Category: Great Lakes Road Trip

michigan’s lower peninsula: “the mitten”

wanderessence1025 April 13, 2022

We explored Michigan as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. This video covers Michigan’s lower peninsula, affectionately referred to as “the Mitten” (see map below).

The Michigan Mitten is all about eclectic folksy inns; tunnels of trees; expansive sand dunes; famous authors like Hemingway, Bruce Catton, and Jim Harrison; lighthouses; weathered fish shanties; cherry orchards and grape vineyards; megachurches and the American Taliban; presidential museums; Henry Ford and the automobile; the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; and obscure battlefields.

After crossing the Mackinac Bridge over the Straits of Mackinac, we: cruised through the Tunnel of Trees to Petoskey; enjoyed the thatch houses at Charlevoix; hiked the Cottonwood Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; enjoyed a lovely dinner at The Cove in Leland, with views of weathered shanties on the Fishtown dock. We drove by Jim Harrison’s old home — writer’s cottage and all, and then cruised through cherry orchards and wineries up the slim Old Mission Peninsula, where we found another lighthouse. We came face-to-face with the DeVos evangelical mission in Holland, wandered the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (which was sadly closed due to COVID), and endured a bad experience with our Airbnb in Detroit, which turned out to be in the derelict Hamtramck neighborhood, and lost most of our money. We wandered through Ann Arbor and watched In the Heights at the Michigan Theater. We learned about the history of cars and American innovation at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. After dropping Mike at the Detroit airport, I went on to learn about an obscure battle in the War of 1812 at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park: “Remember the Raisin!”

Our top ten experiences in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula were:
10) Cross Village & the Tunnel of Trees
9) Grand Haven and the Tri-Cities Historical Museum
8) Grand Rapids and the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
7) Petoskey
6) Charlevoix
5) Dearborn: The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village
4) Ann Arbor: the charming town & the University of Michigan
3) The Old Mission Peninsula: cherry orchards, wineries, & lighthouses
2) Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
1) Leelanau Peninsula: Leland, Fishtown, and Jim Harrison’s old home

Michigan road trip 2021

“The Mitten”

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michigan’s upper peninsula to mackinac island

wanderessence1025 April 6, 2022

We explored Michigan as the last part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. This video covers the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (see map below).

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac. It is bounded primarily by Lake Superior to the north and flanked by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan along much of its south. Residents are nicknamed Yoopers (derived from “UP-ers”) and have a strong regional identity, enhanced by the perception that the rest of the state neglects them.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is all about Pictured Rocks, huge ships going at a snail’s pace through the Soo Locks, lighthouses, “yoopers,” waterfalls, shipwrecks, Lake Superior, and pasties.

We visited the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba and the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in Marquette, watched The Sand Lot on a big screen at the Delft Bistro, and explored Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Sable Falls, and the Au Sable Lighthouse Trail (accompanied by black flies and mosquitoes aplenty) at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We went on a 2-hour sunset cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises after eating pasties at Muldoon’s Pasties. We found “Yoosta be a Yooper” bumper stickers in Munising. We visited waterfalls in Munising and Tahquamenon (rhymes with Phenomenon) Falls State Park, the Edmund Fitzgerald and other shipwrecks at Whitefish Point’s Shipwreck Museum and a ship moving glacially through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. We enjoyed a leisurely bicycle ride around Mackinac Island and crossed the Straits of Mackinac on the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, known as the “Mighty Mac.”

Our top eight experiences in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were:

8) Crossing the Mackinac Bridge
7) Escanaba
6) Marquette
5) Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks
4) Whitefish Point and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
3) Tahquamenon Falls State Park
2) Bicycling all over Mackinac Island
1) Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising: Pictured Rocks Cruises, Miners Beach, Miners Falls & pasties!

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

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a wisconsin road trip: of apostle islands & cheeseheads

wanderessence1025 March 23, 2022

We explored Wisconsin as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Wisconsin is all about scenic Rt. 13, the charming town of Bayfield, the murals of Ashland, lakes, freshwater fishing, boating, sandstone formations, maritime history, dairy cows, cheese & cheese curds, beer, bratwurst and fish boils. It is about walks along the Mississippi and the Milwaukee Rivers and Lake Superior. It is about the University of Wisconsin in Madison, locks and dams, charming villages, grottoes and smoked fish.

