Over a year ago, in November 2020, the Archer House River Inn in Northfield was destroyed by fire.
Going… (photo by cb)
This month, it has finally been taken down. It took over a year to set things in motion to dissemble this historic inn that was on the National Register of Historic Places. It took a few weeks for the demolition to be complete.
Going…
It was a sad sight to see on a daily basis in Northfield’s downtown. The area is now cleared out, but a “hole” remains on Division Street (the main street), and in resident’s hearts. What will replace the beloved hotel remains to be determined.
My Christmas Cactus is blooming. It doesn’t bloom often, and it doesn’t bloom at Christmas, so I wonder about the name!
This beautiful plant was a slip given to me from a friend’s cactus, and there is a story.
My Christmas Cactus in bloom.
My friend’s grandmother brought the “mother plant” along with her, when she immigrated from Alesund, Sweden in the late 1800’s.
She traveled to the United States, by herself, from Sweden to meet up with her future husband who had settled in Friberg Township, in northern Minnesota. Several other Swedish immigrants settled in the area and they built a Baptist Church, which is still standing. My friend’s grandparents had 10 children and gathered together for a family photo on their 50th wedding anniversary, in 1936.
My friend, Kay, holding a photo taken in 1936, of her extended family. Her grandparents, their ten children and their children’s children.
Kay’s mother is holding Kay in her lap…Kay was the baby at the time of the photo.
Just like this Swedish immigrant family, my Christmas cactus has many family members because many slips have been cut and replanted from the mother cactus…
I’m happy to have this succulent. Even when it’s not in bloom it has interesting foliage and is a pleasant green all year long.
We walked along the Atlanta Ocean in January, and five weeks later we walked along the Pacific Ocean. We spent some time with our older son and his wife and two children on the California Coast. It was lovely, sunny, and in the 60-70’s. Here are some photos from our time there.
We grabbed a blanket, with coffee in hand, to watch the sunrise every morning.
Sunrise, our first morning.
We walked to the playground with an ocean view to let the grandchildren play.
The playground.
We would see dolphins swimming off shore, and picturesque sailboats sailing by.
A mosaic tile art piece mounted on a cement fence.
A lone sailboat.
A sailboat race.
We went on a sunset cruise and saw sea lions, and another beautiful sunset.
Lil’ Toot: our boat, and captain, for our sunset cruse.
Sea lions.
Sunset, our third evening, from Lil’ Toot.
My granddaughter and I made fresh lemonade from the lemons off a lemon tree.
Fresh lemons!
Beautiful Bird-of-Paradise in bloom.
Gary and I walked along the beach, in my fancy boot (for my injured foot)!
150 concrete steps down to the beach (and back up!)
The beach and rocky shoreline – low tide rising.
The waves.
We sat by the firepit and watched the sun set every night.
Sunset, our first evening.
Lingering light from a sunset.
Sunset, the second evening.
The colors of the sunset reflecting in the east.
We enjoyed our time together, and making memories.
And once again, it was hard to come back to Minnesota’s cold weather, but spring is coming.
Last week I was helping a friend with farm chores and while pulling apart a horse’s allotment of hay and spreading it in her little shed, she came up behind me and started to eat, but then got spooked and bolted, knocking me over and stepping on my foot!
My friend helped me up and into a sled and took me back to the house. We immediately elevated my foot and put ice on it. It was my left foot so I could drive home thankfully. That evening I continued the routine of elevating and icing it.
My fashionable boot.
The next morning, I went to get x-rays and they sent me home with a CAM (Control Ankle Movement) boot. I was grateful I didn’t need surgery.
After a follow-up with the orthopedic doctor he concluded I had a bad contusion on my foot and ankle, with a possible hair-line fracture on my foot (not clearly shown on an x-ray) and I can proceed with all activities when I’m able and it’s comfortable. I’m grateful for that good news.
My favorite comment came from an acquaintance who asked me about my foot. She told me she’s had horses all her life and asked me not to hold this incident against the horse. I laughed, and said I won’t.
After my foot heals, I’ll go back to helping with chores. I love the animals and I like being out in the country and helping with farm chores.
Jones Street is touted to be the “prettiest street” in Savannah (in America, some say). We learned it was within walking distance of our hotel. The Crystal Beer Parlor, a recommended restaurant we wanted to try, was also on one end of Jones Street.
Cobblestone walk…
Jones Street
So late one afternoon we took off to walk along Jones Street, all the while the song “On the street where you live” from the movie My Fair Lady kept playing in my mind. That, too, was a pretty street, if I recall.
Quaint, antique looking light fixtures on front porches.
Live oaks on Jones Street.
Jones Street was lined with colorful row houses and beautiful architecture, attractive stairways, cobblestone sidewalks, inviting rod-iron gates to gaze into patio gardens, live oak trees with branches hanging over the sidewalks and streets, dripping with Spanish moss…it was very picturesque.
