https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog daily 1.0 2026-02-18 https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-12 monthly 0.5 2026-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/671ba034-5516-4249-8436-a41e37cc705c/DSCF3797.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out On the road early for our final day on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Many miles to cover today and lots of fun experiences. We started the day here at Looking Glass Rock Overlook soon after sunrise. We will end the day on the exciting Tail of The Dragon!! (See photos below!) Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7fe4ca14-2e8a-4121-861f-8d6ffc71ef40/DSCF3798.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Cowee Mountain Overlook. Still some frost on the ground this early morning at these elevations. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1caaf3ae-19e5-44cf-9985-b9b15af8b259/DSCF3799.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Cowee Mountain Overlook. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99d4099a-d9f2-43f7-ba0e-80aeda875236/DSCF3801.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out The Richard Balsam Overlook is the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The temperature was in the upper 20’s when we arrived. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/63436028-e7e3-42db-8cc1-6ce206e29237/DSCF3802.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out At 6053 feet above sea level, there was more than just a little frost on this Halloween Day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f7b06d7a-24d2-470b-b17c-c66be402e5cd/DSCF3811.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out The southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway terminates at Cherokee, NC. Here we visited the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. From ChatGPT: The Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee, North Carolina is an open-air historic site behind the Oconaluftee Visitor Center that recreates a late-19th-century Appalachian farm. It features authentic log buildings like the Davis House, barn, apple house, springhouse, and blacksmith shop relocated from across the park, showing how mountain families lived, farmed, and worked over a century ago. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8e0aa175-3648-4300-8a9a-a92266aed138/DSCF3808-2.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/560ac088-22bb-43ba-9888-da824ef0540c/DSCF3810.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99646968-a0ee-4212-8390-aaf6b66e68a6/DSCF3805.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/04ddec08-e51a-41ac-8cf7-78c08e4f6c75/DSCF3806.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/90c3eaa6-1c9b-4e58-bb3c-5de5539b8b7b/DSCF3807.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out We strolled along the Oconaluftee River Trail. Still some nice fall colors even on the final day of October. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/60dd6ec5-1f34-4219-a49b-5464670b3377/DSCF3812.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Leaving Cherokee, NC we headed toward the Fontana Dam. Turning a corner on yet another fantastic curvy road, we happened upon this view on NC Route 28 (Fontana Road). Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/93fd227a-75f7-4262-9d83-f2861ab4372f/DSCF3815.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out When originally researching a possible future trip to the Tail of The Dragon, I happened to come across what appeared to be an interesting dam. I always said, if we ever get to this part of the country I wanted to visit Fontana Dam. Well, when we realized the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway was so close to the Fontana Dam and Tail of The Dragon, we just had to make this our final day on the route. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da655a92-bcb6-46e0-95e0-7d5ee94b0eaa/DSCF3813.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Some interesting information about the dam posted at their visitor center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ee04dbc-bd37-4498-bdfc-21f6950cb67b/DSCF3827.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Fontana Dam is an absolutely amazing structure and makes for some great images. From ChatGPT: Fontana Dam in North Carolina is an impressive hydroelectric structure on the Little Tennessee River, built by the Tennessee Valley Authority during World War II to supply power and aid regional development. At 480 feet tall, it’s the highest dam east of the Mississippi and forms the scenic 10,000-acre Fontana Lake. The Appalachian Trail crosses its crest, and a visitor center interprets its history and engineering. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe29aca1-eb0e-4c48-bde5-53e3e71b9cb4/DSCF3819.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/141fea2d-978e-470a-8824-0671ef8348d5/DSCF3820.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out A rather vertigo-inducing vantage point. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/01559dc4-14e7-47f2-851b-97f542a6846b/DSCF3825.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out The top of the dam is a road, and you can see how close the water is to the top of the dam on the Fontana Lake side of the road. Compare this to the height of the previous image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/76d989b0-eada-4296-81de-e1d77c691593/DSCF3824.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out View from the top of Fontana Dam across Fontana Lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e06f4ed-fc2e-4cfa-9adf-2e90c5ffda1c/DSCF3822.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out While walking across the dam, this group of car enthusiasts drove past. We will see them again later in the day when we get to the Tail of The Dragon/Deal’s Gap. The group consisted of several Porsches, Corvettes and Ferraris. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/17b5e173-343b-4f61-b5b8-a2e4f8cb95ec/DSCF3826.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out From an engineering standpoint, these spillways were fascinating. If you read the caption on the right, it is amazing to consider they had to line the bottom of these spillways with concrete bases to prevent the water from completely eroding the dam. How cool it would be to see the spray shoot up 150 feet when the water hits the bottom! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45e30b79-7bf1-40cc-944e-8310feadba1a/DSCF3816.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out An image of the gates at the top of the spillway, which are opened when Fontana Lake levels get too high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe0fea84-556b-4242-b01f-c26657e6adb8/DSCF3818.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Looking down into the spillway. What an ominous view and another vertigo-inducing vantage point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd5915bf-2746-410b-8f0d-6c8f84b1c105/DSCF3830.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out After leaving Fontana Dam, it was time to head for the Tail of The Dragon/Deals Gap. The Tail of The Dragon is a well-known route on NC 129 leading from NC to TN. It is a favorite of motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts. It is “only” 11 miles in length, but consists of 318 turns in that span. It was incredibly fun to drive the Type-R on that route. It finally got to do what it was built to do!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/42a6f7f0-1c14-43d1-85d2-0c81cdf2996b/DSCF3832.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: The Tail of the Dragon is a legendary 11-mile stretch of U.S. 129 at Deals Gap on the North Carolina–Tennessee state line, famed for 318 tight curves and no intersections or driveways. It’s a bucket-list route for motorcyclists, sports car drivers, and thrill-seekers winding through the Smoky Mountains’ rugged forests. The intense twists, scenic surroundings, and rider culture make it one of America’s most iconic back-road experiences. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2bcb91a9-9e43-4a39-95b2-98e2a173dec2/DSCF3829.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out The Tree of Shame at Deals Gap/Tail of The Dragon. From ChatGPT: The Tree of Shame at Deals Gap is a quirky, unofficial landmark near the southern end of the Tail of the Dragon motorcycle route. It’s a tree-like display at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort adorned with broken bike parts and other wreckage from riders who didn’t quite conquer the Dragon’s famous curves. It serves as a playful yet stark reminder of the road’s difficulty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dbe5c11c-b08e-424d-8f43-836eae3f288b/DSCF3831.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out Look who we caught up with; stopped at Deals Gap. We had a nice visit with one of the guys as he fueled his Porsche Boxster Spyder. They were a group of friends, probably in their 60’s, who made the trip from KY with their cars to drive The Dragon and other fantastic driver’s roads in this area. Of all the wonderful cars in this group, this Porsche GT3 RS was by far my favorite!! The gentleman on the right - with his hands in his pockets - owned this one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e440027b-b2c3-47e0-8e19-c18c56c44b8d/IMG_0881.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out It’s no Porsche GT3 RS, but here we are in the Type-R on the Tail of The Dragon. There is an outfit known as US 129 Photos that takes pictures as you drive by. You can then go on line and view your photos, and order high resolution copies for yourself. This is just a low resolution screenshot of one of the images they captured of us driving by. It was quite a fun experience; glad we did it once. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/37d80571-5bd7-4f59-a417-a27d6c668dae/IMG_0882.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #12 - Make it stand out A view of us driving off into the sunset…. A fitting way to end our trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Thanks for coming along on this adventure with us. Stay tuned for Route 66 - COMING SPRING OF 2026!!! https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-11 monthly 0.5 2026-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e209286d-104e-4fc4-ae32-bfd2df7a565b/DSCF3771.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out View from Walnut Cove Overlook. Beautiful large homes along the ridge and beside the Cliffs at Walnut Cove Golf Course. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/af44594e-1be1-4a86-a072-1bad6c5cfb2b/DSCF3774.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out The National Park Service maintains approximately 272 of these overlooks along the 469-miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d323716b-84f1-4b2a-b534-2e82be27a3b3/DSCF3777.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Moore Cove Falls is a picturesque 50-foot waterfall located just off the Pisgah Highway in western North Carolina. A short, easy 0.7-mile round-trip hike leads visitors through lush forest to the gently cascading falls. Unique for its shallow rock overhang, Moore Cove allows hikers to walk behind the curtain of water for a memorable Blue Ridge experience. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/13cb760c-5162-4996-958d-97ffca614c8e/DSCF3778.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9fae3016-0823-40bd-b072-5115e73433fa/DSCF3781.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b4dad4f9-4d02-40be-b30f-d32b525e2eb9/DSCF3793.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Looking Glass Falls is one of the most accessible and photographed waterfalls along the Pisgah Highway in western North Carolina. Plunging about 60 feet into a clear pool below, the falls are visible from the roadside, with stairs leading to the base. Its name comes from nearby Looking Glass Rock, which gleams like ice in winter. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e9b385c7-2401-495a-ac16-1625bbee993a/DSCF3794.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #11 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-10 monthly 0.5 2026-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/510989b9-4569-4863-ba82-b3243aa4e5e3/DSCF3767.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #10 - Make it stand out Scheduled to arrive in Asheville, NC today, we looked ahead and saw that the temperature was going to be a pleasant upper-50s in Asheville. Perfect, we figured, for a hike at the peak of Mount Mitchell State Park. However, as you can see here, Mother Nature had other plans!! As we climbed the mountain the heavy clouds turned to a light mist with strong winds and the dashboard indicated the temperature was dropping with each bit of elevation gain. By the time we reached the summit the temperature was well below freezing and the mist had created a frozen tundra! Ice clung to anything not moving. Needless to say, we DID NOT hike the summit trails and instead took some photos from the car and headed back to the mid-50s in Asheville. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2319a4ed-d5ff-4461-ba93-4ea7e17ce8d6/DSCF3770.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #10 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Mount Mitchell, accessible via NC 128 off the Blue Ridge Parkway, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River at about 6,684 feet, towering above the Black Mountains in western North Carolina. It’s within Mount Mitchell State Park, offering panoramic views, hiking trails, and a unique spruce-fir ecosystem. After Hurricane Helene damage in 2024, Parkway access and park facilities have largely reopened, welcoming visitors again to this iconic Appalachian summit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/858bf1df-2be6-4ea8-a1f6-6fe54466c930/DSCF3768.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cdffd37d-c45d-4670-84de-7c3396305ad7/DSCF3769.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-9 monthly 0.5 2026-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3ab4a183-6e9f-46e0-bb2e-93845b26e021/DSCF3750.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out Although we label this Day #9, it was actually the 10th day of our trip. Day 9 was spent in the towns of Boone and Blowing Rock, NC. It was a complete rain out with downpours all day long. However, we were still able to get in a stroll at the Moses H. Cone Manor and grounds; as well as a wonderful time strolling the streets and shops of Blowing Rock. For years, I have viewed a live webcam of downtown Blowing Rock and dreamt of the day we would finally visit. Despite the absolute downpour it was still a great visit and we will do it again when the weather is better. Heading out the next morning, the rain had stopped but the clouds were still low-hanging over the mountains. This is a view from Grandview overlook just north of Blowing Rock, NC. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39e0e508-8ee6-4f09-9742-5fb9d8928daf/DSCF3752.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out Still threatening rain, but we made the hike around Price Lake. From ChatGPT: Price Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic 47-acre mountain lake inside Julian Price Memorial Park near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It’s known for easy hiking around the lake, canoeing, fishing, picnicking and camping, all framed by forested hills and views of Grandfather Mountain. The Parkway crosses the dam providing a classic scenic stop. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bce2c109-0410-4aef-90aa-5451049d07eb/DSCF3753.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out One of the most truly iconic images of the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Linn Cove Viaduct. However, a grand photo of this iconic structure was thwarted by the heave cloud cover that day. From ChatGPT: The Linn Cove Viaduct is an iconic 1,243-foot long concrete segmental bridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, hugging the side of Grandfather Mountain in a graceful “S” curve. Built between 1979 and 1983 and opened in 1987, it was the final link completing the 469-mile parkway. Designed to protect the fragile mountain environment, the bridge was constructed from the top down with 153 precast segments and minimal ground disturbance. An engineering marvel and National Civil Engineering Landmark, it combines utility, beauty, and environmental sensitivity, offering breathtaking scenic views along this beloved scenic drive. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/54853102-78b5-4c38-a6dd-270dfa188a58/DSCF3754.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a35f6413-ca20-4f2f-b7ae-4bfed0e9d47b/DSCF3756.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out A car making its way south down the Blue Ridge over the viaduct. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0596e63f-3422-45b5-a61e-1a578ed4fa85/DSCF3759.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out The amazing infrastructure and feat of engineering that went into this viaduct - and the entire parkway for that matter - was incredible! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/117f59bb-8749-4693-a209-7b6542efe31c/DSCF3758.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out In the short time we visited the viaduct, the clouds pushed back in to the point were we could barely see the far end. There was no point in making the trip to the top of Grandfather Mountain this time - maybe on our next visit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/719672ca-cbdb-49c0-9179-87469faafbb8/DSCF3761.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out The Loops overlook. We are now entering the part of the parkway that was most effected by hurricane Helene. From ChatGPT: Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina in late September 2024, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and wind that devastated western NC and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The storm caused dozens of landslides, downed trees, road washouts, and major infrastructure damage, forcing long closures of significant stretches of the Parkway. Recovery has been ongoing with phased repairs and partial reopenings, but some sections remain damaged months later as crews work to stabilize and rebuild affected areas. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/099f30f2-1d27-438c-a79e-1517818f4029/DSCF3762.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out This is the view from our room at the Alpine Inn. It is a quaint little mom-and-pop inn in the town of Little Switzerland. Unfortunately, the inn suffered severe damage from the hurricane. They lost two entire buildings down the side of the mountain. They were only left with about six functional rooms, and the night we stayed there we were the only guests. Sure feel sorry for these folks - they have really suffered. It was good to give them some business since the surrounding closures on the Blue Ridge have seriously limited their traffic in the past year. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/30b16064-a70e-4a6f-9524-d11bb6ca256c/DSCF3764.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out The building on the left of this image shows what remains of the Alpine Inn’s common area and some rooms. This building has been condemned and is to be torn down. On the ground where this photo was taken, once stood another of the inn’s buildings that collapsed down the mountain. You can see some of the debris left behind. From ChatGPT: The historic Alpine Inn in Little Switzerland, North Carolina, was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene in September 2024 when heavy rain and landslides caused part of the property to slide down the mountainside. One of its buildings and the deck collapsed, leaving rubble where rooms once stood. The owner and guests escaped safely, but the inn’s future and rebuilding efforts remain uncertain amid financial and insurance challenges, though there’s hope to restore it someday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/208eb4aa-01dc-483f-988c-b32a82aa9a4e/DSCF3765.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out Another view of the some of the remains from the building that slid down the mountainside. You can appreciate the steepness of the mountain better in this view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea35c944-258f-4648-a3d1-47f34b6423d1/DSCF3766.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #9 - Make it stand out The Corps of Engineers brought in these boulders to reinforce the road and mountainside where the Alpine Inn building once stood. When we left the following morning, we had to take this road (226A) to bypass about 20ish miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway that remain closed. We were told that there are still about 17 landslides which took out the parkway over the span of these 20 miles and they have not yet been repaired. This was the only significant stretch of the parkway which remains impassable. Although we couldn’t travel this section of the Blue Ridge, it was fun to have the “toy car” on NC Route 226A. From ChatGPT: North Carolina Route 226A is an alternate state highway in western North Carolina. The main stretch near the Blue Ridge Parkway is popularly known as “The Diamondback” by motorcyclists and driving enthusiasts because of its steep elevation changes and more than 190 curves on the mountain-route between Woodlawn and Little Switzerland. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-8 monthly 0.5 2026-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/04cf5337-1148-479d-a852-64e257c64a48/DSCF3715.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out The Saddle overlook view to the west. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6cbc1707-4782-4c18-8986-587ca7fe1e96/DSCF3717.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Looking east from the Saddle overlook. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f96c3936-3cda-4734-bf18-07b67b675b55/DSCF3725.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out The Mabry Mill. From ChatGPT: Mabry Mill, at Milepost 176.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, is one of the most photographed and beloved historic sites on the route. Built by Edwin B. Mabry around 1903–1910, this charming water-powered mill once served as a gristmill, sawmill, blacksmith, and woodworking shop for local farmers. Today the National Park Service preserves the mill complex with interpretive trails, demonstrations of traditional Appalachian crafts, scenic views, and a glimpse into early 20th-century mountain life. Visitors enjoy the mill’s iconic setting amid forest and pond reflections year-round. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/242d4782-9856-4492-a58e-1298a75d618d/DSCF3719.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out These structures are called millraces. When it’s made of wood and elevated, it’s often referred to as a wooden flume, but millrace is the general term. These extensive wooden flumes were made to direct river water onto the paddle wheel to run the mill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c43e63cc-155a-4d16-9382-df7a066a6543/DSCF3721.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out The construction of the wooden flumes alone is an amazing project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/937045ee-ff1c-4160-9422-7f74fac8333a/DSCF3723.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Water from the flumes power the paddle wheel and the entire operation of the mill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3babf9d7-d6d4-44bc-841e-63b09ef01ae7/DSCF3730.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: The Mayberry Trading Post is a historic general store built in 1892 near Milepost 180.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. Originally serving the local community as a store and post office, it now offers local crafts, prepared food, traditional mountaincraft demonstrations, music, and a nostalgic glimpse into Appalachian heritage. Its enduring presence connects visitors with authentic mountain culture and history. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/177a60cb-357b-4321-813f-770a633c3780/DSCF3734.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: The Groundhog Mountain fire/lookout tower near Milepost 188.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a historic wooden observation tower originally built in the 1940s by the Virginia State Forest Service to spot forest fires and hazards. Climbing its rustic stairs rewards visitors with panoramic views of surrounding mountains like Buffalo Mountain and the Piedmont below, alongside picnic facilities and interpretive displays at the Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/81f52ddf-681f-49a7-8bd2-1e8beae3a957/DSCF3732.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Interpretive plaques at the fire tower discussed the different types of fencing seen along the Blue Ridge Parkway. These are examples of split-rail and zigzag fences. From ChatGPT: Wooden fencing along the Blue Ridge Parkway reflects traditional Appalachian craftsmanship and landscape preservation. Common styles include split-rail fencing, made from rough-hewn logs for livestock control, and worm (zigzag) fencing, requiring no posts and well suited to rocky ground. Board fencing appears near historic farms, while rustic post-and-rail designs guide visitors subtly. Together, these fences blend function, history, and scenery, reinforcing the Parkway’s pastoral character. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/229441f1-5d04-4592-b823-0da192eaba41/DSCF3735.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/631e0639-7d76-44eb-827b-6839661df877/DSCF3738.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Puckett cabin. This was the home of a local midwife who’s story is told in the next image. A great story on its own, but even more so for someone who has been an Obstetrician. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d9edab19-c5c2-466e-b1db-e7eda995185e/DSCF3736.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Notice the door over her left shoulder - it is rather unchanged from the prior image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dc86226c-7232-4109-a0fc-e9440aad54ef/DSCF3739.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Puckett cabin from the rear. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fb91e227-2351-4814-ae6f-089553ade5d8/DSCF3742.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Brinegar Cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 238.5) is a well-preserved 19th-century Appalachian mountain homestead once owned by Martin and Caroline Brinegar. Built around the 1880s, the original log cabin, granary, and springhouse interpret self-sufficient farm life before the Parkway’s creation, with summer demonstrations of traditional crafts like weaving. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it offers a tangible glimpse into rural family life in the Southern Appalachians. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/74046045-2ed2-4458-91a5-b427afb1f530/DSCF3743.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out It is incredible to think of living in this beautiful, but harsh, landscape year round in structures like these. Different times indeed!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d0be8c2-94e2-44c3-a743-0c646db67c71/DSCF3744.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out The Bluffs Lodge overlook. As we progress further south, the colors are a little less vibrant. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1086a371-8c7f-4295-9d8e-a7e5d1509523/DSCF3745.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out Also from the Bluffs Lodge overlook. While we were here, there was a couple getting their engagement photos taken with this backdrop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2bb9ba0a-ec4d-40dd-b677-90c62316d02f/DSCF3746.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #8 - Make it stand out View from the Lump overlook. These pull-outs for overlook views are numerous along the parkway. Simple two dimensional photos cannot possibly do justice to how amazing the views really are. Click on Image for Map. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day- monthly 0.5 2026-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d8e3fcd-8e99-4199-8193-c45dedd79eb0/DSCF3693.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out After an overnight in Lynchburg, VA, we were on the road early today and caught some low-lying clouds still hanging in the valley below. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d2efaecf-1b02-4afe-bff9-5a49c57cccbb/DSCF3694.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Next, we stopped at Peaks of Otter Lake. The Peaks of Otter Lodge is across the lake. A nice peaceful stroll around the lake on a paved trail. From ChatGPT: Peaks of Otter Lake (Abbott Lake) is a scenic 24-acre mountain lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway, set among the iconic Peaks of Otter with a pleasant one-mile trail, fishing, and picnic spots amid forested views. Peaks of Otter Lodge is a historic Parkway inn overlooking the lake, offering 60+ rooms, a full-service restaurant, lounge, and nature access with easy hiking and tranquil mountain scenery. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4a494c05-331c-4a26-8959-799536c48da0/DSCF3696.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cd71738-2233-405a-ad32-1f34a87116a8/DSCF3697.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f31b2fdb-9440-48a4-9f49-824ce8a85acd/DSCF3698.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out From Peaks of Otter Lake we hiked to the old Johnson homestead. From ChatGPT: The Johnson Farm near Peaks of Otter Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a restored 19th-century homestead at Milepost 86 that interprets rural Appalachian life. Originally settled in the early 1800s and owned by the Johnson family from 1852 to the 1940s, it features a farmhouse and outbuildings preserved as they appeared in the 1930s, with costumed interpreters and gardens illustrating historic farm life. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ae15569a-488f-4953-b484-d1da80337ed1/DSCF3699.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9f320f2f-026a-4416-960b-88d5e9f0031e/DSCF3700.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/03ec8101-6854-4a4b-ace4-631e7a2ecbfe/DSCF3704.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out The view from Mills Gap overlook. Here, as in many other places along the Blue Ridge, the Appalachian Trail crosses the road. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f299eb6b-5a9c-46f0-8465-2d9f593c6fd6/DSCF3703.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Appalachian Trail markers have the distinctive AT emblem and the white trail marker. From ChatGPT: The Appalachian Trail is a legendary 2,190-mile footpath stretching from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Completed in 1937, it winds through 14 states, crossing forests, ridgelines, and remote wilderness. Managed by the National Park Service and volunteers, the trail is famous for thru-hiking, scenic overlooks, shelters, and its deep connection to American conservation and outdoor culture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71a6c484-6b63-4852-b486-18c809fc8697/DSCF3705.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out A good representation of the AT which is well traveled. We met a couple who were doing a long weekend three day hike on the AT. They left one vehicle at the end where they planned to stop and another where they started. They were headed south-to-north on their journey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/370ddc80-b524-4919-a2a9-10c65614b316/DSCF3707.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Roanoke, VA from the top of Mill Mountain. Roanoke had a fun and vibrant downtown with pedestrian friendly streets packed with shops and eateries. Being a Saturday, things were quite busy and they had street vendors similar to our Thursday’s Downtown in Rochester. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cd7a899-87a3-42cf-9dc5-7e2038333739/DSCF3708.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out At the park atop Mill Mountain is the “Roanoke Star.” The next photo provides some interesting details about the star. We were there when it was still light out, so we missed it being lit at night. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f497285d-1f54-41eb-99fe-6ec3f6081ae2/DSCF3709.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-6 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c51f110-9116-4c27-89ae-e85780006dc7/DSCF3675.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Today we finally reach the northern most entry point to The Blue Ridge Parkway and start our 469-mile journey to the souther end. From ChatGPT: The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile scenic roadway stretching from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Designed for leisurely travel, it follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering sweeping overlooks, tunnels, and long-distance vistas. The parkway connects forests, meadows, and high ridges while protecting Appalachian landscapes and culture. Along the route are historic cabins, visitor centers, hiking trails, waterfalls, and access points to charming mountain towns. Wildlife sightings are common, especially deer and black bears. Built during the Great Depression, the parkway is both an engineering achievement and a cultural resource, blending natural beauty with preservation of mountain heritage. With no commercial traffic, minimal signage, and a relaxed pace, the Blue Ridge Parkway is considered one of America’s most scenic drives and a destination in its own right. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0389ef18-cf90-40c4-8452-df2eaeeb2a59/DSCF3676.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out This is the view from Humpback Rock Mountain. This was about as rugged and difficult of a climb that we are going to attempt. The views at the peak were fantastic, but you earned it on the way up! From ChatGPT: Humpback Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia is a striking greenstone outcrop reached by a steep, roughly 2-mile hike from the Humpback Gap parking area. The trail climbs about 700 feet to dramatic 360° views of the Shenandoah and Rockfish Valleys. Near Milepost 6, the site also features a visitor center and historic farm exhibits, blending scenic beauty with Appalachian culture. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ffa6c941-1c80-4bfc-873d-d477eb89b43f/DSCF3677.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0cb8055f-721a-4aa8-bec9-3bdfa35886d4/DSCF3680.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/887c51e4-5fd5-4f4a-a474-9068706f9714/DSCF3681.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85f90262-e7f4-44ea-91f7-f4a490427c54/DSCF3683.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out A few views from the Ravens Roost overlook. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5a3a33b2-001e-422b-b99a-6d181a9e8ff6/DSCF3682.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out This marker identified the mountain ranges viewable from Ravens Roost. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8b46f70a-aa57-4a38-b95f-c4419d1901c0/DSCF3684.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a4b36e09-f384-4b1a-aa84-1146d09384a7/DSCF3685.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out One final view from Ravens Roost before pushing on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1548f5a8-3467-41b3-911b-6c35ab9b9e15/DSCF3686.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Around nearly every turn is another wonderful view. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9eb91d9c-3949-4a7e-855b-4bb088b890cc/DSCF3689.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out We walked the old railroad bed from the Yankee Horse Ridge Trailhead to Wigwam Falls. From ChatGPT: Wigwam Falls and the Yankee Horse Trail at Milepost 34.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway offer a short, easy nature walk through forest and a bit of reconstructed narrow-gauge railroad history. A brief trail leads to the base of Wigwam Falls, a modest but pretty cascade that’s most impressive after rain. The area also features picnic spots and interpretive exhibits. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/af86e127-7172-4292-bea3-146a9b07e51f/DSCF3691.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out The manmade dam and falls at Otter Lake. From ChatGPT: Otter Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway (around Milepost 63) is a small, scenic 7-acre man-made lake created by a dam on Otter Creek at one of the parkway’s lowest elevations. The dam forms a pleasant little waterfall visible from the road. A loop trail circles the lake through woods, offering easy hiking, wildlife viewing, and an accessible fishing pier for warm-water fish. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/77bc9d5c-9d8f-454c-b175-c12c5cc16420/DSCF3692.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #6 - Make it stand out Otter lake viewed from the loop trail. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-5 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65cb15d9-e725-4a60-a93e-1bb05778d485/DSCF3660.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out A peaceful and beautiful day traveling Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/78a6acda-26ba-48b7-a8bc-69cb4d8fccbd/DSCF3661.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Mary’s Rock Tunnel. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/218ac8fd-1e4c-42ca-a975-879dbaa7df53/DSCF3662.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f09778ef-c42d-4798-8886-17b27e0f74d6/DSCF3663.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cc1cdf8f-0257-4e89-9800-d6078b11a895/DSCF3665.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc9546a6-bcf8-4b79-a672-467c3d5c3260/DSCF3666.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out View from the peak of Hawksbill Mountain. From ChatGPT: Hawksbill Mountain, along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, is the park’s highest peak at about 4,050 ft. A popular moderate hike leads to a stone observation platform with sweeping 360° views of the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. Trails from Hawksbill Gap make it a rewarding, relatively short climb with memorable vistas. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/60601073-d00e-43d3-a087-f3db4a276f15/DSCF3669.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e48d4c6e-25ed-4746-bfb5-0ebfc1ad9a55/DSCF3670.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out I celebrated my 56th birthday with this view today. I have been in worse places for prior birthdays - too many spent working in a hospital. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5ed5c1d6-68a4-4ad8-acd9-ea2d61e97124/DSCF3672.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Dark Hollow Falls. The hike to these falls was not for the faint of heart. However, it was not our most adventurous hike - that would come the following day. From ChatGPT: Dark Hollow Falls on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park is a scenic, 70-foot cascading waterfall accessed via a popular 1.4-mile round-trip hike. The trail descends steeply through forest alongside Hogcamp Branch to the falls, then climbs back up, making the return more strenuous. Its beauty and accessibility make it one of the park’s most visited waterfall hikes. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c0048fa4-f2fa-44dc-b2dd-5f2b18cf873a/DSCF3673.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out On both Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway, there are stunning views around almost every corner. As we work out way further south, the colors are more consistent with peak. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba3644ed-0330-4478-872d-3c43518e9eba/DSCF3674.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-4 monthly 0.5 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c733261-0d49-4192-9097-20086310924d/DSCF3626.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Today we arrived at the north end of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Here are some views from some of the overlooks along today’s route. From ChatGPT: Skyline Drive is a 105-mile scenic roadway running the length of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Built in the 1930s, it offers sweeping overlooks, wildlife viewing, and access to more than 500 miles of hiking trails, including portions of the Appalachian Trail. Shenandoah National Park is known for forested ridges, waterfalls, and seasonal beauty, especially fall foliage. The park preserves a tranquil mountain landscape while providing visitors opportunities for hiking, camping, and scenic driving just hours from Washington, D.C. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c47dbeec-7cc8-4171-b0ea-f5a51086f7a1/DSCF3627.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3068d082-6aa6-4093-9640-91ebc1dadc10/DSCF3629.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1b977ca9-14cf-4c5d-869d-24857ae70860/DSCF3633.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/363b8687-ca50-4b6b-bdfb-84563b16f405/DSCF3616.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out We hiked the Fox Hollow Trail loop. From ChatGPT: Fox Hollow Trail in Shenandoah National Park is a quiet, lightly traveled hiking trail that descends through hardwood forest into a secluded hollow. The trail follows remnants of old farm roads and stone walls, offering a glimpse into the park’s pre-park history. It provides a peaceful alternative to busier routes, especially in autumn when foliage is vibrant. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eef9564d-e400-4599-9c5a-9fcc59f7b68b/DSCF3617.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out This trail takes you past the Fox Family cemetary. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5b5641b8-f15e-43a3-98b1-caeeacaad1a6/DSCF3624.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Despite being late October, there was still some areas of nice fall color. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79a40388-c5ff-4733-9da2-b7364c4785be/DSCF3635.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Our main stop for today was Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia. From ChatGPT: Luray Caverns, located in the Shenandoah Valley town of Luray, Virginia, is the largest and most famous cavern system in the eastern United States. Discovered in 1878, the caverns feature vast chambers adorned with towering stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone, and mirrored pools that create dramatic underground landscapes. Highlights include the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which uses rubber mallets to play music on naturally tuned stone formations, and the soaring Titania’s Veil. The caverns maintain a constant cool temperature, making them accessible year-round. Above ground, the site includes museums, gardens, and historic attractions that provide additional context for the region’s geology and history. Luray Caverns has long been a major Shenandoah Valley destination, combining natural wonder, scientific significance, and tourism tradition. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/583a28fc-57d9-4326-8b88-b1b6ca7667a9/DSCF3636.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out These are some photos of the amazing formations seen throughout the caverns. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/772777da-07bc-44bf-9022-9549b5173e55/DSCF3638.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/62f55e7b-e7c6-4db7-b8e5-6f8a09df59d0/DSCF3639.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out As a general rule, Lisa and I are not fans of caves - a bit too claustrophobic for our taste. But, these caverns were so vast and expansive we never really felt that claustrophobic sensation and it was quite enjoyable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1482dbd0-e126-4a6f-b247-2b84ca6a6739/DSCF3641.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab5e0e19-9fe0-4234-9a5d-4c940b07d48e/DSCF3644.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05a95789-0dfa-417e-82c4-6ebd29dc74d5/DSCF3645.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out These are some of the reflecting pools. The top of the image is the cavern roof and the bottom is actually a mirror reflection in the water below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/864ab0d6-6d23-47a2-84c8-628210a27f92/DSCF3646.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out More reflecting pools. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/15ee079c-64a4-4df7-ab51-471fcc4c4c31/DSCF3649.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/168dd4a4-8145-4848-8db5-a1f151c7a977/DSCF3650.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5bae6f9b-4181-4857-999a-a13aa6d57d7e/DSCF3651.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out The colors are caused by the different minerals dissoved in the water as it drips over the formations and deposits over MANY years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6cc4983b-9cf0-494e-b3b3-2bdd4e94e27e/DSCF3652.