We cruised through Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on a cold and blustery day, searched for waterfalls at Copper Falls State Park, climbed inside of a giant sturgeon at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, stopped for a beer flight at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls, and paid our respects to veterans at the High Ground on Memorial Day, topped off by an old-fashioned Chinese meal at Shaw Lee in Wisconsin Rapids. We strolled through Witches Gulch and watched a dog jump over an abyss at Stand Rock in Wisconsin Dells. We climbed the steep boulder-strewn trail at Devil’s Lake State Park to the Devil’s Doorway. We enjoyed a Bodega Bowl in the shadow of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, and wandered around the stunning University of Wisconsin campus. We meandered down State Street and enjoyed dumplings at Chen’s Noodles & Dumplings. We munched on cheese curds and beer at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. We wandered through the “Streets of Old Milwaukee” and the European Village and learned about Nelson Mandela at the Milwaukee Public Museum. We glimpsed all-things-beer including Miller Brewing and the Pabst Mansion, then met “the Fonz” on the Riverwalk. We explored the Public Market and the Historic Third Ward. We learned about maritime history in Sturgeon Bay and walked along limestone bedrock fronting Lake Michigan at Cave Point County Park. We witnessed a conflagration and ate whitefish at a fish boil at Pelletier’s in Fish Creek. We soaked up a stunning sunset at Sunset Beach at Fish Creek. And finally, we donned cheeseheads and did the “Lambeau Leap” at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Our top ten experiences in Wisconsin were:
10) Green Bay – Lambeau Field
9) Dickeyville Grotto
8) Hayward Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum
7) Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls
6) Wisconsin Dells
5) Devil’s Lake State Park: The Balanced Rock Trail
4) Milwaukee : Milwaukee Public Museum, Riverwalk, the Historic Third Ward & the Milwaukee Public Market
3) Madison: University of Wisconsin, State Street, & the Wisconsin State Capitol
2) Apostle Island National Lakeshore: Apostle Islands Cruises (The Grand Tour)
1) Door County: Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Fish Creek & Pelletier’s Nightly Fish Boil, & Cave Point County Park

Our Wisconsin route

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minnesota {points north}

wanderessence1025 March 9, 2022

We explored Minnesota as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Northern Minnesota is all about Lake Superior and the shipping, mining, lumber and fur trading industries. It is about voyageurs and outdoorsmen: canoe paddlers, campers and traders. It is about 12,000 lakes, pictographs at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), aerial lift bridges, the charming Stillwater on the St. Croix River, and ruins of a 130-year-old sandstone quarry along the Kettle River. It is about Frank Lloyd Wright gas stations, railroad museums, and famous football players such as Bronko Nagurski. It is about Dorothy Molter, aka the Root Beer Lady.

In Duluth, we watched the James R. Barker, the first 1000-foot class vessel constructed entirely on the Great Lakes in 1976, pass through the Aerial Lift Bridge, which spans the Duluth Ship Canal. The 1,000-ton central span rises 138 feet like an elevator to let ships enter the harbor. We saw a huge collection of rolling stock at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. And returning to Duluth after our exploration of the North Shore, we enjoyed a seaplane ride over the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes, with views of the Aerial Lift Bridge and the surrounding metro area. To top it all off, we had dinner at Bridgeman’s, a mid-century modern diner complete with a Friday night fish fry and a raspberry hot fudge wonder.

Here are my top ten favorite experiences of northern Minnesota:

10) hiking the Quarry Loop Trail at Banning State Park
9) Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
8) dinner at the iconic Bridgeman’s in Duluth
7) Stillwater, the charming self-proclaimed “Birthplace of Minnesota”
6) Voyageur’s National Park and the Arrowhead Lodge
5) Palisade Head on the North Shore
4) Tettegouche State Park
3) Duluth and the Aerial Lift Bridge: watching the huge cargo ships go through the bridge
2) Canoeing on Hegman Lake in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)
1) Seaplane tour of Duluth with Beaver Air

our complete Minnesota road trip

road trip through northern Minnesota (detail)

If you’d like to subscribe to my YouTube channel, you can find it here: Cathy Dutchak YouTube Channel.

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minnesota {points south}

wanderessence1025 February 23, 2022

We explored Minnesota as part of our Great Lakes Road Trip in May-June of 2021. Our explorations included Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Southern Minnesota was all about marine art, the birthplace of waterskiing, and the world’s largest 16-foot-tall work boot. It was about SPAM, the Jolly Green Giant, horizontal landscapes of endless farmland, Blue Mounds, Pipestone quarries and the Indian pipes made from them, Sioux quartzite, and invisible petroglyphs. It was a land of German towns, waterfalls, and the Mississippi River. It was also about reconciliation in Mankato and a bank robbery by the notorious James-Younger gang in Northfield.

In Minneapolis, we strolled through sculpture gardens, across old stone bridges, and under signs for Gold Medal Flour and Pillsbury’s Best Flour. We cruised through the University of Minnesota, bicycled around lakes in Minneapolis, and sang to musical murals. We browsed the Minnesota History Museum and learned about iron ore, lumber, the collapse of Interstate 35 in 2007, Minnesota blizzards & tornadoes, and Sinclair Lewis. We paid our respects to George Floyd, Prince and Bob Dylan, peeked into the On Being studio, and met Charlie Brown and the gang in St. Paul.

Here are my top ten favorites of southern Minnesota (The Twin Cities & south):

10) George Floyd Square in Minneapolis
9) Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona
8) Pipestone National Monument
7) The charming town of Northfield and the Northfield Historical Society Museum
6) The SPAM Museum in Austin
5) Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
4) Blue Mounds State Park near Luverne
3) Bikeride around Minneapolis lakes
2) Minnesota History Museum in St. Paul
1) Murals of Minneapolis (especially Prince, Bob Dylan & the Music Wall)

Here’s the map of our route in 2021. I’ll cover the northern part of Minnesota in another video.

