OUR TRAVELS

It was great to catch up with a friend of Donna's that she worked with at the Federal Reserve Bank - Joe Holkup and his wife Greta.  We had lunch and walked the downtown area.  Thanks again for lunch, Joe and Greta.  They suggested various places to visit while we were in town.  Of course, we hiked several days too. Sioux Falls has a bustling downtown and is being revitalized to attract residents, businesses and tourists.  They sponsor free to the public activities like music in the park, free admission to local museums, and have a terrific trail system along the river for walking and bike riding. The city hosts the largest annual exhibit of public sculptures in the world curated by local artists and art enthusiasts.  The sculptures line the streets of downtown. Sioux Falls was settled by folks from the east coast with the intent to utilize the power from the waterfalls to run mills and factories. View from the top of the Sioux Falls Park observation tour. We went to a few local at

 Here are some pictures of sightseeing in Wisconsin.  We've spent the better part of two months in Wisconsin and have the pictures to show for it.  It's been a great time made better by spending it with family.  Our memories - we will never forget! A wonderful farmer's market in Wausau. Whitewater kayaking in Wausau. Visiting the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and the Janke's Book Store - the oldest bookstore in Wisconsin. Sturgeon Bay, WI and Dells of the Eau Claire (one trailhead for the 1200 mile long Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin). Deer Farm outside of Tomahawk, WI that raises trophy deer for hunting. Grotto garden originally built by a Catholic priest in Rudolph, WI. Devil's Lake outside of Baraboo, WI. Took a trip to Michigan with my sister Bev and her husband Red.  Here are pictures of Agate Falls, Lake Superior, and old home built near the copper mines in Ontonagon, MI. Last but not least, beautiful pictures of wild flowers we saw on our daily hikes and some m

Only in Wisconsin.....can you find New Glarus beer, so we decided to drink as much of it as we could before leaving.  There was a great dive bar called Fathead Steve's in La Crosse, WI where we tried New Glarus Moon Man for the first time.  Donna liked it so much she had it again when eating pizza at Big Al's. La Crosse is in the geological region called the Driftless Area.  The Driftless Area is about 10,000 square miles encompassing parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa.  It's defining characteristic is that it was not covered by the thick ice sheets that came down from Canada numerous times over the past 2.6 million years. Because it was untouched by glaciers, this area's topography is markedly different from the surrounding areas. Rather than have its hills smoothed overs and river valleys filled with glacial sediment or "drift", the Driftless Area retained its rugged ridge and valley topography.   As you can see, it's both beautiful and dis