Travel – Page 10 – Valerie's Voice

Wabasha, Minnesota

Many scenes in the 1993 Hollywood movie Grumpy Old Men were filmed in the small river town of Wabasha, Minnesota. It put Wabasha “on the map” and was their claim to fame for a long time. However, there is another cultural highlight in Wabasha…it is home to the National Eagle Center. The organization began in 1989 and built a beautiful building along the scenic Mississippi River in 2006.

Our book club took a field trip to the center one day in July, and it was very interesting.

The bridge in Wabasha, between Minnesota and Wisconsin, over the Mississippi River.

After taking a coffee break at the Chickadee Cottage in Lake City, we happened to arrive at the Eagle Center right before an eleven o’clock presentation. The presenter was very interesting and informative, an educator, and part entertainer! She kept us engaged for an hour and we didn’t want the session to end. She said she could have continued speaking because there is so much to teach about the eagles.

Was’aka, one of the eagle ambassadors. (Our presenter is not in the photo.)

When we spoke to her after the program she told us she became interested in eagles (and sharks!) at a young age so when she retired (from being a lawyer) she felt it was a good time to step in and volunteer at the eagle center. We were fortunate to be a part of her class session.

A few tidbits…eagles weigh only 6-8 pounds, keep their nests very clean by “shooting their poop” out of the nest about eight feet! They get their white feathers about the age of 5, and they do a beautiful cartwheel dance as part of their mating ritual. But there is much more.

My photo of a photograph of two eagles doing a cartwheel dance.

The eagles at the center are there because they no longer can survive on their own in the wild. They get quality care at the center while the researchers study them. The center has a viewing platform and is a great place to spot eagles along the river, especially in the winter because there is open water at this site, and that’s where eagles gather.

During the program an eagle, Was’aka, was brought into the room to show off to the audience.

There are plaques describing each bird on display.

Was’aka is blind in one eye, therefore he cannot hunt for himself. He is beautiful! There were additional eagles available for viewing also, including a golden eagle.

We did succumb to a Grumpy Old Men’s icon and ate lunch at Slippery’s Bar and Grill, apparently made famous by the movie. However, we chose it simply because it was the only place we could eat outside, along the mighty Mississippi. The food was good.

A bench in town depicting the two grumpy old men from the movie: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

Wabasha is little over an hour’s drive from Northfield so it’s an easy day trip and well worth it.

Earthquakes and Fireworks

Bearutiful Santa Barbara: Ocean on one side, mountains on the other.

We were in southern California last week, with our son and his beautiful family, when a 6.4 and 7.1 earthquake hit, on two separate mornings. The significantly high-magnitude earthquakes happened over 100 miles from where we were staying. We didn’t feel any tremors from either one, but a lot of folks in our area did. It was interesting to find out about the earthquakes simply by hearing others talking about their experiences. I’m grateful there were no injuries, and we were safe.

Another event of significance on our visit to southern California was the Independence Day fireworks.

We were able to witness some outstanding fireworks set off over the ocean beach, and we were able to watch them from the rooftop pool area of our hotel, one block away from the water. The rooftop area has incredible 360* views and it was a special place to ouuu and ahhh over the stunning display.

Lemon trees growing in pots…their fragrance is delightful.

Various flowers growing all over the waterfront area added additional color to our 4^th of July trip to Santa Barbara. Here are a few photographs.

Villa Louis

We toured an old historic mansion in southwestern Wisconsin called the Villa Louis. I always enjoy looking at houses…old and new.

A bit of history: The Villa Louis sits on 25 acres along the Mississippi. An original brick house was built in 1843 by Hercules Dousman. He earned his fortune in fur trade, lumber trade and being a “frontier entrepreneur”. Hercules Dousman died in 1868 and his wife (Jane) and their son, Louis, inherited the house.

The side of Villa Louis that faces the Mississippi River.

Louis had it torn down and rebuilt in 1871. Louis died at the young age of 37 and the house was left to his widow and five children who lived in the house until 1913. The estate stayed in the family until the Wisconsin Historical Society acquired it in 1952.

The dining room set up for a 10 year old’s birthday party. Note the photo in the foreground…photos were used to help restore the room to it’s original look.

In the mid-1990’s the Historical Society began a major project restoring the house back to how it looked in the years between 1893 to 1898.

The restoration of this particular home is unique because there is a large collection of historic photographs showing different areas of the house, from the late 1800’s, and they were used to re-create the rooms.

I liked this wallpaper on the main level. It was reprinted for the restoration project.