Our Minnesota Road Trip

Minnesota {points south}

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twenty twenty-one: from insurrection to omicron

wanderessence1025 January 3, 2022

Twenty twenty-one was: A year of insurrections, the inauguration of a new president, and the impeachment of an ex-president, sadly without a conviction. A year of justices, injustices and utter lack of justice. A year of glimmers of hope that we were emerging from our pandemic due to availability of a vaccine and a booster, thwarted by two Greek letter variants: Delta and Omicron, and by people who either refused to do their part for the common good or were unable to access the vaccine. A year of continued attempts to heal my laryngopharyngeal reflux including some unpleasant tests and a partial laproscopic fundoplication. A partial year of working on the mind-body connection with The Cure for Chronic Pain and Curable. A year of a molar implant and a crown. A year of walking outdoors and yoga practice. A year of a “Great Lakes Road Trip” through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan; a two-week trip to Croatia; and a long weekend in Boston. A year of our eldest son coming home to live with us and returning to college in data science. A year of my daughter making prepared meals for a market, a long-time dream of hers. A year of our youngest son continuing to live in Nicaragua. A year of flags commemorating those dead from Covid, a lavender farm, and “Les Colombes” (The Doves) at the Cathedral. A year of continuing to wear a mask everywhere and to keep the requisite social distance. A year off from blogging, a much-needed break, but still not accomplishing much. A year of favorite movies: The Dig, Nomadland, Minari, Summer of Soul, Mama Weed, Stillwater, Coda, Belfast, King Richard, and Don’t Look Up. A year of favorite books: A Reckoning by May Sarton, The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna, The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose. Read 57/52 books for the year (My Year in Books: 2021). A year in which the word of the year was vaccine, or “vax.”

My year in books

January was: A month of three “I”s: insurrection, impeachment and inauguration on three consecutive Wednesdays. A month of dark energy, white supremacy, hatred, violence – all an inflection point in U.S. history, outcome as yet unknown. A month of fires in the fireplace and games of Scrabble, Ticket to Ride and Yahtzee. A month where snow fell on the last day after a two-year snow drought. A month of walks in the neighborhood, around Reston lakes, in Eakin Park, and along the Glade Trail. A month where Poonam tripped on tree roots and couldn’t get up. A month of coconut water, chocolate, hot cocoa and hot water with honey. A month of lobster rolls, chili dogs, and Vietnamese food. A month of haircuts, hair straightening, and pedicures. A month of Adam breaking up with Anna and getting baptized in the name of Jesus in Nicaragua. A month of Luxor and The Dig. A month of Sarah beginning to create dishes to sell in Shields Market and working more at Soul ‘n Vinegar. A month of the Wolf Moon and bitter winds and sunshine. A month of hiking boots, umbrellas and warm woolly sweaters. A month dreaming about Minnesota, and reading Educated and The Coast of Good Intentions. A month of frantic tweeting, doomscrolling, celebrating Trump getting suspended from Twitter, and getting myself suspended temporarily from Facebook. A month of dreams about caravans of actors in a lost world after a “Georgian flu” pandemic. A month of signing up and waiting not-too-patiently for the ever-elusive COVID vaccine. A month of new coronavirus mutations from Spain, U.K., South Africa and Brazil. A month of Bernie memes with woolen mittens. A month of normalcy restored in our government.

Insurrection

Impeachment

“Unity is the path.”

February was: A month of snow mixed with rain and ice, a month of messy whiteness, slippery paths and bitter cold. A month of drab landscapes, naked brittle trees, biting winds, misery and gloom. A month, too, of hope, with the Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Darina’s birthday, Mike’s birthday, and getting the first shot of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. A month when the groundhog saw his shadow, foretelling six more weeks of winter. A month of winter storms and a deep freeze in Texas with millions losing power and water, while Senator Ted Cruz took off for Cancún and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) went to Texas and raised millions of $$ for suffering Texans. A month of reading about Wisconsin: thousands of small lakes, Great Lakes, cheese curds, fish fries, fish boils, hiking, biking and canoeing. A month of getting exposed to COVID, but NOT getting infected (I always wear a mask indoors). A month of movies including Sophie Scholl, where the heroine was loaded like a torpedo into a guillotine; Hemingway and Gellhorn, where writers immersed themselves in the Spanish Civil War; of Two for the Road, The Song of Sparrows and Nomadland, which reminded me of Adam and his “van life.” A month of Yahtzee and Ticket to Ride and fires in the fireplace and sushi from Ariake and chili rellenos from Anita’s Mexican. A month of Sarah getting exposed to COVID at Joe’s (but testing negative) and enjoying creating meals for Shields Market. A month when Adam moved to Managua and drank too much over Anna, with whom “things are complicated.” A month of chili dogs and Pad Thai for Lunar New Year. A month of Republican senators failing to hold Trump accountable for inciting insurrection on January 6, by acquitting him in a “mock” trial. A month of French toast with brioche, triple sec and blood orange for Shrove Tuesday. A month when I met virtually with a new gastroenterologist, Dr. Emil Valle, who ordered some unpleasant tests. A month of a physical, an eye exam and visits to my dentist and oral surgeon. A month of slogs through the muddy trails at Mason Neck State Park (the Bay View Trail), where we talked by phone to Alex, saw Belmont Bay and crossed boardwalks over freshwater marshes. A month of walking on the Woodmarsh Trail at Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw migrating tundra swans in the Great Marsh off the Potomac River on a rare 50 degree day for Mike’s 67^th birthday. A month under the Snow Moon. A month where we finished Normal People and Crash Landing on You. A month where I had my first Zoom chat with Darina and a Zoom chat with my friend Jayne in Jersey. A month utterly absorbed in Station Eleven, and also enjoying Vinegar Hill and Cruising Paradise. A month of finishing 5 books, making my total for the year 12/52. A month of the U.S. hitting and surpassing 500,000 COVID deaths.