Lots of rod iron…
A peek into a patio garden….
Color…
We walked up and down Jones Street before going to eat at the Crystal Beer Parlor, another gem in Savannah. The beer parlor has history in Savannah. It originally was a corner grocery store. Then, during prohibition, it made moonshine in the cellar and became a “speakeasy”. When prohibition ended it became one of the first restaurants in Savannah to serve liquor, and has been doing so ever since, along with delicious food.
The Crystal Beer Parlor.
We had a wonderful time at the Crystal Beer Parlor. We had a fun and competent waiter, we split the night’s special of shrimp and grits, which was unbelievably tasty, and we shared a yummy peach cobbler for dessert.
It seemed apropos that we end our time in Savannah on the prettiest street and with a great dining experience.
A beautiful building, not a home, near Jones Street. Maybe apartments?
The morning of our second day in Savannah, Georgia, Gary and I were the only two people in line for a tour of the historic Davenport House.
The Davenport House.
The Davenport House was built in 1820 by Isaiah Davenport, and is a beautiful example of Federal-Style architecture. He built the house for his large family, but also to demonstrate and promote his carpentry skills.
I took this photo in the Davenport House because it reminded me of the canopy bed my dad made for me when I was a little girl.
Our docent was knowledgeable and happy to share information on the house and family with just the two of us.
A lovely staircase in the Davenport House.
We only toured this one historic house while in Savannah, although there are many others. I do enjoy touring houses.
The JW Marriott hotel in Savannah, Georgia.
After our tour, we told our docent that we were going to the Riverwalk next. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We asked her if there was anything in particular we should look for, and she suggested the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel. She informed us the manager/owner of the JW was a collector and had some of his collections on display. But she didn’t tell us what the collections were.
“OK, thanks, we’ll look for it.” And so we did.
One, of several, geodes on display at the JW in Savanna.
The JW Marriott’s are luxury hotels. The JW Marriot in Savannah was built on the site of an old electric power plant. You could see part of the electric plant’s antique workings exposed on one wall. The modern hotel covers a lot of ground, using the space for conference rooms, ballrooms, restaurants, hotel rooms, etc.
A hanging light fixture made of amethyst in a conference room off the lobby.
It was difficult finding the right door. Of course, lobbies of hotels should be not hard to find, but we found we were coming from the opposite side of a very big complex. It took us several attempts, going through different doors, to find the lobby. But we persisted, and we were glad we did.
A perspective as to the size of the geode on display.
We found the collections the docent was talking about. Among other antique artifacts, there was a large collection of geodes…stunning geodes…from all over the world.
Another perspective showing the size of this amethyst, found in Brazil.
We enjoyed oohing and ahhing over the splendor and sizes of the geodes, all the while hearing a pianist in the background, playing a grand piano in the lobby of this luxury hotel.
An overview of the piano player and display cases in the lobby of the JW.
I’m so glad we found this display on the Riverwalk. We would have never gone inside this hotel if we had not asked a “local” for suggestions of things to see. We did not find this lobby listed in any tour guide book.
A citrine geode. The sign said this is one of the largest in existence and took years to prepare for display. It was found in Brazil.
A side view of the citrine geode…ordinary gray rock on the outside, surrounding stunning crystals on the inside.
We often do that… ask a local… and we find hidden treasures, in unexpected places.
Our first full day in Savannah we took off on a self-guided walking tour and were determined to walk to every “square” in Savannah’s historic district. There are 24 squares…a square is a large block of green-space in the middle of neighborhoods, all with trees, some with fountains or statues, benches or gardens.
Oglethorpe Square. James E. Oglethorpe was the founder of the Georgia colony, and a champion of the oppressed.
They are laid out very orderly and each one a few blocks from the other. After eight miles of walking, we accomplished our goal.
Another Square in Savannah.
We took a photo of each sign at each square. We’d stop to rest at times, read history plaques, drink a cup of coffee, enjoy a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful, sunny day and a nice temperature for walking. It gave us a great overview of the historic district in Savannah.
The John Mercer house. John Mercer was a popular figure from Savannah. He was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer. He was also a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records. His house was featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Warren Square sign with a lime green lizard (Green Anole).
In the afternoon we stopped for ice cream (of course!) at a wonderful little shop we walked past, and found it to be a long standing, well-known ice cream parlor, with wonderful treats.
A delicious Southern Socialite flavor at Leopold’s Ice Cream.
As we were waiting for the walk sign to change so we could cross the street to Leopold’s Ice Cream, I read a plaque on the building we were next to. It happened to be the old department store where, in 1960, black students led by the NAACP Council staged sit-ins at white-only lunch counters in eight downtown stores. Three students, were arrested in the Azalea Room at this Levy’s Department Store – now a SCAD’s (Savannah’s College of Art and Design) library. We didn’t remember sit-ins took place in Savannah. It was interesting to see the building where one took place.
