look at. I took a few photos of the ones I liked best, not knowing anything about them. But I do know, there was a proud owner for each car on display.

I especially liked this round windshield (driver’s side only), with the owner’s goggles hanging on it. It’s hard to see in this photo.

A bright yellow two-seater with riding goggles hanging on a round windshield.

We Shall Overcome

I have been singing We Shall Overcome over and over in my mind since we attended a John Lewis Rally last week, at Ames Park in Northfield. It wasn’t a lengthy rally, but it was a powerful one. We attended the event to lend support for non-discrimination and fair treatment to all human beings. It was a beautiful evening and a good turnout.

There was a short program about John Lewis’ life and a few songs were sung, We Shall Overcome being one of them. And then we marched together, a re-enactment of the ’65 marches in Selma, Alabama in which John Lewis participated. The marches were a non-violent protest against discrimination in the 60’s.

The long line the rally group created was impressive as we walked two abreast over the 5^th Street bridge to downtown’s main street, which was closed off to vehicles. There we linked arms, and walked together four across, to mimic what they did in Selma. We walked down one block on Division Street, through Bridge Square to the Fourth Street bridge.

As we were walking the man linked on my left abruptly ran off to the side and started hugging a man on the sidelines. His wife said he must have seen someone he knew. When he fell back in line, he linked up arms again and explained he noticed the Hispanic man on the sidelines watching us march and he was crying, so he ran up to give him a big hug. I had not noticed the man on the sideline, nor noticed his tears, but I’m glad my line-partner did.

John Lewis’ quotes are words to remember during these unsettling days.

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.”