Amanda Gorman’s words

walking in the snow

Senate acquits Trump again

500,000 covid deaths

Mike’s 67th birthday

Mike at Mason Neck State Park

Mason Neck State Park

March was: A month of lengthening days, greening grasses and leaves, rain, sunshine, wind, warmth and cold. A month of daffodils, forsythia, crab apples, weeping cherries, grape hyacinths, & cherry blossoms. A month under the Worm Moon. A month of a successful molar implant & crown (#30). A month of fires in the fireplace and games of Scrabble where I chalked up one victory. A month where I endured a horribly uncomfortable Esophageal Function Test and a 24-Hour Ambulatory pH and Impedance test. A month where the Democrats passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. A month of getting my second COVID vaccine (Pfizer) and Sarah getting both of hers. A month during which March 11 marked one year since COVID was declared a pandemic. A month commemorating Japan’s tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster of 10 years ago. A month of outdoor dining at Kalypso and Ariake. A month of walks around Burke Lake and too many other walks to count, several with Poonam. A month of an ultrasound on my thyroid, which was normal. A month of searching for and buying bedroom furniture after 32 years of marriage. A month of take-out from Cafesano & East Wind Vietnamese. A month of mass shootings: Asians in Atlanta and grocery shoppers in Boulder. A month where we finally finished Mad Men and watched the Turkish movie One -> Way to Tomorrow (Yarina tek bilet). A month exploring with Lewis & Clark in Undaunted Courage, learning about the Balkans in Café Europa, traipsing through Vietnam with Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried, and climbing trees in The Overstory. A month of finishing 8 books, making my total for the year 20/52.

a walk on the CCT

me wearing the miserable 24-hour-Ambulatory Ph & Impedance test

flowers on my walks

Burke Lake

me at Lake Anne

Mike at Lake Anne

blossoms

April was: A month of Riverbend Park bluebells, cherry blossoms, redbuds, dogwoods and turtles. A month under the Pink Moon. A month when our son in Nicaragua wrote a ranting text revealing he’s hopelessly mired in conspiracy theories and drinking again. A month when he went silent after we sent him a harsh and brutally honest message. A month of celebrating Easter with a take-out Thai meal on our screened porch with Barbara. A month when my son Alex came from Denver for a month-long visit and finally made the decision to go back to school in data science. A month of dining: inside at Artie’s (twice), Seasons 52, and Maru Korean Cuisine & Sushi; in a parklet at Los Cuates in Old Town Alexandria; on decks at Little Nickel & Stella’s Market in Richmond with Sarah; and under a parking lot awning at Vienna Inn. A month of day trips: to Old Town Alexandria for an art walk with Mike and to Historic Annapolis with Poonam. A month of an overnight visit with Sarah in Richmond for her 37^th birthday. A month of take-out from food trucks at Oakton Swim & Racquet Club. A month of a CAT scan on my sinuses, which showed a mucous retention cyst in my right maxillary sinus and a nasal septum deviation, all of which are considered minor. A month of more doctor visits and a new medication regimen to deal with my LPR. A month when Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd, the first police officer to be convicted of murder in forever. A month beginning a revitalization of our front lawn under the direction of Betty’s Azalea Ranch. A month where we finished watching Schitt’s Creek, Not Safe for Work, and Unorthodox. A month mired in Wisconsin’s & Michigan’s rigid Catholicism with Midnight Champagne, Read This and Tell Me What It Says, and Pears on a Willow Tree. A month of living in besieged Sarajevo in The Cellist of Sarajevo. A month of finishing 6 books, making my total for the year 26/52.

Meadowlark Garden

Mike at Artie’s

bluebells at Riverbend

Great Falls

bluebells at Riverbend

Old Town Alexandria

Annapolis

spring flowers

daffodils

the James River in Richmond

a walk under the bridge in Richmond

the James River in Richmond

Mike and Alex at Maru Korean Cuisine & Sushi

May was a month of: farmer’s markets and a first time return to the movie theater to see what turned out to be a private screening of Together Together. Dining: inside at East Wind, take-out from Anita’s for Cinco de Mayo & Lebanese Taverna for a family gathering, a Mother’s Day brunch at Clarity with Alex & Mike. Wrapping up watching The Mess You Leave Behind and Behind Her Eyes. Finishing only one book, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, bringing my total to 27/52 books for the year. Exploring Minnesota and Wisconsin on our Great Lakes Road Trip. Indiana Dunes, grottoes, and the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Smoked salmon and trout, walleye tacos, cheese curds, chicken & wild rice soup, and cherry pies. Marine art, the birthplace of waterskiing, and a 16-foot-tall work boot. The SPAM Museum, flat endless farmland, Jolly Green Giant statues, Blue Mounds, Pipestone quarries, and invisible petroglyphs. German towns, waterfalls, reconciliation in Mankato, a bank robbery in Northfield. Strolling through sculpture gardens and across old stone bridges, driving through the University of Minnesota, bicycling around lakes in Minneapolis, and singing to musical murals. Browsing the Minnesota History Museum and learning about iron ore, lumber, the collapse of Interstate 35 in 2007, Minnesota weather, and Sinclair Lewis. Paying our respects to George Floyd, Prince and Bob Dylan, peeking into the On Being studio, and meeting Charlie Brown and the gang in St. Paul. Being charmed in Stillwater. Watching huge freighters go through the Duluth canal under the Aerial Lift Bridge. Railroads and rolling stock in Duluth. Hiking the Blind Ash Bay trail in Voyageurs National Park, having dinner at the Arrowhead Lodge, learning about Koochiching County and Bronko Nagurski in International Falls, and canoeing in search of pictographs on Hegman Lake in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Climbing up Palisade Head for sweeping views of Lake Superior, hiking the High Falls Trail at Tettegouche State Park, admiring the Split Rock Lighthouse, and stopping briefly at Gooseberry Falls State Park. Friday night fish fries and ice cream at Bridgeman’s after a seaplane flight over Duluth. Driving along Rt. 13 in Wisconsin, exploring Bayfield and Ashland, and cruising through Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on a cold and blustery day. Exploring waterfalls at Copper Falls State Park, climbing inside of a giant sturgeon at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, stopping for a beer flight at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls, and stopping to pay our respects to veterans at the Highground, topped off by an old-fashioned Chinese meal at Shaw Lee in Wisconsin Rapids.