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/916d0f03-4bc5-4c66-832f-045e2214497a/DSCF3653.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/37cbc122-feb1-48cc-a6df-72103ca343f4/DSCF3654.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d88701ea-4184-4412-b36e-985bac287525/DSCF3655.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out This is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which uses rubber mallets to play music on naturally tuned stone formations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c8384c93-347f-4437-984b-e5cd9a054754/DSCF3657.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out This is the wishing well formation and people throw money into the pool. Each year they take out all the money and donate it to a cause. See the next photo for details. Overall, they have collected over $1.2 Million! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d010c6d5-692f-4ce6-a8b6-829f356cc524/DSCF3656.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45ea977d-61a8-462f-8f80-f679a8fea926/DSCF3658.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #4 - Make it stand out A close-up of the mineral formations. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-3 monthly 0.5 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d868d8ac-9011-4c74-884d-eebf0dc8381c/DSCF3581.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Day #3 of our trip found us entering into the state of West Virginia. Neither of us have ever spend any significant time in West Virginia, but we were quite pleased with the scenery and road conditions we found on their secondary roads. It was nice having the Type-R because the road surfaces were well maintained and the secondary roads were curvy and little traveled. This is the Ohio River from Parkersburg, West Virginia. For those of you who have followed our prior travels, you will recall we had photos from our Mississippi River trip where the Ohio met the Mississippi in Cairo, IL - about 520 miles from this spot. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/84873c51-9a2d-4b02-8e21-3ac52d5ef93a/DSCF3582.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out On the left is the Parkersburg-Belpre bridge for automobiles connecting Parkersburg, West Virginia with Belpre, Ohio. On the right is the Sixth Street Railroad Bridge. From ChatGPT: The Sixth Street Railroad Bridge in Parkersburg, West Virginia (also called the Parkersburg Bridge) is a historic railroad truss bridge across the Ohio River to Belpre, Ohio. Built 1869–1871 for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, it stretches about 7,140 ft and was once the longest bridge of its type in the world. It’s still in rail use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc166741-7f77-4e52-a0bd-1397d24a7894/DSCF3584.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Today’s big adventure was a visit to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA) in Weston, WV. From ChatGPT: The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, was a massive psychiatric hospital built 1858–1881 under the Kirkbride Plan and opened in 1864 as the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane. Overcrowding swelled its intended 250-patient capacity to around 2,400 by the 1950s, with often harsh conditions. It closed in 1994 and was auctioned in 2007; today it’s a National Historic Landmark offering historical and paranormal tours, preserving its complex legacy in mental health care history. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8fd553af-617c-43f0-aebe-73e8dba3dcc8/DSCF3585.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out The main central portion of the asylum and at least one wing have been restored to what they would have looked like when the building was fully operational in it’s day. This is the restored portion. From ChatGPT: The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, was a massive psychiatric hospital built 1858–1881 under the Kirkbride Plan and opened in 1864 as the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane. Overcrowding swelled its intended 250-patient capacity to around 2,400 by the 1950s, with often harsh conditions. It closed in 1994 and was auctioned in 2007; today it’s a National Historic Landmark offering historical and paranormal tours, preserving its complex legacy in mental health care history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4a56047c-c1ec-4e2c-a49a-bf19ec683875/DSCF3587.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out The majority of this massive complex is still in the condition it was when closed in 1994. The photos which follow are of patient rooms, hallways and other locations throughout the asylum. Creepy to say the least! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cbc331c-1852-4b6a-b487-628780ac1166/DSCF3588.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5898c7a4-1272-4a40-b29a-a41892f8d3ab/DSCF3589.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c6604159-74fb-449e-989f-dd17bba309c8/DSCF3590.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/92777fdb-ab69-4e73-be9d-6388cb050104/DSCF3591.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b71461b0-9e51-44ed-a16e-6db6f380d10f/DSCF3602.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out We took the full four floor tour of the asylum, including the medical building. They also offer paranormal tours and you can even pay to stay the night in the asylum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d52f4803-dd9d-45ba-8981-06b3208e1e72/DSCF3604.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out These are the rooms in the locked ward of the asylum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8f0a7c3a-6cd7-4781-9bbd-7ce10ba4d110/DSCF3605.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out This the inside of one of the locked rooms. Notice there are no furnishings in these rooms. This, we are told, was because people in these rooms would attempt to harm themselves by hanging or other means if allowed. If you were not already insane before hand, spending any time in these rooms would make you go crazy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8bc7bcc-4b48-453a-9159-986b94ed8dee/DSCF3592.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Interesting architecture with these carved faces on the exterior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/23c37781-b29b-49ad-b72b-67057c4841e6/DSCF3599.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2bc12e9d-c415-4611-8cef-823f6d670e8a/DSCF3596.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Entrance to the Medical Center building. The creepiness only increased inside here. Photo-ops were limited due to the dark lighting. But we got to see the morgue and some other interesting places. Just too dark in there for meaningful photos unfortunately. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/55e0c70d-5f93-4c97-ae13-bf078620a00b/DSCF3594.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out A disproportionate number of the patients were female in the early years. This was believed to be due to the patriarchal nature of the times. A husband or other family member would bring the young woman to the asylum and claim she was “insane,” and she would be admitted just on their word alone. It was common to see young women, such as the one featured here, that were admitted for “dysmenorrheal” acute mania. We can only assume it may have been some type of PMS symptoms which was interepreted as “insane.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66c40b05-187c-41a2-9dae-2c273a2d6832/DSCF3600.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Inside the physician’s office at the Medical Center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05be8ee5-5aa3-4d36-8740-f87729babfbf/DSCF3610.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out These are the tools used for transorbital lobotomies. They had a video showing how this procedure being performed on a sedated - but otherwise awake patient. What was particularly interesting was how bloodless this procedure actually was. From ChatGPT: Transorbital frontal lobotomies often produced profound and irreversible effects on patients. While some individuals showed reduced agitation or anxiety, many experienced severe personality changes, emotional blunting, and loss of initiative. Patients frequently became apathetic, childlike, or unable to plan, work, or maintain relationships. Cognitive impairment, poor judgment, incontinence, seizures, and speech difficulties were common. In some cases, patients lost their sense of identity or independence entirely. Although once promoted as a breakthrough for severe mental illness, the procedure ultimately caused widespread harm, leading to its abandonment as psychiatric ethics, medications, and understanding of brain function evolved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/826f7ed4-a6b2-40b0-8164-a0f2f23d6211/DSCF3609.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Unfortunately, the lighting in this room was so poor that I could not obtain a good quality photo. But, this is a chair used in electroconvulsive therapy. From ChatGPT: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment in which controlled electrical currents are passed through the brain under anesthesia to induce a brief seizure. Used primarily for severe depression, catatonia, and some bipolar disorders, ECT can be highly effective when medications fail. Modern ECT is carefully monitored, far safer than early forms, though temporary memory loss and confusion remain possible side effects. It is often reserved for life-threatening cases today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e27ea8c7-3ae9-4e6b-a236-99d41329c610/DSCF3597.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Located directly behind the main building is the ward for the criminally insane. We did not tour this building due to time constraints; but if we ever return, this is on the list of to-do’s. From ChatGPT: At the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, a separate ward for the criminally insane was added in the mid-20th century behind the main hospital building to isolate patients deemed dangerous or violent from the general population. This auxiliary structure housed those with histories of aggression, helping staff manage safety in an overcrowded facility. It’s now part of historic tours that explore the asylum’s complex and often grim history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4524889e-4493-40a6-861a-623a32e90f23/DSCF3601.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out View from the balcony of the main building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85ef4d9f-c60d-46e1-b54a-0a4f7b3e0991/DSCF3607.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out Wonderful old staircase in the center of the main building with the original hardwood handrailing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/067d45b4-b726-41f1-b343-bccb6624bcb4/DSCF3611.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #3 - Make it stand out The trip east from Weston, WV to Front Royal, VA had some spectacular views with the setting sun. Click on Image for Map. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-2 monthly 0.5 2026-01-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/be9a3094-1d74-4673-bf21-ce04bf34de6f/DSCF1857.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Indianapolis Zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana is a major zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden in White River State Park. Founded in 1964 and relocated to its current 64-acre site in 1988, it’s one of the first U.S. institutions triple-accredited as zoo, aquarium, and garden. The zoo houses about 1,200 animals from roughly 230 species and features diverse biomes, marine life, orangutans, and extensive plant collections in adjoining gardens. It emphasizes conservation, education, and unique experiences like up-close animal encounters, making it a key cultural and family attraction in the city. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1477ea41-b248-4535-b409-de44024fe5e2/DSCF1854.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d22c8e69-5fe2-4205-abeb-f6a18caa3c49/DSCF1856.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a4a8b4cd-b6b6-4037-9dd5-13b838f20c3c/DSCF1859.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9214ffa0-9d7d-44ac-9058-fbfa22432f18/DSCF1860.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a29f4709-f636-408e-923d-a0d77af80e71/DSCF1862.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e9e15a58-365c-4ca0-b3c1-671f6380e574/DSCF1863.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/301f24ef-9edb-4f52-bd5b-7d9e93a8f1f0/DSCF1866.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/21ff3bc3-a894-434d-b71b-0cbbb093233c/DSCF1867.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/773d0f1c-b830-4f2e-8c26-533b65d48079/DSCF1868.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e34e20b-31df-452c-9ebc-eefd11d98351/DSCF1870.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6b48ee86-1e16-4af6-ace3-1fb7cc751c93/DSCF1872.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0b29583e-7f2c-4f8a-ac97-ce36734b618e/DSCF1888.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/77a61e34-f735-4c5c-b71d-2b534784de47/DSCF1874.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8fdecdba-61f0-48ee-9a67-46ea62143306/DSCF1877.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/98f97128-020b-40d6-b7d1-5854625a76a3/DSCF1881.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8627633c-15f7-4cb7-aebd-4998328adba6/DSCF1885.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c4fb1727-b423-49d8-98b2-1c6c3a4e4340/DSCF1887.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fe20064-cce3-496e-a7fd-f369ad6fb429/DSCF1892.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6070a90-a387-4f7b-8b6c-6d2d59ae68c9/DSCF1896.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85b20a54-b27e-46ee-96d4-f9b384bef088/DSCF1902.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/649a1381-5b9f-4370-bd27-7b4ac6422ee4/DSCF1901.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ebdd267d-3c66-4293-a04a-9dcc8a9b5f99/DSCF1900.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/blue-ridge-parkway-day-1 monthly 0.5 2026-01-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/27b90334-c19e-4eeb-b0c6-55ded26d41ac/DSCF3579.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out When my wealthy doctor colleagues go on vacation, they travel to Europe, Australia or the Far East. But, when we travel, we visit Mount Trashmore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa! From ChatGPT: Mount Trashmore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is a reclaimed landfill turned popular outdoor destination. Once a city dump, it was capped and closed in 2013 and now features walking, running, and mountain-biking trails leading to Linn County’s highest point with scenic views of the city and Cedar River. Visitors participate in hikes and challenges on varied trails, blending recreation with a striking example of sustainable land reuse. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cc24370c-d33c-42fe-96dc-db24c4028f3c/DSCF3580.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out The daunting hike to the far peak of Mount Trashmore! Glad we brought our oxygen tanks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d297253-0380-4f19-abe2-2c736e8309fb/DSCF3574.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out Commanding views from the peak of Mount Trashmore. The highest elevation in all of Linn County. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a8b5cdf3-6208-407d-a8bf-8ee87ece73ce/DSCF3575.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out On such a clear day, you can see FOREVER - or perhaps a mile or two into Cedar Rapids. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7753d947-354d-46a6-96b6-e853f33027e5/DSCF3576.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c35a089-193e-47b6-9049-0621f9c61a52/DSCF3577.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out We joked about needing oxygen tanks. But, in truth, it might have helped the olfactory senses. These vents were located all over the capped trash heap. I kind of want one of these signs for my office door!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/83da079e-34cb-435f-8e20-4acdc3f4c4e4/DSCF3578.jpg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out A little history lesson for day #1 of our trip east. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d41af22-ecc5-40eb-b175-a9de5626d3af/IMG_0813.jpeg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out And when my rich doctor colleagues travel, they eat at Michelin-starred restaurants. We, on the other hand, chose to dine at the world famous I-80 Truckstop. From ChatGPT: The Iowa 80 Truckstop, off I-80 exit 284 in Walcott, Iowa, is widely known as the world’s largest truck stop. It covers about 220 acres with parking for roughly 900 trucks and serves around 5,000 visitors daily. More than a refueling stop, it offers restaurants, showers, a movie theater, barber, dentist, laundromat, gift shops, and a trucking museum, making it a one-stop travel hub. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b591cc01-2405-426e-bc68-a4eff4a1eeac/IMG_0814.jpeg Photo Blog - Blue Ridge Parkway Day #1 - Make it stand out And, in case your vehicle needs some trailer-hitch bumper nuts; well, the I-80 Truckstop has you covered. They come in an assortment of sizes and colors! https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/michigan-trip-days-5-amp-6 monthly 0.5 2026-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cdebd285-cf9f-4074-b030-9101f85fa970/DSCF3560.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out The final two days of this trip brought ominous skies and some very heavy fall rains. Here is the Mackinac Bridge from WaWatam Park in Mackinaw City. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/62873cc7-6761-4960-8e8e-91febc3b2e89/DSCF3561.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: The Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, located in Mackinaw City on Michigan’s mainland, guided ships safely through the treacherous Straits of Mackinac from 1892 until 1957. Today a museum, it features restored keeper’s quarters, original Fresnel lenses, and historic exhibits. Visitors can explore the grounds, climb the tower for panoramic views of the Mackinac Bridge and harbor, and learn about its crucial role in Great Lakes navigation and maritime history. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ee96d3ef-4e55-4a86-93aa-dc8cd2396f34/DSCF3562.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/494f2ffa-3b94-4d59-9e64-a6997a9354b7/DSCF3564.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out We didn’t actually eat here; however, who doesn’t need a photo of a GIANT wiener?!?! Welcome to Wienerlicious. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/022bc2bf-aa02-482b-8c6f-297da2de3e71/DSCF3565.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out Our next stop was to visit the town of Harbor Springs, Michigan. This was a lovely small town on an inlet off Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5b2ca1a8-34f9-4c4c-b308-002bbec0f103/DSCF3567.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out The homes along Beach Drive are absolutely magnificent with great views of the bay. We were told these belong to OLD money and a lot of it! Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41b42e92-c6ee-4e5f-9bd9-196d56c62157/DSCF3568.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4f12c682-214d-4db2-bb33-f06e9e92b135/DSCF3569.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65958a08-8d3b-4483-bb9c-74ceb5c505cb/DSCF3566.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out The locomotive had just been installed in Shay Park when we were there. From ChatGPT: In Shay Park, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society has installed a restored Shay Locomotive (Serial No. 2005), a geared steam engine type invented by local resident Ephraim Shay. The locomotive was built in 1907 by the Lima Locomotive Works and after restoration was placed on permanent outdoor display in the park in 2025 alongside other artifacts. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d401f1f3-8dd9-4ca5-acf6-de8ee68e7163/DSCF3570.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out On the other side of Little Traverse Bay is Petoskey, Michigan. These are some views of the bay from Bayfront Park. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/76086749-a2cb-410d-8587-405765d9876f/DSCF3572.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out Petoskey Clock Tower. From ChatGPT: Downtown Petoskey, centered around the historic Gaslight Shopping District, is a lively, picturesque hub on Little Traverse Bay in northern Michigan. Lined with vintage gas lamp posts, it offers over 170 unique shops, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants set in charming, walkable streets. With scenic views of Lake Michigan, seasonal events, and easy access to parks and water activities, it’s a beloved destination for both locals and visitors seeking small‑town character and vibrant cultural life. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71f98b6f-c1b9-422f-aacc-f89dc1255d9d/DSCF3573.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Days #5 & #6 - Make it stand out Petoskey Bayfront Light Beacon Station and Breakwater. Looking through the shops in Petoskey it is common to come across Petoskey Stones. From ChatGPT: Petoskey stones are fossilized coral, unique to the Great Lakes region, especially northern Michigan. Recognizable by their hexagonal patterns, they form in limestone and are often polished by lake waves. These smooth, patterned stones are popular as souvenirs, jewelry, and collectibles, symbolizing the region’s natural and geological history. Click on Image for Map. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/mi monthly 0.5 2026-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/166d26d1-c224-4311-8ccc-e14567236b7e/DSCF3487.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Coast Guard Cutter in port at Mackinaw City by ferry launch to Mackinac Island. Click on Image for Map https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14e1322b-d961-4cf5-bc75-4d30e1657dfd/DSCF3489.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: The Mackinac Bridge spans five miles across the Straits of Mackinac, linking Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas since 1957. Known as “Big Mac,” it was once the world’s longest suspension bridge between anchorages. Towering 552 feet above the water, it carries I-75 and endures fierce winds, ice, and traffic, serving as both a vital transportation link and an enduring symbol of Michigan engineering. Annual bridge walks celebrate its history and allow pedestrians to cross safely. Click on Image for Map https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad6fdeb8-bbf7-41d4-9e41-8f5fe012df8f/DSCF3491.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66a3c68b-cc7d-4b85-8389-1fb857b9e84b/DSCF3493.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6fc8083e-7f8f-479f-8037-da59a8c4b765/DSCF3494.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/603b0ed8-9490-4715-9fb1-c1e006efa407/DSCF3498.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Light houses on entry to Mackinac Island port. Click on Image for Map https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/37b59b51-df2a-4cb7-a9fe-536531612038/DSCF3499.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Mackinac Island from the ferry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39f1801b-c76b-476b-8ed1-ba567c0a1b2f/DSCF3502.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Windermere Hotel. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05e867bd-7571-4022-b517-a23e5c074394/DSCF3503.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Main Street on Mackinac Island is the lively heart of the island, stretching along the waterfront between the ferry docks and Marquette Park. Lined with historic hotels, fudge shops, boutiques, and bike rentals, it reflects the island’s Victorian charm. With no cars allowed, the street bustles with pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-drawn carriages, offering views of the harbor and Fort Mackinac while capturing the island’s relaxed, nostalgic atmosphere. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/34635897-087f-4602-aacd-e9336f2a72ce/DSCF3507.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Horse-drawn carriages are central to daily life on Mackinac Island, where automobiles have been banned since the late 1800s. Serving as taxis, delivery vehicles, and tour transports, the carriages preserve the island’s historic character. Operated by trained drivers and teams of horses, they move visitors along tree-lined roads at a gentle pace. The sound of hooves and carriage bells has become an iconic part of the island’s timeless, Victorian-era atmosphere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3d1958c5-805f-4444-9c1e-033812765f17/DSCF3506.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Main Street with Fort Mackinac in the background. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb354055-0bb8-493f-805a-d615590aaa75/DSCF3531.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/44c8754d-f527-4562-b977-6d906e98d0cd/DSCF3510.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Even the mini-putt course on the island is over-the-top. From ChatGPT: The Greens of Mackinac Mini Golf is a popular Mackinac Island attraction inspired by famous holes from the historic Grand Hotel Golf Links. Set on a bluff overlooking the harbor, it features creatively designed holes, landscaped greens, and scenic views, offering a fun, family-friendly way to experience the island’s golf heritage. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d040ec6f-43bc-4ea9-82e4-c0cba7881255/DSCF3552.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea3dbb37-6f61-4638-af43-e21434b43b99/DSCF3512.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Absolutely brilliant!!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8e266629-057d-4885-8c66-1342eb02dcc9/DSCF3513.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Mission Point Resort. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/81d733a3-a726-4e7f-a35a-90b5216668a3/DSCF3514.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Lakeshore Drive on Mackinac Island traces the island’s edge for approximately 8.2 miles, offering one of its most scenic routes. Open only to pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-drawn carriages, it provides sweeping views of Lake Huron, limestone bluffs, and passing freighters. The mostly level road circles the island, passing natural rock formations and quiet shoreline stretches, making it a favorite for biking and leisurely carriage rides while showcasing the island’s natural beauty. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4dde76ed-1fec-4c99-ae33-e334452891a3/DSCF3515.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Arch Rock Viewpoint on Mackinac Island overlooks one of the island’s most famous natural landmarks, a massive limestone arch rising above Lake Huron. Reached by stairs or trail, the viewpoint offers sweeping views of the water, surrounding forest, and distant Mackinac Bridge, making it a popular and memorable photo stop. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5c75127e-350d-4b26-8f85-825a73c48229/DSCF3516.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c6fa11f7-3e1b-4d04-be43-93cdc1f7ff18/DSCF3524.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The next several images are from Fort Holmes; the highest point on the island. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5b13718a-3c8a-408a-842e-4d1ad0d5345f/DSCF3523.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/19bb91d0-82c6-4c64-81a5-9af5d9d10ce7/DSCF3527.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/72b95c1e-3456-4f84-a657-ad38e474b811/DSCF3525.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e1f541fb-c256-4673-a4c3-55851c4ecda3/DSCF3528.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out This is the larger fort on the island; Fort Mackinac. From ChatGPT: Fort Mackinac sits high on a bluff overlooking Mackinac Island’s harbor, offering commanding views of the Straits of Mackinac. Built by the British during the American Revolution, the fort later served U.S. forces for decades. Today it operates as a living history museum, with restored buildings, period reenactments, cannon demonstrations, and exhibits that highlight the island’s strategic military and cultural importance. Fort Mackinac covers about 13.9 acres atop a limestone bluff on Mackinac Island. Within that area are 14 historic buildings, parade grounds, ramparts, and lookout points, all enclosed by stone walls. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf56c186-1018-4163-92d7-62b81b1ec351/DSCF3550.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The front of Fort Mackinac. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66983996-d247-49ad-a052-3b648400742c/DSCF3535.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c75a35c-9042-4cba-be55-cb4d96e1ba91/DSCF3534.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The Little Stone Church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/91ff2156-8b3a-4540-9440-18830946b3a1/DSCF3536.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The Grand Hotel. From ChatGPT: The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is a historic luxury resort, famous for its 660-foot-long porch—the world’s longest—and sweeping views of Lake Huron. Opened in 1887, it exudes Victorian elegance with period décor, lavish gardens, and formal dining. Accessible only by ferry, bike, or horse-drawn carriage, the hotel hosts social events, concerts, and traditional afternoon teas, offering guests a timeless, upscale retreat that blends historic charm with the island’s serene, car-free environment. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd818676-e287-49bf-8846-becaa05765e4/DSCF3540.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out A view of the 660-foot-long porch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f65f9abc-f122-41eb-8f07-32c772d80966/DSCF3542.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Grand Hotel pool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/548e10bb-151d-40cc-a1e3-d81270a44f11/DSCF3532.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Some of the beautiful private residences on Mackinac Island. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e981829-241a-4d14-a7d7-a8b291d57a56/DSCF3543.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: Mackinac Island has a year-round population of roughly 500 residents. The number swells dramatically during the tourist season, when thousands of visitors arrive daily in the summer months, but only a small, close-knit community lives on the island throughout the winter. Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c03e3054-7628-4d7d-a54d-6dcd0d0e3fd7/DSCF3545.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Click on Image for Map. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4138eab7-d03d-4eb2-a620-135f7bca40f3/DSCF3546.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2d63c328-a994-4707-a7aa-2857eaf6c7ba/DSCF3555.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Freighter and a cruise ship off the shore of Mackinac Island. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/michigan-trip-day-3 monthly 0.5 2025-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d9b4836f-24a1-49fc-b053-34a31bed8696/DSCF3415.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Leaving Munising, and headed to Whitefish Point, we dealt with some very thick fog. However, by the time we arrived at Tahqumenon Falls the fog had lifted. We walked on the paths that provided a nice view of the Tahqumenon River and Falls. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29f1a58c-1d3a-41b4-bfb6-3b4cb7119d10/DSCF3420.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out We read that the dark color of the water is not because it is “dirty,” but rather because of minerals dissolved in the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad175393-e820-4327-8cfb-c7868d53d905/DSCF3423.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The park had fantastic paved walking trails and an elaborate boardwalk that allowed viewing the river and falls from multiple levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1b861bd8-a3fc-463d-b85e-f80846809289/DSCF3425.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8ce7d765-e5f9-429a-b463-475f7cb15605/DSCF3428.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Our next stop was the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. Just a wonderful experience!!! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4b7a4ea6-95d4-45c0-bddd-e46491d27912/DSCF3430.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The lighthouse and keepers home are the focal point of the grounds. However, there are multiple buildings to visit and they are all fantastic. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/db4934b0-e1b3-43cb-87f1-bb69dab9db46/DSCF3433.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f9888cc5-07dd-48f6-96b5-5778de266dd1/DSCF3434.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/32bf5236-a99a-47c8-b863-22e6554aa67b/DSCF3429.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out In addition to the museum, the grounds also allow for access to the beach. The beach was surprisingly sandy with sand we would have equated more with the Caribbean. However, at the juncture of the sand and the water there are rocks which have been ground smooth from tumbling in the surf. The woman on the left was looking for agates, and tried to teach me what to look for - it was a lost cause. But, I did get to dip my toes into the 65 degree water of Lake Superior - refreshing…. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/931b60b1-9cca-4383-9d54-43f6a53bda30/DSCF3446.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Once inside the museum, there are displays on quite number of the Great Lakes Shipwrecks over the years. However, the centerpiece is most definitely the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald; probably the most famous of the Great Lakes wrecks. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e9d33d9f-e318-49bb-a093-8e83c00d975b/DSCF3448.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out And, of the artifacts from the Fitzgerald, the most impressive is the ship’s bell which was raised in 1995; twenty years after it sank on November 10, 1975. The bell now resides in the museum as a testament to the 29 men who died in the wreck. The bell was replaced with another, engraved with the names of the 29 men lost. It now serves as a grave marker 530 feet below the surface of Lake Superior. The bell in enclosed in a glass case so it cannot be touched. However, after this bell was raised from the bottom, a ceremony was held and a member from each family of those lost on the ship came forward and rang this very bell in honor of their loved one. Powerful stuff! The documentary movie they show about raising this bell was really something and the emotion was palpable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/acd11361-bcae-477e-ba1e-d2d3a02ce6ad/DSCF3455.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out These artifacts were recovered from one of the Fitzgerald’s lifeboats. However, the lifeboats were found heavily damaged and showed no signs of being used. It is believed the vessel sank so rapidly that they never had time to deploy the lifeboats. Rather, they came loose when the ship sank and collided with the bottom. Here are some flares, a flare gun, a lantern and some matches. None of which were ever used. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/256705eb-b074-4585-bb17-22a301b07467/DSCF3435.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This is the bell recovered from the SS Daniel J. Morrell which split apart in a strong storm on Lake Huron on November 29, 1966. One man, by the name of Dennis Hale, survived this disaster and was able to tell the story of how the 603-foot freighter broke in two. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7062e1f7-7c8d-47bf-8885-beb23d50aed5/DSCF3437.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This was the clock on the wall of the Daniel J. Morrell which appears to have stopped working at 03:27AM, marking the time the ship sank. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/782514ab-4541-4882-99ff-f99f60b94c15/DSCF3438.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This is the rudder from the M.M. Drake, a 201-foot wooden schooner, which sunk six miles west of Whitefish Point in a storm on October 2, 1901. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f60a44ff-1df4-4967-be99-c4510ac3c04f/DSCF3441.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out A Fresnel lens typical of the one used at Whitefish Point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8c6bea10-b15a-475a-bf68-783a9b8f44fa/DSCF3442.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out These next few are some of the interesting exhibits throughout the museum. They are worth taking a few minutes to read. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/375002e6-65c6-46aa-8c22-234126acdcba/DSCF3443.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This was brilliant in the early 1900s! Having driven through the thick fog on the morning we visited the museum, we can attest that some non-visual means of alerting ships was imperative! This was an absolutely brilliant solution for its time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4bad20a5-2444-4ebe-b2e6-a4e71198c051/DSCF3444.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out German spy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/62b59f92-8eb0-4e38-adf8-cc86cf479185/DSCF3447.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Another Fresnel lens, this one is a “fourth order” lens; which denotes its size. The largest ever used on the Great Lakes was apparently a “second order” and we will see that next. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8702168a-3bbe-44d2-b97b-caecba43290e/DSCF3449.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This monster is a “second order” Fresnel lens and was the largest ever used on the Great Lakes. The lens is 9-feet in diameter and weighs 3,500 pounds. It floats on a bearing surface of liquid mercury, which allows for near frictionless rotation. This lens was located in northern Lake Michigan and warned ships of the shallows known as White Shoal. The light it projected could be seen at a distance of 28 miles. The lens was rotated using a pendulum mechanism, much like an old grandfather clock, and the pendulum was on a 44-foot cable. The lighthouse keeper had to wind the mechanism every 2 hours and 18 minutes and this resulted in a rotational speed which produced a distinctive 7 ½ second pause between each visible beam of light. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2c15c42d-8bb5-49f2-880a-eb0575fe4dd2/DSCF3451.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Early diving suit used to explore shipwrecks. We agreed this was NOT a job we would have taken at any price! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abec9e75-cb32-43f9-95ff-db79d4e558bd/DSCF3452.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The medical requirements for diving using this suit. Repeated venereal disease - but apparently just one case of syphilis doesn’t disqualify you! I know at least one of my Residents would be happy to hear that…. ;-) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/67e4df6f-d9eb-49e4-b96e-e19f06e253a1/DSCF3454.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This exhibit of the Independence - as well as serval other exhibits - actually allow you to touch the wreckage and artifacts which were recovered from the bottom of the lakes. Fascinating to know you are actually touching such a piece of history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c09db23-5a1e-48c4-94d9-ad6930e8fdf3/DSCF3453.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7cd79188-9b54-4355-b9ce-0e478d61078a/DSCF3458.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This view of the lighthouse is taken from the boardwalk to the bird observatory on the dunes adjacent to the museum grounds. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bed91547-c822-4750-a171-d7223322a548/DSCF3461.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This image is taken from the beach on Whitefish Point. To the left is the open water of Lake Superior and on the right is the relative shelter of Whitefish Bay. Ships are relieved to reach the shelter of Whitefish Bay when they encounter November storms on Superior. The Edmund Fitzgerald lies 530-feet below the surface only 15 miles from this point - in Canadian waters. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/155b99f2-d981-4616-a219-9fa9604ad534/DSCF3462.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out One final look back at the lighthouse before heading to the Soo Locks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14fe21ec-c9c6-4daf-92f4-63fd71881801/DSCF3486.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This interesting display at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan shows how long it would take a ship to reach each of the cities. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/078fdea6-0e6c-4b92-a544-3aabfdf631da/DSCF3465.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out As is so typical and consistent, the grounds of the locks are always so well maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a4d8a53-aad1-4b77-a9fe-835f0fd68fea/DSCF3466.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This is a large piece of the rock containing iron ore which is mined in Minnesota and Wisconsin and made into the taconite pellets so often carried by the Great Lake freighters. It was 29,000 tons of taconite pellets that the Fitzgerald was carrying when it sank in Superior on its way to these very Soo Locks on November, 10, 1975. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/28fcc605-70bf-4ea8-9aee-95c36850031f/DSCF3483.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This plaque in the Soo Lock Visitor Center explains how each time the locks raises or lowers it requires the movement of 22 million gallons of water! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b2ce5abc-9a82-40bc-a0c7-f4295475c5df/DSCF3472.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out So, for this one small up-bound fishing boat, it took 22 million gallons of water to raise it from the level of St. Marys River to the level of Superior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a43d7510-fc5c-4649-bcb7-94f5411efc58/DSCF3464.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out In the Visitors Center they have a board that indicates when the “footers” are scheduled to arrive at the locks. A “footer” is the term they use to denote a freighter of 1,000 feet in length. The board indicated that the Indiana Harbor was up-bound in the next 30 minutes; so, naturally, I had to see that! There are apparently 13 “footers” that pass through the Soo Locks and they had a poster for each one hung along the fence. This is the poster for the Indiana Harbor - which was headed our way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e76e6681-0b6e-4be2-8ffd-dfb33bd0e524/DSCF3473.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The Indiana Harbor up-bound from St. Marys River into the Soo Locks and eventually onto Lake Superior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8ee734b-31d2-4e5b-80b6-1f1fe961789b/DSCF3474.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Slowly working its way into the locking chamber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abe97d87-526e-493b-ac92-b09e587423c5/DSCF3476.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The Pilot House is almost completely in the chamber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ea683d4-09d2-4235-b729-691dbbe82c83/DSCF3479.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out All 1,000 feet of this amazing ship is now in the locking chamber. As a point of reference, the Edmund Fitzgerald was 729-feet in length - which was one foot shorter than the maximum allowed in these Soo Locks when it was built in 1957. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f32c5836-b393-4c92-bdd9-630e1a5d1d94/DSCF3484.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Fully lifted and awaiting the O.K. to exit into Whitefish Bay and Lake Superior. As much as I would have loved to stay and watch it completely exit the locks, the light was fading and we still needed to make it to Mackinaw City - and ideally cross over the Mackinac Bridge while it was still light out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/154c30ed-5a4a-4766-a9c2-867582e6bfe2/DSCF3463.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This is the museum ship Valley Camp. We didn’t have time to visit today, but next time…. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/michigan-trip-day-2 monthly 0.5 2025-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf1a13c7-9ea7-4f7b-8466-43f1a7844425/DSCF3387.