It’s summer here in the mid-west. We’ve had temps in the 80’s and 90’s, and humidity that sometimes matched those temperatures. One of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer’s night is to be on or near the water, whether it’s a pond, a lake, or a river. So last night we headed over to Hudson, Wisconsin and with our feet in the water, we watched the sun set over the St. Croix River. It was beautiful and delightful, especially with all the sailboats and recreational boats on the river. Afterwards, it seemed only appropriate to finish off the evening with some cool ice cream. We were on the east side of Saint Paul and stopped at the Dari-ette Drive-In. Here you can order from your car or walk up to the window. We ordered our ice cream and sat outside at a table to enjoy the evening. With its neon sign, the flashing ice cream cone, and the lights of the cars going by, I couldn’t help but pull out my camera to photograph one of the last few drive-ins that still exist in the state. If you’re in Saint Paul or passing through, I’d certainly recommend a stop at the Dari-ette Drive-In.
Wisconsin
Sunset over Chequamegon Bay
It was a hot and steamy holiday weekend. We left the rush of the cities behind and headed north to the quiet of the woods and lakes, spending the weekend near the shore of Lake Superior. In the northern part of Wisconsin between the towns of Washburn and Ashland is an inlet of Lake Superior called Chequamegon Bay (pronounced “sha-wahma-gann”). The name comes from the Ojibwe term meaning “sand bar place.” (Those of you that have followed my blog will remember that in the cold of winter we have snowshoed across this bay over the frozen lake.) After a hot and humid day the clouds were beginning to roll in over the hills to the west. The sun had just enough energy left to break through some of the clouds and lend its lengthy reflection to the rippling waters of the lake at it moved below the hills. Wading in the cold waters of Lake Superior and savoring the calm and color that the sunset provided was the perfect way to close out a long summer’s day in the north.
Book Across the Bay, 2010 edition
We’ve just returned from a delightful weekend in Ashland, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior. With a dear friend from Seattle who wanted to experience the fun of a snow-filled winter event, our visit coincided with the 14th annual Book Across the Bay. To celebrate the uniqueness of our upper-midwest winters (and just because we can!) over 3,300 people donned their skis and snowshoes and crossed frozen Chequamegon Bay from Ashland to Washburn, Wisconsin. The distance of 10 kilometers was lit by frozen luminaries, and included warm bonfires on the ice marking each kilometer. After snowshoeing for a bit more than a kilometer, I looked back to photograph this winding curve of luminaries leading to the lights of Ashland. Although the event started under partly cloudy skies at dusk, the clouds cleared as we worked our way across the bay, ending under a bright partial moon and a canopy of stars. The promise of a big party, great friends, and good beer at the finish-line was our incentive to “book” the distance.
Golden autumn colors
By all accounts, it’s been an unusual autumn. We had summer-like weather into late September, then a cold front dipped down from Canada and turned our thermometers past fall and straight to winter and over four inches of snow. After a hard freeze many of us were afraid there would be no autumn color. Although it isn’t as prevalent as usual, there are some brilliant golden colors in the landscape. Yesterday I drove along the St. Croix River, north of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. I was treated to a brilliant display of gold and yellow as the road hugged the side of the river. The sun was setting the leaves aglow — one final hurrah for fall before the white of winter settles in.
Fall apple harvest
One of my favorite bounties of fall is the apple harvest. Whether I was living in Washington state or in Minnesota, there are wonderful and delicious apples that grow in the respective regions. This seems to have been a good year for the apple harvest in the midwest. Although it may be a little bit later than usual, the apple trees are full with their luscious fruit. We ventured north to the shoreline of Lake Superior this weekend nad harvested apples from an old tree belonging to a dear friend. No one knows the type of apple, but everyone agrees that it’s excellent for cooking. So now we’ll put up applesauce to enjoy throughout the cold winter, and we’ll enjoy apple pie and cobbler, apple muffins and turnovers. There’s a wonderful smell wafting from our kitchen!
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