City of Fairfax

me in Fairfax

Fairfax, VA

pansies in Fairfax

Alex and me at Clarity for Mother’s Day

Indiana Dunes National Park

Dickeyville Grotto in Wisconsin

Wyalusing State Park, WI

Valley Fish & Cheese in Prairie du Chien, WI

View from Granddad Bluff overlooking LaCrosse, WI

LaCrosse, Wi

Red Wing, Minnesota

Rochester, MN

Spam Museum, Austin, MN

Blue Mounds State Park, MN

Pipestone National Monument, MN

Jeffers Petroglyphs

Minneopa State Park & Falls, MN

Northfield, MN

Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

Mike biking around Lake Harriet

Minneapolis, MN

George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, MN

Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, MN

Minnesota History Museum

Bob Dylan mural in Minneapolis

Stillwater, MN

Duluth, MN

Voyageur’s National Park, MN

Arrowhead Lodge near Voyageurs NP

Voyageur statue near Rainy Lake Visitor Center

birch tree in Voyageurs

Smoking Bear in International Falls, MN

Canadian border at International Falls, MN

Mike canoeing in Boundary Waters, MN

pictrographs at Boundary Waters

me portaging at Boundary Waters

Mike portaging

Palisade Head, MN

Tettegouche State Park

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

flying Beaver Air in Duluth

aerial view of Duluth from the seaplane

Minnesota PolarSteps

Port Wing, Wisconsin

Cornucopia, WI

Bayfield, WI

Ashland, Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Copper Falls State Park

Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, WI

me at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co in Chippewa Falls, WI

Mike at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co in Chippewa Falls, WI

June was a month of: Exploring Wisconsin & Michigan on our Great Lakes Road Trip. Walking through Witches Gulch and watching a dog jump over an abyss to Stand Rock in Wisconsin Dells. Climbing the steep trail at Devil’s Lake State Park to the Devil’s Doorway. Enjoying a Bodega Bowl in the shadow of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, and wandering around the beautiful University of Wisconsin campus. Strolling State Street and enjoying dumplings at Chen’s Noodles & Dumplings. Cheese curds and beer at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. Walking through the “Streets of Old Milwaukee” and the European Village and learning about Nelson Mandela at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Glimpsing all-things-beer including Miller Brewing and the Pabst Mansion, then meeting “the Fonz” on the Riverwalk. Exploring the Public Market and the Historic Third Ward. Learning about maritime history in Sturgeon Bay and walking along limestone bedrock fronting Lake Michigan at Cave Point County Park. A conflagration and whitefish at a fish boil at Pelletier’s in Fish Creek. A stunning sunset at Sunset Beach at Fish Creek. Wearing cheeseheads and doing the “Lambeau Leap” at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Visiting the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba and the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in Marquette, Michigan. Watching The Sand Lot on a big screen at the Delft Bistro. Exploring Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Sable Falls, and the Au Sable Lighthouse Trail (accompanied by black flies and mosquitoes aplenty) at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. A 2-hour sunset cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises after eating pasties at Muldoon’s Pasties. “Yoosta be a Yooper” in Munising, MI. Waterfalls in Munising and Tahquamenon Falls State Park, the Edmund Fitzgerald and other shipwrecks at Whitefish Point’s Shipwreck Museum and a ship moving glacially through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Bicycling around Mackinac Island and then driving through the Tunnel of Trees to Petoskey. Enjoying thatch houses at Charlevoix, walking the Cottonwood Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and having a lovely dinner at The Cove in Leland, with views of weathered shanties on the Fishtown dock. Driving by Jim Harrison’s old home — writer’s cottage and all. Driving through cherry orchards and wineries up the slim Mission Peninsula, where we found another lighthouse. Coming face-to-face with the DeVos evangelical mission in Holland. Having a bad experience with our Airbnb in Detroit, which turned out to be in a derelict neighborhood, and losing most of our money. Wandering through Ann Arbor and watching In the Heights at the Michigan Theatre. Learning about the history of cars and American innovation at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. Learning about an obscure battle in the War of 1812 at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Visiting the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and learning about over 2,000 people who died in that horrible flood of 1889. Paying my respects to the 9/11 heroes of Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial. Having new landscaping installed in our front yard and new bedroom furniture delivered. Enjoying food from the Jambalaya Brothers Food Truck and welcoming Alex back home to live while he goes back to NOVA. A cookout for Father’s Day with Barb and Alex. Beginning my immunotherapy for allergies. Dinner at Barcelona Wine Bar. “Les Colombes” (The Doves) at Washington National Cathedral and a mediocre lunch at Cactus Cantina. Our first Uber Eats at La Ong Thai Bistro. Wrapping up watching Masterpiece Theater’s Us, Bless This Mess, and The Mindy Project. Finishing only one book, A Relative Stranger: Stories by Charles Baxter, bringing my total to 28/52 books for the year.