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Today we visited the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore. We started the day walking the Sand Point Marsh Trail. This was a nice boardwalk through the marsh. We also walked a few miles on the Lakeshore North Country Trail. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3663dc14-f1cd-484d-9cea-f869b8687328/DSCF3388.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1f8c535-c343-4246-812b-1b0fe486f189/DSCF1809.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The North Country Trail hugs the shoreline the entire distance of the peninsula and gives some great views of the lake below. This is the Miners Castle overlook. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/81ecdc9c-8081-4033-9003-cf3f3841358c/DSCF1810.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The kayak tours along the lakeshore. I can only imagine it must be amazing to see the shoreline from that vantage point. The red kayak is the guide and the customers are in the yellow ones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e6419a6f-7d9b-443d-bec8-8138a567c5b5/DSCF3394.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9e94322e-d2ac-40c2-8ebe-6d217faaa771/DSCF3395.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out This is the Miners Castle rock formation from the lower overlook. We will see this again from the lake when we take the boat tour later in the day. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9704d88d-f308-4438-a3c2-d08865906240/DSCF1813.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Further up the lakeshore we came to the area known as the Log Slide Overlook. Apparently, the loggers used to cut the trees and then slide them down these sandy banks to the water. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3de293e0-ca92-4891-8641-49ac4ee0b0a4/DSCF1816.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Today, people enjoy running or sliding down these steep sandy embankments to the beach below. The signage at the top of the bank informs people considering the trip to the bottom that going down may take only seconds, but climbing back up on the soft and shifting sand could take an hour and is only for those in the appropriate physical shape. We watched some folks struggle their way back up and they were working hard! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6995ab3f-0997-470e-be52-5f14a8b64d5a/DSCF1818.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0381c320-45c2-446c-bf95-60e6904cc18c/DSCF1817.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out As you can appreciate better in these photos, the embankment leading down to the water is not a trivial hill! And it is very steep in parts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5501400d-0559-4e10-b2d1-3c97e82f8ce4/DSCF3397.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a65e4963-1ed2-445d-a145-05eb44edc4e8/DSCF1814.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Looking the other direction from the Log Slide Overlook is this view of the Au Sable Lighthouse. This is about a 5 mile round-trip hike and we went about half way; however, because of the time we didn’t make the whole trip. That leaves us with a reason to return and do the whole thing next time. It is an easy and quite beautiful hike. Every so often the trail comes out onto the edge with a great view of the lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/707eec4b-8591-4175-8c01-7d762811f7bb/DSCF1819.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The reason we didn’t have time for the whole hike at Au Sable Lighthouse is because we had to get back into Munising, MI to get on our boat tour of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. This is the East Channel Lighthouse from our tour boat. The rest of the photos for today were all taken from the water on our Sunset Spray Falls Cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2735b8b9-2fb1-4ef6-a291-09b13f8709b2/DSCF1824.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out As you can see, the sunset cruise gave us some fantastic golden hour lighting on the shoreline. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12a94d01-b998-443f-a23d-f3da265c5f67/DSCF3399.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4052e5fe-e8aa-4ff7-ba15-3e47ffa144f3/DSCF1826.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Indian Head Rock. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53e05af5-b02b-4d70-a902-6b09ee086e2d/DSCF3401.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Entrance to Chapel Cove. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/726fe0dc-afd3-4bab-a775-c349f9bc8e95/DSCF1828.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Spray Falls. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8c752cab-c1c0-4b1d-b046-eac0ab43536e/DSCF1831.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Chapel Rock used to be connected to the shore, however, erosion has separated the two. The tree on the top of the rock continues to survive despite having no soil because its roots are still connected to the main shoreline and appear suspended in the air. This was absolutely fascinating! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e9807193-e7ed-4805-b207-8fa7ae667c14/DSCF1832.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/17f36f98-72aa-49fd-b4ee-09e8d26f27d2/DSCF3402.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0e172197-ad42-4e44-b389-ab3b7adaba3d/DSCF3405.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Small boats used to be able to pass under this arch. However, as the rock above has eroded and fallen into the water, this route is no longer passable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65ec5b81-d04c-41e6-86df-1a9e705df1f0/DSCF1837.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The different colors on the Pictured Rocks are due to various elements dissolved in the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fa7837cc-280b-48ca-9254-98b3c1b353e2/DSCF1838.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The stone shoreline continues to slowly erode and fall into the lake. Our guide pointed out that during the winter months these rocks are covered in several FEET of ice from the spay coming off the lake. As the ice expands it develops cracks in the rock and when the spring thaw comes the rock pieces will fall into the lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/51d11036-7456-48f5-91e8-7bfdc199d8e6/DSCF3407.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/84c0b9dc-7e72-46b1-a9fe-698492cf2dae/DSCF3409.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/628acf5e-e6e2-46b7-a323-86b9fd124d7c/DSCF1841.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out With the sun about to dip below the horizon, the colors really popped. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9586c46e-9566-4593-a29a-41496328e76f/DSCF1845.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b54285e1-0aac-4bc0-a62b-ace5595fea13/DSCF1847.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out More of the incredible colors made by dissolved elements in the ground water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ec1f4adc-ed98-4df2-9f1a-ab2d6989c5b0/DSCF1848.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c98165fb-4010-467e-af4c-9a6144eb39fa/DSCF1851.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out This is once again Miners Castle - which we saw earlier from the shoreline. The platform where the people are standing is where the shoreline photo was taken earlier in the day. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7cf8a888-f56d-4cac-b72d-8bec608faa6c/DSCF3414.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Heading back into the dock at Munising, the light had faded and we worked our way back down under the cover to get out of the cool lake air. The captain at the wheel and instruments of the boat as we head into dock. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/michigan-trip-day-1 monthly 0.5 2025-09-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d22f344-180c-44ba-a35f-008c1a1fb0f3/DSCF3350.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out This photo of Neenah, WI was actually taken on 8/29/25, but it was the only one for the day so we included it here. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e30da24e-696f-4264-8afe-191a0cc845ec/DSCF3351.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Some creative lawn ornamentation in Menominee, MI. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6f2c4307-b9c9-44ea-83ec-ecac303b28ac/DSCF3353.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Menominee North Pier Lighthouse. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b6d4fc6d-8031-4ab1-a6d8-78ea965b27f3/DSCF3354.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out It was a beautiful day to walk the pier, but one can only imagine how inhospitable this would be during the winter storms. There are specifically warning signs to not walk out here during inclement weather. The body of water is Green Bay off of Lake Michigan. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/01c3938b-5225-4850-80a2-457a64dc40cc/DSCF3355.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out North Pier Lighthouse. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/db59c398-e2b3-4f44-9410-2af7817f3d6a/DSCF3358.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6608b2f8-2b92-4d7c-ad50-6fa4cb743f31/DSCF3362.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Our next stop was Escanaba, MI, where we visited the Sand Point Lighthouse and Delta County Historical Society Museum. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd37202a-6eed-4812-b5c0-681667201f86/DSCF3364.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Furnishings on the inside of the lighthouse shows how it would have looked back in the day the lighthouse keeper and their family lived here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0eaa36e5-f99d-46e0-9541-6adb24b39eb2/DSCF3366.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6988a288-809d-4b15-83ab-90d6bfced959/DSCF3365.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out This wood carving of a mother dog and her pups was made out of a single solid piece of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abcfaca4-6999-47fa-b58e-e1f2c93c7612/DSCF3368.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out The view from the top of the lighthouse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4388d611-47c0-452b-8422-8e94e00cd46f/DSCF3370.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Lisa posing with the fresnel lens. The fresnel lens is pronounced fray-NEL with a silent ‘s’. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c6a0524-7304-4d5f-bc26-6fa7026bacd3/DSCF3371.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Coast Guard rescue boat inside the adjacent boat house. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/116643d2-b917-402f-a25b-695218212717/DSCF3373.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out The history museum had my first ever computer - the Radio Shack TRS-80! I loved this thing!! However, I don’t love that it is now an artifact in a history museum!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe7d24e4-ebf5-4e66-99a6-f29e35cfeada/DSCF3375.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out This is the rudder from the sunken ship “Nahant,” it was raised on June 21, 1985 - eighty-eight years after it sank in approximately 20-feet of water. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc4abcfd-d997-4842-8e23-a78053ad8894/DSCF3377.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out This is an image looking up the rocky coastline of Lake Superior toward the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in Marquette, MI. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/de8da971-2248-4f56-883c-57f77069e9b2/DSCF3380.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out The Lower Harbor Ore Dock in Marquette, MI. These loading docks were once used to dump iron ore into the freighters that work the Great Lakes. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/425a158f-3c79-43c0-867c-a50e0727f8a5/DSCF3381.jpg Photo Blog - Michigan Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ausable-chasm-amp-lake-placid-ny monthly 0.5 2025-08-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c7844c7-f3db-4de5-8646-0827dda97add/DSCF3340.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out The chasm began its formation 500 million years ago during the Cambrian Period. Ausable Chasm was created by the spasms of the earth as ancient sandstone split by geologic faults and scouring by receding glaciers followed by erosion from the rushing waters of the Ausable River. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2e7163a4-e2be-43a6-b43d-1b991988d1ca/DSCF3298.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Climbers on the far chasm wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c324f53-5b55-4c17-b1c7-07590edebabf/DSCF3300.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out This formation is known as elephant head because of the resemblance to the frontal view of an elephant with trunk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b317ddf9-558a-4535-acf2-99ef19e13f21/DSCF3303.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out The umbrella on the chasm floor is the staging area for the climbers we saw on the prior image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/97cc18b6-3c69-4e8d-b45e-972d7d9ebd5b/DSCF3304.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Looking up river below the Route 9 bridge toward the upper falls and hydroelectric plant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/19c41f6d-67e1-462f-98d2-2de8563057fd/DSCF3306.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87180ec5-c526-4001-855e-c6a72ace1dda/DSCF3309.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out There are a total of five miles of trails and walkways along the chasm; ranging from “easy” to more difficult depending upon the terrain. The trails give some amazing views down into the chasm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3f2ccf53-a194-44ca-9c8c-845446e3c936/DSCF3313.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out You can really appreciate the layers of sandstone which have been eroded by the river over millions of years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/426c9e34-9691-4491-88bd-1112038ec7d4/DSCF3314.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/07a5b5bd-61f7-4b7d-835f-9ec26121dbf9/DSCF3316.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Another great example of the layers of sandstone that make up the chasm walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8b0166e6-566d-41b9-b01b-024406a26dfa/DSCF3317.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out A close up image of the sandstone layers and you can appreciate the moss and lichens growing on the walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0deeb5f1-aa7a-4b03-b3da-ec48c4e0586d/DSCF3319.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6e3356d1-da2f-4c5f-8f75-30be96c3f821/DSCF3321.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Upstate NY and VT have been particularly dry this summer, so this river is runner much lower than usual. The flow is still impressive through the chasm, but in a normal year it would likely be even more so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/607ef653-78c8-4565-8f53-f2be313fcc4f/DSCF3323.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out In some places we can really appreciate how the rushing water had actually undercut the sandstone creating these small caverns below the surface. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea66b365-3dd9-4e19-a80f-1c56f78f7499/DSCF3326.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out One of the ticket packages includes a inflatable raft ride down part of the chasm. Here the staff lower the rafts down from the top of the chasm to the guests waiting to board down below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4e6f9315-731e-4599-92e3-be87bfc9a528/DSCF3331.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out One of the rafts making its way down the chasm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/892ada2d-3d3f-4223-b6d1-9ea6cafb0d58/DSCF3329.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Much like we saw on our Mississippi River ride, rivers are not static entities. Rather, floods and erosion leads to course changes over the lifespan of a river. Here is a dry chasm bed where the river once passed, but has now been diverted over the course of time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c8827042-9569-440b-8233-d98931e799f3/DSCF3336.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out A few additional images looking toward the upper falls and hydroelectric plant. This is just such a nice vantage point that we stopped and took a few more photos under different lighting conditions later in the day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ebad427-b606-46d2-8131-8a72223db5d0/DSCF3337.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/edf217db-c900-4019-bd98-1847e2e06648/DSCF3338.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out This view if from atop the Route 9 bridge over the chasm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b9b3dc80-019f-474e-bc79-39ac8036f6e5/DSCF3342.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out The upper falls and hydroelectric plant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53ff992a-2a10-4649-9c94-9a4d960eb855/DSCF3343.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ff4df34-5a99-472a-b2f0-89c6fc13b6c5/DSCF3344.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out We were here just 18 months ago and took this same photo; but, it is just such a remarkable view. This is from the outdoor terrace of the Olympic ice rinks looking down on Lake Placid, the speed skating oval and the Adirondack Mountains as a backdrop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4afa0d67-a91c-4237-80b3-1394756334e1/DSCF3345.jpg Photo Blog - Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY - Make it stand out Inside the Herb Brooks Arena, the site of the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Figure skating practice was taking place. Notice the three Olympic Hockey jerseys hanging above the far end of the rink; #15 - Mark Wells, #16 - Mark Pavelich, and #20 - Bob Suter are honored with their jerseys hung above the rink as they are the three players from the 1980 team who are no longer alive. One would imagine that someday, all the players jerseys will hang above the rink in this fashion. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/county-fairs monthly 0.5 2025-08-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d09a979b-aa42-410d-aec3-6457a791af1f/DSCF3246.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d7a96bde-086b-4c50-b148-a1402a945cbe/DSCF3247.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da8d64d8-af69-46c9-9b79-f9edce3c157b/DSCF3248.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f55138b9-c845-4a73-8073-10fe24fd253b/DSCF3249.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea66547d-3100-49b7-aca1-0e4d57895a2a/DSCF3250.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/63b10a3b-dcd1-42c8-8c8a-0908416c38fb/DSCF3254.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dd13f430-7562-4a78-9421-45caf00f0250/DSCF3255.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab787fda-d840-48e6-80ae-7bea122e2518/DSCF3257.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8936ef9-17a2-4b53-a8e1-47797d2156d1/DSCF3260.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ff0db4c-0651-41c8-945c-fc7665d17ae4/DSCF3262.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c1307a7d-b676-4847-91de-7f15f360aa3c/DSCF3263.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a1de6ce-c7db-4e4e-be06-04b2e2ba05ee/DSCF3270.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e9c3a1c-4c37-4cb9-bbee-19537fabd5ee/DSCF3279.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/878fcf02-6b4f-4452-9372-c5a5b5f02a19/DSCF3287.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4edd5f15-f55d-4f9e-8db8-6df7943ed2aa/DSCF3291.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cac092eb-587f-4f5b-ba0a-95838fa3dc1a/DSCF3292.jpg Photo Blog - County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/madison-wi-day-2 monthly 0.5 2025-07-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d65d236-3b2a-4351-9a4b-e9886c887e55/DSCF3217.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Tenney Lock & Dam between the Yahara River and Lake Mendota. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7af5743f-f05d-4d7f-8f16-213024193afc/DSCF3219.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Madison skyline from the Tenney Park Breakwater. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/60f127ba-9017-4174-a60d-d6abc6125a4c/DSCF3220.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Some of the historic homes along the shore of Lake Mendota. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fcb6548e-ae8c-474f-8b18-9c46bb6e731b/DSCF3222.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fee16f9d-4440-453c-a23d-9f6226731672/DSCF3223.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5ea83ad1-7744-470d-b538-3285ca4a9f4b/DSCF3224.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Some interesting and fun lawn ornamentation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5899d30f-3de0-41dd-8f32-e727f3f7cc74/DSCF3225.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/553821df-27be-42c5-8596-d33769bc0ef0/DSCF3226.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Tenney Park [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9381c88-1cd3-4a99-b911-aac2d37dbc41/DSCF3227.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71cc343f-62ee-47fa-b448-1c5568c74de8/DSCF3229.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4377b137-ffad-493e-a8f0-2a98d8586f99/DSCF3230.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out We then visited the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/af2ef429-c56d-4b7a-80ca-6b840fcf194f/DSCF3232.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a090d124-1653-4bd1-9a3e-cc3362d74da1/DSCF3234.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d91c7a70-0a11-4636-9eb7-0a8f9f23ed41/DSCF3237.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ae6c4cb-da1f-4966-aeb1-87e2cf006a3b/DSCF3238.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b79ee22-94a8-40ed-8464-f77b1b1d6e01/DSCF3239.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9c87527-8950-4d23-a01d-5e3fb9091dcc/DSCF3241.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ebe203b2-6258-4f0f-86f5-6640a8740ec3/DSCF3243.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6e88426-59cf-4abc-bb8d-d52039f1b720/DSCF3244.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71481d97-3cae-4ee4-a2b4-cd2583827f7d/DSCF3245.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/38956f35-cd7b-4f60-81f2-580fe798855c/DSCF3242.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/madison-wi-day-1 monthly 0.5 2025-07-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/312c2da9-f576-49e1-81f9-90a4d8bddddc/DSCF1767.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b61d6efb-a8b6-47d0-8224-5f70d2737c3a/DSCF1769.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5590bba9-513e-4e27-817c-ec8772526aef/DSCF1773.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8a6f10d6-91ee-4bac-b60f-3f37007705a3/DSCF1774.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ffe7b2d-c65b-403f-8913-e5c8f210f8f2/DSCF1776.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc6eca0f-da91-4e34-bb7d-7cb1d0586947/DSCF1783.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/249a509a-e556-4ea3-a9e1-3d456b22957c/DSCF1784.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/df627c81-bd20-4817-9474-d1744b27ba0f/DSCF1786.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out This bison sculpture was made out of old recycled bicycle tires. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/70fbde4a-9c5e-45a7-b61d-9688363bacd0/DSCF1790.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Can’t visit Madison without seeing the badger! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b7445a74-710a-4cc0-a208-b73179657b7e/DSCF1798.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f35a329a-3507-41e5-b5a5-485c47ba8292/DSCF1799.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out This is the capybara, it is the world’s largest rodent! Adults can grow up to 4.5 feet long and weigh between 75–150 pounds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f61b0fe8-817b-4717-b3c0-3a1e6091814a/DSCF1800.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b0464004-6f0f-48a6-b273-0abe6ad6047b/DSCF1805.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Montezuma Oropendola https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a6cfa671-9c5f-4249-81f3-28c3ba24b5ef/DSCF1801.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out The Green Jay. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/741eda93-2ed4-44ab-8c8f-4a7388e003ae/DSCF1803.jpg Photo Blog - Madison, WI Day #1 - Make it stand out Blue and Yellow Macaw. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/waseca-county-fair monthly 0.5 2025-07-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/50076f82-a2d5-44a4-8e3a-a38c79a48be2/DSCF3189.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out It’s county fair time again and this year starts with Waseca County. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4bd44600-849e-4a60-a15e-2ebbbb31afd2/DSCF3191.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0326ba41-785d-4451-b977-a3dc5a7d310e/DSCF3192.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out 4H animal judging is always an important part of each county fair. Today the goats had their day in the ring. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fdb5213a-6e3b-488f-a833-f54a8209cbb3/DSCF3214.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out The judge makes a comment on each animal and points out their strong areas and also places where improvements could be made. He particularly liked this goats milk production. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/69487fa3-1c63-4d47-aaef-71eb9dab74c9/DSCF3211.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out Awarding of the ribbons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d917e92c-a576-4fea-b655-ef67d03195bb/DSCF3193.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out If the pigs aren’t eating, they are sleeping. Making the bacon is apparently very exhausting! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/57d74d5d-f0fc-43f7-b524-ae9ce7a42c36/DSCF3197.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out These two appear to be making napping a competitive event. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/54d3be6d-5dc2-4676-8fa0-79f0fbb45f53/DSCF3198.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2eb94555-17aa-4cac-a523-ef567c1198cc/DSCF3202.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out These 4H art projects appear to have been tasked with making sculpture out of common metal objects. The tail is a series of chains, the neck a spring, and other such pieces and parts. Rather impressive for a 9 year old. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/787e4240-9fd9-4e6c-b359-0245fdfe2df9/DSCF3204.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2bcef7e0-52d5-4e0d-890e-ebc680836fde/DSCF3205.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out Creative and funny at the same time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/790d1e64-8b0a-4a51-ba27-4b7d205c6a3d/DSCF3207.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out This brand new farm tractor had a price tag showing it cost $600,000! That is JUST the tractor; you then have to purchase the implements that it pulls behind it…. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/15943d91-c884-48ad-8c63-66afc18faf6c/DSCF3216.jpg Photo Blog - Waseca County Fair - Make it stand out The cows were getting a spa day in anticipation of their turn in the show ring. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/winona-minnesota monthly 0.5 2025-06-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/769cde10-9ee5-4fb6-8416-fc9845146a30/DSCF3121.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Today we went to Winona, Minnesota. These large cement pillars are what the large river cruise boats will tie up to when they visit. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bde85b8e-8d5e-4311-8821-3a9842a2da06/DSCF3124.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out This hotrod was parked by the Farmer’s Market. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d97470fb-9b8c-4509-b437-f0d2949ea978/DSCF3125.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8a4a0892-bd9e-4bc4-bca6-fdeeedff85c3/DSCF3126.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9a1186f-b531-42e5-bbfe-0cd83c91324f/DSCF3127.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Antenna topper. With bugs in his teeth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a2cb7175-9e6f-4d09-bf9f-549a952c0c75/DSCF3128.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Little did we know when we arrived, today was Pride Day at Levee Park in Winona. There were some interesting characters taking part in the festivities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d3f51d29-e3bb-4696-a8e5-4d8547e44be3/DSCF3134.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3a30c53d-c6ff-4986-8895-d95587d53e9f/DSCF3135.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c46d2447-cc57-4d47-8063-60f16cd0dbc3/DSCF3139.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b81e6b58-ac52-46d9-8ca7-cb75421deae6/DSCF3140.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87c5c190-cafe-43b2-bddb-0a7d59d52b0a/DSCF3142.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out This train car parked at Bay State Milling Company made for some interesting abstract black & white images. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c0768ad2-f39c-4593-9866-11eaea1edb18/DSCF3143.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out The coupling used to attach the rail cars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c3d72fbb-09ac-4324-b9cf-7a526797c028/DSCF3144.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out The switching system for directing cars down different rails. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/94f97666-8e21-4c66-801a-0b99a6802733/DSCF3145.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out The Whetstone Machine building is completely covered in this ivy. We aren’t quite sure what the measurements (50’ x 120’) on this inlaid marker indicate. There are multiple of these markers down the side of the building. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fa58d93e-2e05-4d39-9906-b00b523c96e8/DSCF3147.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out Saint Stanislaus Basilica makes for some good opportunities to practice with light and shadow in B&W. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a8abb4da-ee9b-4232-a2af-695dd557af0f/DSCF3148.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out From the other side of the Basilica. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/07e87116-b5e4-4dc1-92e8-319c4bb9b2eb/DSCF3150.jpg Photo Blog - Winona, Minnesota - Make it stand out The Watkins Company has a fun little museum that tells the story of the company history here in Minnesota. It is still operational since 1868, after starting in Plainview, MN. The store has a variety of products and we have purchased some popcorn flavoring here. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/redwing-minnesota monthly 0.5 2025-06-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b36fba57-4c93-40d0-9d33-b0263cf3afd1/DSCF3118.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Today was a trip up to Red Wing, Minnesota. This is one that we have done many times and has appeared here before; but, it is always fun to get out and see what we can find for photos. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/97301545-47f9-4556-a749-5e7ccde90b27/DSCF3117.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Red Wing really likes to leverage the Red Wing symbol which can be found all over the town. These are guardrail posts preventing traffic from entering pedestrian walkways. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/410df4af-1bbc-4e4d-9b08-628d84bf853e/DSCF3116.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Metal supports on park benches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c038bf8a-8807-4f65-938e-11fb5fbc1346/DSCF3115.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out These decorative poles surrounding flowerbeds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c3babfb6-d8a8-4c87-90da-68fb5b19cc96/DSCF3099.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out But the winner has to be this mural painted on the side of this grain storage silo. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abe2e84b-911e-4027-a980-4a853494eaa1/DSCF3095.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out ADM has a processing facility in downtown Red Wing and these are their rail sidings for the cars delivering materials and taking away finished products. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d6e62a6f-3637-401e-967f-9839ab48915c/DSCF3096.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out ADM as viewed from Levee Park on the river side. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cbf4594f-2f55-4a1c-9e6d-e873aa820cef/DSCF3097.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out The view across the Mississippi River to the marina on the Wisconsin side. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/22305ba5-59fa-4c27-a65c-3b6e6e43b9e1/DSCF3098.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out The Jester in Levee Park. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0479b87d-89e4-4836-9ce8-505be8840086/DSCF3100.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Grain trucks unloading at Red Wing Grain. These trucks are delivering on the corn only side, so this must be the harvest from last fall. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79d2c983-8def-41bb-9a4f-3b957d472dba/DSCF3101.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out The ADM tug pushing an empty barge up to the loading dock of Red Wing Grain. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0a262dde-23ee-4755-8261-bb9ce1b54ada/DSCF3102.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out The loading dock at Red Wing Grain. They were actively loading what appears to have been soybeans today. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dd32e218-7463-435b-bcff-7d3cff9b2c63/DSCF3104.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out This guy was closing the hatches on the top of the barges once the filling process was completed. He also used a leaf blower to blow off any remaining dust on the top of the cover. Not sure why they would go through the effort to do that, but maybe don’t want it to get wet and turn messy in the rain - that’s about the only thing we would think of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/08d559cb-242d-4fcf-a3d7-0fc3c11e6a65/DSCF3103.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out This rather complex appearing grain silo seems like it is one of the dryers they use when a load of product has too high of a water content and needs further drying. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/698278f8-2571-4051-a8f5-91c72166b0d0/DSCF3105.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out The always fascinating boat houses at the Red Wing Yacht Club. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fca2a73e-fab4-4c0d-8d77-f1230b165af4/DSCF3106.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out This image, looking down the boardwalk between the backs of the boat houses never ceases to interest me. There is a whole lot going on here. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ca5673e-bf61-4ed4-88a3-3cae4946883d/DSCF3107.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Some nice views up the main channel of the Mississippi River from Bay Point Park. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/37c65b8a-4439-4d49-a394-7b619d1668cc/DSCF3108.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2c6a2a77-f58d-4e2f-a72a-a4b94335d383/DSCF3109.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5804f2e3-8abc-483a-a0a0-cfcbf5ee3737/DSCF3110.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out A view looking straight up into the sky through the Tipi Monument in Bay Point Park. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a57b92fa-fc4d-4942-9356-73a03c403e52/DSCF3111.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out In the foreground are the boathouses of the Red Wing Yacht Club, the grain elevator at Red Wing Grain in the mid-ground, ADM in the distance toward the left and then Barn Bluff in the backdrop. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc3fcc33-f33d-4931-aa09-c304b9717e99/DSCF3112.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out A couple of turtles taking cover in the weeds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0554cf70-269b-4842-b3be-403c6fe59b0d/DSCF3113.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Another of the ubiquitous Red Wing symbols throughout town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fb88a244-dd20-4691-831d-ad06918045de/DSCF3114.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out View toward Levee Park and ADM from the loading dock at Red Wing Grain. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3165fde0-d3bb-41d9-bcb6-406e00b3f596/DSCF3119.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Inside the Amtrak station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1911c309-eed9-4ae9-8557-903b1454d5f9/DSCF3120.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/the-great-race monthly 0.5 2025-06-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2af22cc1-cf1e-42ab-a920-6c8c4feb4b31/DSCF3076.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out This is the route The Great Race is taking in 2025. Rochester was the first stop along they way. These teams left St. Paul earlier in the day and will overnight here in Rochester before heading to Waterloo, IA tomorrow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12a5b44b-c8da-4053-9ebe-4e602a33f20b/DSCF3074.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out This photo is meant to show the “instrumentation” they are allowed. Each vehicle has one of these goofy appearing simple clocks with a second hand and a stopwatch. Aside from that, their speedometer - if the vehicle has one - must be covered. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/392f97fb-8af6-4acf-a8fc-1f98e0b104de/DSCF3093.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out This Jaguar E-Type shows how they used a Mickey Mouse sticker to cover the speedometer so it is not visible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e5fb6cd3-01f2-4290-8dea-ae7c9571f5e2/DSCF3072.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Most of these photos are just to showcase some of the unique aspects of these old cars/trucks. Again, these vehicles are not meant as museum pieces like are often seen at “typical” car shows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6102d43b-fa2f-457b-b4be-84d5e1378baa/DSCF3073.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a7303e13-16fb-4eff-81dc-36e548bf66cb/DSCF3075.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c024ad2c-3d58-462a-8686-34b944f5b221/DSCF3077.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out This old Coca-Cola delivery truck gives you some idea of the type of vehicles taking part in this race. Wait until you see the chain-driven converted fire truck…. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fcfec77-b44e-4442-b066-cd5d0467c30f/DSCF3078.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Alfa-Romeos were a popular entry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/51d6ae5f-212e-49b9-bd6c-bd332663af79/DSCF3079.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7d273f5e-3b05-4c48-bb6b-34efde00cfca/DSCF3081.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ef544a6-1390-43ce-b778-21fa4c6ba064/DSCF3080.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eaf22309-0ca8-4698-a9db-e82307f30821/DSCF3082.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Here is how the teams determine their speed. They know their vehicle’s RPM and how it corresponds to each MPH speed. From this chart posted in front of the driver, he/she can determine how fast they are going. Now, keep in mind, using this primitive method, they are expected to cross the checkpoints at EXACTLY the time allotted, to the SECOND!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/76d98bf6-a238-4255-9424-c97da25f15cd/DSCF3083.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed52aa2e-4cf8-489b-9ae8-4168fe12a0f9/DSCF3084.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Notice flanking each side of this ornate front grill are several red, white, and blue ACE stickers. This team has managed to cross the checkpoints at the EXACT second prescribed. This boggles my mind! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6c510b33-2d8f-4c32-8bab-b8ebf6e2e020/DSCF3085.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/25225d59-025f-4173-906f-b6799099a3d8/DSCF3088.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out This team is known as the Wandering Troubadours of Finland - which is a tribute to their founder’s heritage, but also a playful acronym which they embrace on their emblem (WTF)! The team consists not only of the driver and navigator, but an entire support team that follows them in a bus to keep this vintage chain-driven 1918 American LaFrance Speedster running. They appear to have one heck of a good time and value the fun and camaraderie over winning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b7a192de-4e9d-44cb-b2c5-b37e3803c16e/DSCF3086.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out The chain-driven right rear. Each rear wheel has it’s own independent chain drive. The wheels are wooden and I can’t imagine where you would find tires to fit this. They had several replacements strapped to the back of the vehicle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/58815b4f-d3ac-4ffd-8f43-dca930c19ec8/DSCF3089.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/303ebe96-11e7-4b27-a91c-cba4cc812a62/DSCF3090.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3023c3ad-4d24-459b-b9a2-c4c3676ff5a5/DSCF3091.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba891b85-e51f-4612-b022-793f099412f7/DSCF3092.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out The Datsun 240 Z was the first sports-car I ever drove. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/30187241-bb80-4b5b-90dc-a336a0415a64/DSCF3094.jpg Photo Blog - The Great Race - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-19 monthly 0.5 2025-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9820f8d2-054f-4143-ab63-73ce847efc76/IMG_0623.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Our first stop today wasn’t exactly planned. We had seen mention of the Dickeyville Grotto & Shrines, but never really took much notice of it. However, driving by we couldn’t miss it from the road and despite the drizzle this morning we just had to stop. This is in Dickeyville, Wisconsin and according to ChatGPT: “The Dickeyville Grotto is a remarkable example of religious and patriotic folk art, situated on the grounds of Holy Ghost Parish in Dickeyville, Wisconsin. Constructed between 1925 and 1930 by Father Mathias Wernerus, the parish priest from 1918 until his death in 1931, the grotto was built without blueprints and is composed of stone, mortar, and an array of colorful materials and found objects collected from around the world.” This series of images worked better in B&W, but Lisa insisted you needed to appreciate the colors. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/18a7679c-1204-4487-abc9-417b34950f90/IMG_0624.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Inside the Grotto Shrine. As you will see in a moment, this is all made of random pieces of “stuff.” Even if it isn’t your favorite genre, you do have to appreciate the huge effort that went into collecting all this “stuff” and then piecing it together to make it work as a whole. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a964344-27f8-4a0d-8e27-af5fd5b8cc26/IMG_0625.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out As we strolled around the grounds, it was far larger than we would have anticipated just seeing it from the road. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87d1a797-1d54-4f93-914b-effcf68f67ee/IMG_0626.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out I get the need for color to appreciate the makeup of this thing, but the B&W gives it the “vibe” it conveys if you ask me. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1f6edfde-9988-44c5-af60-413f4efa6814/IMG_0627.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Again, the workmanship is significant. Here, they incorporated an old log as the trunk of a tree and it slowly transitions into “branches” made up of the random things imbedded into the mortar. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/369fdc04-5ea3-449f-9046-e8677def4078/IMG_0628.