Exploring – Valerie's Voice

A Library and Cat Yoga

My friend and I spent a day in Cannon Falls, a small-town east of Northfield with about 4,400 people. The town has a trailhead for the Cannon Valley Bike Trail so we are very familiar with the town. We have been there often. After bike rides, one tends to look around the surrounding towns, and occasionally go out to eat, or out for ice cream!

On this winter day we were just exploring the town itself. There were two shops in particular we wanted to check out, but they happened to be closed on Monday and Tuesday. However, we found two other fun stores we had not been to, and there are two great antique shops to browse around in.

A pretty wreath hanging on the door to the library, to invite you in.

While walking up and down main street I mentioned to my friend that the library was really nice. I had been in it a few times. (I like libraries and tend to check them out.) It’s a wonderful library for a small town. This library is unique in that it has a fireplace which makes a cozy place to sit and read a book, or just sit a spell. We decided to go in and take a look.

The lovely sitting area by the fireplace in the Cannon Falls Library.

After enjoying the fire, we looked around. There is creative children’s area, and every time I’ve been in, there is a simple kid’s craft, in a baggie, to take home.

In the community room I noticed a guy rearranging chairs. On the big screen a gal sat poised on a chair with the title Chair Yoga. So I asked about it and he told me chair yoga was a weekly occurrence, about 30 minutes in length, and it was about to start. I looked at my friend and we smiled and nodded in agreement that we’d join in on this chair yoga session.

With the two of us, we made a group of six. We practiced with some friendly women. They explained the not-so-good quality video was taken of the regular instructor who was out on medical leave, so they just taped her leading the practice. You really couldn’t hear her, but we could follow along by watching her.

I didn’t get a photo from the video of the cat, but I dug up this one of our playful, family pet kitty from years ago.

And it was comical. The instructor’s cat was very much a part of the scene. He was very active and fun to watch. He’d jump up on her, crawl over her shoulder and down her leg, jump back down, pounce around the room, and jump back up on her, and then back down to the floor, batting his paws at her feet. This went on the entire time, and she continued to do yoga. It added a special, humorous dimension to this chair yoga practice.

Thirty minutes later we said good-bye to our new friends, who gather at the library three times a week for some form of exercise…a great idea for a library we thought.

We headed off to lunch, smiling all the way…what a serendipitous moment at the Cannon Falls Library…we’re so glad we went with “the flow.”

Time Away

We’ve had some fun adventures on this lengthy (for us) time away from our home in Minnesota. We took a road trip to North Carolina and are staying with our son and his family. The time is going by fast; maybe because it started over the Christmas holidays, and is extending into the New Year. Or maybe because we’re visiting family and grandchildren – that is always special. I always anticipate having all kinds of time to write, but that never proves true for me. I get distracted with the days activities. We are still here, but I’m taking time to write now.

On the front porch at our son’s home in North Carolina.

Initially we had some warm days in North Carolina. We were able to sit on the front porch and drink our morning coffee, and go to a park on a sunny, 75* day and play with the new Stomp Rocket.

We also had a couple warm and sunny days in Georgia, and I wore my sandals while walking along Savannah’s Riverwalk, but now a cold front has come through and it’s a bit chilly…but not as cold as it is back home in Minnesota.

We did take a mini road trip to Savannah, Georgia (a road trip within a road trip!) and enjoyed exploring that lovely, southern city. We had four wonderful days there. One, of many, interesting tidbits from our time in Savannah is from our first afternoon when we drove through the beautiful, historic Bonaventure Cemetery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and located on a scenic bluff on the Wilmington River.

The cemetery has acres of old, interesting tombstones and monuments with mature southern live oak trees with Spanish moss dripping from them, and rough gravel roads that create a very mystical place.

This was not your typical manicured cemetery, but it was eerily peaceful in the late afternoon as we drove around.

Rod iron gates around clusters of marble and granite tombstones, large and tall monuments, cement angel and crosses, and all manner of cemetery props are within its gates with mature trees and other greenery.

On our way out we stopped at the info center just outside the cemetery where someone commented on our Minnesota license plates. He stated we’re a long way from home and asked what part of Minnesota we were from? “Northfield,” I said. And he said, “we are too!” Two couples from our hometown had just toured the cemetery. It was a fun moment.