Stand Rock, Wisconsin Dells

Witches Gulch, Wisconsin Dells

Wisconsin Dells

Devils Lake State Park, WI

me at Devils Lake State Park

me at Lucille in Madison, WI

Lucille in Madison, WI

the Majestic in Madison, WI

Madison, WI

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee Public Museum

Miller Brewing in Milwaukee

Pabst Mansion, Milwaukee

Milwaukee Public Market

The Fonz at Riverwalk, Milwaukee

Riverwalk, Milwaukee

me at dinner at Beans & Barley, Milwaukee

view from the Door County Maritime Museum, WI

Cave Point County Park, WI

Pelletier’s Fish Boil

Fish Creek, WI

Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

home of the Packers, Green Bay

PolarSteps through Wisconsin

House of Ludington in Escanaba, MI

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan

watching The Sandlot at the Delft Bistro in Marquette, MI

Mike at Miners Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Me at Miners Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Miners Falls

hike to Miners Falls

Log Slide Overlook at Pictured Rocks

pasties in Munising, MI

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Wagner Falls, Munising

Tahquamenon Falls State Park, MI

Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, MI

Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Mackinac Island, MI

riding bikes on Mackinac Island, MI

Mike at Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island, MI

Tunnel of Trees, MI

me at Mim’s Mediterranean Grill, Petoskey, MI

Mim’s Mediterranean Grill, Petoskey, MI

Charlevoix, MI

South Pierhead Lighthouse, Charlevoix, MI

Charlevoix, MI

Mike at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

bookstore in Leland on the Leelanau Peninsula, MI

Fishtown, MI

Mission Point Lighthouse at the Old Mission Peninsula, MI

Old Mission Peninsula

Tri-Cities Historical Museum, Holland, MI

Holland, MI

beach at Holland, MI

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, MI

Michigan State Capitol, Lansing, MI

Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan stadium

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI

Michigan Polar Steps

Flight 93 National Memorial, Stoystown, PA

Washington National Cathedral

me at Washington National Cathedral

“Les Colombes” (The Doves) at Washington National Cathedral

July was a month of: Allergy shots, haircuts, a massage, a pneumonia shot, pedicures in purple at Orchid Nails, and yoga & karma meditation at Beloved Yoga (& one yoga session at Holy Comforter). Pleasant afternoons here & there and at Blooming Hill Lavender Farm. Lunch at Kalypso and a couple of walks with Jayne when she visited from California. Solo weekend time when Mike took his annual trip to Ohio with his high school buddies. First shot of the Moderna vaccine for Alex. Losing to Alex & Mike at Ticket to Ride. Enjoying food out at Enatye, Artie’s, Tsunami Sushi, Season 52, and Maru Korean Cuisine & Sushi with Alex to celebrate an “A” in his public speaking class. Enjoying Food Truck Fridays at Roaming Coyote & Empanadas de Mendoza. Jiving to Summer of Soul with Mike and enjoying Mama Weed followed by dinner at Yama Chen’s on my own; watching Stillwater with Mike at Cinema Arts. Being probed by videostroboscopy with Dr. Steven Bielamowicz at George Washington University Hospital with his determination that sinus problems were NOT the primary cause of my LPR. Starting to feel better with my LPR. Finishing Hemingway. Wrapping up five books, my favorites being Virgil Wander, Siam, Evicted, and Girl at War, bringing my total to 33/52 books for the year.

Blooming Hill Lavender Farm

Lake Anne, Reston

Jayne and me at Lake Anne

Tsunami Sushi

August was a month of: Continuing allergy shots. Visiting Sarah in Richmond & dinner at Bacchus. Playing Exploding Kittens with Alex. Watching a family of deaf fishermen and their hearing (& singing) daughter in Coda at Cinema Arts. Enjoying a meal at Istanbul Blue with Alex to celebrate finishing his summer semester with two “A”s. Eating a low carb / high protein diet to shrink my liver in preparation for a laproscopic partial fundoplication. Having the surgery & staying overnight in Reston Hospital. Basking in sunflowers at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Seeing Dr. Whittington and finding my teeth are super sensitive to cold due to gum recession. Visiting the orthopedic doctor due to pain in my right hip and pins & needles in my right thigh; starting a round of steroids. A liquid diet for two weeks after the surgery. Dropping 7.8 pounds due to the surgery and diet restrictions. Enjoying a royal blue pedicure at Orchid Nails. Getting my flu shot. Streaming movies: Land, Supernova, Pray Away, and The Mauritanian. Walking with Poonam to see her new house under construction and getting drenched during the walk home. Watching & waiting as Jayne’s house in South Lake Tahoe was threatened by the Caldor Fire. Finishing The Kominsky Method. Watching the six-episode The White Lotus. Finishing up three books, my favorites being The Lager Queen of Minnesota, Lullaby Road, and The Sun Collective, bringing my total to 36/52 books for the year.

the James River in Richmond, VA

Van Gogh Immersive Experience in D.C.