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out These two images give you a closeup of some of the items that make up these structures. There are colorful rocks, shells, pieces of colored glass and plastic, and this list goes on…. I think the white ball in the middle is a cue ball from a pool table. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1688abc-492c-48d2-b69a-c35c7bd1e78f/IMG_0629.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fafa7a09-fd02-464f-ad30-95501acc95d3/IMG_0630.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out As you can appreciate, this thing is sizable and sprawling. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e8aadba1-7bf6-4152-9099-43e3cd4434f0/IMG_0631.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out We pressed north and stopped in Cassville, Wisconsin to walk along the path at their riverfront park. The Cassville Ferry was not operating today, May is still considered pre-season, so it only operates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will begin running daily on Memorial day. This from ChatGPT: “The Cassville Car Ferry, affectionately known as the "Pride of Cassville," is a historic ferry service that transports vehicles and passengers across the Mississippi River between Cassville, Wisconsin, and Turkey River, Iowa. Operating since 1833, it holds the distinction of being the oldest operating ferry service in Wisconsin . The crossing takes approximately 20 minutes in one direction .” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/480fe7e5-32af-407d-afe5-41266ef1c1fa/IMG_0632.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out I found this informative regarding the dates/hours of operation and the fees they charge to cross the Mississippi by ferry here in Cassville. In case you are wondering if it is worth paying the $20 to get a car across here in Cassville; from the best I can ascertain the nearest bridges would be either 33 miles north in Prairie du Chien or 36 miles south in Dubuque. So, I guess it is a question of how bad you want to cross, how quickly you need to get there, and how good of mileage does your car get? [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b3f08799-7ec5-4e55-82bd-1a3adc9e6100/IMG_0633.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Rolling into Prairie du Chein we stopped at St. Feriole Island to stroll the grounds and walk around Villa Louis Historic Site. It was at this point in our trip when it became clear that our adventure was coming to an end. We have been here many times in the past, and if you have followed this website you will have seen this place before. So, at this point in the trip we really felt like we had “returned home.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/49a11d14-a6b7-49d4-b433-68b85da9b1de/IMG_0634.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out One of the reconstructed old buildings on St. Feriole Island. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/639f1599-eae1-4fdb-acbf-3ae4959c52a7/IMG_0635.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Looking southward, down the river from Prairie du Chien, this is the bridge connecting to Marquette, Iowa - the place where we visited the pink elephant and “donated” $5 to the Casino Queen on Day #1. We truly have come full circle. It was tempting to jump on this bridge and start the journey all over again - but first we would need to trade out vehicles. Not doing this trip again without a more substantial vehicle - we live and learn! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/06478c9c-d334-40d6-8cd4-71743fecf8f0/IMG_0637.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Historic Dousman House on St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7ad81d96-b0e3-489d-80a6-29e9c0c5a2e3/IMG_0638.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out We had hoped to stop at both locks between Prairie du Chien and LaCrosse, but our path to Lock & Dam #9 was blocked by road closures for construction. So, this is Lock & Dam #8, just a little further north in Genoa, Wisconsin. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f563e245-2ceb-4033-8d8f-341033351ec4/IMG_0642.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out We stopped at Goose Island City Park just south of the city of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. If you have never been here, it is a lovely place to stroll. At this point, we admit, we were just “dragging our feet” because we didn’t want the adventure to end. While walking the park, this guy came out to welcome us. And, as one can imagine, Lisa is now convinced she needs a woodchuck as a pet too. Image is a bit blurry, he didn’t want us too close and I had to zoom way in! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b60ef855-a00a-4d81-8a86-8b63bd9caa9c/IMG_0643.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out With the plan to stay on the east side of the river until we would cross in Winona, we passed through Onalaska, Wisconsin and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a photo of “Sunny the Sunfish.” That is apparently his “real” name, I didn’t make that one up. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6f6e7628-6637-4086-bf04-0f0be4df6b37/IMG_0644.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out Our final stop would be at Lock & Dam #6 in Trempealeau, Wisconsin. This is the view looking north, up river. The folks that operate the Trempealeau Marina next door were busy getting the place in order in anticipation of the unofficial start of summer with Memorial Day coming up this weekend. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5145903f-33b1-4814-a461-e53867468647/IMG_0645.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out We always enjoy visiting this Lock & Dam, it is so peaceful and today it was a great place to contemplate all we had seen over the past 19 days! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/699c3bd6-cb86-49cb-81da-858b0ca705cb/IMG_0646.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #19 - Make it stand out We strolled into Trempealeau and just as we reached the riverside, this southbound freight train whizzed by. This seems like an appropriate final image for our trip. There are so many things in this one image that represent our experience on this epic voyage. The ever present Mississippi River, the Lock & Dam in the background, the memorial statue and the freight train - appropriately heading south - which we had done ourselves almost three weeks ago. We learned so much over the past 19 days; we learned geography, we learned history, we learned about river culture, we learned about some of the wars that were fought to define the country we are today. But, most important, we learned about ourselves. So, with this final image, we head back west toward Rochester. We have so many stories that go far beyond just what we have posted here. If anyone ever has any questions - perhaps you may want to take the trip yourself some day - we would love to chat with you. Looking ahead, nothing is definitively planned at this time, but our next epic adventure may very well be Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles for the 100th anniversary of the route in 2026. But until then, we will be posting other adventures for sure. If you made it this far, thanks for following along, and we will see you next time. Lisa & Kyle https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-18 monthly 0.5 2025-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/137bfa2d-e6e1-4469-8004-42fac3915d6a/IMG_0592.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out Upon his return to Galena following the Civil War, the townspeople purchased and gifted this fully furnished home to Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant as a sign of their appreciation for his valor. The Grant family would live in this home until their move to the White House following his election as the 18th President of The United Staes. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/54380be7-ebc2-4aef-a1d1-3b3b2ac0a489/IMG_0595.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out This was General Grant’s - and soon to be President Grant’s - study. Most all the furnishings in the house are original, including his seat and this table. In this room, and upon this table, Grant outlined his candidacy for President and the plans for his administration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c149e9e5-2a7a-4106-8fe2-d77aae37b700/IMG_0612.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out His study from the other doorway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79919529-a4ab-4bbd-9729-088483dfaeb4/DSCF3056.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out This is the formal room where the Grant’s would entertain. On the day following his election to the Presidency there were hundreds of people who filed through this room. The overstuffed chair in the foreground on the right was Grant’s favorite and it was the only piece of furniture from this room that traveled with him to the White Houe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d535e729-7617-4c13-9ad7-c1f64a11033f/IMG_0597.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The dining room contains all original furnishings, including the dishes. Mrs. Grant sat in the chair in the foreground and Mr. Grant at the opposite end in front of the fireplace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dfc3a060-8709-4952-b428-04abe53b2b36/DSCF3066.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The dining room from another angle with the General’s seat in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/03fdddbc-617e-46b6-95c1-aa0b53271769/DSCF3060.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The second floor was entirely dedicated to the bedrooms. This is Mr. & Mrs. Grant’s bedroom, again, with all original furnishings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71fb143a-346b-4102-b710-340749a5183d/IMG_0606.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The woodwork on the bed is impressive for the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b8dcf955-847e-42e8-966b-f4c4fe841a08/DSCF3061.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The dressing room opened directly into the Grant’s bedroom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe055793-1799-4036-86d7-835ed482a81a/IMG_0607.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The Grant’s had four children, three boys and one girl. These images are of their bedrooms, all located on the second floor of this nice, but quite modest home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1330f57b-4dd7-452e-b1e5-6d37aec9c36f/IMG_0609.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out A recurring theme in each of these bedrooms are the chamber pots below each bed. These were used at night and emptied in the outhouse in the morning. There was no indoor plumbing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2614eef2-19c4-4165-9376-70c47e92ffe7/DSCF3059.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/052605af-3d46-442c-8586-082bd9c59cbd/DSCF3058.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7673f8b9-90e4-4ccb-9945-25198e105a4d/IMG_0611.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The back stairway of the home. The bannister and rail is original and it was fun to think that as we held the rail to descend these rather steep stairs, the former President of The United States had done the very same thing. The wallpaper is not original but was replaced with a replica of the original, and the pattern was known as poor man’s marble. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/26a2139a-ed9e-4f58-8a07-54ea0f5773a0/IMG_0613.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The kitchen where Mrs. Grant prepared the family meals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4021da06-cf75-46d6-81bb-f8f1b602c075/IMG_0615.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The pantry with original Galena pottery on the top few shelves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6189845b-11ae-4cc6-8470-2271e25d15c6/IMG_0617.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out This is a replica of the General Store that existed in Grant’s time. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/98b4b095-f58e-490f-a25e-2db92c551e92/IMG_0616.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The inside of the General Store is “busy” with period-appropriate provisions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5ef2e881-4e8d-4309-9f83-8c46f566a38c/IMG_0618.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out This statue of First Lady Julia Dent Grant is located on the lawn in front of their home. Mrs. Grant was the first President’s Wife referred to as “First Lady” of the United States. From ChatGPT: “Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and commanding general of the Union Army during the American Civil War, died on July 23, 1885, at the age of 63. Grant was diagnosed with throat (and possibly tongue) cancer in the fall of 1884. The illness was likely caused by his lifelong habit of cigar smoking—he was known to smoke as many as 20 cigars a day. After his diagnosis, Grant focused on writing his memoirs in order to provide financial security for his family. He had suffered financial ruin in 1884 due to a Ponzi scheme run by a business partner. With the encouragement and assistance of Mark Twain, Grant completed the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, a work that was both a commercial and critical success. It was published shortly after his death and earned about $450,000 (equivalent to millions today) for his family. He was originally interred in a temporary tomb in Riverside Park in Manhattan. On April 27, 1897, he was reinterred in a grand mausoleum known as Grant’s Tomb, also in Riverside Park—still one of the largest mausoleums in North America.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6eeb47cc-2d5b-46f3-9a2b-be466fb417c8/IMG_0620.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out For our final night on the road we had dinner at The Log Cabin Greek Steakhouse in Galena, Illinois. We ordered the Flaming Saganaki - OPAA! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e7d591e9-c27e-4d89-9a2d-fe71c22b5eae/IMG_0621.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #18 - Make it stand out The Flaming Saganaki is imported Greek Kasseri, flambeed to golden perfection tableside. It was VERY good!!! https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-17 monthly 0.5 2025-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12ae83d4-7b9e-40db-8704-be0861815819/DSCF3025.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Today was a cold, overcast and rainy day. However, it was luckily also short day of travel to get to Galena, Illinois. Our first stop today was in Fulton, Illinois to visit this windmill. From ChatGPT: “De Immigrant is a striking Dutch-style windmill located in Fulton, Illinois, perched atop a flood-control dike overlooking the Mississippi River. This fully operational windmill stands as a testament to the city's rich Dutch heritage and community spirit. Constructed between 1999 and 2001, De Immigrant is an authentic replica of an 1855 windmill from Groningen, Netherlands. It was meticulously crafted by Dutch millwrights using traditional techniques and materials, including 30 metric tons of bilinga wood. The components were shipped to Fulton and assembled by Dutch craftsmen, with the windmill officially opening during the Dutch Days Festival in May 2000. By May 2001, it began grinding wheat, rye, buckwheat, and cornmeal using blue basalt millstones.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e5aac5c9-55e6-40a0-959c-7e9ba1aa95cc/DSCF3026.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out From ChatGPT: “Standing nearly 100 feet tall, De Immigrant features an octagonal smock design with a 35-foot brick base constructed from 150-year-old bricks. The windmill's cap can rotate to face the wind, allowing the sails to turn and power the grinding machinery. Under optimal wind conditions, the mill can grind approximately one bushel of grain every 10 minutes. The freshly ground flours are available for purchase at the adjacent Windmill Cultural Center.” The Windmill and Cultural Center were closed today. We have discovered that many of the places like this along the road really don't “open” for peak-season operation until Memorial Day. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a4eb6b47-be3f-4cd2-a5c6-b2c2c0955c11/DSCF3027.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out The Fishing Dutchman sits in front of the building across the street. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0556f521-a002-4363-8d1e-cf73e6a44ca9/DSCF3028.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out The building across the street from the Windmill Cultural Center appears to possibly have been an old school that is being reworked to serve as a Dutch museum or some such thing. Just inside the glass door was this painted cow. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/82c73234-0af6-413b-a7b0-c8950cdb5b88/DSCF3029.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Just north of the town of Fulton we stopped at Lock & Dam #13. We are back above St. Louis and back in the land of lock and dams. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/22903b1b-f3c4-458c-b8c6-2c29f2b3fc5e/DSCF3030.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out A typical dam with both roller and tainter gates. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5f329a11-9735-4f39-bceb-e2754a75450a/DSCF3031.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This group of six barges was just exiting the chamber and the doors were closing behind them. The friendly Corps of Engineers staff gave us a wave as he cruised by on his three wheeler. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/64dbcfed-e4e5-40b8-b21a-eeaf3614863d/DSCF3032.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Next to enter the locking chamber was the southbound tug with the remaining six barges. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d889bc21-7476-48ef-b18c-c6b6d52df50b/DSCF3033.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This character was looking to catch a free ride back up to higher water. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7d90d6a6-700f-46be-ab3d-06f519449c2e/DSCF3034.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Next, we stopped in the town of Savanna, Illinois. It appears that Savanna is a relatively sleepy river town, but they do have some rather eclectic stores along their Main Street. It appears that Slender Man likes to hang out at this establishment. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/083bc7cd-4711-4d77-8175-6214478b1f57/DSCF3035.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Directly across the street is another place that I am at a loss to explain. It appears to be an ice cream shop with old painted car hoods and even a makeshift police chopper on the roof. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c3924c5-661a-406a-ba40-0edf27201b40/DSCF3037.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This guy is located in Marquette Park in Savanna and he is a memorial to the woman who was responsible for establishing the local Humane Society. The Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge is in the background and connects to Iowa just above Sabula Island. We stopped at Sabula Island on the way down the river, but there was nothing to photograph so that stop did not make it into the blog. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/881d7bca-8d42-4770-8581-405cc44cf7eb/DSCF3038.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Just north of Savanna we stopped at The Mississippi Palisades State Park scenic overlook. It was a cloudy day with significant fog all day - so not too much to see here looking back south to Veterans Memorial Bridge. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ee46f766-233f-4834-aea4-1d250eb1373d/DSCF3039.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out On a clear day, or especially at sunset this northwestern view is probably quite nice. But today, it falls a bit flat. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd23357e-5b1a-47f2-9781-69958308fb11/DSCF3040.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Just south of Galena, Illinois is the Long Hollow Scenic Overlook. Again, the fog was substantial but did make for an interesting landscape view. The cows get to enjoy these rolling hills and pond. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/68b39fbd-41c9-4844-9277-a46ef355e13b/DSCF3041.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out The view of Grant Park from the pedestrian bridge over the Galena River in downtown Galena, Illinois. Galena was home to Ulysses S. Grant before he volunteered to enter the Civil War on the side of the Union. He would go on to gain substantial fame for his war victories, including the pivotal battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi which we now know well from our stop there a few days ago. Upon his return to Galena after the war, the people of the town honored him by giving him and his family a fully furnished home in town. We plan to visit there tomorrow. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/acae8472-6599-43ae-bee7-ccb25ac1ca29/DSCF3044.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out Of course, the statue of Grant gets center stage in Grant Park. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc4473af-1e3c-443e-8f8e-48e7aa93c847/DSCF3042.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This is a 1913 Krupp Howitzer captured from Germany in World War I. It was brought here to Grant Park as a “trophy of war” to honor the men from Illinois who served in the First World War. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5437b136-de12-4711-af1f-c895543bd0f8/DSCF3045.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This is a Blakely rifled cannon used by the Confederate Army in the first engagement of the Civil War on April 12, 1861 in the attack on Fort Sumter. The American Civil War had begun. The date stamped on the breach indicates it was made in 1860. It would be used by the Confederate Army for 4 years before being found by Sherman after it had been abandoned by retreating rebels. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c33606bd-6a01-4074-bb02-5ec75659f234/DSCF3048.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out In my opinion, this is by far the most fascinating piece of weaponry we have seen so far; because of one very peculiar anomaly. The large dent you see on the side of the cannon was where it was struck by a cannon ball - almost assuredly from enemy fire. This thing is one solid piece of steel, so it really makes you appreciate the power behind the projectile that left that mark. It was amazing to be able to touch that spot and imagine that the very place your hand rests was once the impact site of a Civil War cannon ball. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/50f9eb01-4305-40e6-8cb8-b414b3a77d20/DSCF3051.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This fountain, and the Grant statue were the first two items installed in the park in 1891. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c5ef93ea-2d89-4ed6-8de0-2074f6e4f427/DSCF3052.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #17 - Make it stand out This is the view looking Southwest down N. Main Street in downtown Galena. Unlike so many of the river towns we have visited - that are slowly fading into oblivion - Galena remains a vibrant town with a thriving tourist component. All the storefronts and eateries are gearing-up for their busy season which will begin this coming weekend with Memorial Day. It was great to see a town with such life after witnessing a fair amount of blight. Tomorrow we hope to take in some of the shops that we missed today and also to visit the historic district. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-16 monthly 0.5 2025-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/409e1089-6d7e-44b6-ba8a-5ef3920cd99b/DSCF2977.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Our first stop today was the town of Historic Nauvoo, Illinois. For anyone not familiar with Nauvoo, it was the home of Joseph Smith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Following the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844 the members of the church - fearing further persecution - fled from Nauvoo starting in 1846; ultimately ending up in Salt Lake Valley, Utah. This is a reproduction of the original weathervane placed atop the Temple at Nauvoo. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79a39776-e0bc-456d-a72e-6239829196c7/DSCF2978.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This is a reproduction of the carved sandstone placed atop the columns of the Temple at Nauvoo. It represents the blaring trumpets as the sun breaks through the parting clouds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85d24fc4-2103-49dc-9b46-57d6d140a21f/DSCF2981.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This team of oxen were hitched to a cart to provide ox cart rides. Dan was on the left and Duke on the right in this image. As can be anticipated, Lisa felt we should have a couple of these guys as pets. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ce817594-9831-463d-ad84-7e40e6ed240c/DSCF2983.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The town is made up of these wonderful reproductions of the buildings that occupied this site in the 1840s. We were shown a photo of all that had remained of this bakery, which was just two partial walls. The rest of the building was reconstructed around those remnants. The incredible work and attention to detail was amazing. Each building is staffed by docents dressed in period clothing who explain the history of the building and its contents and how it fit into the community as a whole. The entire town is essentially one giant museum. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a64f9527-1f35-446a-b0a5-41fccc0778ea/DSCF2982.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out These two large millstones, located behind the bakery, were used to grind grain into usable powder. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e88e40e0-1f75-45fe-970f-7283c9c89a0d/DSCF2984.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Although we elected to walk the town, these horse drawn wagons were available to provide transportation as well as narrated information. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79aa9fff-5967-42dc-b934-7d3dc2b42dfc/DSCF2987.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out More friends of Lisa’s. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8818f3e0-a9c0-4e62-9fc6-b1d22139b70c/DSCF2988.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Although we didn’t have time to visit all the buildings, this tinsmith was one of the best ones we got to see. On the left is the family home and on the right was the tinsmith workshop. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/58379e6f-65ef-434a-b1de-2069fb8be574/DSCF2989.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The woman that gave the demonstration of the workings of the tin shop did an amazing job. She went through step-by-step how they would have made the metal pans (seen in the middle of this image) out of flat sheets of tin. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/06399934-82d3-4f74-b440-d952fb642ee2/DSCF2990.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The Browning Gunsmith and Blacksmith shops would have been fascinating. However, they had a large school group and asked us to return when they left, but our time in Nauvoo ran out before we got a chance to return to see this one. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab15ace8-dd89-4e95-b603-2a198a138811/DSCF2991.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The same issue occurred with the printing office, a large school group was already in the building. You got the feeling that the docents regretted that we were being thwarted by these groups and that they would likely have preferred to talk with adults as opposed to groups of unruly screaming children. But we did get to see the post office and general store. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0b9522c8-114b-41a0-9a84-6056ad01f4af/DSCF2992.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Walking back to the car, the absolute must-see was the Temple at Nauvoo. This is the inscription at the entrance. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b31d7077-9d48-46b9-a9bd-85728c01ad42/DSCF2993.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This incredible structure is clearly the crown jewel of Historic Nauvoo. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9a06b72c-0fde-4374-8404-a31263382fd1/DSCF2996.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This shot, from an angle, gives a better idea as to the beauty and size of this amazing building. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2efa29be-abdc-466b-9273-ff47893164e9/DSCF2997.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Back in the Visitor’s Center, this model of the temple gives information on the different parts of the building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/47981b05-5c3b-4a31-83d7-15c2543c2f37/DSCF2998.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The opposite side is a cut-away that shows what the interior of the temple looks like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/599be9b6-d74d-48e3-aa76-7257a00abb3e/DSCF2999.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out With our time running out in Nauvoo, we jumped in the car and drove to the other end of town where Joseph Smith’s homes are located. This is his original home. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e863d456-5516-4320-bb94-86cf7e5af6e9/DSCF3002.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out From the other side of the home. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e92529ea-790a-421c-be09-02d638155cb7/DSCF3004.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The family would later move from the prior home into this one. This is where Joseph Smith resided until his death in 1844. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/332dedb6-3d28-443d-bf1b-2149f76325c6/DSCF3003.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This plaque can tell the story much better than I can. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/351cdfb8-fa90-4db2-9026-a6c43dcd0626/DSCF3001.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Smith Family Cemetery. The circumstances surrounding the death of Joseph Smith, Jr and Hyrum Smith are provided by ChatGPT. “By 1844, Joseph Smith was both a religious and political leader. He had founded Nauvoo, Illinois, a rapidly growing city, and had established a powerful following. Smith had also declared himself a candidate for the presidency of the United States. However, tensions were high both within the LDS community and between Mormons and non-Mormons. There were controversies over plural marriage (Smith had secretly introduced polygamy), political power, and economic influence. Some dissenters, including former members of the church, were especially angry. On June 7, 1844, dissenters published the first issue of the Nauvoo Expositor, a newspaper that harshly criticized Smith and revealed details about polygamy and other controversial doctrines. Smith, as mayor of Nauvoo, and the city council declared the paper a public nuisance and ordered the destruction of the printing press. This act was seen as a violation of free speech and stirred intense outrage in the surrounding communities. As a result, Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith were charged with inciting a riot. Later, charges of treason were added after Smith declared martial law in Nauvoo. On June 27, 1844, while being held in Carthage Jail in Carthage, Illinois, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were attacked by an armed mob of about 100–200 men. The mob stormed the jail in the late afternoon. Hyrum was shot first and died almost instantly. Joseph Smith tried to defend himself with a small pistol he had been given, reportedly wounding a few attackers. Smith attempted to escape by jumping from a second-story window but was shot multiple times and died as he fell or just after hitting the ground. Joseph Smith was 38 years old at the time of his death.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/759ace3b-13f6-49cf-9a57-c17589029a97/DSCF3005.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out There really is no way to have a smooth segue from the serious nature of the death of Joseph and Hyram Smith to a dead elephant; but so it is with travel, you don’t know what is around the next bend. This is a monument erected in honor of a dead elephant named Norma Jean in Oquawka, Illinois. The story of Norma Jean and this site from ChatGPT: “The death of Norma Jean, a circus elephant, in Oquawka, Illinois, on July 17, 1972, was a tragic and unusual event that left a lasting impression on the small community. According to an article from Peoria Magazine, Norma Jean was the star attraction of the Clark & Walters Circus. As the circus set up in Oquawka's town park, a sudden storm rolled in. Norma Jean was tethered to a tree with a metal chain, and a bolt of lightning struck the tree, killing her instantly. Her caretaker, known as "Possum Red," was thrown approximately 30 feet by the blast but survived. The community faced the daunting task of dealing with the 6,500-pound elephant's remains. With no feasible way to transport her, a backhoe was used to dig a 12-foot-deep grave in the park, and Norma Jean was buried on the spot. A simple plywood sign initially marked her grave. In the years that followed, local pharmacist Wade Meloan spearheaded efforts to create a more fitting memorial. Funds were raised to erect a monument featuring a concrete elephant statue atop a limestone base, with plaques and encased newspaper clippings detailing the event. This site has since become a unique tourist attraction, drawing visitors interested in this poignant piece of local history.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/00ae0ca4-e553-456f-803c-63168656366d/DSCF3006.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/289a694c-ac7d-4187-b432-304526e794b2/DSCF3007.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Just in case you thought I might be making this up, here is the newspaper article posted at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ad3f34c-94d9-4391-9616-cd1cf49edeb1/DSCF3008.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Now be honest, by now you have thought to yourself, “How in the heck does he find this random crazy stuff?” It may be mean of me, but something tells me the world might have been better off had Norma Jean lived and old “Possum Red” been the one to get cooked by the lightning. I’m just sayin’……. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cddcd2eb-6ef9-460c-8a63-c652cbbea8a1/DSCF3009.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Next, we stopped in the town of Aledo, Illinois; the county seat of Mercer County. They have a number of murals and we strolled the streets to check them out. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e1b41ae8-0581-453f-8538-edb0fa364f16/DSCF3010.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This small building may or may not have once been the fire department. However, today, they have a nice new big building for the volunteer fire department a block away from this location. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2c133cc9-083f-454c-b5ca-af24058a9751/DSCF3011.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The Opera House may have been established in 1904, but it appeared to have just undergone a major renovation and now looks very modern and refreshed. We spoke to the Deputy Sheriff at the county courthouse and he confirmed the opera house has just undergone a significant overhaul and recently reopened. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/daf309b1-f125-4453-913d-b8912f383488/DSCF3012.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The Mercer County Courthouse with a statue of a young Teddy Roosevelt as a Rough Rider. Once again, the familiar theme of a beautiful old building surrounded by green space in the center of town typifies these old county seats. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/35c4ee61-d0c3-4d70-9943-196b591863f3/DSCF3013.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Many of the windows have A/C units hanging out of them - not part of the original design I suspect. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/15c34bb4-d1f3-41c0-84f4-4cfeca57c7e3/DSCF3014.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Cornerstone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f32bda6d-924e-4dda-9471-518d781ae8f2/DSCF3015.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out One final mural before we get back on the road. This one on Cheers Bar on Main Street. Main street, as well as some of the small streets off of Main, have storefronts - and unlike many of the sad towns we have see - these stores were operational. They even have speakers mounted on the light posts and play music you can hear while walking the streets. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f465a997-ec24-4ef0-8e6a-50a9d4a63bd8/DSCF3024.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the night was Moline, Illinois and directly across from our hotel was the John Deere Pavilion. Moline is the home of John Deere and the Pavilion has a visitor’s center where they display some of their new and old equipment and you can go check them out. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/94cd7597-87b7-4a6a-94c1-c8ba9aad63c1/DSCF3020.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Just inside the doors, this monstrosity of a corn harvester was centerpiece of the exhibit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48ca3619-0f1c-4505-8bf0-dfe07393dccf/DSCF3019.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Another view from the side for scale. The woman at the desk told us this machine costs $1,000,000 and is strictly set up for corn harvesting. There is another “head” you can buy for this machine that will also do wheat. We have some big harvesters up in Minnesota, but I don’t know that I have seen one quite this large in our area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d415182d-ee91-4ec9-a9e6-02249683e706/DSCF3016.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Inside the cockpit of this beast there is even a jump seat for a passenger. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/40795d0a-96ab-4a67-91b8-8d4896de4e9c/DSCF3017.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out The electronics are mind boggling complex. It starts to look more like a modern day aircraft than a piece of farm equipment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0dee64a0-02a4-44bb-b1e3-5c840c4d375a/DSCF3018.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This view from the driver’s seat shows just how high up and also how wide this machine really is; even with my widest 10 mm lens, I still could not get the entire width of the harvester in the photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/654d69bf-741f-463e-be7f-19969cc0c8d0/DSCF3021.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out A few of the other brand new modern day machines they have on offer. The ones in the pavilion are pristine, even the tires/tracks look like they have never even moved; their rubber surfaces are pristine without a scratch and polished shiny. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/281e7835-562d-44ff-90af-85ca2f5b799a/DSCF3022.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out Next to these brand new behemoths they also have some of their older models paying tribute to the heritage of John Deere. This is a 1918 model. This one had wheels entirely made of metal with two wheels on the front and one rear center wheel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c0ecc558-f1d2-4ca9-94b6-8faff3198ce1/DSCF3023.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #16 - Make it stand out This demonstrator had the side panel replaced with clear plastic so you can look inside and see “what’s under the hood.” https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/3sed9zcq353yb1bmhjh7b74bubmwxu monthly 0.5 2025-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/deef63a1-71b1-4bae-ac50-516bfe38ba25/DSCF2936.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Today was supposed to start with a visit to the Mississippi River Overlook Park in East St. Louis. However, driving up to the park we ran into a freight train that was stopped and blocking our path, with no telling when it planned to move. Plus, where we were at that point in East St. Louis was BEYOND sketchy!! Thus, we decided to abandon this attempt. I had hoped to post some photos of the Arch from the east side of the river, but this was not meant to be this trip. We couldn’t get OUT of sketchy-land fast enough! So, our first stop was at the Confluence Tower which overlooks the site where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi River. However, this observation tower is closed for renovations with a plan to open in 2026 - as best we can tell. We knew this was the case before coming here, but decided to walk over to see it from where we parked at the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/86b25d37-bb85-4a5e-8996-bf0ad5738d5f/DSCF2935.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out It does look like an interesting thing to see on another trip after renovations are completed. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1dc587ba-ca95-49ad-985d-92cdc105d204/DSCF2937.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Going for our walk gave them time to open the Lewis & Clark Museum for the day. This was a fascinating stop. I must admit, I know very little about this part of our American history. However, I plan to remedy that deficit; I purchased the book they said was the best for first-timers to get acquainted with the expedition. This is a mock-up of the keelboat they used to go up the Missouri River in 1804. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/15d1c603-cd53-4f97-9cfd-08bc1da501fb/DSCF2938.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out The opposite side of the keelboat is a cut-away that shows how they carefully packed the boat to include all the provisions, supplies, medications, food, weapons, scientific research equipment, etc…. This packing job is even more impressive than my packing of a Civic Type-R to do the Great River Road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b0724483-b899-406e-8a10-7e7aee39b973/DSCF2939.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out I was particularly impressed by just how narrow the keelboat was. They would use poles to move up river in shallow water, oars when the water was deeper and when the wind was in their favor they used sail. When the river was very shallow, the men would jump off and pull the boat forward with ropes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/08668dd1-c4cc-4e95-8486-52a52544e348/DSCF2940.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Although this museum discusses the entire expedition, it really focuses on the portion of the journey in Illinois. So, the majority of the museum is dedicated to the roughly six months the expedition wintered here at Camp River Dubois (on the Illinois side of the Mississippi at the confluence) before heading up the Missouri River in May, 1804. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f5b5cf8c-bbe2-4362-b20b-0bc8cf267186/DSCF2941.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out The museum was excellent, even for a novice like myself. However, I do anticipate I will return here - after I have done my homework and read at least one book on the expedition. Then, I suspect it will mean even more to me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/30b547db-bd5f-421b-9753-da6ffb7ccca8/DSCF2942.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Our next stop was at the Melvin Price Lock & Dam in Alton, Illinois. This lock & dam replaced the original lock & dam #26 which was located approximately two miles up river from this position. The original lock & dam #26 was demolished in 1990, after this one was opened on October 10, 1989. They offer tours at this lock & dam, which also houses the National Great Rivers Museum. Unfortunately, the next tour was not until 1 PM today and we were there at 11 AM. Staying for the tour, which lasted roughly one hour, was not going to be possible on our schedule for the day. But, this dam tour and a future visit to the Confluence Tower and Lewis & Clark Museum will be added to a future trip. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f4780e48-bb77-4c6c-8b11-9720a4caf256/DSCF2944.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out We headed further north to the town of Alton and walked their river walk and downtown. This tug and 15 barges were headed north under the U.S. Highway 67 bridge. They had just finished locking at the Melvin Price Lock & Dam. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc4d2237-0630-4ba4-b4f5-a8b2229c6b2b/DSCF2947.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Alton now has a park where the old City Hall once stood and this was the site of the final debate between Douglas and Lincoln which took place on October 15, 1858. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d9e11b94-8be5-495e-8a21-ee199b18dc39/DSCF2948.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Douglas argued in favor of each state having the right to decide for itself regarding slavery. While Lincoln believed, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/88f2ac08-0665-4bc1-8f75-bcc3bd38cc71/DSCF2951.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out In the continued spirit of democracy, the people of Alton were having an anti-Trump rally on this very same site today. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/490509a6-3882-4c1b-8f7e-7df810717da2/DSCF2950.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Alton grain elevator. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3bf1cd23-8ec3-493b-a3e5-b74f89d9a0e6/DSCF2952.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out The Argosy river boat casino in Alton, Illinois. We passed by on the way back to the car, but did not feel compelled to stop in to make a donation. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6cc66161-56cb-4130-b620-4038b4455594/DSCF2953.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Just north of town we stopped at Piasa Park. This bird/dragon is part of “The Legend of the Piasa.” It is really starting to fade, so it is somewhat difficult to see. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da522e89-33e4-4027-8805-bd79ab2e8734/DSCF2954.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out A little closer up, maybe you can see it better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c113f84e-8135-44c2-836d-8c8d1c2b2e67/DSCF2957.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out When I can (when they are legible), I am going to simply insert photos of these plaques - saves me typing all this stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a08efca3-15b2-42a7-a5ec-f2a160d45bce/DSCF2956.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out The limestone bluffs here are eroded into caves. They have put up fences now to keep people out because they are apparently unstable and falling in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7aea58ec-e330-487e-a8ac-d74871005529/DSCF2959.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out The Great River Road is just fantastic in this region. On the bluff side you see these wonderful limestone walls and even a park placed into this little alcove. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3add1ffa-40d4-4f7e-af3e-cf4e5a6d2d5c/DSCF2960.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out And on the other side, the road travels right along the river. This is so different from what we saw below St. Louis; where for so much of the time the road can be miles away from the river and separated by a levee when it is close by. In my mind, THIS is what the Great River Road is all about! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48dd0434-5901-4725-a0ab-49dbab89265e/DSCF2961.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Just one more view, looking up river this time, to show just how the road hugs the east bank of the river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/be12e98e-6ffb-45ae-800c-d4932e27934f/DSCF2962.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Many sources have told us that we had to stop at the town of Elsah. It is a quaint little town just north of Alton which gives you the impression that time just ceased to exist here. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e19029a6-0434-4168-8b2d-20db1ed64567/DSCF2963.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out In 1854 Col. James Semple surveyed this land. He reportedly owned the local stone quarry and offered anyone a plot of land in his proposed town if they agreed to build a house made of stone from his quarry. Thus, as we walked the town today we noticed many of the homes were made of the same type of stone. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/114c545c-8bcd-4f9c-82e1-0fda166bbcff/DSCF2965.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out The entire town is basically just a few streets and we parked and walked around them. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a9bd52c-f1b2-48c6-b604-78951c92b957/DSCF2967.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Elsah looks like something from a Normal Rockwell painting. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c31d4880-a418-42a5-ba11-709de8223c01/DSCF2968.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out This home even had a small orchard on an adjacent lot with a few bee hives. From the street we could see the bees were enjoying this sunny mid-70’s day - zipping in and out of the boxes. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e272a77-ae05-4d47-963f-76cef7946da6/DSCF2969.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Lisa loved this little town so much, she wanted a photo of practically every building. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f559dd40-8496-427f-a43c-c5b5fdaf6232/DSCF2970.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out One of the few not made of stone. We assume this one was probably more recently built than the 1850’s. Had to show the well tended garden and side of the house in order to omit the monster pickup truck parked in the driveway. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c52daaee-9da2-4e19-8645-48b56269549b/DSCF2972.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Our next stop was the town of Grafton. It was a thriving river town with a Main Street that had eateries, shops and access to the river. This is the Port of Grafton lighthouse. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/555b9250-72ed-4aba-be5e-8f912b9a469f/DSCF2973.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Why a photo of some random boat on the river? Well, for us, this was a sign of our return to “civilization!” Today we started noticing the appearance of pleasure crafts again. Since passing north of St. Louis we see jet skis, recreational boats, fishing boats, etc…. There are still plenty of tugs and barges to be seen, but the Mississippi is no longer all business up this far; people have returned to the river for enjoyment. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b32c7caf-3070-42ff-9b91-9552633dc744/DSCF2975.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the night was in Quincy, Illinois. This is a view of the Quincy Bayview Bridge at sunset taken from Clat Adams Bicentennial Park. We would have strolled longer, but the bugs had it out for us! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7eaca841-34af-43a8-ba9d-1dd03a9a41b4/DSCF2976.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #15 - Make it stand out This was a lovely place to stroll, but as the sun set the bugs took over. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-14 monthly 0.5 2025-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/23dfe33c-d0f4-4cf6-968d-5ab46ec41798/DSCF2882.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Today started with a visit to Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus, Kentucky. Confederate General Leonidas Polk stretched this mile-long chain across the Mississippi River from Fort DeRussy, on the Iron Banks Bluff north of Columbus, to a capstan on the Belmont, Missouri shore. Polk hoped that any Union ships coming down the river would be stopped by the chain long enough for cannon fire to sink them. When the Union captured the fort in Columbus in March 1862 they removed the chain. The chain was lost to history until 1925 when a landslide exposed a part of the chain. Following the chain they discovered the anchor you see here buried 11 feet deep and held in place by large timber logs. The anchor measures 15 feet 9 ½ inches long and the flukes are 9 feet from tip-to-tip. It is thought to weigh between 2-6 tons. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/82b29378-576c-46cd-9577-9f2b91857195/DSCF2883.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Each link of this chain weighs 20 pounds 5 ounces. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/38babeb0-0f16-4f76-b1eb-cb1cc60cc445/DSCF2886.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out This is the view looking down river from the park. This tug is pushing north with a load of barges 4 X 5 for a total of 20 barges. These are numbers just not heard of up in Minnesota. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c67ae2f-cc60-44ac-9076-65cc31bd8348/DSCF2887.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out These earthworks were made during the Civil War. It really is amazing to stand here among them and imagine what went on here in this very spot. The next few images are other vantage points of these historic earthworks. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/11daf87e-d63b-4c61-be2b-4d1e84bc9a7b/DSCF2888.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Standing at this level you can picture how soldiers would position behind these earthen walls and fire over the top. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3f5fa83c-c23e-4f95-9abc-332c1a319842/DSCF2889.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bfa125a1-22d5-4436-979b-ed54e14011f5/DSCF2891.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out This is #209, a Model 1829 32-pounder. It weighs almost 4 tons and can launch a 32-pound cannon ball up to 1 ½ miles. It is not known if #209 actually served in this location, but it was installed at Columbus-Belmont park by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. However, in 1943 a large landslide swallowed this cannon and it remained buried until is was finally found and brought back to this position 55 years later. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c0c41f3-b868-476d-9021-8d9b6fe4c8f8/DSCF2895.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Looking up river from Columbus-Belmont State Park. Heavy commercial traffic and not a single pleasure craft in sight. The Mississippi is still all business here below St. Louis. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d019ff88-a007-4381-990b-29658ceb14f8/DSCF2896.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Next was a stop at Fort Jefferson Park and to see the Memorial Cross in Wickliffe, Kentucky. The Cross stands at 95-feet tall. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66a132a6-634d-4e8f-b1a4-cea2c6cbe79c/DSCF2897.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out It was completed in 2000. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2443faa6-65ad-4428-ab59-78a3be2df881/DSCF2898.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out The view looking up river from Fort Jefferson Park. It is too difficult to make out in this image, but just as the river fades out of view to the left is the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. That will be our next stop for the day. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6e14391f-b6ff-4d16-97fb-728f0c523183/DSCF2899.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out This is the view of the very tip of land which marks the confluence of two of this nation’s greatest rivers - on the left is the Ohio River and on the right is the Mississippi River. This is from the raised platform at Fort Defiance State Park in Cairo, Illinois. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8fa9d9de-282c-45a6-b0f0-9e403d6fcd59/DSCF2900.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out This is looking up river on the Ohio River side. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1efc25f3-4709-4db5-aa15-1025b30450a9/DSCF2902.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out And this is the view up river on the Mississippi River side. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc806a11-bfc3-4f3e-a3a6-0db14ee70a73/DSCF2904.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out And this shot is from the very tip of the peninsula of land that juts out between the two rivers. Below this point these two great rivers become one Mississippi River. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/61c3e06b-5a47-40a2-9b1e-6f812e92cdd1/DSCF2905.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Walking back to the car we came across this little guy. Unlike the armadillo or the turtle, this time Lisa didn’t wish to bring him home as a pet. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6887fe64-d8bf-4b6e-a5fe-b92979db1f8c/DSCF2908.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Next we visited Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site. This interesting plaque at the park gives us some idea of the travel we have done over the past two weeks. Our return trip shows 649 miles since leaving New Orleans with a little less than 582 to get back to Rochester. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7bbbb190-f0ee-4a87-b53e-35103a0eb3ac/DSCF2910.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out The Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site has some interesting things. In addition to being the site of Fort Kaskaskia with earth works similar to those we saw earlier in Columbus; it also has this very interesting cemetery. This cemetery is unique because many of the people buried here actually didn’t start out here. In 1881 a flood caused the Mississippi to change course. As a result the town of Kaskaskia began to become eroded as the river ate further into the land. The townspeople saw the writing was on the wall and knew that soon the entire town would be underwater. So, they exhumed their loved ones and moved them to higher grounds. History would show that they made the correct decision, because by 1901 the old town of Kaskaskia had disappeared underwater. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a6fede77-8329-42a2-9cbc-8bad2d670547/DSCF2907.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Looking up river from Kaskaskia Park. The river takes a 90-degree turn here, as you can see the tug and barges perpendicular to the river in front of us. The old town of Kaskaskia appears to have been located in roughly the bend of the river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b3d69231-5582-4df0-b28a-978ba2ce9f45/DSCF2912.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the day was at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in Du Rocher, Illinois. This plaque explains some of the history of the fort. This fort was once strategically located on the Mississippi River. However, as the river has moved over the years, this site is no longer all that close to the river. This is one time I would strongly suggest clicking on the image for the map. You can see the river is a fair distance from the fort. However, that was not always the case. Previously, the river came right up to the fort. If you look at the satellite view on Google Maps you can see how the earth still shows remnants of how the Mississippi River once flowed right past the fort, but now has moved some distance away. A fascinating geology lesson. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9ab58b9f-4d5e-4043-a0ea-e392ca1d2d0a/DSCF2913.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out The front entrance to the fort. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f090e1a3-b671-46ae-b5dc-5bf84446d2f6/DSCF2914.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Once inside the fort you could climb up into the lookout towers. This is the tower at the front entrance looking down into the fort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0ba2f4cd-1fb7-43ba-9dfc-96ef954059ce/DSCF2915.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Looking to each side from this vantage point gives some idea of the scale of this fort. This is not a small structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/080ff422-e5d2-4f7c-868c-6ce98163d247/DSCF2916.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out The building in the far corner was the powder magazine. This would have been safely located in what was then the back of the fort. The original front of the fort would have been facing the river on the other side. So, the entrance seen earlier would really have been the “back” entrance to the fort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ffccb398-be28-4d2b-92db-3ac21ad27349/DSCF2928.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/108211b1-73ea-4671-9b67-62d276887d3c/DSCF2917.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Inside the powder magazine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/01351577-2024-4f3d-8145-c45337b10a55/DSCF2918.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Each corner had a raised lookout point with small vertical openings for viewing and for firing from while remaining safely behind the stone walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b8a39e4c-ed67-49ce-8025-a90fe257eabe/DSCF2919.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Climbing up into the corner lookout you can see the small “window”/gun turret. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da663d56-d8cb-42c6-8532-a75df78425d6/DSCF2920.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out The view back into the fort from the corner lookout. Clearly I failed in my duties as lookout, because it appears someone has made it inside the gates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4519c344-9e37-4ce4-9d13-6793c964829b/DSCF2921.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out These buildings included a chapel, mess hall, some workshops and storage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9fbca818-9734-45e6-aaac-1d2d0b40eaa0/DSCF2922.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out This appears to have been the bake house with the stone oven on the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/31699702-4700-465f-bad8-c4c43fa6cb70/DSCF2923.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Same building from another vantage point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1c66ada-c4f6-4a49-ba02-564e3c7cbcbd/DSCF2924.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2930d7b4-8077-43fb-ab33-a8dbff1ac3dd/DSCF2925.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Mechanical/blacksmiths work area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fda83370-5c0e-497d-aff9-998a49122d8a/DSCF2926.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Upstairs in the large buildings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3b31f1eb-15a6-4eb2-a0bb-c7ae6a1fd6de/DSCF2927.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out A view across the central parade grounds inside the fort, back toward the main entrance gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/070be3f0-7f9b-443c-83bd-bf16b7803621/DSCF2930.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Looking back toward the main buildings, the foundations in the foreground suggest other buildings which have been lost to history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a4e182fc-0339-45fb-95be-fd06e1f0ec83/DSCF2931.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out This larger turret likely once contained a smoking hot cannon. Today, it only contains my smoking hot wife. ;-) Just checking to see if anyone is still paying attention after 14 days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/73226d88-4c1b-4b02-bece-e5904d9a45bb/DSCF2932.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Looking back into the fort from the other corner lookout position. I climbed every possible structure, just like any typical 12 year old boy would!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a7eb6877-a934-43da-b6d8-ce079949e04a/DSCF2933.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out The impressive main entrance with thick wooden doors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c267fcdc-4cb6-4065-8b95-fbd8b4d0f409/DSCF2934.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #14 - Make it stand out Even with a 10 mm lens, getting the entire fort in one photo required some distance and thus you really can’t see much here. But, it was meant to showcase the size of this structure. This was quite an impressive find on our trip. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-13 monthly 0.5 2025-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14e3f532-819f-4d71-937d-fc0473a35fb4/DSCF2841.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out After our morning excitement we were still able to visit the Memphis Botanical Gardens. This is a lovely place with paved walking paths that meander through all different sections of the garden. The peace and quite walk among the trees and flowers was a good way to decompress after our automobile wowes. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c411c844-256b-44f8-91eb-e3074bcb3c1d/DSCF2842.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Painted Indian Mallow https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/876547dc-b1dd-425b-961f-05598812667e/DSCF2843.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out They were very excited about having six of these giant wooden trolls “visiting” the gardens in May. Lisa finds them creepy, and I have to kind of agree with her. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e68622e7-ba75-4af6-b10a-8e7564f008e9/DSCF2844.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d11dd275-fb1b-434b-9306-14011e3832f8/DSCF2848.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Eastern Prickly Pear. I’ve been called something similar, just not the pear part. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0b938d0c-3b65-4d8f-8f70-09341d0ed349/DSCF2849.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out China Rose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ef8826c7-8a80-476a-9cf1-309cf06df89e/DSCF2851.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out This little box turtle came right over to us, like he wanted to visit. Lisa insisted this should be her new pet; I convinced her otherwise. He remains in Memphis, where he belongs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1fbaff2a-700f-4cea-84e7-2ae19b23def8/DSCF2853.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abd023e4-5f06-49fb-9e05-47980fec3902/DSCF2854.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out This must be a very popular place for weddings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7392178d-43a2-4f55-89c1-f37764539182/DSCF2857.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Bigleaf Hydrangea. Lisa’s favorite flower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f01b04b2-83ea-4518-a045-d7e251190003/DSCF2858.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out The Delta House and tractor in the part of the garden dedicated to local plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8c3f6c40-bc1a-40b3-b204-f2c231288897/DSCF2859.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0644c159-eb21-4918-afd2-a100e907bfdf/DSCF2860.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Stokes’ Aster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/09f05a7d-62f8-4231-afea-72cbeb95746c/DSCF2861.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e9a1f35-ec35-4173-b97d-bb689d33ae35/DSCF2862.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out They even have an operational chicken coop at the botanical gardens. Didn’t see that one coming really. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fd52e2bb-a218-4d9d-8c70-c45727710530/DSCF2863.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out The Southern Magnoila. Lisa insisted on at least a couple more photos of these. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/64fe0702-8f07-485e-a71e-a6ad146ebf4c/DSCF2864.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41bc63a3-6195-4ea3-955b-0acfc8298d48/DSCF2865.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Japanese Maple. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/845b00de-f4e0-4e83-aca3-a07fe22813d5/DSCF2866.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2c51212c-5d7a-4d27-a7e2-8644f12154aa/DSCF2867.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out China Rose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d7bc40a9-adcc-4880-b34c-e805f1dbc411/DSCF2868.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out China Rose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3a426e22-57a8-410a-9265-7aca15102cb0/DSCF2869.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out China Rose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/25a44d30-3a7c-4c43-8de1-08d505ae7f70/DSCF2870.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out China Rose. Lisa insisted on all these China Rose pictures. I told her the only person more fixated on China is Donald Trump! That didn’t go over so well…..! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ac0f3d6f-67d3-42b5-9a74-760718f09946/DSCF2871.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out False Bird of Paradise. Now, this one and the next few were kind of unique and interesting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cdbcfcda-5d3b-4b98-ad6f-0db0c4cfa8f5/DSCF2873.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Banana. Okay, I get the banana part; but who knew they had this long proboscis looking thing handing down below the fruits? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/347fc843-3cae-4165-80dd-b4274c3bf2a2/DSCF2874.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/380a18e4-31ec-4412-bf00-7708f0500543/DSCF2877.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out Next, we made a brief stop in Dyersburg, Tennessee. We walked around their town for a few minutes, but didn’t go as far as we had planned as it was 90 degrees and insanely humid! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/04957c5b-abba-4b05-a5f0-51df011474c2/DSCF2875.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out The Dyer County Courthouse. These county seat buildings are always such nice places. They are very commonly located on their own block with a small amount of green space around them. They tend to have a “typical” look, but are unique in their own way. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4253292b-1d2a-43ed-b4d0-05c3e4c5ec12/DSCF2876.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8860f855-584b-43e8-82d3-ffca58bc5d55/DSCF2878.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out I suspect that at one time this was in fact the bus stop in town. It has that typical architecture. Today it has been made into a cafe and they capitalize on the bus stop theme. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8e96e685-bc5b-4ca6-af47-daa606feea58/DSCF2879.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out This is now the First Baptist Church, but something tells me it may have had a prior life; possibly as a government building?? The building is not crooked - as it appears in this image - rather, it is located on a hill. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3ea23d31-5689-46f7-86ad-3e519f8d19be/DSCF2880.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #13 - Make it stand out The First United Methodist Church. These are some impressive structures for the small town of Dyersburg, Tennessee. The population of Dyersburg was last recorded at 15, 968 in 2023. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-12 monthly 0.5 2025-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7f5e3510-ed76-44c8-829f-f97618b7c5f9/DSCF2823.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out Our first stop today was supposed to be a riverside park with a raised viewing platform to view the river. However, due to recent flooding, the park was closed. So, plan B was a walk around the Greenville Cypress Preserve in Greenville, Mississippi. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6f1f9838-f868-4e16-8055-2d009aa6c9db/DSCF2824.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out These are some very unique looking trees. It is amazing that not only do they survive living with their roots continuously flooded, they actually thrive in this environment. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a989f1cc-734f-46a4-be74-b20dcbd6b4cb/DSCF2822.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out These interesting root projections above the water line are known as Cypress Knees. Cypress Knees provide stability and anchor the tree in soft mud. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d2896cfe-045a-4dee-9262-bccdbf8b81df/DSCF2836.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out Our next stop was a visit to the Martin & Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85ea9656-c134-414c-94e9-32d9288490e7/DSCF2830.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out This modest building houses some interesting railroad artifacts along the walls. But the real showpiece is this amazing model railroad. measuring 17-feet by 71-feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/748c8a92-ac66-43ab-951f-c9eae50510b0/DSCF2827.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out The level of detail in this model is simply incredible. This is NOT just a bunch of purchased pieces assembled together. James shared with us the history of the model - it started out as one man’s passion, and upon his death the city reportedly acquired the model and moved it here, where they continue to build upon it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5251b98d-015e-43f6-a935-61dbb6216d2e/DSCF2828.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out Although they have recreated some of the local buildings; James tells us the overall model is supposed to represent “Anytown” USA in the 1950’s. I like how the train in the foreground is blurred due to motion as it moved on past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d062314a-3559-44e5-97d7-d62d7de84eaf/DSCF2829.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out On the day we were visiting these gentlemen were in the process of switching over some of the train operation to wireless and they were working the bugs out of the WiFi connection. You can see the iPad in his left hand - that is how they will control which train is in operation, its speed, etc…. Behind and in front of him you can see all the electronics and switches/levers currently used to operate the model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/868e23e5-f96a-4621-a67e-4191236e3bc9/DSCF2831.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out This is one of the structures which is an actual reproduction of a famous local establishment. This is Po’ Monkey’s Juke Joint which was a famous site for blues music in years past. In order to render this model correctly, they actually went out and measured the original place so as to render it perfectly to scale in the model. The entire structure is handmade. The next photo tells the story of Po’ Monkey’s. James pointed out that even the tires on the roof were included in the model; they existed in the original to prevent the tin roof from flying off in the wind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/090634e4-fc29-4bcf-a841-a003af2781dd/DSCF2832.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out “Po’ Monkey’s In 1963 Mr. Willie Seaberry aka “Po’ Monkey,” opened his establishment in a 1920’s shack located on farmland just to the west of Merigold. Although rural juke joints were once common throughout the Delta, Po’ Monkey’s was one of the last authentic places remaining. The unique exterior and signage set the stage for what you would find inside. Calling himself a farmer by day and a prince by night, Seaberry entertained all walks of life at his lounge. Po’ Monkey’s was known world wide, written up in National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, the New York Times, and many other publications. The subject of, and included in, several documentaries, Po’ Monkey’s fame spread. Visitors from all over the globe would make the trip to “Monkey’s Place.” The site was placed on the Mississippi Blues Trail in 2009. Willie Seaberry, August 24, 1940 - July 14, 2016” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41514d0a-b6d7-4bd7-a165-7008b6de2dee/DSCF2834.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out Again, the level of detail in this model goes above and beyond. Here are three men, wearing the appropriate protective netting, working on their beehives. My colleague Joe Fulton should appreciate this one - he’s trying to teach me something about beekeeping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0505e025-30b1-48f9-b71d-e63091450756/DSCF2835.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out Cleveland Mississippi has a rich railroad history and in this park they have preserved an old railroad turntable. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da532813-a86e-40fc-a13b-2c639b8a0b87/DSCF2839.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out For fans of blues music, this site on the corner of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi is considered holy ground. From ChatGPT: “The "Blue's Crossroads"—often referred to simply as "The Crossroads"—is a legendary location in blues folklore, particularly associated with the story of Robert Johnson, one of the most influential Delta blues musicians. According to myth, Robert Johnson went to a crossroads at midnight, where he met the Devil (or a demonic figure) and made a pact: he would sell his soul in exchange for unmatched skill on the guitar. After this encounter, Johnson's playing and songwriting abilities allegedly improved so dramatically that the story stuck. This tale has become a cornerstone of American blues mythology. Clarksdale, Mississippi, at the intersection of Highways 61 and 49.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5a38278e-ea8e-4dc3-8101-b9b15146da95/DSCF2840.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #12 - Make it stand out While talking with James at the railroad museum in Cleveland, he insisted that we stop at Abe’s Bar-B-Q for a pork Bar-B-Q sandwich. When we looked it up on the map, low and behold, it was immediately next to the Blue’s Crossroads sign we planned to visit anyway. So, we stopped in - and I have to say, James did not lead us astray. This little Bar-B-Q joint was fantastic! Thanks to James for the suggestion. In the 30 or so minutes we were at Abe’s, we noticed at least 3 or 4 people stop to photograph the Blue’s Crossroads sign. And, those are just the one’s we could see from where we were sitting. You can imagine how many people stop at this little nondescript corner in the middle of nowhere Mississippi just because of the legend. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-11 monthly 0.5 2025-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb6119d1-f266-4efa-a612-3a05a945ab67/DSCF2775.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Leaving Natchez, Mississippi this morning we jumped on the Natchez Trace Parkway for a little while. The parkway is beautiful in many respects. The scenery is fantastic, very rustic and undisturbed. Also, it is impeccably maintained with a smooth road surface. And, being a scenic parkway, it is not open to commercial traffic and the speed limit is 50 mph. It made for a very pleasant drive. Someday I think we will have to do all 444 miles of it. We stopped at a place called Mount Locust which is explained on this plaque. The next series of photos are from that stop. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0bea4fff-e931-4014-a77b-c8ee28f424b2/DSCF2776.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The front of the original Inn building. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5f61b1ff-417f-4bba-8cbe-9a36e351f2e3/DSCF2777.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The back side of the building. It is in rather rough shape at this point and it is apparently no longer open to viewing. Possibly due to structural integrity? They say this was a working plantation; a far cry from yesterday’s Rosedown Plantation. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5b97b6d6-9aa2-45f2-9e3a-32db343af5dd/DSCF2779.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out This is the Ferguson-Chamberlain Family Cemetery and these are the gravesites of the original owners. What is interesting is that there are roughly 5 generations of family members buried in this small cemetery and the most recent addition was in 2020. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d9785022-5159-4ca0-8d86-b1c55add5b42/DSCF2780.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Most of our day was spent at Vicksburg National Military Park and the site of the very important Civil War Battle of Vicksburg. These two monuments placed at the Visitors Center depict which side each of the states fought on in the Civil War. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb83fdec-6344-4961-ad78-bafba4294f0d/DSCF2781.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/86390ed8-34f8-4e4a-9068-5aaacbbe8c92/DSCF2782.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out This is a reproduction of what a Civil War fort would have looked like. There are no longer any fort structures standing on this battlefield. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aa17519c-3249-4a61-b579-b8bb7bdb25ff/DSCF2783.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Throughout the park they have cannons positioned where they would have been located at the time of the battles. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c40baaad-93ad-4358-8fd3-42ee2f9152fc/DSCF2785.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out This image shows the terrain over which they fought. You can still see the earthwork embankments they built as defenses of the positions and there are many trenches still easily visible where they would dig in and slowly advance the trench toward their target. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/db510993-ce9f-4939-a48d-105b1f1fc9c7/DSCF2786.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Each state that had men in the Battle of Vicksburg was given the opportunity to install a monument at Vicksburg National Military Park and some are quite elaborate. This one happens to be for the state of Wisconsin. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9de068ce-ae58-49fa-8f68-65a9f56c090e/DSCF2787.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out A closer view of the Wisconsin State Memorial. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f3311fe9-5d12-49d3-95d5-f9bc22024cad/DSCF2788.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Each of the state memorial monuments has a plaque reading roughly along the same theme. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/861138be-25ad-4ddb-bc65-73190b4cded7/DSCF2789.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The gunboat USS Cairo was recovered in 1964 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, from the Yazoo River, where it had been sunk during the Civil War in 1862. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fd9fff2d-568d-4e6c-acee-9bdf0953328f/DSCF2799.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out From the plaque on site: “On December 12, 1862, Cairo was part of a mine clearing expedition on the Yazoo River. Her commander, hearing small arms fire coming from up ahead, steamed around the rest of the boats and into unexplored waters. Suddenly, explosions tore holes in the boat. It sank quickly in 36 feet of water. No lives were lost and the crew was recovered by nearby vessels.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/89eaae40-429b-4214-95b6-dde84ea02a93/DSCF2790.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out In the bottom center of the image are the pistons which, powered by steam produced in the boilers, were used to turn the paddlewheel. The metal structure of the paddlewheel is seen on the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e20d53a5-3938-4eb3-b9c5-e80ee27b66cb/DSCF2791.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The five steel drums on the bottom were the boilers and the one horizontal one on the top was the steam tube. The steam tube delivered the steam to the pistons to drive propulsion of the massive weight (approximately 512 tons) of the boat. When under full power it could reach speeds of 9 mph. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d750880b-5b5a-4f4e-84be-e98bfdae451d/DSCF2792.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Looking up into the steel plated pilot house. From here the captain would steer the boat and instruct the boiler men as to how much power he wanted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/37b034f7-6ddf-489e-bd5d-9918d8588e09/DSCF2793.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The three forward facing cannons in the bow of the boat. All the cannons on this boat were the original and were recovered from the bottom of the Yazoo River. Much of the original lumber used in the construction of the boat was recovered as well; however, this reproduction fills in the missing pieces with new lumber the way it would have looked at the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bff379c4-96eb-4091-af8c-3923034c3127/DSCF2794.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The side of the boat and the pilothouse were covered in these steel plates. The plates were then backstopped by 12-24 inch wood beams to provide increased strength against incoming ordinance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b2e4b4f9-d3b0-475f-9b78-f53abc78d53a/DSCF2795.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The front of the boat used railroad steel for added protection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3acd105e-7bbc-471e-9722-12df3f9977ea/DSCF2796.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out We couldn’t help but notice the significant pitting/dents in the steel covering the pilothouse. Not sure if this was the result of denting from incoming projectiles or if it was just an effect of the weathering of the steel from sitting in the Yazoo river all those years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dd8ac14a-2dc4-4198-bfc8-ac7c04527e4d/DSCF2797.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out An aft-facing cannon and in this image you can see some of the original wood that was recovrerd. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c8624485-b9c6-406a-9442-0bbd23433bf2/DSCF2798.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out More of the original salvaged parts of the ship. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/83991419-6b20-487a-9b4b-d49381936ef8/DSCF2800.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The intricate structural steel backbone of the paddlewheel. The actual paddles were likely made of wood so they could be quickly and easily replaced by the on-board carpenter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/78b4533d-2cc0-4da7-9e93-b040b72d9c54/DSCF2801.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Another look at the 5 boilers and one steam tube. When the boat was under full power it would consume 1 ton of coal per hour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9a37a0e7-d7c4-447e-8a1a-126ebb285652/DSCF2804.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out A portion of the park has been used as Vicksburg National Cemetery. Union dead were buried here and Confederate dead were buried at another site not too far away. Roughly 75% of those buried in this cemetery are listed as “unknown”. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/91130909-566c-4458-bf8b-ed25573dbbef/DSCF2805.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d1a84b9-70a1-415c-b054-7da54b7bbaa6/DSCF2807.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out At the time of the Battle of Vicksburg the Mississippi River would have laid directly below this bluff where the trees in the foreground are located. However, a flood in 1873 caused the river to change course and the water you see in this image is not the Mississippi. This waterway is a diversion channel of the Yazoo River. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3f81cd04-b81f-4884-bb94-c6e17662a330/DSCF2808.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The Missouri state monument is another impressive one. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d2b67ad6-81c8-4d17-a032-5e742ac3b8fd/DSCF2809.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out This is the Mississippi state monument. With the opening of Vicksburg National Military Park each of the states with soldiers in the Battle of Vicksburg were given the opportunity to install a monument. The Union states were quick to do so; however, the Confederate states were financially hurting following the war, and their economy was in shambles - so they were not as quick to build monuments. This Mississippi monument was the first of the Confederate state monuments to be built. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cb9282fb-be9f-453e-956b-1f11b99e21d2/DSCF2811.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Iowa monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5e4f50a5-4ece-4397-a266-9bddcac7f5b0/DSCF2812.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The Minnesota memorial monument. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2086f629-7678-47b9-b9a3-2bf25c6e3b9c/DSCF2814.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Another view of the Minnesota monument. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5245c3d7-24f4-4b2f-a3e0-f8602943f061/DSCF2815.