In addition to the photographs, the historical society acquired 90% of the original furniture. When the family was notified of the restoration project by the historical society, three of the four siblings (the fifth child had died) gave back their possessions, which they inherited when they sold the house. The brochure states the restoration project was “unusually well documented.”

The day we visited was hot and humid so it was great to walk into the air-conditioned mansion…air-conditioned to preserve the antiques. Our young tour guide was knowledgeable and delightful. The photographs and original furniture makes the house feel authentic as you step inside, and step back in time. It was charming and lovely.

A different view of the beautiful dining room.

There are several events that happen at the Villa Louis. One is the annual Villa Louis Carriage Classic, a carriage parade and driving competition, with folks dressed in period costume. That sounds like a fun event.

Postcards

I have a renewed interest in postcards.

A few years ago a colleague started sending me postcards from her destinations on business trips, now she will occasional send one from a fun trip destination. I soon started reciprocating and sent her postcards from places I’d visited.

A postcard I recently received in the mail from a friend.

Postcards do seem like something from the past…something people do not send anymore. They tend to send their own snapshots from their cell phone in an email or text message…and what can be better than that? Immediate messages and up-to-date photos. But postcards can be fun too.

I found the ZITS comic strip below amusing.

I began looking at postcards again while traveling, and I buy one or two to get a different perspective than I get on my iPhone camera but in some places it’s hard to find postcards.

For instance, last week my friend and I went into a variety store in a tourist town and asked “Do you have any postcards?” No was the reply, and it happened a second time at the next store. As we continued down the street we saw a carousal of postcards and stepped into the shop to take a look. There were winter scenes and fall scenes but it was springtime and we were seeing such vibrant spring colors, but then we found a collage print and that would do.

However, the postcards seemed a bit different…a little smaller than normal and the back was blank…no “postage here” or a line separating the message from the address…so we asked the clerk and he said he made the postcards himself (and he worked for the Post Office so he knew the size was OK.) How fun is that? I bought the postcard and sent it off. The personal connection with the photographer made it so much more fun and interesting.

The postcard maker and postal worker. I got permission to post his picture but I didn’t get his name.

I will continue to buy postcards, and send some occasionally…keeping a few postcard stamps available in my purse.

A 100 year commemorative postcard for Rocky Mountain National Park…opened 1915.

A postcard I purchased at a museum store; a drawing by Minnesota artist Adam Turman titled: *Cardinal*

I bought this postcard in Austria featuring a painting entitled Portrait d’Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Woman in Gold),
by Gustav Klimp

Thirty Years

My friend and I celebrated our 30^thannual “girls get-away” this week. We were more like girls when we took our first trip together in 1989, to Seattle. We didn’t know then that this tradition would continue thirty years, without missing a year.

A rabbit sculpture on a river walk along the Mississippi.

She lives in Indiana, I live in Minnesota and at least once a year we get together to catch up on life. We always have a great time; we share stories of our sons (and now grandchildren) and bring each other up to date on our lives, while shopping thrift stores and antique shops, strolling along a river (or being near some type of water), and visiting botanical gardens and/or garden centers. Those activities make up our criteria for where we meet.

A wonderful flower pot in a store front.

We met 37 years ago at church during greeting time (she lived in Minnesota at that time.) I had an infant and she was pregnant with her first child. After her son was born I offered to bring her lunch. I brought tuna fish sandwiches in a brown paper bag! But, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. On almost every trip someone asks if we are sisters…and we have begun to say yes.

May 2019. The Mississippi is to the left.

We were near the Mississippi River this year and the spring greens and blooming trees were spectacular.

A train rolling on tracks along the Mississippi River.

Out the window of a restaurant where we ate dinner one evening.

My attempt to capture the beauty and perspective of this sweeping view of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

We enjoyed sitting on a bench along the river at twilight…this robin stayed with us, first on the ground and then in the tree.

Home Again

We arrived back to an empty house, after helping our son and his family move out of our home, to Colorado. We miss them.

A few haikus about our trip…

Adventure awaits
To Colorado they move
We will miss them so.

Our own caravan
Three vehicles together
All heading westward.

The view of the beautiful apartment complex where our son and family have settled.

Unload, unpack, rest
Moving is a lot of work
They are settled in.

Hiking in the park
The snow starts gently falling
Spring in the Rockies.

The spring/winter beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Three moose on the move
Catching a glimpse through the trees
Many elk and birds.

A few of the many elk we saw in the park, and in town.

Visiting good friends
Retired and moved away
Fun to reconnect.

The Twin Sisters, a view from Ft. Colins, CO. Photo by Jayne L

The house is quiet
The children have moved away
It feels so empty.

Our last day with the grandchildren before their move to CO.