September was a month of: Haircuts and hair straightening. Two acupuncture treatments, one of which helped and the second of which caused some kind of damage. Watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and Do the Right Thing with Alex for his film class. Meals at Woodlands, Seasons 52, East Wind Vietnamese, and Eerkins Uyghur Cuisine, topped off with ice cream from Woody’s. Barbara’s birthday celebration on our deck with Thai food; dim sum at Mama Chang with Alex & Louisa. A walk with Poonam at Eakin Park. A surprisingly spot-on speech by George W. Bush about 9/11 and the threat posed by extremists in the U.S. today. Visiting the National Mall to see the flags commemorating those who have died of COVID in the U.S. (681,520 as of that day). Booking Croatia hotel and AirBnbs. My first massage at Srila Thai Massage. Patrick’s death in Offspring. Finishing The Chair. Finishing six books, my favorites being The Light in the Ruins, The Hired Man, and The First Rule of Swimming, bringing my total to 42/52 books for the year. Flying off on Lufthansa across the Atlantic to Frankfurt, Germany and onward to Zagreb, Croatia.

the National Mall COVID flags

October was a month of: Walking among the disheveled and forlorn populace of Zagreb, Croatia, & eating pizza and fluffy pillows of warm bread with beer and rakija. Taking a funicular to the Upper Town and visiting the Museum of Broken Relationships with its sad tales and detritus of heartbreak. Chatting with the waiter at the Bulldog Café about divisive matters of the world. Walking around the Green Horseshoe and finding actors rehearsing an opera on the portico of the Croatian National Theatre. Driving to the Eastern Riviera in Opatija and promenading down the Lungomare to meet a woman surrounded by seagulls. Enjoying the vineyard views of Istria from the hill town of Motovun. Enjoying harbor views and seafood at Gostionica “La Gondola” in Rovinj. Walking through the Old Town and to the Church of St. Euphenia after checking out the rock-carved “beaches.” Bicycling on a trail leading to a rocky beach, where we swam under the shade of cypresses and Aleppo pines. Visiting the Roman amphitheater and strolling through Pula. Being serenaded by waterfalls as we traipsed through Plitvice National Park in the pouring rain on boardwalks lined with tropical plants and marsh grasses growing out of limestone. Driving through tunnels and over the mountains to Zadar, where we listened to the Sea Organ and watched the “Greeting to the Sun,” a light show powered by the sun’s energy. Enjoying a fabulous dinner of John Dory fillet at Restaurant Bruschetta in Zadar and then strolling along the Riva. Climbing up to St. Michael’s Fortress in Šibenik and enjoying a waterfront lunch. Wandering around the beaches of Primošten. Arriving in Split to cold and blustery weather and stopping for a warm-up with pear brandy at Semafor. Braving a miserable rainy and cold day in Split visiting Diocletian’s Palace, and then visiting it again the next day when the sun came out. Visiting the Venetian bell tower at noon and getting an earful of clanging bells. Driving to the Marjan Peninsula and visiting Kašjuni Beach and then driving to Trogir and strolling the waterfront promenade. Eating one of our best meals of avocado & shrimp salad and stuffed green peppers with mashed potatoes at Semafor. Taking the ferry to Hvar and renting a quad where we zoomed through tunnels and mountain roads over the Island, with an enjoyable stop at a hidden winery in Jelsa. Taking a ferry to the Pelješac Peninsula and enjoying oysters at Mali Ston. Braving the hair-raising cliff drive into Dubrovnik. Strolling around Dubrovnik and stopping in at Buža I, where concrete stairs led to a beach. Eating grilled calamari at Konoba Jezuite while bundled in a pink blanket against the frigid bura. Taking our COVID tests with (luckily) negative results. Walking around the Dubrovnik City Walls and up to the Fort of St. Lawrence, where we had a birds’-eye view of the City Walls. Eating Bosnian meatballs at the Taj Mahal. Taking the cable car to Mount Srd, where we had a great view of all of Dubrovnik. Climbing to Park Gradac for views and then eating our final meal at Restaurant Jezuite. Returning home to Virginia. Getting our COVID booster shots. Enjoying dinner with Karen and Michael for my 66^th birthday at Barcelona. Celebrating more of my birthday with Barb, Alex and Mike at home. Working on the course The Cure for Chronic Pain, getting a Thai massage, and voting early for Terry McAuliffe for Virginia’s governor. Losing my car key while walking on the CCT. Going to Holy Comforter and eating at Anita’s. Driving in the Virginia countryside and enjoying Halloween decorations and fall colors on Halloween day. Streaming In the Land of Blood and Honey at home. Finishing the final season of Atypical. Finishing three books, my favorite being The Stone Fields: Love and Death in the Balkans, bringing my total to 45/52 books for the year.