Red Rocks Park

While in Colorado we looked for outdoor areas to explore. Red Rocks Park came to our attention so we took the grandchildren along for another adventure.

Driving into the park, through a red rock.

Red Rocks Park is known for it’s naturally formed, world-famous open-air amphitheater.

Looking down from on top of the amphitheater.

This amphitheater is surrounded by huge, beautiful red rock outcroppings which provide natural acoustics and amazing ambience for the amphitheater.

The natural outcropping on one side of the theater.

The other side of the theater lined with red rock outcroppings.

We had not heard of this gem and little did we know how famous it was for its concerts (including big name bands and orchestras) and how long it has been in use. It opened in 1941. The Beatles performed there in 1964.

On stage, looking out into the bleacher seating.

A natural shelf in the red rocks behind the stage area.

The grandchildren wanted to walk down the many flight of stairs to the “stage area”. We did, and then hiked back up.

There were people sightseeing, and some locals were using the rows of stone bleachers for their exercise routine. The capacity of the theater is 9,525 seats!

It’s hard to get perspective of the vastness of this theater that has 9,525 seats.

Another look down to the stage, and beyond.

The amphitheater is in the Red Rocks Park, which also has hiking and biking trails.

When I mentioned how we enjoyed Red Rocks Park to a friend who previously lived in Colorado, I learned she and her husband had attended a couple of concerts at the amphitheater. I hope to attend some day, when concerts can resume in this beautiful outdoor venue.

Looking up from the stage area into the bleacher seats.

While on a different hike in the foothills near Boulder, Colorado we came upon another outdoor amphitheater called the Sunrise Amphitheater. This was not nearly as elaborate but it was built in a beautiful setting facing east and meant for folks to come and watch the sunrise.

Sunrise Amphitheater overlooking Boulder, CO.

Another thing to do next time we’re in Colorado…

London is…fun to explore.

After two days of graduation activities we started exploring the different sights we wanted to see while we were in London.

The “Walkie Talkie” building and an iconic double decker bus.

One highlight for me was the Sky Garden on top of the skyscraper nicknamed the “Walkie Talkie” (because that is what the building looks like).

A view of the Sky Garden on the 35th floor of the”Walkie Talkie” building, which offers scenic overlooks of London.

The elevator quickly brought us to the 35^thfloor, to the viewing platform where you see terrific views of London from on high. There is also an indoor garden on top, which was very pleasant.

On a side note – I asked a question of a man standing next to me looking out over London, and after talking awhile I found out he grew up in Northfield! And the amazing thing is, the last time I was in London in 2013, when I was still working at St. Olaf, a student recognized me on a street corner in London, and came up to talk with me. It’s a small world.

Outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. The Queen was not in this day.

On this trip we also visited Borough Market, the oldest fruit-and-vegetable market serving the current community for over 800 years, but it started in a different location over 1,000 years ago*. There were many stalls with all different types of food offerings, in addition to fruits and vegetables. It was a great place to walk around and buy lunch before going to the Sky Garden.

We also walked to Buckingham Palace, toured Westminster Abbey, rode the London Eye and went to the Natural History Museum.

A partial view of the front of Westminster Abbey (north).

Inside the north door of Westminster Abbey.

The London Eye is a “revolving observation wheel.” The glass enclosed capsules move slowly and continuously. As a capsule reaches the bottom platform there are two sides: on one side people enter the capsule and on the other side people exit the capsule, without it stopping. It’s an interesting experience and offers more unique views of London. It is on the Thames River.

The Natural History Museum is mammoth (it holds 50 million specimens) and is housed in a beautiful Victorian, Neo-Romanesque building that was built in the 1870’s specifically for the museum. Although it’s been awhile since I’ve toured a natural history museum, which I enjoy, seeing this magnificent building was the highlight of the museum for me. It was stunning.

The magnificent Natural History Museum building.

An interior door in the Natural History Museum.

The kids looking at a display in the Natural History Museum.

Additional Photos:

The changing of the Horse Guards, a daily ceremony before heading to Buckingham Palace.

A view of the Tower of London, along the River Thames, from the Sky Garden.

*Rick Steves London, 2017