Last Friday we flew to Minneapolis, rented a car - a nifty PT Cruiser (but not as nifty as Jfer's original edition) - and drove to Manitowish Waters to spend the weekend with T&G in their cabin. The weather was incredible - be jealous all of you Texans! - high in the upper seventies and blue skies.
T&G very nicely have enough bikes for their guests and on Saturday we rode the 2-3 miles to town on the bike trail and bought veggies from the farmer's stand and P&C bought a drawing at a local artists' coop store. We drove to Minocqua, an island in the middle of lakes, in the afternoon, browsed the shops and had dinner outside. C had walleyed pike, a regional delicacy and it was excellent.
Sunday after biking to town to buy a newspaper we went back to the cabin and took turns paddling around the lake in a kayak. Kayaks are really relaxing and easy to maneuver - of course there weren't any rapids on the lake. (Pictures: Figuring out how a kayak works, Out goes Patrick, Trying to get out without falling in, and Cynthia can do it) Then, three in a row boat (thanks to G for rowing us) and one in a kayak, we toured the lake in front of the cabin and found carnivorous pitcher plants, wild cranberries and of course a beaver dam. Later, Pat complained that he hadn't seen any birdlife. Within 30 minutes we saw elegant Cedar Waxwings and two lifers - a brown creeper hopping all around the tree and an evening grosbeak. To top it off while sitting on the dock, a bald eagle flew directly over us. We heard loons and barred owls but no sightings.
P also visited a local woodworker that he had met in the artists' coop store. C and T rode bikes around the area and critiqued the lake houses.
The first time we were at the cabin was 29 years ago - we know that because Pat dated the inspection tag on the fire extinguisher in the cabin! E was four years old and we backpacked in the Porcupine Mountains to a cabin on Lake Superior. The only way to reach the cabin was to backpack in or take boat on Lake Superior. That same trip we drove to Chicago and spent the night with my college roommate who I am delighted to say, I am now back in touch with.
It was a delightful, relaxing weekend.
Comments (6)
Mom, that was a very nice blog entry. What a lot you guys packed into the weekend! Thanks for including the pictures--those are great. Now all you lack is evidence of Daddy on a bike.
Posted by Elizabeth | August 15, 2003 8:09 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 20:09
I want to do it!
Posted by Jfer | August 15, 2003 4:46 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 16:46
I loved the pictures. It sounds like a very relaxing weekend. I wish we could plan a family outing to something like that, especially in the middle of a very hot summer. Theresa, if you have brown spots in your lawn, it may be because of pests and not the sun...just a thought.
Posted by Rita | August 15, 2003 2:20 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 14:20
I've added four kayak pictures.
Posted by Cynthia | August 15, 2003 12:03 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 12:03
Sounds like you had a lovely time. I would love to vacation where you could take the bikes into town.
As Theresa mentioned, we've had rain so the heat isn't unbearable anymore. Its actually been quite gorgeous here...very unusual for August!
Posted by Jfer | August 15, 2003 8:20 AM
Posted on August 15, 2003 08:20
I wish I could have gone with you! I am so sick of these upper 90's and 100's. Finally, after a month and a half it rained. I've been watering the lawn, but I guess I didn't start soon enough for there are huge brown spots where the grass couldn't take the heat. Kevin wants us to move to Minneapolis one of these days to escape the Texas weather.
Posted by Theresa | August 14, 2003 8:14 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 20:14