me in Zagreb

Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb

Zagreb, Croatia

Opatija, Croatia

Motovun, Croatia

St. Stephen’s in Motovun

mural in Motovun

view from Motovun in Istria, Croatia

Motovun

me at the “beach” in Rovinj

Mike at the beach in Rovinj

Mike and his bike in Rovinj

Amphitheater in Pula

laundry in Rovinj

Plitvice National Park

St. Donatus Church in Zadar

me in Zadar

“Greeting to the Sun” in Zadar

Mike at “Greeting to the Sun” in Zadar

Zadar, Croatia

sunset in Zadar, Croatia

dinner at Bruschetta in Zadar

St. Michael’s Fortress in Šibenik

Mike at St. Michael’s Fortress

garden of St. Lawrence’s Monastery in Šibenik

Primošten

Diocletian’s Palace in Split (in the rain)

Entry vestibule to Diocletian’s Palace

me rubbing Bishop Gregory of Nin’s toe for good luck

Diocletian’s Palace

view of Split from the Bell Tower

Cathedral of St. Domnius in Split

me at Cathedral of St. Domnius in Split

The Bell Tower in Split

Trogir, Croatia

Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir

Milna on Hvar Island

view from Hvar

Hvar

Cathedral of St. Stephen in Hvar

me at Buža I in Dubrovnik

me at konoba Jezuite in Dubrovnik

Jesuit steps in Dubrovnik made famous by Game of Thrones

Dubrovnik from outside the walls

City Walls of Dubrovnik

view from the City Walls

City Walls, Dubrovnik

King’s Landing from Game of Thrones?

view of Dubrovnik’s City Walls from Fort of St. Lawrence

a little beach area in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik from Mt. Srd

Game of Thrones

view of Fort of St. Lawrence and City Walls from Park Gradac

Karen, me, Mike, and Michael on my 66th birthday at barcelona

Skeletons at Lake Anne Center

Halloween decorations in Round Hill, VA

November was a month of: Virginians electing a fascist governor (Glenn Youngkin). Visiting my dad and feeling saddened by his decline. Sitting with Sarah at the Joe’s Inn bar talking to a Vietnamese guy named Khanh. Attempting healing through Beloved Yoga sessions, yoga with Ann Gillespie, The Cure for Chronic Pain, visionboards, Curable, and massages at Srila Thai Massage. Enjoying meals at Seasons 52, Aracosia McLean (with Alex to celebrate midterms), Fin’s Sushi, Seoul-Boston, Curry Mantra, & Maru Korean Cuisine. Taking a long weekend trip to Boston where we walked the Freedom Trail, admired harvest doors in Beacon Hill, fought chaotic rain to get to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and strolled through Cambridge. Day-tripping to Luckett’s and enjoying sandwiches at Puccio’s New York Deli in Leesburg, accompanied by anger at the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, who murdered two people and shot three in “self-defense.” Enjoying Van Morrison’s songs in Belfast at Cinema Arts. A jury finding white supremacist rally organizers liable for Charlottesville violence in 2017 and awarding $25 million to plaintiffs. A Georgia jury finding three White men guilty of murdering Black Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 in what amounted to a modern-day lynching. Celebrating a lovely Thanksgiving with Barbara and Alex, playing Codenames and Ticket to Ride. Finding out about the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID in South Africa and bracing for more of COVID just when we thought we were coming out of it. Finishing four books, my favorites being A Reckoning and Claire Marvel, bringing my total to 49/52 books for the year.

Fall trees in Virginia

Boston Public Garden

Boston Irish Famine Memorial

Old State House and Boston Massacre Site

Faneuil Hall

Paul Revere

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill, Boston

Acorn Street in Beacon Hill

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Ray and Maria Stata Center at MIT

MIT campus

Central Square in Cambridge

Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters

the CCT trail in Oakton, VA

December was a month of: Continued yoga practice, JournalSpeak, Curable, and a massage. Video chats with our son in Nicaragua for his 29^th birthday and for Christmas. Decorating the Christmas tree with Alex, accompanied by egg nog & Christmas carols. Enjoying meals at Cafesano, Taco Bamba, Sweetwater, & Sweet Ginger. Meeting my friend Leah from California at Pearl Dive for lunch and bottomless mimosas after two years of not seeing each other. Strolling through the Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Gardens with Alex and Louisa. Doing the hilarious “Amazing Race,” a kind of couples scavenger hunt through Vienna, arranged by our church, and losing. Driving around with Mike, Sarah and Alex on Christmas Eve with bourbon-spiked hot apple cider, critiquing or applauding Christmas decorations and singing “Feliz Navidad” at the tops of our lungs. Celebrating a lovely Christmas with Barbara, Alex, and Sarah. Playing games of Chinese Checkers and Trekking the World. Finishing TV series including Homeland, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Married. Streaming movies at home: The Courier, King Richard, and Don’t Look Up. Finishing eight books, my favorites being Happy All the Time and Moth Smoke, bringing my total to 57/52 books for the year.

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA

Leah and me at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

our Christmas tree

our foyer

me with Mike

Mike, Sarah & Bagel, Alex and me

Here are some of my previous years’ recap posts. I now wish I had one for every year of my life, as they serve as great reminders of my adventures, joys and tribulations in years past!

twenty-twenty: the year of coronavirus
twenty-nineteen
twenty-eighteen
twenty-seventeen
twenty-sixteen
Sadly, I didn’t do one in 2015.
twenty-fourteen
twenty-thirteen
weekly photo challenge: my 2012 in pictures

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