The previous Levy Department Store, now a library for SCAD (Savannah College of Arts and Design).
We returned to our hotel, happy and exhausted. Each day I loved climbing the stairs to the second floor where our room was located. It was an older hotel and it had a lovely wooden staircase. Each time I climbed it I imagined myself in an old southern mansion. It added amusemnt to our stay.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we stopped at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky on our way home from North Carolina. I had heard about this museum, and, since it was not too far off our route, we decided to stop and check it out.
This forest scene is probably my favorite quilt.
It did not disappoint, however I thought it would be larger and Gary thought it would be smaller, but it was just right.
Another favorite quilt….
This national museum displays, and collects, contemporary quilts…made within the last thirty years. There are no antique or restored quilts here.
And another…
In the main gallery there are several astonishing quilts to peruse. What craftsmanship…
What artistic ability…
What creativity…
We learned a few quilts are changed out every few weeks in the main gallery, so the exhibit is constantly changing.
There were various quilts on display. All lovely…
All intricate…
Another favorite…
All interesting…
All spectacular…
All different…
There were temporary exhibits too, which were interesting and fun to see. One was an exhibit of quilts students K-12 had made, as their first attempt at quilting.
There was an exhibit of miniature quilts.
This is a miniature quilt. A miniature quilt has to be 24″x24″ or less. I think most were 12″x12″.
There were two temporary exhibits by two different textile artists.
Special exhibit: Valerie C. White “Roots and Refuge”
Another piece by Valerie C. White. I liked this one because we saw Guinea Fowl in Africa and I loved their polka dot feathers.
Quilts are truly works of art. We both enjoyed this stop. It was worth our time to stretch our legs, relax, and enjoy exquisite artistry of quilt making.
We left North Carolina early Thursday morning to start our journey back to Minnesota. We planned a new route home, because we wanted to see a part of Mississippi.
Welcome to Mississippi.
We wanted to stop there because there are only two states I do not recall having been in…Idaho and Mississippi. Since Mississippi seemed a reasonable distance to include on our trip home (Idaho, of course, was not!) we decided it would be fun to stay overnight in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Road maps.
Therefore, on Thursday we drove from North Carolina, through South Carolina, through Georgia and through Alabama to Mississippi. We stopped at the birthplace of Elvis, a must-see attraction in Tupelo, before checking into our hotel…then we went out for dinner. It was a pleasant day.
The house where Elvis Presley was born, in Tupelo, Mississippi.
The clouds put on a pretty display for a pleasant evening in Mississippi.
The next morning we drove on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444 mile national scenic byway, that goes through three states.
Directional sign.
The road roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace” a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, European settlers, slave traders, soldiers and a few presidents. It has a lot of history to tell, dating back to the late 1700’s.
A scenic two-way parkway, with little traffic.
Natchez Trace Parkway.
We drove on the parkway for thirty miles before getting off to head towards Kentucky. There was another attraction we wanted to see on our way back to Minnesota…the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.
A wonderful museum in Paducah, Kentucky.
A step inside the quilt museum.
The quilt museum was interesting. I have more thoughts and photos to share in an upcoming post.
Our third morning was a bit different than the others. We spent the night near St. Louis, Missouri, and woke up to a snowstorm (unusual amounts expected for this part of the country). We got an early start, but it was slow going the first few hours, until we drove out of the storm and the roads cleared up.
Snow-packed road conditions as we traveled north through Missouri. Fortunately there was not a lot of traffic.
As we checked out that morning in St. Louis, the clerk at our hotel gave us a blessing for our safety while traveling through the snow…she was a kind-hearted woman and a delight. It felt right, and special, to start our journey that day with her blessing.
Heavy snow-cover along the side of the road.
A Minnesota winter scene.
We were thankful we made it back to Minnesota safely.
It was hard leaving North Carolina Thursday morning. We arrived in North Carolina before Christmas, to visit our son, his wife and their two children.
Santa’s reindeer.
Making Christmas cookies.
Together, we celebrated Christmas. We were there for the new year, and the grandkid’s winter break from school, and also for a time after they returned to school. We had a lot of fun together.
A picnic at the nature preserve.
At the nature preserve.
Hedgehog craft project from pinecones we found at the nature preserve.
It was so good to be there, to catch up with our son and daughter-in-love, and to see our grandchildren so happy in their new home, and thriving.
Playing on playgrounds.
Polishing toenails.
It was difficult to say good-bye as they headed out for school and we headed out for our three-day journey back to Minnesota. We already miss them…their excitement and smiling faces.