London is…secretive.

Before we left Minnesota we decided on what play we would like to see while we were in London.

A promo for Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” hanging in tube station.

We chose an Agatha Christie murder mystery, The Mousetrap. playing at St. Martin’s Theatre. It happens to be the longest running play in London…It’s first performance was in 1952!

We enjoyed the play and didn’t know “who done it” until the end. I was so worried I would overhear someone talking about the ending… and I didn’t want to know! But I never heard any clues… and we were surprised when the murderer was revealed. I like surprises.

At the end of the play, as the performers were taking their bows, the culprit stepped forward and said now we were all partners in crime…and he asked us not to disclose the secret of “who done it” to anyone, so as to preserve the suspense of the play.

On a street corner in London is this memorial to Agatha Christie, an English author who wrote over 80 mysteries.

This request must work…it’s been playing for 67 years, and we didn’t know “who done it” until the end of the production.

London is…home to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Another place I wanted to visit while in London was St. Paul’s Cathedral. We saw St. Paul’s from on high, from the Sky Garden. St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most famous sights in London. It has a long and rich history. The current cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was built in the 1700’s, but there has been a church on this sight since 604. St. Paul’s is England’s national church. After leaving the Sky Garden we walked towards this majestic building.

Outside the front entrance of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Little did we know it would be closed to tourists that day, however, “if we wanted to participate in an Ash Wednesday service we were invited to enter and join in”. Of course, we would love to participate in a service there, especially for Ash Wednesday!

It was a gift to worship in this magnificent cathedral. There were ongoing services held throughout the day with different leadership. Our sermon happened to be on The Light of the World, a painting by William Holman Hunt, which was hanging right in the cathedral so we were able to see it after the service.

“The Light of the World”, by William Holman Hunt.

There is a lot of symbolism in the painting, which was addressed in the sermon. And Rick Steves explains it this way: “In the dark of night, Jesus – with a lantern, halo, jeweled cape, and crown of thorns – approaches an out-of-the- way home in the woods, knocks on the door, and listens for an invitation to come in.”* It was inspired from Revelations 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”

It was meaningful…and remarkable…and memorable to experience one of Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpieces, and most famous churches, in this way…an authentic worship service.

*Rick Steves London, 2017

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

Passover and FiftyNorth

Last spring, we took a three week road trip to the east coast. One stop was in Washington DC to visit neighbors that used to live next door to us in Northfield. We happen to be in DC during Passover, and they happen to be Jewish, so they invited us to stay in their home and to partake in the Passover meal with them, along with five other people from their synagogue. We were delighted, and excited, to sit down and experience this Seder meal with our Jewish friends.

The cherry blossoms were in bloom in Washington DC.

We were offered Kippahs (caps) to wear, and spent the next five hours at the dinner table with our friends and five wonderful folks we had never met. We ate large amounts of food – most with symbolism attached. We read through prayers and texts, and sang songs that go along with the story of Passover in the Torah (and Old Testament). We enjoyed sweet fellowship while participating in a completely different religious experience than our own. It was wonderful.

Two friends participating in the Passover meal.

So, when the newsletter for FiftyNorth (previously Northfield Retirement Center) came out with its November offerings, one class in particular caught my attention: Jewish Holidays: Backgrounds and Traditions. Stacy Beckwith, a Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, and the Director of the Judaic Studies Program at Carleton College presented it. The class filled, with 25 people attending. The course was a general overview, and well done.

One of the slides from presentation… a picture of a Haggadah from the 14th century. Haggadah is the text book for the Seder meal.

This is the Haggadah we used at our friend’s house.

Another slide from her presentation showing a Seder plate for six symbolic foods.

Our hostess compiled a Seder plate – 6 symbolic foods which include shank bone of lamb, egg, vegetables, two types of bitter herbs and a sweet paste called haroset.

I have attended classes at FiftyNorth but was surprised when I drove into the parking lot for my class on a weekday afternoon, that the main parking lot was full. When I entered the FiftyNorth lobby it, too, was full of people, and there was a rather long line to check-in for all the different activities going on in the center.

FiftyNorth is a very vibrant place for Northfield seniors (seniors defined as age 50 and older, and North as in north – or in, higher than, age 50). It has a lot to offer including informational and fitness classes, a pool, workout equipment, rooms for bridge players or ping pong tournaments etc. In the lobby coffee is always available and tables are set up for puzzles, reading the newspaper, or just visiting. It is stimulating and invigorating place and a real gem for our small town, Northfield.

I was pleased to be in the bustling center this week, learning about Jewish traditions. I was among many others…there for so many different reasons. And that is a good thing.