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The cannon marks roughly the spot where Major General U.S. Grant (Union) and Lt. General John C. Pemberton met on July 4, 1863 to discuss conditions of surrender. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6b508276-15cc-492e-8b57-85e79d60dab8/DSCF2817.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The Shirley House is the only original structure still standing in the park. Although it was heavily damaged during the fighting, it remained standing following the war. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/89292105-3be4-4025-b336-5cabdf79e8c8/DSCF2818.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out The Illinois state monument. In addition to these large and impressive state monuments, there are an incredible number of other monuments scattered all over the grounds. A quick web search says that Vicksburg National Military Park boasts over 1,350 monuments!! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/86bfa0a5-d689-4daa-b55d-a5ecd63613c9/DSCF2819.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out Another view of the battlefields in order to appreciate the terrain, earthwork redoubts and trenches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed151ae1-9477-41a1-aa4b-99e4668b005e/DSCF2820.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #11 - Make it stand out From plaque nearby: “After 47 days under siege, the battle could only end in surrender - or a dramatic rescue. Inside Vicksburg, General Pemberton faced harsh realities - one third of his troops were too sick to fight, their drinking water was contaminated, they were short of food and ammunition. Union troops and cannon completely surrounded him. Then came a final message from General Johnston saying his army in central Mississippi was too weak to relieve Vicksburg. Pemberton asked Grant for surrender terms. Grant did not want to have to feed 30,000 prisoners of war, or transport so many men north to prison camps. He offered to let Vicksburg’s defenders go home, if they promised that they would not fight against the United States again until exchanged. Pemberton accepted the terms. On July 4th, the Confederates handed over their guns. Union troops marched victoriously into the city.” https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-10 monthly 0.5 2025-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8f34b7f5-23b2-4b13-9808-f5ad2f6eae49/DSCF2713.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Art work along the walk at the Mississippi River Walk in Baton Rouge. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6c10f855-836b-43df-88f0-23be6222fea8/DSCF2714.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Looking down river from Baton Rouge. The same ocean going ship we saw from Port Allen is still moored at the dock on the opposite side. According to my app, it is the bulk carrier ETG Hayate under the flag of the Marshall Islands. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/23362722-880b-4908-ba26-b9e82f50646f/DSCF2717.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This is/was a walkway from the shore out to what used to be the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino boat. However, a woman we asked about it said that since they now allow casinos to be on dry land they no longer were using the riverboat casino or maintaining this walkway out to it. About two weeks ago when the river was running very high the support structures sank and the walkway is now falling into the river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e778def-59cd-4c3a-81fc-70d932fd2af6/DSCF2718.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Outside the USS Kidd Veterans Museum. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2e1c2310-93d0-4894-ab98-33e32685b9c2/DSCF2719.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Baton Rouge has put significant effort into their downtown river walk to make it very inviting for visitors. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e69e0325-714e-451d-8676-5fc1b1ce76a9/DSCF2720.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out View of the Old Louisiana State Capitol building from the raised pedestrian bridge. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2d6cb7eb-7e72-44bd-a210-bfac8a81f84e/DSCF2721.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The old state capitol building is now a museum that is open to the public. The next series of images are from our visit there. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6596fc0b-b550-4e5e-b541-0026598fed2e/DSCF2723.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This massive old tree is on the grounds of the old capitol building. These are just amazing things to see; their limbs come all the way back down to touch the ground. My app tells me this is a Southern Live Oak. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/56e7fc65-d8bc-42f4-8968-2a1c453376db/DSCF2724.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Just a wonderful structure. This building was build from 1847 to 1852. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/633cf543-9df5-4512-9a2f-f56a04563631/DSCF2726.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Old Governor’s Office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/991f74dc-c8de-4840-b9f4-6f6bce66f3bd/DSCF2727.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Lectern with Louisiana seal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b47a085-d14f-41ab-9822-321a4d65d4eb/DSCF2732.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Rotunda with curved staircase to the upper floors. The stained glass casts some fantastic colors over the interior of the building on this very sunny day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/03bb86d3-2fcc-4ebc-9650-9a793b8f1a4e/DSCF2733.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dc6f7ed3-0ac7-4508-8f3e-f6732c3fe95c/DSCF2734.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c3fda58e-4b20-4088-86e2-d9c8ae71d630/DSCF2735.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Old Senate floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dbb2d010-91c4-423e-b1d9-45b93da35b80/DSCF2736.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out To think this was built in the mid 1800’s! They just don’t make buildings like this anymore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/697a765e-eda3-4d78-8f26-9d098006e5ec/DSCF2737.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The current Louisiana State Capitol as viewed from across the Capitol Gardens. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a92ee04-355d-4cdd-9125-4a03d34bae33/DSCF2741.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Senate floor is located on one end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ac5a36db-5914-4b20-9d1f-fdf76ce43618/DSCF2743.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out And on the opposite end is the House of Representatives. We were told that we were welcome to view the proceedings from the balcony when they returned to session at 1:00 PM. However, we were not going to be in town that long. It sure would be interesting to watch even a few minutes of that process though. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/864956fb-ad29-48d8-ba05-98b9e73d0612/DSCF2744.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The 27th floor has an outdoor viewing area that goes all the way around the building. This is the view looking up river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5e1a0bee-c151-42e1-9711-65e0353746fa/DSCF2745.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out In the foreground is Capitol Lake and beyond that you can see the massive ExxonMobil refinery complex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6ef2b8f-5ea9-4ce6-ac3f-6d41ac499e66/DSCF2746.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Looking down river toward the Port of Baton Rouge. This tug headed north is pushing 18 barges!! You just don’t see that number up where we live. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6505fa86-aefd-4470-985b-fc00b5b05934/DSCF2747.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Looking down upon the Capitol Gardens and downtown Baton Rouge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed9ae771-ad8e-4b28-9b01-7cddfa895b87/DSCF2748.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Veteran’s Memorial Park. We strolled over to the fountain in the center of the image and then over to the lake before touring the Capitol building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3bc235bd-20a0-44d2-900c-73e6c69f447f/DSCF2751.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out A nice vantage point from the Capitol Gardens. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b2181c0c-1aa5-4924-a2b6-9d65dd95e48c/DSCF2753.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Our next stop for the day was at Rosedown Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Rosedown Plantation was built in 1835 by Daniel and Martha Turnbull, over the course of six months and at a cost of $13,109.20. According to Google, that would be $476,519.42 today. That still seems like quite a bargain to me. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/35353770-64e8-4deb-a8e2-dad9d17dacc0/DSCF2755.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Martha Turnbull had a passion for recreating the gardens she had seen when traveling in Europe on their honeymoon trip. The gardens have been largely preserved the way they were first installed in the 1830’s-1850’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cfedc911-bc98-42af-87e3-192f423f8641/DSCF2757.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Daniel and Martha raised three children in this house. Their youngest son died at age 7 from yellow fever and their oldest son died at age 27 in a boating accident. This left only their middle child, a daughter named Sarah to inherit the property. Many of the furnishings in the house were original to the house. The family and their guests sat at this very table and ate on these dishes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e2e3f7a-85ba-42af-a7fe-89dd73104fc5/DSCF2758.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The guest room had an indoor shower; something that was completely unheard of in those days. Rain water was collected from the roof, passed through a filter, and into the tank above. When the person pulled the cord water came out of the box above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a41bb1f2-42b2-4b7c-866e-68760eb3a345/DSCF2759.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The guest room at Rosedown Plantation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66fc8e6d-d622-4b47-905c-e9e51d7bd984/DSCF2760.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This is a square grand piano which was made by Chickering, but no longer produced today. This one is 180 years old and we were told the instruments required to tune the piano no longer exist, but this one still plays as our guide Ailynn demonstrated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f153729a-7d79-4644-b6b5-f5851443cbca/DSCF2761.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The was the master bedroom, much less opulent than the guest room we saw earlier. Ailynn pointed out how small the beds were back then compared to what we have today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc4402ff-d5a1-4393-9bf7-3c48b97ec1b6/DSCF2762.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This crib was used by all three of Daniel and Martha’s children. In addition, their only surviving child, Sarah would marry James Bowman in the 1850’s and they would move into the house and raise 10 children of their own - all of which reportedly used this crib. Between Martha and Sarah they had 13 children and no report of any pregnancy losses or neonatal losses. This is an incredible obstetrical history considering that the perinatal/neonatal mortality at the time ran close to 20% for every pregnancy event. All 13 children were reportedly born in this house. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d84b9ae-8621-434e-ad7d-45161a085205/DSCF2763.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The view of some of the grounds and gardens from the second floor balcony. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d3b03030-19b5-48d4-bb6b-f8ad07f1007b/DSCF2764.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The curved staircase with imported mahogany wood railings and banister. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b7f23e7-57d5-4f73-b891-3d4fc6079131/DSCF2765.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The ladies sitting room where, after dinner, the ladies would gather for coffee and tea and visit amongst themselves. The men would retire to a neighboring - much more modest - room and talk business. It was considered very poor form for men to discuss any business in front of women back in that time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/104e968b-0c21-4b3b-8a8e-f5ee29f0bc6b/DSCF2752.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The Old Barn where visitor’s carriages would be kept. Martha also stored her dry components for her garden fertilizers in the top rooms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7357acf8-63b6-4b98-9aa1-514e2b4a281c/DSCF2766.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This was the milk shed where dairy products, perishable and root crops were stored. The steeply angled, low roof kept the center shaded, and the sunken brick floor kept everything cool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/649c9345-ac56-4f2f-a061-8d8f9d65e81b/DSCF2768.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The kitchen was kept separate from the houses back then due to the concern for fire, as well as to help keep the house cool in the southern summer heat in the days before air conditioning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ede63b83-d59e-49b5-8d0f-5f8f51172ed8/DSCF2767.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The inside of the kitchen building. You start to get an appreciation for the enormous amount of physical labor required to support this level of opulence and wealth. We can be sure the family was not doing this work. The entirety of their lifestyle and possessions came on the backs of 250 enslaved people to work the cotton and sugarcane fields and maintain the house and gardens. It is interesting to hear that following the civil war, when free enforced labor was no longer available to them, the fortunes of these families rapidly deteriorated. Within a generation or two, many of these plantations were being sold off - both land and possessions - in order to pay the taxes and bills. It goes to show that this material wealth and lifestyle was not the work of these families or their acumen, but rather it was 100% the result of the work of others who didn’t have a choice in the matter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d63bc5a6-c783-4a07-8777-e26b3b3d75fa/DSCF2769.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out Some of the gardens and greenhouse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4b1545d7-e7fb-423a-99d2-8f2538fd4280/DSCF2770.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This was known as the Rockery. Built in 1858, rock gardens were often used to divide different types of gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0dad96c2-ac7c-4a4c-9dff-0cbb3073efd5/DSCF2771.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out This is the doctor’s office. After the death of her 7 year old son to yellow fever, Martha believed that had he received prompt medical attention he would have lived. This likely is not true, as even today there is no medical treatment for yellow fever and supportive care is the only option once infected. Regardless, she insisted they have a doctor on premises, so in 1844 this building was built and Dr. John King was hired and took care of the family and the enslaved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a97b90c-5c2e-47db-869b-6f610fe39cfb/DSCF2772.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The Underwood Oak is the oldest live oak at Rosedown, 260 years old. Live Oaks are native to Louisiana and stay green all year, hence the name Live Oak. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/529a967e-6094-4b53-aa8e-2588f30ca327/DSCF2773.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out The Dovecote is where pigeons, doves and quail were raised for food purposes and this building was where the birds nested. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1f8f52c1-6c5a-43bd-b487-0369bbf6bcf8/DSCF2774.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #10 - Make it stand out A final shot to give perspective to the size of the gardens and main drive up to the house. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-9 monthly 0.5 2025-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/21937f02-5fda-41ab-bd06-f8e8dc599d0c/DSCF2697.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out Our full day in New Orleans began with a visit to Cafe Du Monde for Beignets. I would have included a photo, but the camera was acting up and by the time I got it operational again the beignets were gone! We then walked along the waterfront and took in several of these tour boats and cruise boats at the docks. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bedb56e9-90b9-43ee-8e0a-c8baef4abe7b/DSCF2698.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out The website says this particular boat is undergoing some renovations. However, it is generally available for dinner cruises and the like. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2abddc8e-90f3-42d6-b032-4b85c72a97a1/DSCF2700.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out Bourbon street during the day is quite tame; however, come evening the blockades go up and the streets are for pedestrians only. Live music can be heard all down the street. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/21e01ebf-61c3-42a6-b594-0ce0ee8382db/DSCF2701.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out We found the architecture of these buildings, and their prominent balconies so interesting. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aebd7247-c6c2-4a6a-b76b-f5069724e8fa/DSCF2702.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5e04c771-1e05-4ea2-a372-32bdee4080fc/DSCF2703.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out This street was blocked to through traffic due to construction at the other end. So, these six guys just decided they would set up their band in the middle of the street and perform. They had a nice little crowd accumulating by the time we moved on. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da29e8a2-7fc7-4240-be1b-5f89bd4423c6/DSCF2704.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out Louisiana Supreme Court building right in the middle of the boisterous French Quarter. Just a splendid old building. No, it is not leaning over, the parallax from the 10 mm extreme wide angle lens gives that fisheye appearance. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea09a08f-67d6-466f-8304-012d1c6c34d2/DSCF2705.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out View from the tip of Latrobe Park looking down Decatur St. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/673e7dc8-4442-42ce-9cb5-e65076e8038c/DSCF2706.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out More of the terrific balconies and some are decorated extensively. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2a3baeed-8120-425e-a9eb-20ecb9cac2f8/DSCF2707.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/767fb823-b2fe-4e93-94d4-f9f9d25ed645/DSCF2708.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out We were intrigued by how they made the wrought iron fence look like a row of corn. Look closely and you can see the ears. Then we looked up for a name of this place to find it has a very original name - Cornstalk Fence Hotel. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cea02322-a622-4238-891f-fb009e7bd397/DSCF2709.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out More balconies. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7bdbecba-ea77-4e2f-87b6-a49c52b93d1d/DSCF2710.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out A view of our hotel from the street, the Place d’Armes Hotel. We have been very pleased so far. The people are nice, the room is clean and nice. And, rather amazingly for being in the heart of the French Quarter, it is quiet. I would most definitely stay here again on a future trip. Can’t argue with the location. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8da7c11-3e9e-4147-91c3-923a60f5fbe0/DSCF2712.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #9 - Make it stand out The enclosed courtyard at our hotel. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-8 monthly 0.5 2025-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29958626-6754-44ae-b947-8fe00bde3bcd/DSCF2667.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Today’s first stop was a walk along Main Street in New Roads, Louisiana. They appear to have a bustling little combination of business and residential along the Main Street. However, being a Sunday, about the only thing that was open were the churches. This little piece of green space is known as Doris Park. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9ebd3c13-8f75-49cd-af07-9f349282af10/DSCF2669.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out The further we moved south, the more common the magnolia trees. This one, in front of the Pointe Coupee courthouse was just starting to bloom. New Roads is located on a body of water that looks very much like a river, and at one time it was a part of the Mississippi, but it is now a horseshoe shaped lake. As the river changes course over the years from floods and other natural factors, parts of the river get separated from the main channel and this body of water is now called False River. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/88f46a10-0a17-4c43-8f44-4f1bb9cad615/DSCF2671.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Next, it was on to Port Allen, Louisiana. Port Allen is located directly across the river from Baton Rouge and was once the site of an early ferry crossing. Now, there is a bridge connecting the two sides. They have a very nice park and walking trail along the river giving good views of the river and city skyline of Baton Rouge. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5ccaa550-5f92-4ca5-8749-a12335ebb783/DSCF2677.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out View of the Baton Rouge shoreline from Port Allen. On the far side of the river you can see a tug and barge pushing north. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a5ebd1d-b91c-4db9-aca7-80c4507f9888/DSCF2675.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out While walking the park Lisa had an emergency bout with her gastrointestinal issues and a very kind Port Allen Police Officer, Detective Alaric Celestaine saved the day by offering to let her into the police office to use their facilities. A huge thank you to Officer Celestaine, his kindness was much appreciated; as every other option was closed due to it being a Sunday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/96728c6c-c4dd-4dbc-a5d8-f4e76baf900f/DSCF2673.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out This is the bridge that now connects Port Allen to Baton Rouge. In the center of the image you can just see the bow of a large ship docked for loading/unloading at the port of Baton Rouge. This is the first time we have spotted anything “larger” than a tug and barge on the Mississippi. Doing a little research, I have discovered that from here to the Gulf the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a navigable channel with a depth of at least 45-feet. This makes it possible for ocean going vessels to come this far up the river. The same search told me that at points around Baton Rouge the river can be over 100-feet deep. This is a far cry from the 10-12 feet in our area. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79bdf669-e19d-448a-977e-037a110a1627/DSCF2678.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out We are now starting to see the above ground cemeteries. The water table here is so high, that just about any digging soon encounters water; as a result, graves cannot be “dug” here and instead they have to locate the caskets in above-ground graves. This was a rather old cemetery and many of the units were sinking into the soft wet ground. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d88eabcf-669d-4259-b7d8-7be75f85a481/DSCF2679.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out We then visited the town of Plaquemine, Louisiana. This is an old lock chamber that once connected the Bayou Plaquemine to the Mississippi River. This connection no longer exists, so this is just an historical site today. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3013a19e-5547-4e49-b55a-5d176ed03a5a/DSCF2680.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out This image showcases the huge swinging gate doors of the old lock. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ec6117ea-1733-424a-a9be-bb763e6bcb90/DSCF2681.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out This is the old Lock House, which is now a museum; but it was closed when we were there on a Sunday. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a08b392b-0d1d-43fb-97bd-2414810a7f8e/DSCF2682.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Where we stood to take this photo was once the connection of the Bayou Plaquemine to the Mississippi. However, as you can see in the foreground, this has been turned into part of the levee and the Bayou no longer connects to the Mississippi. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ae4b3730-b40b-4237-b1e6-7af9507f8388/DSCF2683.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Walking along the levee walkway looking across the river, there really isn’t much to see here. You can make out a number of barges and tugs on the far side. This part of the river is very industrial and I can’t recall the last time we saw a pleasure craft on the river. This is much different than up in Minnesota where it is common to see sailboats, fishing boats and other pleasure crafts; down here, it’s all business. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b0efcf3e-789f-43e4-bf58-6ce77b6d7a30/DSCF2686.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out The plaque on this little building read: “Dr. Emile Hiriart Office. This small structure was originally the medical office of Dr. Emile Hiriart from 1885 until 1895. The structure is an example of pure Louisiana French country architecture. It was donated and moved to this location in 1994.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ff36513c-2013-4cb6-b525-dd263868dfd8/DSCF2689.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out This area along the Mississippi is reportedly known as “cancer ally.” They claim that huge chemical plants and refineries have polluted the area so bad that cancer rates are much higher for those that live here. I can’t confirm or deny that report, but we can say that huge factories/refineries/chemical plans like this one are all along this stretch of the river. We stopped briefly to take this photo and a security guard came out of the building in the foreground and said we could not take photos here or he would call the cops. Apparently, they are worried someone will use photos to do reconnaissance and then come bomb the place. We aren’t exactly the typical appearing terrorist, but we hightailed it out of there nonetheless. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc405229-a9af-4dab-b903-4c29bd616401/DSCF2690.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out After roughly 1200 miles, we have arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana! Our plan was to visit the botanical gardens, however, they were scheduled to close only 30 minutes after our arrival. So, instead, we walked around city park some. The park was very busy on this beautiful Mother’s Day Sunday. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a618c519-642c-4ccd-8249-ec556aa6e677/DSCF2691.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Only a half a block from our hotel was St. Louis Cathedral. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/13c9d8dc-e6b6-4719-b76c-2fffe178dd79/DSCF2692.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Immediately adjacent to the cathedral is The Cabildo, an 18th century building that now houses the Louisiana State Museum. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ad98efd-6e63-4f79-949a-8b4b8dc1e4d8/DSCF2693.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out No trip to New Orleans would be complete without a photo of Jackson Square with the iconic cathedral as backdrop. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d40a2e7e-8565-4679-8e84-f7a1ce7f976c/DSCF2695.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out And here it is - the Mighty Mississippi River from the New Orleans waterfront. The river does not actually end in New Orleans proper; rather, it forms a deep water channel all the way until it empties into the gulf. We had discussed traveling the additional 80 miles to reach the southern most point accessible by car. However, it is a road that is lined by heavy industry and you can’t physically see the river due to the levees. Plus, as we learned on the way in today, Louisiana doesn’t go to great lengths in maintaining their roads. I can only imagine the status of the roads that are traveled almost exclusively by heavy industry as being particularly favorable to our little car. So, with all of that in mind, we have decided that for this trip, New Orleans will serve as the symbolic end of the road for us. Tomorrow we will spend a day touring the city and then on Tuesday, we start the return trip up the eastern bank of the river. In doing some research, the Mississippi reaches its deepest point just to left of this photograph at the bend in the river across from Algiers Point. We have been told the river reaches to depths in excess of 200-feet in this location. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/80465417-6b6f-4692-bbc6-71b3b54107ee/DSCF2696.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #8 - Make it stand out Our first time in New Orleans we went with local fare; I had the Creole sampler (Chicken gumbo, Shrimp creole, Red beans and Jambalaya) and Lisa had blackened redfish. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-7 monthly 0.5 2025-05-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f93644bc-bfb1-4285-a4b9-6de078e05159/DSCF2637.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Our first stop today was the reconstructed Fort Curtis in Helena, Arkansas. This is the spillway leading into the fort.. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cf9ea831-1ae8-43e7-9317-da820e9d4b22/DSCF2638.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Fort Curtis was a Union fort with earthwork ramparts for defense. This would be the view an attacker would see from the outside. Inside the fort the soldiers would stand behind the earthen wall and shoot down upon any attackers. Someone trying to attack this position would be out in the open and those behind the wall could blast away at them from a protected position. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d75b96ee-9eb1-402a-86af-d983b1048682/DSCF2639.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out This image from the inside of the fort shows not only the cannon aimed over the wall, but also the wooden wall which was reinforced by packed dirt on the other side that provided protection for the soldiers shooting over the wall. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da3264cb-f0b9-4cc5-957e-4cfa7fb09ba6/DSCF2640.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/64375944-3c42-4a5c-b050-c0eb7306baeb/DSCF2641.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Directly across the street from Fort Curtis is the Centennial Baptist Church, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark. However, it looks more like something out of an apocalyptic movie showing what happens to manmade structures when nature is allowed to take them back over. This building is literally caving in upon itself and the ivy has completely covered all exposed surfaces. The crumbling wall has actually fallen down and crashed the fence they put up to keep people out. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ef3f3745-0d5c-4781-b5e2-ce7c1e35a384/DSCF2643.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out These next two images are from what used to be the front entrance to the Centennial Baptist Church. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9808555f-85f3-4a70-98c9-4d6ab34cd0cf/DSCF2644.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out About the only thing not covered by ivy is the small circular window. After leaving here we drove the main downtown street in Helena and to be honest it was downright sad. I think EVERY building along the main street was empty, abandoned or even destroyed in some fashion. Again, it looked like something out of a movie scene. It is sad to think that these buildings were once the lifeblood of a thriving river town and now it almost appears the town is slowly returning to nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3b08c24d-0028-4aa0-af5e-0b24e5f34733/DSCF2661.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Our next stop was the Arkansas Post State Park Museum. This museum features what was known as the Arkansas Post, this was the first European settlement west of the Mississippi River and the first settlement in Arkansas. The artifacts in the museum range from the time of this first settlement until more recent. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/694324a6-9d83-4a2c-b070-95aa200ea439/DSCF2648.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Here are a few of the museum artifacts that we found most interesting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1eab661c-f724-4d61-bad6-df262fb4116c/DSCF2649.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out For all parents out there that spend an inordinate amount of money to have custom playgrounds installed in their back yards today; well the bar has been raised!! The plaque on the front of this playhouse reads: “Playhouse built in 1933 for Harriet Jane Carnes Bonner by her parents, Arkansas State Representative, Grover Carnes and Bertie Carnes. The house is furnished with all the original toys and furniture, and features a wood burning fire place, electric lights, and a screened porch with the traditional porch swing.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f104d305-983d-47ef-8510-b5cc0c2fd4be/DSCF2650.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/284e5e31-b2e2-46f8-98f4-45c90379a26b/DSCF2652.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out In this cabinet of historical medical equipment, I was interested to see they included TWO sets of obstetrical forceps. I guess that is what those “old time” doctors used to deliver babies!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/637512d7-68e3-4185-a65c-4d72ef8ccdf1/DSCF2653.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out On the right are a few glass syringes and in the box on the left are the reusable hypodermic needles. Care for a case of hepatitis anyone……? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c62b88a9-ee1c-40d5-bab0-99091b611bbc/DSCF2654.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out After he used the questionably sterile reusable needle, it was at least good to know that Dr. McGahhey was a specialist in “Diseases of Women and Children, and Fever Patients a Specialty.” And if you suffer from a case of the “Dropsy” (today known as edema), then Joe is your man! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/90559e77-4c70-4126-b0c2-139e2db0220c/DSCF2655.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out The plaque on this canoe reads: “Dug-out Canoe. Found lodged in the banks of the Arkansas River, 1890. Single cypress log that was burned and hallowed.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/110c9b0e-75af-4b23-8973-f6db9ff5bae9/DSCF2657.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out “Copper Moonshine Still. This still was found by the Arkansas County Sheriffs Department near Trichnor in 1978.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6f7ecadc-cd96-4b77-8bcc-65903b803801/DSCF2659.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out For much of Arkansas history capital punishment was by hanging on a gallows like this one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb30554d-92bd-4a00-b1fc-acc51f8b61ee/DSCF2658.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out The interpretive plaque on site indicates that this gallows is a reconstruction and nobody was ever killed on this exact structure. However, the metal hardware used in this reconstruction is original and thus we are led to believe that this metal trap door and lever were used in prior executions. Standing on the metal trap door was an eerie experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/59ec2394-8b91-4109-a2e2-54d1a8872271/DSCF2660.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out Typical structure built in this region back in its time. It was interesting to read that this entire thing would be built without the use of nails. All the logs are cut so that they come together without nails and the spaces between them would be filled with a mud compound to keep out drafts and the elements. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8138514c-8282-40ce-92e2-f440f67d775c/DSCF2666.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #7 - Make it stand out After finishing at the Arkansas Post State Museum we walked the grounds of the Arkansas Post National Memorial. This is one of the actual sites of the original Arkansas Post town and also the site of a civil war fort and battle. The fort is now under water as the Arkansas river has changed course since the 1860’s. Today, the memorial is more of a walking tour with not much to see as far as physical structures. While walking the grounds Lisa got to meet her first live armadillo. In the south, the armadillo is like our raccoon - you can’t drive 5 miles without seeing a dead one on the side of the road. But this was the first live one she had ever seen. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-6 monthly 0.5 2025-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a807b4d-ac3b-4052-a393-b8dd0c18e673/DSCF2618.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Today was a great deal of car time. We stopped at a few small towns, but they were nothing worth photographing. Much of the day was spent paralleling the river, but not within view of the river. The one place that was both a river town and quite interesting was Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They have a long history of battling floods from the Mississippi, so they have installed a very impressive flood wall. They are known for the elaborate murals they have painted along much of the length of the wall. This section has murals depicting significant events in the town history. For example they have one about when President Taft visited and others pertaining to when the town had a significant fire. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/483b7f16-ecb3-4bf8-a0b2-1c48ce705a19/DSCF2619.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out As shown here, each panel along the impressive length the the wall depicts an image pertaining to the history of Cape Girardeau. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d5f5482f-8b94-4a09-ab5b-a03896ac015a/DSCF2630.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out These two “Mississippi River Tales” murals flank each end of the historical storyboard they have created out of the flood mitigation wall. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/77987f69-a457-4815-8855-5ee9cdf0f502/DSCF2624.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out The south end of the wall is dedicated to paintings of famous people from Missouri. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8598fcae-078c-4ddd-9805-3225b0c2cf6f/DSCF2621.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out This image gives some perspective as to how long this section of the wall is, and this is just the portion dedicated to famous people from Missouri. The wall is even longer on the north end with the historical murals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/95be577a-9d78-406a-ad7d-cf8ceb81b891/DSCF2620.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out A few are wild west ruffians by the names of Calamity Jane and brothers Frank and Jesse James. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba1127a2-8717-4f97-a9e4-f1ecf7f4dec1/DSCF2622.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Today’s baseball reference is to Stan Musial, Yogi Berra and George Brett. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc9ffafd-cc3a-43d0-b59d-30836d63d163/DSCF2623.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Joe Garagiola and Walter Cronkite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ae551cbb-2f19-48dc-a276-8591cf071097/DSCF2625.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out The river facing side welcomes boaters to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a43d1da8-4a22-48d6-a7f5-3deab0c2ca5c/DSCF2626.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out The far end of the Welcome to Cape Girardeau, Missouri mural facing the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/96a6d884-3626-4ae0-95f1-846a17a12161/DSCF2627.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out These are the literal flood gates which they will close as flood mitigation when the river gets too high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/73adecc0-35e5-4e32-9d30-f5ab2442f02f/DSCF2631.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Cape Girardeau City Hall as seen from the street below. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3efcb1cf-adfa-4f66-8795-120c8738990d/DSCF2632.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Our final stop in Cape Girardeau was at Historic Fort D. This is a fort built by Union Soldiers in 1861 as one of a series of four similar forts named A through D. Fort D is the only one that still remains. They were built to defend against Confederate attack from the Mississippi. You can see the river on the right side of the image; it is still quite a distance from this position. However, the information at the site said they had cannons here capable of shooting a 32-pound ball at distances up to one mile. It took over 8-pounds of gunpowder per shot to get that distance. That was sufficient to hit boats trying to approach from the lower Mississippi. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0d9dc68e-c459-430a-b0e1-2e846463452d/DSCF2633.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out They have done a nice job restoring and preserving this historical site. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b75c1e54-7aca-4c07-8df7-8baf375fb8b1/DSCF2634.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/656c3907-7ef2-4cfe-b716-9bda45951aaf/DSCF2635.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c1503a12-fa08-4258-a096-d4ffcc95777c/DSCF2636.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out The plaque on site said that the soldiers entertained themselves by fashioning logs into bowling pins and rolling one of the 32-pound cannon balls in a homemade bowling alley. They also cut, shaped and painted logs black and fashioned them to look like additional cannons when viewed from the river. The enemy would believe they were better fortified than they actually were and it was a deterrent from attempts to pass up river. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-5 monthly 0.5 2025-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/94ff341f-48ee-4bff-9364-69e5a727dc82/DSCF2547.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Our first stop was at the main entry of Union Station Hotel in St. Louis. This is known as the Whispering Arch within Union Station. Each evening they project an amazing laser light show on the ceiling of this huge room. If you have ever seen the Freemont Street Experience in Las Vegas, this is the same idea but many times better in image quality. I was able to snap this photo before the very nice security guard said we could not take pictures with a “regular camera” but could take them with a phone camera. That didn’t make too much sense to me so I asked the reason for the policy and was told that people come in with fancy camera setups and do professional photos and videos and then sell them without giving the establishment any proceeds. So, because of that, all “free standing” cameras have been banned. He was very nice about it, he just has to enforce their rules and kind of winked at me that he realized I was not planning to sell our personal images. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9ca60f07-f0a6-471e-86ae-d9fb3f7844d8/DSCF2548.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The rest of today was really all about taking in the Gateway Arch National Park. We walked to the park from our hotel in the rain and it looked like our day was going to be a bit of a washout. This is the entry point for the Arch, Museum, Gift Shop, etc… which is built right into the hill below the Arch. As you can see, a cloudy and raining day appeared to be our fate. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e416f680-c83e-4e24-9612-8d6830598f4a/DSCF2566.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a4e92156-a2f1-463d-b3ba-13e65bbed2ff/DSCF2550.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Same location, just facing back toward the Old Courthouse. This was the site of the famous Dred Scott case (1857), formally known as Dred Scott v. Sandford, and was one of the most infamous and consequential Supreme Court decisions in U.S. history. This Supreme Court decision paved the way toward the Civil War. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cad0ca78-363e-4aa2-a909-8fa9b500286e/DSCF2551.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out With it raining significantly outside, we decided to start with the museum. It is a very well done museum about both the St. Louis area and westward expansion of the nation. The Gateway Arch represents the gateway to the west. This model of the old St. Louis riverfront was impressive. The whole museum is fantastic and I could spend an entire day just here; but as Lisa likes to remind me - I can’t stop and read EVERY display! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3505d649-1961-44f2-8504-7edfd1a9148e/DSCF2564.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This display honors the architects and builders of the Arch. At the top they are placing the final section. The next image focuses more on that last piece being inserted at the top. Before we went up in the Arch we watched a 30 minute video on the construction of the Arch. What an incredible feat of engineering. I would suggest the video to anyone with even the slightest interest in engineering - it is really fantastic. Lisa and I couldn’t help but repeatedly mention that despite working that high up in the air, you don’t see a single safety harness. The days before OSHA I guess. I will attach a link to the YouTube video of the 30 minute documentary. I suggest you watch it with CC engaged so you can read along. The video is 1960’s quality and the audio is at times difficult without the closed captions. But, it is well worth a watch. [Click on Image to Watch Video] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c7d3fd32-7738-4e43-8b38-e93c8c84a9af/DSCF2554.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out [Click on Image to Watch Video] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9df42fb7-4f5a-4065-8922-4be24703e671/DSCF2555.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This is the view from the top of the Arch looking East. This is not the impressive side, but it was never meant to be; the Arch is the Gateway to the West!! The park just to the right of the grain elevator in the center of the image is a viewpoint for the Arch from the east bank of the river. We will plan to stop there on the way back up the other side. I will try to include some photos from that vantage point at well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b90e03c3-cbee-4921-bd30-4bf4f571d7a7/DSCF2556.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The view to the West with the Old Courthouse in the foreground. People ask about the ride to the top of the Arch. It is an inclined elevator with “cars” which seat five people each. It is a bit small for sure, but there are windows which allow you to view the inner aspect of the arch with the staircase. Some people may be bothered by the tight nature of the “cars” but we didn’t have an issue. The way the elevator moves is unique, it both elevates and “rocks” a bit in order to keep you upright as you travel up and down the curved arch. The ride up they said took about 4 minutes and the ride down was about 3 minutes. It goes by very quickly for sure. Each trip of the elevator takes up to 40 people (8 cars seating 5 each). You ride up and down as a group with all the same people. Each group gets about 10 minutes at the top of the Arch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d75b88bb-bd3d-43a9-a006-98f122acb041/DSCF2557.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This is looking as “straight down” as you can look from the angled viewing windows. The semicircle at the bottom of the image is the entry point you saw as we approached the park. The viewing windows are about 10 inches high and two feet wide - as a rough estimate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5a636943-78de-499d-9f1b-c855a2e1b084/DSCF2560.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This image shows as far as we could see on the horizon. That was a factor of weather and overcast. On a clear day I am sure you can see much further to the west. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e46c2df0-519b-475c-9b07-e04b210908fd/DSCF2561.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, on the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7657743e-938c-41ab-a16d-04b11cfb41eb/DSCF2563.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d664826d-7e04-4b29-a1b9-3f3a57d346c4/DSCF2562.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This sign is located at the very top of the Arch indicating you are 630 feet above the ground. If you watched the video or saw the earlier images of the mural showing the installation of the final piece - this very spot was that final piece to be installed on October 28, 1965. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/80a13bd9-bed9-4f28-91f8-591c63b073e0/DSCF2573.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out It is possible to walk right up and touch each of the legs of the Arch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b650e52-785b-43fe-949a-e1136c1c9804/DSCF2572.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This image provides an interesting perspective. However, what I liked most about this shot is the weld where the sides come together. From the movie about the construction we know this was one of the first welds of the entire structure and was don in February 1963. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d04b4af7-3d0d-4179-9135-360f8d0bf7b5/DSCF2576.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out What an interesting perspective this view provided. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba2fddbb-7bfa-4d3f-aff4-add98ff0d64b/DSCF2582.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Not only is the Arch impressive, but the park surrounding it is incredibly beautiful as well. The walkways are all tree lined like this and are so peaceful to stroll. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/38bdff0a-db97-4e81-a18f-b3fd62273939/DSCF2586.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The grounds of the park are laid out in such a way as to showcase each of these views and perspectives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad3557b3-85b3-41d0-a363-51d05ae8bf9f/DSCF2587.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out As the day wore on, the skies slowly started to clear and by the end of our day we got some amazing weather as you will see below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/954f71bd-0ca7-4da0-be11-ef5a1ef99d23/DSCF2591.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out We then took a tour boat ride on the Mississippi to view the monument and city from the river. The bridge in the foreground is the original railroad bridge which is now used for the Metro line. The stone arches are too small to accommodate todays large boxcars, so the freight trains have been moved to another bridge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c9636ae-c2af-4d67-a7d0-a27693f1b1b6/DSCF2594.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out A couple of tugs had their barges pushed against the bank in front of the old power plant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/634ada2c-ad18-496d-8a98-478d8c86b8b8/DSCF2595.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This old power plant was built to provide electricity for the World’s Fair. However, it does not appear to be functional anymore. If it is, it looks like it could stand for a refresh. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f9801c63-330d-4297-82a0-4c5f2944a500/DSCF2596.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This machine was lifting what appeared to maybe be salt out of this barge. It was a very white substance which appeared to have the consistency of salt, but this is just speculation on our part. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8be685ae-96ff-4cbd-96a6-278cd06592de/DSCF2601.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The old railroad bridge from another angle with the Arch in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e0d5aee0-9129-486b-bb4d-0044972d410c/DSCF2602.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Passing back down river on the boat, I could not pass up this symmetry with the Old Courthouse in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/25aa622d-1d08-4976-b5be-931f18423fa8/DSCF2607-2.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out By the time we got off the boat and walked around the park it had become just a beautiful day! The views from the north part of the park are not to be missed! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3fbea901-2d6a-4393-b880-6065b98eb377/DSCF2607.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out These next few photos are repeated in color; because even I can admit that some images just HAVE to be seen in color. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8e6e634b-12ac-48ed-87b3-0f6a62e72ce5/DSCF2608-2.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out In addition to simply being a stunning setting for a photo, this image also showcases the small viewing windows at the top of the Arch. Those are the windows the earlier photos were taken from. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7279595a-4865-463a-8d67-15819fe788c1/DSCF2608.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fea30fa-fd89-4a8c-b1e5-886105cd6691/DSCF2609-2.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/24375028-50d5-4618-9b07-992f1fd49dc1/DSCF2609.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/185da323-2d09-41ad-b4b3-dacd1fe759ef/DSCF2610.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out I like the way the dome of the Old Courthouse and other surrounding buildings reflected in the windows of the KPMG building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed9dfb3d-caa6-4b72-894d-88714b2a4777/DSCF2611.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out View from the steps of the Old Courthouse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3666d903-f8c1-4a0f-98ed-fb4c67f95f75/DSCF2612.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Inside the dome of the Old Courthouse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/604cde45-97fb-49a5-ba2d-31e2e0f96423/DSCF2613.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The city blocks between Market and Chestnut Streets are all these series of parks and green spaces which provide some nice views of downtown. This city is very nicely laid out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/46a84cfc-40ff-461d-8c05-9db3abbf294d/DSCF2614.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Just one block from Market Street is this giant rendition of the Commissioner’s Trophy. This trophy (a more reasonably sized one) is awarded to the winner of the World Series each year. This should make Hans Sviggum happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d2896c8-f26f-461a-9cd8-36a3add5cd56/DSCF2615.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Walking back to our hotel we came across this Soldiers Memorial Museum. We stopped in to see what it was all about. It is a museum showcasing those from the St. Louis area who have served in each of the wars and military conflicts dating back to the Revolution. Once again, I could spend an entire day here! This is a real gem of a find. I am not much of a military or war buff, but the stories told and the artifacts presented in this small museum are fantastically interesting and are attainable to those of us without a military or combat background. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/235cbb94-7f63-40dc-ad2f-b61b14f464ad/DSCF2617.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out This is the old Union Station train depot, which is now a hotel. This is where the first image from today was taking of the grand room and arched ceiling where they show the laser light display. The 10 mm lens give a bit of a fisheye aspect to this photo but it gets the point across and is actually a kind of neat effect. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-4 monthly 0.5 2025-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d10df7e8-b2b1-4ab6-bce3-d7175ae6d045/DSCF2536.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Day number four started with a brief stop at Lovers’ Leap - a viewpoint from the top of the bluff on the south end of Hannibal. This view is looking back northward over the city of Hannibal. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e744cedf-aeb6-4160-9fd0-b8cefb67d1a9/DSCF2537.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This is the view looking down river from Lovers’ Leap. Several smaller tugs were in the process of joining a number of barges together to build one large group for transport. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8db00f99-d295-49f7-a952-0261943f8d3e/DSCF2538.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This is an art instillation on the top of Lovers’ Leap where the insides of the hearts are chainlink fencing and people attach locks. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1b682e9c-dbe4-4add-ab3c-ce3f50d774a9/DSCF2539.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Our next stop was Louisiana - but not the state - this was the town of Louisiana, Missouri. Once again, like so many of these river towns, the best years seem to be behind them. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/af07f47c-4870-4bfd-8810-39fea714d550/DSCF2541.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Riverview Park offers some elevated views of the river. This image is looking south down river toward the old railroad bridge. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cfe0fdcc-7988-45cf-9287-c88569618b70/DSCF2542.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Some of the buildings of what were once significant industry now lay in ruins. This one appears to have suffered a fire. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a51b6ffa-b610-4e8b-88b6-a1564a4b8650/DSCF2543.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This old grain elevator did not appear to be operational any longer. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1734553b-e328-4a8d-b453-818030c0d20f/DSCF2544.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This is Lock & Dam #24 in Clarksville, Missouri. This is the final lock & dam we had planned to visit. You can see that all the roller gates are elevated and or not even making contact with the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are working on the dam. The river is so high at this point that the water going past the dam is almost equal on both sides despite the gates being fully open. The guy I spoke with that was working there said the vertical travel in the lock today was roughly 6-inches. Compare that to what we saw at #19, where the vertical travel was 35-feet!. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/23d03bd4-b687-4734-866a-17d75583ef25/DSCF2545.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The view looking north from Lock & Dam #24. The north end gates of the locking chamber are open today and there was no traffic in sight. [Click on Image for map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71e335e4-f5b8-470c-a61b-fe5dcc77e97c/DSCF2546.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out We arrived in St. Louis at roughly 1 pm and went directly to the Zoo. We spent the entire afternoon there until they were about to close at 5pm. This zoo is simply amazing!! It is huge and so clean and they have so many animals in such nice enclosures. The animals all look so healthy and happy in their surroundings. The rest of the photos from today are of the zoo, and Lisa insisted that most of these needed to be in color to showcase the animals. I have to agree, the animals generally should be in color. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/20e9e8e5-8e61-4c96-9fe4-31011a005ac5/DSCF1618.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b528bb37-b0f7-4c8e-8ce6-a347a4f8a8b7/DSCF1621.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/54907b49-c4df-4db2-ae89-9895a1255ed5/DSCF1622.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/befa5727-7cf1-49cf-8f81-ab6a54471660/DSCF1626.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/49d701c0-5ee5-4d4b-9890-278a2aff2d8a/DSCF1630.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2e244512-7f48-4880-a601-9bb9333f28dc/DSCF1638.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/52f69e76-323c-4b83-8bbd-511b902ac987/DSCF1640.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Yummy lunch!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6d9a1a26-996a-43d7-ba7a-89b5fafd7744/DSCF1644.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65c31054-7c7a-41b1-b8e6-1e21b30169bc/DSCF1648.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1578189d-5829-45e0-bf72-de979ca76374/DSCF1649.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dcc94819-ae3f-47b5-bb74-aa24dbb39f38/DSCF1652.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c2c7fbc-399e-4229-8f36-d2b091eb49e6/DSCF1655.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f9c98ea7-8cfe-4688-b296-40f807838606/DSCF1657.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cbdd820d-1ccc-495f-9abb-0b6e962696e4/DSCF1658.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out If my neck was just a few inches longer…. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/74fb7be0-ec3a-4ac0-aac2-6f1e816fb354/DSCF1660.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cdb28d5c-beaf-48f8-841a-a93bcd90bbae/DSCF1664.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fafad8d0-e5db-4dc5-a59c-3e60aabc22c4/DSCF1666.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba5c184f-ac92-4618-82be-d02e15fd908c/DSCF1670.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d39c3c0c-3c02-418c-ba6e-2079bdcafedc/DSCF1672.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d6764dac-3712-41d8-8f92-476ef1e2d9a6/DSCF1676.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8be3d1f5-bcba-4b42-9f7b-7cf0c14b3fcd/DSCF1677.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8b9e0ff9-bd0e-4923-ac74-6a12f8b5938d/DSCF1680.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/485b7460-f429-4ac3-9db1-94793beeb3b8/DSCF1682.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/997b2291-14ae-4f96-988c-41a8db7002ff/DSCF1687.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/03d098a9-4289-4186-9ee0-cb897187f150/DSCF1689.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3cb2107a-b40f-40c0-b4ea-a8e9770ef259/DSCF1692.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d18e400b-4f56-41d3-ac98-05f68a4abaf7/DSCF1693.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/30b6d6d7-53a7-4ede-b82e-f759929994c8/DSCF1696.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/193511fd-8c8c-4b5d-ab60-701d75c59a55/DSCF1698.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e4b25880-32b3-408c-b0bd-f6a4ba1ac666/DSCF1705.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/882a5d8f-30f2-4aba-89a4-b1350cb25556/DSCF1708.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9af98ac-ccb3-427e-a493-9f31f4e9f185/DSCF1709.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7f7689d1-91af-42c0-b2e3-265314b8a31d/DSCF1715.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/814aeab4-6037-46b4-8eeb-47e6f46f04f4/DSCF1718.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a8ee9899-5f1e-4bb9-ae49-5411865e0b97/DSCF1724.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99e99728-1188-4b3f-836d-94e72c3b7a9a/DSCF1733.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c6ddcdd-2361-4cab-9be4-def4a2474e1c/DSCF1735.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5062f87c-0a4b-421b-bbcb-7d516a207ed9/DSCF1740.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4e4a2fd4-f74a-4a62-a5b3-29ce1f555459/DSCF1742.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/785702a8-9c4b-422d-8488-ecca8f90e060/DSCF1750.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/75e913cc-7959-48a0-892c-3381f5805d22/DSCF1752.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe8006ff-287e-41f3-9b32-d5e39b2d4a60/DSCF1756.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7150c49b-69b9-43ff-b7a2-9e5bc61cc8bc/DSCF1761.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eacbceed-ce73-4917-a2c2-0b48136c9ea7/DSCF1762.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4bb4f330-2341-434f-816c-207cf808ef17/DSCF1764.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This guy appears to be giving a sermon, but the rest of his buddies are ignoring him. Another splendid day; and tomorrow we are off to the Gateway Arch. We are scheduled to get some rain, so we hope it is not a complete washout. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-3 monthly 0.5 2025-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ae24bd4b-0ec0-470a-85b7-8b07481f87b6/DSCF2498.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Our first stop today was in Fort Madison, Iowa. This series of images are of the Old Fort Madison buildings. “Old Fort Madison is a historically reconstructed U.S. military fort located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Fort Madison, Iowa. It’s notable as the site of the first U.S. military fort in the Upper Mississippi region and played a role in the War of 1812.” - From Chat GPT. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66cfb061-4127-4f81-ac7e-3e8cd0628f33/DSCF2493.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2b0f56a7-432d-42fb-a78f-e60e404a73d6/DSCF2494.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4e682e96-eac9-4332-ad52-1300ed78b968/DSCF2495.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f55e813c-3dec-45e0-8cb4-7c08592585f1/DSCF2497.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/242d864a-6480-4470-94fe-e02257f705de/DSCF2500.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/119b1029-b8fd-42c1-93e2-19d52b287d6f/DSCF2501.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Looking down river from the pier at Fort Madison. The river is quite wide here and there was a great deal of barge traffic in both directions. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c07d723-aa7e-43e2-9830-7d102ad8ea44/DSCF2503.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Fort Madison train depot. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7447aa87-e2f2-4b9e-b849-ec28b7e2dcc4/DSCF2502.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out There are a few Santa Fe railroad cars on site to explore. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12d228c8-5d4e-4eb4-b29a-5f7c0e1f8109/DSCF2505.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ee37be9-13d5-4f76-9bc2-58689eb22eda/DSCF2504.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Like so many small towns in America today, Fort Madison’s downtown has quite a number of empty storefronts. One has to imagine the likes of WalMart & Amazon has had a negative effect on downtowns like these. This old bank building is quite impressive. They don’t make structures like this anymore. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/694b32a1-fcab-4449-9233-4503a0addfba/DSCF2506.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Our next stop was in Keokuk, Iowa. This was supposed to be a quick stop to check out the riverfront. We ended up spending a few hours here taking in Lock & Dam #19. More on that to come…. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bbbde363-9a41-4d9e-8022-d1c70fdcc891/DSCF2507.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Keokuk has a pedestrian Bridge Observation Deck which allows you a nice elevated view into the locking chamber of Lock & Dam #19. The Keokuk hydroelectric plan is seen in the distance. The flow through this dam is quite impressive. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf6a68c9-6a90-4fdb-a17b-a0573e3d3355/DSCF2508.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out While walking the riverfront we noticed the D. Dwaine Stephens pushing north with twelve barges. Little did we know at the time, we would be seeing a great deal more of this tug. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/63659603-d24a-406a-b4dd-4fe0bee7718d/DSCF2511.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out We made our way to the observation deck for Lock & Dam #19. What an impressive site! We are used to the locking chamber at locks 2 thru 9 where the vertical lift is probably 8-10 feet. This chamber was providing a lift of 35 feet today!! This is the largest vertical lift on the entire Mississippi River. This image gives a good perspective on what a 35 foot lift looks like from above. The closed north side gate actually drops vertically under water to allow the boats to enter/exit when the water in the chamber is raised. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6d8a8fc-1dc8-458a-9654-274e9190b138/DSCF2512.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out You can’t really appreciate it in this image, but the flow under the dam in the distance is amazingly powerful and turbulent. What a feat of engineering to build such a structure. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e26042a3-b1d0-423f-adda-5c65afd1e90a/DSCF2513.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out By this time the D. Dwaine Stephens was pushing into the locking chamber. Most of the barges were empty heading north. We can only speculate that they may be headed up river to pick up some of the grain harvested in our region. Each barge is 200 feet long and the tug itself is just a little under that length. This chamber can accommodate a tug and a 3 X 5 barge configuration. This is much larger than the chambers up where we live; where this load would have to be broken into two sections in order to lock. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/02a62d52-bde3-4688-a4c2-63b0ec99a5d8/DSCF2514.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The guys working on the barge prepare the lines to attach the barges to the locks. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ca09700-f8a2-42a3-a0b1-861724204b8a/DSCF2515.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1075a7fc-5b69-4fff-95ef-93b8d01b399e/DSCF2517.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This is Lockman TJ Zick. These U.S. Army Corps of Engineer guys are generally great folks who love what they do and enjoy talking to visitors. But Lisa and I want to give a special shout-out to TJ for the time he took to tell us about Lock #19 and the surrounding area. What a fantastic guy and what a wealth of information he provided to us; thank you TJ!! Let us know when you make Lockmaster. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c0d3453d-f612-403c-b37b-cba415ed46e3/DSCF2516.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Water level is up, north gates are open and pushing on…. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/72053126-b1f5-4f9c-872f-f72a5631beb2/DSCF2518.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Passing directly in front of our observation deck. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bb7322fd-7c01-4e03-9295-2f058d24612b/DSCF2519.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Exiting the locking chamber and headed north. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bae335fd-9e6e-4660-8705-6917bf9fcdc7/DSCF2520.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out TJ Zick told us about this vantage point looking down upon the Keokuk power plant. He also told us a story of something that happened about a week before we were here. He says they were having a fishing tournament and a bunch of the fishermen’s boats were in this part of the water above the lock. A barge came up river and the fishing boats wouldn’t move out of his way - they had no radios to communicate with the Lockmaster. As a result, the tug captain had to try to maneuver around them and his barge and tug got caught in the current from the water going through the dam and it pulled the entire thing into the power plant building seen here. They had to use a helper tug to extricate him and get him back in the channel. TJ says the current by the shore here is minimal, but the closer you get to the power plant building it gets very powerful and in this case the barge and tug were forced to get too close. Fascinating stuff really! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/21702263-b154-47bc-b396-6e3555d44190/DSCF2521.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This is Lock & Dam #20 in Canton, Missouri. The grain elevator on the far side of the river is the westernmost point of Illinois. As we were leaving Iowa and passing into Missouri on Highway 136 we noticed that immediately after passing into Missouri there were a series of tobacco/smoke shops right in a row on the Missouri side of the state line. Knowing absolutely nothing about smoking or tobacco we can only speculate that there must be some kind of favorable pricing/taxing of tobacco in Missouri compared to Iowa. At least three of the cars ahead of us and behind us leaving Iowa pulled into the tobacco shops. We elected to keep moving. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29a4e8c6-d305-4bb7-8df4-e15480e343f3/DSCF2522.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out You can just make out a barge and tug about to lock through #20 heading south. With the water running high in these parts, the vertical travel at this lock seems almost negligible. For anyone growing weary of my fascination with the lock & dams, we plan to stop at #24 tomorrow and then it is on to St. Louis; you will be happy to know that there are no further locks south of St. Louis. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e1c853d-3021-4d5f-bab7-9ac6fa2e2cab/DSCF2523.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The Marion County building in Palmyra, Missouri. So many of the small towns in the midwest have these wonderful historic county buildings. We grabbed a Subway sandwich from across the street and had a picnic lunch on a park bench here on the grounds of the beautiful Marion County building. It was in the upper 60’s, sunny sky and a slight breeze; making it just a wonderful day for a picnic lunch. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab0809a2-387d-4830-8232-7fc3dacebe06/DSCF2526.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the day was Hannibal, Missouri for all things Mark Twain. This Veterans Memorial also has some fascinating information about the original bridge that connected Hannibal to East Hannibal on the Illinois side. It tells that the bridge was closed from about June to September of 1993 because the flood waters kept it covered. Additionally, it says that the Mayfly hatch was a problem for the old bridge with the Mayflies getting up to 2-inches thick on the bridge, making it very slippery and they used snowplows to remove them. Lisa was happy to miss that - she isn’t a fan of BUGS!! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a0fe533-9d55-442b-b16d-2eb8b6764add/DSCF2527.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/deaf17a6-eb7e-4084-a0ff-862cd03d74fa/DSCF2528.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/134eed84-a739-44e6-92d0-3a97b725dcb7/DSCF2530.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This pedestrian only street is entirely dedicated to Mark Twain (aka: Samuel Langhorne Clemens) and his classic novels “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1876) and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1885). [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6812926b-ac0c-4ad6-b447-ef6ee373325f/DSCF2531.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out “Becky Thatcher House The childhood home of Laura Hawkins, the real-life inspiration for Becky Thatcher in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Built circa 1839.” The Plaque reads: “Becky Thatcher’s Home. This was the home of Becky Thatcher, Tom Sawyer’s first sweetheart in Mark Twain’s book ‘Tom Sawyer’. Tom thought Becky to be the essence of all that is charming in womanhood.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5598e87b-3d8a-4b7f-b085-58a228102ad6/DSCF2532.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Mark Twain’s Father’s Law Office. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d677b5b0-d4f9-4da2-a51d-75476303f22f/DSCF2533.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Grant’s Drug Store. The plaque reads: “Grant’s Drug Store. In 1846, Mark Twain’s family fell on hard times and couldn’t afford to live in their own home. The Grants invited the entire Clemens family to live with them in the rooms above their pharmacy. They shared their roof and their food, to allow Mr. Clemens to get his career and finances in shape. The space was small but their hearts were grand, and for a brief time, this house was Mark Twain’s home.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7da6cf28-749e-4fa3-a435-6a2e7348c892/DSCF2534.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The front of Grant’s Drug Store from Main Street. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ce1cba52-a3f8-4f6d-8ba7-804b243ee229/DSCF2535.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Twain worked as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the Civil War, which deeply influenced his writing. The steamboat Mark Twain is seen in the background. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-2 monthly 0.5 2025-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2b17775e-5a21-4d3c-80a0-48f1cfb1763f/DSCF2447.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Julien Dubuque Monument just south of the city. This is the final resting place of Julien Dubuque, overlooking the Mississippi River. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/817e0107-6837-4e24-bda0-92d293b5fc88/DSCF2448.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out His tomb is inside the monument and he lays facing the river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9218cb12-f35f-4b7a-8f6a-67ccc1111235/DSCF2449.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ff26bc4a-bfb8-498f-aa90-1449f1200df1/DSCF2452.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out After a brief stop at the monument, it was on the road again and this time to Bellevue, Iowa. This is Lock & Dam #12 [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f11a2a26-bee9-4349-b654-b6b9f1407b81/DSCF2453.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Looking south downriver from Lock & Dam #12. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7ec3bc75-5ed8-4634-ae29-6306528e91cd/DSCF2454.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Bellevue has a small riverfront park and walking path. It is a typical small river town with a few shops and eateries along the main street. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3349d115-22ee-4b6e-814b-f247f2ae5dd0/DSCF2455.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Looking from the riverwalk south toward the dam. This is usually a fountain, but this early in the season they have not started the water feature. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/59f71900-9f6f-4cd5-9528-b2b78b4d09f8/DSCF2456.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out No matter how far you travel, the job always seems to have a way of following you. This larger than life stork was installed on someone’s front yard. It says 6 pounds & 14 ounces - should have been an easy forceps! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/26546559-3ac8-461e-9e31-04e17ccdab4d/DSCF2457.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out A stairway takes you down to water level and this is looking back upriver toward the Lock & Dam. The river down here was actually running on the high side, and places were issuing river flood warnings in the low areas. As you can see on the left, it still has to rise quite far to breech the flood mitigation wall on the left. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/73fd9109-a14a-4d5e-bffb-8da61d70c07e/DSCF2458.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out The Bellevue riverwalk with some art made to look like the smokestack on an old paddlewheeler. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e9f7496b-a892-4474-bf89-425e6a690d7b/DSCF2460.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Next up was Clinton, Iowa. They have a series of these lighthouses along the west side of the river in Clinton. The line that is drawn about six feet up on the left of the lighthouse reads, “4-28-65 and 24.85 feet.” I wonder how that compared to the flood in 2019? [Click on image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b53871a6-f3e4-4687-a14b-bf69868c103b/DSCF2461.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This dry docked paddle wheeler is now a venue for shows and entertainment here in Clinton. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c778d79f-9b2d-4d49-bd53-95cefc35a2ea/DSCF2462.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out By the looks of things, it is going to take the flood of 1965 to get this one back in the river again. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b2ef746-02d9-465e-bcc3-1b799c09ce72/DSCF2463.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Several more of these lighthouses that line the west bank of the river in Clinton. Not sure how much this was for aesthetics as apposed to navigation really. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c49ec5b-0acc-4651-82b8-4e4d343b5e16/DSCF2464.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out These next two are for Hans Sviggum, MD, OB Anesthesia Chair. He commented that he wanted to see some town ballfields along the trip. This is the home field of the Clinton LumberKIngs. The LumberKings were a minor league club affiliate of at least 13 MLB clubs over the years; including the Expos (1999-2000) and most recently the Miami Marlins (2019-2020). They no longer have any MLB affiliation - as it appears most of these Midwest League teams no longer do - and instead are in a summer collegiate league; much like our Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/68e30cf8-97f5-4b82-957b-d3534665321e/DSCF2466.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out After walking around a bit, Lisa and I both agreed this is a damn nice field and stadium for a summer collegiate league team. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2667e53f-2546-4dc1-9987-900ac595f054/DSCF2469.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Continuing south we stopped at Le Claire, Iowa. They were working on some of the paddle wheeler tour boats at the dock. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f0145011-c9ae-414f-89bc-83b6995d16f4/DSCF2470.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Le Claire waterfront. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1c02113-ec01-4b11-9a2f-3fd012cfc610/DSCF2471.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out I never knew these pelicans are so ubiquitous this high up on the Mississippi. We see them at every stop, being almost as common as the Canada Geese. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8ebfe152-8bfa-4976-8668-c65870384958/DSCF2472.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out The Philip M. Pfeffer was pushed up against the west bank and stopped here with his barges. Probably awaiting access to Lock & Dam #14 further south. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c6de8b2-3385-4d99-931a-121dec62a403/DSCF2473.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Le Claire really capitalizes on the tourist aspect of the Great River Road. They have a very well done commercial street just up from the river with shopping and eateries. This mural was painted on one of the homes. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0a4647b1-856e-4459-aa8a-6f5914b25fae/DSCF2468.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Le Claire is also the birthplace of William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody and in addition to the Buffalo Bill museum, they also have these buffalo statues all throughout the town. Each one has a unique paint job. This one was located at the loading dock for the paddle wheelers. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/26f897ac-6ce6-4744-90e8-aefca0d04239/DSCF2474.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out It appears that each of the businesses gets to decorate the buffalo in front of their shop. This one had a wig. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8013a717-2d18-4e35-9fd2-e27120f7c48d/DSCF2475.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Most vibrant has to go to the winery. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4be1b2c6-508a-407f-b431-b57448a97dfd/DSCF2476.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fb728ae-b638-4e0f-995e-c0249853d6d4/DSCF2477.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Best dressed goes to the pottery establishment. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/202afc3e-3cf6-430f-8a89-a2b6f8504e63/DSCF2478.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out My personal favorite has to be the pizza joint. This dude is sporting a piece of pepperoni pizza. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1553719f-4f66-4829-9c7a-08ad290d3894/DSCF2479.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This one wins for most artistic detail on a buffalo. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6773341-8ef4-4c1c-9257-152e5c531cad/DSCF2480.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out The Mississippi River Distilling Company decorated theirs with whiskey barrels. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/93548c46-4081-4616-8d8a-62453c9b1505/DSCF1609.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Next stop was the Vander Veer Botanical Park in Davenport, Iowa. The further south we go the more blooms we are seeing. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cf3ab829-e1da-4bbe-ae9d-e2853b89f8e0/DSCF1613.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This could be Cascade Lake in Rochester, but Lisa insisted we needed a photo of the goslings; so, here they are! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e0075913-4e8f-4769-842e-fc33fe2caca3/DSCF1615.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out A nice tree-lined walk they call The Grand Alee. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bae96abc-c6e0-4bd2-905c-b419b3649552/DSCF1616.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/04bb465e-0c2f-4820-b87f-edb1032d7150/DSCF1614.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/906e24dd-443d-4e2b-9631-39b74643d31f/DSCF2485.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Next stop was Muscatine, Iowa. The bridge here connects to Illinois. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7f44d10e-6858-4b12-8ed8-84297f08dcfd/DSCF2482.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out As we travel further south we notice the riverbank is increasingly industrial. This was grain processing and cement just south of Muscatine. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12a7b4a5-a32c-48f8-89fb-bb96b379b0ae/DSCF2483.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Muscatine is known for the production of pearl buttons. They would harvest oysters from the river and then punch out holes from their shells and these would be the pearl buttons. The Pearl Button Museum was closed on Mondays - a recurring theme we are finding is that many things are dark Mondays. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c2cd47a7-3bcc-4ea3-924d-5f41509cef27/DSCF2484.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out The “main street” of Muscatine. Again, they cater to the Great River Road visitors with shops and restaurants. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/16bdde88-7543-4838-b8d4-883e8bdaa8af/DSCF2481.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out I knew that Muscatine was famous for their pearl buttons; I had no idea they are also known for their melons! This is reportedly their world’s largest watermelon sculpture. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/73cce7d9-8bd3-4adc-b8c9-dba3f4d899e1/DSCF2486.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out No. 3003 is an S-4 Hudson class passenger locomotive parked in Burlington, Iowa. It was built in 1930 and would pull passenger trains at 90 mph and was capable of doing 120 mph. The locomotive and tender shown here weigh 364 tons! NO. 3003 carried 24 tons of coal and 15,000 gallons of water. This amount of coal and water could pull a heavy train 500 miles before replenishing its coal supply, but would need to stop twice to refill the water tanks for that distance. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7ad414ff-d29d-4f29-8b54-705dd5c5a63b/DSCF2488.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out With daylight rapidly fading we were able to get a photo of the lights just coming on the bridge between Burlington and Gulfport, Illinois. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/28ee5bde-8239-41a1-9c60-47ea9d320316/DSCF2489.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out We were about to call it a night when we noticed this southbound tug about to pass under the bridge. I just had to stay and get a photo of that! [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/great-river-road-trip-day-1 monthly 0.5 2025-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/893e63d4-4dd8-4b06-8e19-eba1bc79c500/DSCF1599.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Horseshoe Island as seen from the overlook at Mount Hosmer Park in Lansing, Iowa. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e4e6678-8036-4841-a15c-4cb9fb359e67/DSCF1598.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out New bridge being built between Lansing and Wisconsin. The start of the new bridge is on the left in front of the old bridge. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bda1e652-b027-4cb5-81f9-96092d649869/DSCF1600.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Looking south down the main channel from the overlook at Hosmer Park in Lansing, Iowa. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4022d705-f143-4580-9842-2ac759e63bcc/DSCF1602.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Limestone bluffs line both sides of the river here in the upper Mississippi. Below St. Louis these bluffs will be replaced by levees in the delta. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/50854457-633c-4e9f-b6be-269604c3e1ba/DSCF2409.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Our next stop was a short stroll on the boardwalk at Effigy Mounds National Monument. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8c740659-5c59-4d33-8e8f-cdcf0cd9bc83/DSCF2411.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Some photos just have to be in color; and a giant pink elephant has to be on that list. We have driven by the Casino Queen riverboat in Marquette, Iowa all these years, but have never stopped. On this trip we finally stopped and “donated” $5 to a slot machine. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0e4bb6cc-637e-46a9-9447-9e3f19711200/DSCF2414.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The Casino Queen is an old Mississippi River boat that is permanently docked in Marquette. This is the pilot house and smokestacks from the top deck. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d13e2aa0-2738-4864-885b-670a1e391aab/DSCF2415.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Looking up river from the Casino Queen riverboat. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4f8ccbe9-2a5c-4b82-b75b-aa9b11d595ff/DSCF2413.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Looking south from the boat showcases the limestone bluffs that line the upper Mississippi River. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/04143917-c3d7-4acb-89f7-d90a505d5752/DSCF2416.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Next was a stop at Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa. The railroad bridge in the center of the photo spans the Wisconsin River as it empties into the Mississippi. The next image explains the historical significance of this location. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dc42aea6-ac51-40b4-a36c-4703e4326c92/DSCF2421.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This is where white settlers first set foot in Iowa. [Click on Map for Image] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/89bce05d-907f-45c9-b73d-5edffe37ff9c/DSCF2418.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The Pikes Peak overlook provides a short walk with several nice views of the river. Here we are looking south down the river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e41f8115-71e3-4537-a074-870d7a2f1d68/DSCF2417.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This is the view looking north. There are some barges parked along the islands in the center of the photo. You can just make out the bridge in Marquette on the far left. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7cf50672-4414-432b-9ce0-e144d4352423/DSCF2422.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Our next stop was Lock & Dam #10 in Guttenberg, Iowa. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5bbd0343-d800-4e0d-87cf-f65d6364c590/DSCF2423.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Looking upriver from Lock & Dam #10. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4e905231-cdb3-4d9d-9280-3c2fa001c061/DSCF2424.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The Lockmaster’s House Heritage Museum was closed on Sundays so we could only view it from the outside. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d9a1ff45-7d33-4ce8-8415-598642589ff6/DSCF2426.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Guttenberg has a very nice riverwalk along the top of their levee that goes about a mile upriver from the Lock & Dam. We couldn’t have asked for a better day; the weather was just spectacular! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1290f282-e3ba-43a2-9ef7-2a3149b9929b/DSCF2427.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Guttenberg takes pride in their quaint small river town. Here was a nice bit of green space on a small plot of land between two adjoining roads. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c565a15-4d46-4079-ad3d-68722aeaa1c1/DSCF2429.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f59dabc9-843d-4316-a05c-868856e25fac/DSCF1603.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Arriving in Dubuque, Iowa we stopped at Eagle Point Park. This is a view of Lock & Dam #11 from the overlook at Eagle Point Park. We were lucky enough to see a tug pushing south through the locks. This was a 3X5 tow; the first 9 had already cleared the south end of the lock and he was preparing to enter the chamber with the second set. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aedc5481-1877-4091-94b7-10b38ed7c8ce/DSCF2430.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The dam and the first 9 barges are visible in the lower portion of the image as they are clearing the south end of the locking chamber. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d861d06d-ba1f-4173-a245-01feac6eda48/DSCF2432.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9861c288-4d8c-467b-8ab0-911ab76bf679/DSCF1606.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/36a3de6a-9091-4363-ba30-9b6670b4f6c6/DSCF1604.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The pelicans found this as fascinating as I did! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc5e7f04-abd8-4e3b-ba2c-6610a8cea490/DSCF1605.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Looking south down the river from Eagle Point Park overlook. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5c97a54c-a3ff-48fc-a132-a6188b989470/DSCF2433.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Next, we stopped at the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. The grounds are absolutely beautiful although the plants are getting a bit of late start this year, so not much was in bloom yet. This is the Koi pond and Japanese garden area. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/88820f56-b5b0-483b-9f1f-802d5bc638eb/DSCF2435.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/69153ac4-386d-43c9-99e3-9be1038cede3/DSCF2437.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out After checking-in to our hotel and grabbing some dinner downtown, we ended our day with a stroll along the Dubuque waterfront Mississippi Riverwalk. The perfect end to the perfect day! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ec14a22-c8c5-4e99-927f-b91cc254148b/DSCF2438.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This glass structure juts out over the Riverwalk path; it is the Grand River Convention Center. When you consider that the population of Dubuque is roughly half of that in Rochester, Lisa and I both agreed it is time for Rochester to really up their game if they want to compare themselves to a city like this. When you see Eagle Point Park, the Botanical Gardens and this Riverwalk and downtown, Dubuque makes Rochester look rather sad! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29414c8f-ce24-4e79-8e0e-1c7a4f944983/DSCF2439.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Looking south from the Riverwalk. This bridge connects to East Dubuque, IL on the opposite side of the river. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7982a4ee-de7a-4631-8e95-feb4e2ce9aca/DSCF2441.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The old brewery building and the Dubuque Shot Tower in the background. “The shot tower was constructed in 1856 to manufacture lead shot ammunition….” - Interpretive plaque on site. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6d0202fb-1f70-4f63-b85f-fc119a8bba98/DSCF2443.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Just another view looking south from the Riverwalk. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8389fb0b-5af7-4672-92ab-8285b47af3e4/DSCF2444.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The Dubuque Marina and downtown in the background. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6dbf2d86-95f1-4b4b-b9f9-47eeb426afec/DSCF2445.jpg Photo Blog - Great River Road Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The wall in the foreground is used for flood mitigation and the huge swinging doors will be closed to protect the marina and downtown waterfront when the Mississippi is running high. It would have been fascinating to see how this worked back in 2019 when we had such severe flooding all along the upper Mississippi. [Click on Image for Map] https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-trip-day-5 monthly 0.5 2025-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2c09c616-9e33-433c-aed2-aca845ee381c/DSCF2388.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Day #5 began with a stop at Lakota Lake in Custer State Park. The dogs used to love to come here and get some free roam. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0688f1cd-6cc7-4b00-8107-d5e8a674c4f1/DSCF1593.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Then it was onto the Wildlife Loop where we spotted a few of these Pronghorns. I have always called these antelope, but come to find out that is a common mistake. They are not antelope but instead often mistaken for an antelope, though it is actually a member of the Antilocapridae family, with giraffes and okapi being its closest relatives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/30497f6d-5a74-4a74-9bea-245d5609ccae/DSCF1594.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/00e09987-1fd8-43b5-886d-2455a380eb38/DSCF2395.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Then it was on to Needles Highway and this is an image of the “Eye of the Needle” after which the highway is reportedly named. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cb441dbf-299b-4f7d-9aa1-8e7c64bc2903/DSCF2394.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Eye of the needle in silhouette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/401ae45e-2faf-43e4-a1b6-ed3246b61af4/DSCF2389.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Other images from along Needles Highway. Plenty of photographic opportunities on this drive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c831da97-baca-42c7-89ec-4b6211a996ba/DSCF2390.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/db68e4fc-5ca6-4532-b08a-4c65263b0b02/DSCF2391.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a575bf17-6092-4537-b969-4d51ba673bbf/DSCF2392.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/61138eee-cc43-4ee6-b5ae-da4dcf792d1a/DSCF2393.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/88467188-aae3-445e-bf38-ecb6d174b616/DSCF2398.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Needles Eye Tunnel, one of several single-lane tunnels along this route and Iron Mountain Highway. Don’t plan to visit with an oversized vehicle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc64f5ec-016d-4d25-9f3e-f139f5dde308/DSCF2399.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/88a5880f-84a4-47f0-9c77-4d04c116f558/DSCF2400.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc2593a2-0e35-4089-8154-70ee5cb0f704/DSCF2401.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Horse Thief Lake has become somewhat of a final day tradition when we visit the Black Hills. Tomorrow it is back to “real life.” [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/13fe1979-c48c-4d18-8f83-c7b705c31447/DSCF2402.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/279577f6-61fa-423b-896f-f7c06144dac2/DSCF2403.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3fb3e6ef-3c64-4faf-b6f3-6ea646eb1a62/DSCF2404.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out The bridge at Horse Thief Lake. We have many images of Lisa walking the boys over this bridge in trips past. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-trip-day-4 monthly 0.5 2025-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f46533d6-936d-4de7-86e2-97f14085433f/DSCF2372.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Day #4 started with a visit to the Geographic Center of the Nation monument in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. They have a nice visitor’s center and museum to visit here. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba34ead6-cd9c-4bdd-86a8-3dd9d274b96d/DSCF2373.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c970e0f-7d07-4534-a389-f42783f8bdc4/DSCF2374.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45715f63-de1e-434d-89fe-7f749e707506/DSCF2375.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Next, it was into Wyoming to see Devil’s Tower. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/68b6951e-40eb-4527-ad8a-88033ce8da79/DSCF2376.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The Tower Trail is about 1 mile and nicely paved. This view from the trail shows the surrounding landscape. This area has recently had both fires and some significant wind storms with many fallen trees. It may have even been a tornado based upon the extent of the damage we saw. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4e899268-cc09-4ef7-ade8-89efb7de790b/DSCF2377.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9164f4e3-2609-45c7-98cb-0546153aa99e/DSCF2378.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Anyone is allowed to climb on the lower boulder field; but to go above that requires a special climbing permit. We were content to remain on the paved Tower Trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c57ebf2-394b-48d9-94fe-6e2ee89d36b7/DSCF2379.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab9a70c3-ecf0-4849-8b18-7ea32fc1e78f/DSCF2380.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6280db3d-2de8-4182-bbf4-02a5064a2351/DSCF2381.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out A good view of the boulder field leading up to the tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c373f72-13cf-4876-bf5f-635273a9e0b6/DSCF1587.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Some climbers on their way up the monument. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c1f4812-3e50-4097-be60-44920ae41395/DSCF1588.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The next series of images attempt to show the Rogers & Ripley Stake Ladder. This was a wooden ladder installed by Rogers & Ripley in 1893 in the early days of trying to climb the tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a9c3d9a-1e1f-494f-8059-85f5f286f630/DSCF1589.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8eb6b272-c0d7-48c1-9c4b-2ee5ac9a5d41/DSCF1590.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3ce06ca5-7858-43df-995c-67a0ef81974a/DSCF1591.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out The ladder is no longer used and today they use self-provided climbing gear. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/07f49cd0-3caf-4e15-b9b7-06dbcd4074dc/DSCF1592.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/284c8778-7b7f-411d-876e-7847f0da9fe9/DSCF2382.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out We finished day #4 at Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3b325bdf-559a-4b0e-afee-722d220703ca/DSCF2385.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d61935db-1e8a-4d44-9c14-7c49d2bf892f/DSCF2387.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-trip-day-3 monthly 0.5 2025-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5deab00d-581a-4738-bc90-46fac356c1ab/DSCF2361.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Day #3 started with a trip to Mt. Rushmore. This is another South Dakota staple which we have not been able to do for many years because we were traveling with the dogs. We walked the Presidential Trail up to the base of the monument and took some amazing images from different vantage points. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/17c5a39c-ed1d-450b-94ec-d8c88cedffbe/DSCF2362.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0cd0e814-5718-4e09-993c-6873602469f9/DSCF2363.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/343eab6e-3b3e-4a01-b8a3-8b10ba10d9e6/DSCF2364.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1b36d426-2706-4b7b-8982-3e3c3ff4a5bc/DSCF2365.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0fb798ce-231c-4f7f-98e3-58306a6218ac/DSCF2366.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6b1d1354-2abd-4503-a5e7-e1103bbb7378/DSCF1570.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c72a9b73-12ca-425e-b27f-ccd319dd7b2a/DSCF1572.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6cb0d245-bdb7-422a-8610-bf1229491b65/DSCF1573.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3338eeb0-e9a3-4b65-8693-ffe24b2334a3/DSCF1574.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b01fc13b-8d9c-43ec-9c6b-d9db7e46b7ae/DSCF1575.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Playing with the lighting to give it a more interesting look. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/69c7fe2f-b85b-44c2-8f7b-a686676b9ac4/DSCF1576.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/942134cd-f8e3-4a3d-9d2c-66cb68ae8e78/DSCF1577.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da162f7c-d43f-487b-952e-376027cd1ca5/DSCF1578.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out No trip to the Black Hills would be complete without a visit to Custer State Park and a ride on the Wildlife Loop Road. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a8d032d2-6b42-4a77-9640-fa953358f2f5/DSCF1580.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6849050b-6b61-4606-8fe7-0c188c838736/DSCF1581.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a1a8a6a3-8871-438e-b69b-7ddd156e2e59/DSCF1583.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ebafb2e-6ddd-4ee8-8799-45d91c0746d1/DSCF1584.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d581ec56-f945-4707-a204-3603607fc26b/DSCF2367.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Another Black Hills favorite is a walk around Sylvan Lake. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/84abda35-bbc7-4b83-ab95-bacd64fb23cd/DSCF2368.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3b329ad0-d8d9-4514-92f6-f9bbf64cb80d/DSCF2369.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f7ad6aff-e0dd-4408-a546-ada9f1d88756/DSCF2370.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The rings in the water in the foreground was a fish that had just jumped. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9a468208-cb40-40dc-9cf5-f442a4f9702b/DSCF2371.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-trip-day-2 monthly 0.5 2025-04-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/94758816-8a7c-464f-b52e-a67415a495a6/DSCF2327.JPG Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Dinosaur Park was constructed in 1936, during the Great Depression, as a way to lure travelers into Rapid City on their way to Mt. Rushmore. It has recently undergone a significant renovation and is now very ADA friendly and a pleasant short stroll. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1314dea1-30dc-4cfc-9196-86b8344c5e60/DSCF2325.JPG Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d13e5ff5-70f8-4a71-9b0b-2bfbeac493f3/DSCF2330.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Always one of our favorite stops for a stroll is Canyon Lake Park right in Rapid City, South Dakota. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0e04946f-5347-45d3-a0ee-5308b84a1782/DSCF2333.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d20a3bc8-133e-4b4d-bc6e-c8d26eebf520/DSCF2337.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cd551164-6e33-408e-8ab6-8568d786dbaf/DSCF2340.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b3c57f6d-170d-41d4-a071-462e9d71795b/DSCF2345.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/362bbd2f-7f8a-4b93-8b4b-2e2b0729a75f/DSCF2348.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Interesting metal artwork on Main Street in Sturgis, South Dakota. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48674e69-c1c0-407e-ae57-830d9df9c6a2/DSCF2349.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8bc4c35a-846d-43b7-81c8-3fc1877427c5/DSCF2350.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Next was a stop at the Wild Bill Bar in Deadwood, South Dakota. This is the site where Wild Bill Hickok was shot on August 2, 1876. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3f6b78c2-68d0-4651-892d-d958d31059c6/DSCF2351.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Lisa and I sat at one of the tables on the left and I enjoyed a beer. Since first visiting Deadwood, I have wanted to say that I had a drink at the bar where Wild Bill was shot. Until now, we had always had the dogs with us, so we couldn’t go inside. This trip we finally made it happen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/78bb050c-a1a3-413f-81f5-79f8eefba5b8/DSCF2354.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/02a2ab83-4823-4cac-b8cc-6a86d642aa9d/DSCF2353.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Wild Bill Hickok. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b6347ec0-256c-464a-a59e-a6a5bb55400a/DSCF2352.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Commemorative Wild Bill Hickok revolvers with what is known as “Dead Man’s Hand” in poker. This was the hand Wild Bill had when he was shot. It is two pair, black 8’s and A’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45bd1d75-ad00-4e78-891f-eed14619c479/DSCF2360.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out One of my favorite places on earth!!! The DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery in Spearfish, SD. I can’t come to SD without visiting this place. Just a peaceful and wonderful place to stroll the grounds. It never disappoints. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dc7ced50-f02b-4db3-a63d-f1b780322e2d/DSCF2359.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05b8075e-0218-4a1a-81e7-890b8f8a4fbf/DSCF2358.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/n1qca9tkpqp2w5vszp9nvgu4wgfkvb monthly 0.5 2025-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3792fad4-4eb1-407b-916b-bcc0e941f57b/DSCF2304.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out The first stop on our trip west was at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2d5e22b5-4416-4a3f-bb0e-4e8dab6d3a50/DSCF2305.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8525f79f-b096-448a-b06a-9863a440fb60/DSCF2306.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4d52ed5d-c117-4419-9b93-d9ff3d8aafaa/DSCF2307.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2422cad6-8eae-4b14-8b3b-82cb9a7f9c16/DSCF2309.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c02ed7dc-751e-42cf-b401-f412c8a095dd/DSCF2310.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9792928a-46c8-4379-8747-acf5fd9bdafe/DSCF2311.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/23a8acc6-c1db-4a84-9c0c-55277f879b48/DSCF2312.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/36f407d3-5a4c-403e-aaea-12e177432556/DSCF2313.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2e3f2a22-818b-44a8-b771-9ff38f3fbb84/DSCF2314.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e1c0d987-48ca-4671-90b7-68132a0dac18/DSCF2315.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6344b635-abad-4bad-965f-6622bdfdb7e1/DSCF2317.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out The Chamberlain, South Dakota rest stop on I-90 is one of the best we have ever seen. This is a view of the Missouri River from the rest stop. [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0a4d86ca-e619-4a47-9e6b-0966bf3c9a2d/DSCF2318.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Juniper berries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f35b66f7-6ac0-4d6a-8820-6a97a052b37a/DSCF2319.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/630d43aa-6ad5-453a-bcde-c47642b43af4/DSCF2321.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Dignity of Earth and Sky at the Chamberlain, South Dakota rest stop. A must see when traveling I-90! [Click on Image for Map] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4a602122-91f3-4877-ba56-03340271eb0c/DSCF2323.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e6afb92-a2ab-4587-88de-412fc81df3ba/DSCF2322.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out These structures are common at the I-90 rest stops in South Dakota. This one is also at Chamberlain. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/lake-city-mn-amp-dodge-county-fair monthly 0.5 2024-07-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e1023328-9f9e-4981-8848-4dcbf41c7798/DSCF2268.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out We started the day going for a walk along Lake Pepin in Lake City, MN. I took these photos just working on some exposure and editing techniques I have been learning about through instructions on YouTube. Specifically, focusing on exposing for the highlights and then bringing up the shadows in post. This allows for more dynamic range and less blown-out highlights. I’m fairly pleased with the results so far; something to keep working on. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/051a8e53-d810-4684-a9d6-4263f05f96a7/DSCF2270.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Most modern digital cameras have incredible ability to preserve detail in the shadows, but quickly blow out the highlights, which cannot be recovered as easily in post. Thus, by exposing for the highlights and crushing the shadows in the RAW image, in post, I can preserve more of the highlight details and simply raise up the shadows. This image is an incredible testimony to that process. Had I exposed for the statues in the foreground, the bright blue sky in the background would have been completely washed-out. Instead, I exposed for the bright sky and then brought up the shadows on the statues in the foreground and it really works rather amazingly!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ed97b69-564a-4f33-8e02-7e1ec957f0e4/DSCF2272.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out A completely random photo to work more on this exposure technique. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/88b46022-6752-4d23-a517-92ebfb384c9e/DSCF2275.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out More of the same here, just working on technique. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e871b764-fb58-4a00-bec9-bfadbee7de56/DSCF2276.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Same here; but I’m pleased with how well this approach preserved the detail in the sky and clouds. Generally, exposing just for the subject (sailboat) would have resulted in a nearly white sky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f2ea2a79-c0f9-4ab0-8bdc-f7fe97841320/DSCF2279.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e4c64fd4-face-4194-915e-5b1d527b3c68/DSCF2282.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Later that afternoon, it was off to the Dodge County Fair in Kasson, MN. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9997f6d5-1d78-4d75-9039-31c7350647c1/DSCF2283.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d6781bb3-fa55-4ce0-9be2-5383ac27548f/DSCF2284.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d4aa1ee-b46d-4a08-a71a-a2b46a735b61/DSCF2285.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out This cow had quite a fancy paint job! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cded8853-956c-49aa-8798-99ddb8b2ae8d/DSCF2286.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cc822371-8a9f-42f1-927c-e9d3903b694f/DSCF2294.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7cb780b8-f4f7-44d9-b8fc-ed7c94572813/DSCF2297.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out This cow was being groomed for showing. The handler was using a very fine clipper to trim the hair over her udder. These engorged vessels are very impressive. From a surgical standpoint, vessels like that give one pause!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1fd9e193-fef0-4284-8f44-5bcc36136263/DSCF2299.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4f55a9b9-1e6c-43ec-8a87-8e07329cbea7/DSCF2300.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out All these beautiful ladies were being prepared for showing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/93b240c4-30a9-45ae-9549-ddb863daa04d/DSCF2301.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Cow spots have so much more to them than you would otherwise appreciate from a distance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9e611f65-92db-4be0-9f86-58a36d7b254c/DSCF2302.jpg Photo Blog - Lake City, MN & Dodge County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/winona-amp-waseca-county-fairs monthly 0.5 2024-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/186acb8f-c6bb-45f4-8e44-e23fc497577e/DSCF2235.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Winona County Fair in St. Charles, MN. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/acbcca8f-ab7e-4add-befb-6e39bdb899b4/DSCF2236.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/073655c6-6e16-4cea-b197-c5e3e9ba7d7b/DSCF2237.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e16dfac-da7c-429f-aede-ebdc587bc71c/DSCF2238.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/22cac886-b08a-41db-affe-17b1c780b7dc/DSCF2239.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/72ee2c0e-b7f2-4656-9dba-7e58178e1345/DSCF2240.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Waseca County Fair, Waseca, MN. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/55ceaeef-ed8e-413b-abc0-c7dbb4ef339c/DSCF2241.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e8ff1a1-7b69-48f6-b7dd-be6d07566789/DSCF2244.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f0a294d4-3b20-4832-b806-d582b1bb3f6c/DSCF2243.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out The reflexion of the Stars & Stripes in the window made this an interesting photography. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b7940d18-59e2-4ae2-a401-0a4997435dee/DSCF2245.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e991e7f-b61e-4d97-a144-208fd77d8646/DSCF2247.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Close-ups of dairy cattle always make for nice B&W images. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c85a1239-d9d8-4bca-b639-c7601dc0b91f/DSCF2252.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b079e1d7-2ba2-4e18-80d0-ae2440d00b6c/DSCF2257.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Antique farm tractors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/49b60c43-e448-4ce8-9c61-4bba1e496d3c/DSCF2258.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b101de96-53e5-4c11-9fa3-f7b1fd35799a/DSCF2259.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/10ffd2e2-f354-4704-b990-5330c6ee75de/DSCF2260.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out This guy really puts the goat in goatee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0f6712c7-eb67-41c2-ba96-6f383e154896/DSCF2264.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Blacksmith shop in the history building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4a8aa876-adc6-4e86-98a7-15f1fc3d1ab9/DSCF2265.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/10e1ee3a-001f-4eb8-acb3-802075598291/DSCF2267.jpg Photo Blog - Winona & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Waseca Fire onion rings - the gold standard to which all other onion rings are compared!! https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/mantorville-brewery-ruins-amp-waterfall monthly 0.5 2024-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5c0766d5-217e-48f8-8e3f-d4cb8036c459/DSCF2219.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out The ruins of an old 1800’s brewery in Mantorville, MN. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4568f609-12e3-4bc1-9f6a-c681257389fa/DSCF2220.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e6fc3718-94d5-41f4-a953-5080e9e33a3b/DSCF2221.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a4b002c8-bc2a-43be-a45f-679dafd4ec74/DSCF2226.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f3731ee1-246f-4325-b07f-60bad7040736/DSCF2224.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3d8e08a1-0692-4acc-94ad-f940fe14b41e/DSCF2223.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/607a0fcd-c327-413e-93b3-fd4bbadbab14/DSCF2233.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out The Mantorville waterfall is experiencing high flow rates due to all the rain this summer. Here are a few long exposure shots of the running water. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6f273730-2e90-42ae-9799-89585036e871/DSCF2232.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c4d570d-0a59-4c80-9985-382cd3e84ec3/DSCF2231.jpg Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/94ff0700-b1f5-4124-989e-5bbded1db07f/watch-the-video.gif Photo Blog - Mantorville Brewery Ruins & Waterfall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ny-amp-vt-trip-day-6 monthly 0.5 2024-05-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1683aee9-f034-4ef4-8dd8-17a7074d2c1b/DSCF2176.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out On our final day of the trip we left Burlington and traveled down Routes 7 & 7A to Bennington, VT and then across the Hudson River into Troy, NY and ended in Albany to fly out the next morning. We stopped at a number of quaint towns in VT along the day. This is Vergennes, VT. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/006faab4-7a1e-48c5-acca-fe69c121793e/DSCF2175.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3bc01ddd-9ab8-49e2-b4c4-f247bffb2180/DSCF2177.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Next stop was Middlebury, VT. Yet another typical New England town and fantastic old churches. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d0cf0e47-5856-4f01-be22-a89fa8587962/DSCF2182.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ebf8f6d-f714-4125-8013-143e122302c3/DSCF2178.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Middlebury Falls on Otter Creek. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f3e94211-247e-4f65-8da0-b86ba88f5c4f/DSCF2179.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c44e7a7d-11bf-4e90-b226-ee46acc95afe/DSCF2180.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Some of the great old buildings in Middlebury. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/999d25be-28a5-4fdd-9014-ff3c0a86af81/DSCF2184.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Photos from the very beautiful Middlebury College campus. On the left side is Middlebury Chapel and on the right is Munroe Hall. The architecture on this campus is wonderful. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9c4553c1-c70d-4450-9de0-db63bce28432/DSCF2185.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85766312-c322-4ae0-bb6d-29ccb1f42170/DSCF2187.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cbc74d1a-7ce5-4a09-9230-30d85a63e254/DSCF2190.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66693451-68b6-481a-82ac-53605e741b22/DSCF2191.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out The Catholic church just across the street from campus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b64fcfb8-9b0e-42d9-a47e-2608a6afcfed/DSCF2192.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the day was in Bennington, VT. I had visited here once before on a day-trip from college in Albany. I had memories of this monument and a local ice cream place we had visited back then. So, when I saw Bennington was on our route I had to stop in and see both places. This is the Bennington Battle Monument. See the next image for more details. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ee38a7b2-24ba-40d4-8ed3-7a41e94b8296/DSCF2198.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c33d774c-ee43-4039-a8eb-64235de28131/DSCF2194.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3989a3d9-da66-4190-bb57-748608cace1d/DSCF2196.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/55153aab-82b2-4228-b5b2-dbc36c71fdd9/DSCF2197.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out The visitor’s center at the monument was closed, but walking around the grounds was very peaceful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d763087-199f-4434-aebf-1559ef2ad522/DSCF2201.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #6 - Make it stand out There is absolutely nothing special about this ice cream shop in Bennington, except a rather funny story from when I was there so many years ago. Too much to relay here, but it made me want to revisit it. All these years later, it looks just as I remember it back then. We had sat at the picnic table where those people are sitting to the right of the building. I had a vanilla cone just because… and it was NOT nearly as good as the one I had at the old Tastee Freeze back in Beekmantown, NY. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ny-amp-vt-trip-day-5 monthly 0.5 2024-05-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a14e57f-3f89-4b18-b90a-1f776e720d36/DSCF2152.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Today, my Aunt Joan and Uncle Mike from Burlington went with us on a day trip to Stowe, VT. We started our day at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center. Then, it was on to Stowe Mountain to look at the ski runs, which are impressive even without snow. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2cd80fe0-77a8-4181-93a6-27cdbdf6e848/DSCF2153.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out The clouds made for some interesting shadows on the mountains. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3a081d53-b576-44e0-98d1-15fc5534ab45/DSCF2154.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out The lodge at Spruce Peak is absolutely amazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c7698f3d-dd91-4923-a905-5ae488ef1dea/DSCF2155.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c1690969-37ba-4b9b-acc3-79b95336a0ac/DSCF2156.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out This pond nestled in the mountains with the peaks beyond really displays the natural beauty of the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/21571ac6-4b65-4910-9b52-6d70ef19c209/DSCF2160.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Nothing says New England as much as these quaint old churches. It seems every town had its own photo-worthy church. This one is located in downtown Stowe. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd0a9949-41f8-4f77-8a95-ec6d28c6213d/DSCF2161.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6c6b335e-8e70-4985-836d-0e7c98285c92/DSCF2167.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out We then visited the Trapp Family Lodge. The musical The Sound of Music was based upon the Trapp Family. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/60e66c69-632f-4163-a4c1-d39d3bf0b3ec/DSCF2168.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ea2857b-ecca-4a93-923a-08be601b846f/DSCF2169.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aef929b5-c490-41ac-8271-7a8b34e0c7b9/DSCF2165.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out The view of the surrounding mountains from the Trapp Family Lodge grounds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f3761f45-2607-4b61-bef2-cad61be74370/DSCF2170.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out After lunch at The Backyard in Stowe, it was off to get desert from Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont tradition of amazing ice cream. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e3eab7c-e89d-430d-b0fa-b3402ee0f05d/DSCF2171.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Lisa loved that anywhere you go at Ben & Jerry’s you will see cows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/711fbfc2-245d-4980-91cd-361b828733aa/DSCF2172.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out More of the cow theme. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/09a32105-eb2f-498a-8b1b-e9665629deba/DSCF2173.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out A trip to the Waterbury Ben & Jerry’s Factory would not be complete without a visit to pay your respects at the Flavor Graveyard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6e752687-617c-40e3-8137-24b16d3f9766/DSCF2174.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #5 - Make it stand out Each of the retired flavors gets its own headstone and inscription. Nothing is more classing than Schweddy Balls! https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ny-amp-vt-trip-day-4 monthly 0.5 2024-05-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87795ee1-ac1c-4bad-8a70-d03a8afcef02/DSCF2146.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Today was primarily a travel day, leaving Plattsburgh and going north along Lake Champlain and crossing into Vermont via the bridge in Rouses Point, NY. We then made our way down the lake on the VT side arriving in Burlington, VT in the early afternoon. These photos are from the Waterfront Park in Burlington. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed3e66a8-0fb0-40f5-9657-2df124ff804b/DSCF2147.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a9be7e5-7ab6-4e2f-a0d3-3e29a7fda560/DSCF2148.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out We then walked along Church Street Marketplace and this is a photo of Burlington City Hall. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e433dc4b-dfdd-4b8c-955d-2c64c8eb5124/DSCF2149.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Church Street Marketplace is pedestrian only traffic and lined by retail and restaurants. In talking with some of our family and locals, this area is not what it used to be, which is rather unfortunate. There is a significant homeless population and the smell of marijuana is prominent as you walk down the street. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7293ba73-c21e-4cd3-95b0-0392e3f5689f/DSCF2151.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ny-amp-vt-trip-day-3 monthly 0.5 2024-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4049b779-8e7c-4c39-8d3a-e462578ffa4a/DSCF2136.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Today was a walk down memory lane. We started the day by visiting my Grandmother Traynor who turned 100 years old this past October 2023. We found her as sharp as I remember and as we visited she was able to recall many things I had forgotten. Afterwards, we drove to the small town where I grew up, West Chazy, NY. This is a photo of my grade school where I attend the 1st through 5th grades. This is no longer a school, but to me it will alway be West Chazy Elementary School. The room to the right of the front door in this image was my 4th grade classroom. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/852aa502-76db-43c2-ac35-9230764199b9/DSCF2137.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fd57966-4420-44fe-8837-282d976a8140/DSCF2138.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Some of my favorite memories of this school happened in this classroom. This was my 5th grade classroom and my teacher was John Connery. Mr. C will go down as one of my very favorite teachers ever. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f71a28a9-7fa2-495e-80fc-153072ebe2da/DSCF2139.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The old Dodge Library was an integral part of my grade school experience and I have fond memories of this building as well. Lisa and I went inside and it is still very much the way I remember it from 45 years ago! MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/985300d0-c252-4059-94e7-e8e707d7cb97/DSCF2140.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out This is the old dam across the Little Chazy River on Route 22. You can still see what was the actual top of the dam on each side of the river. This dam made for an impressive waterfall for a small town like West Chazy. However, time and lack of maintenance have resulted in its deterioration and it no longer holds back the river and the water flow is much less impressive. Much of the area you see here above the dam was under water back in my time. I recall the water line being right up to the base of the large tree on the right side of the photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/80cae2b4-9174-4a77-b3bc-30c35483df74/DSCF2141.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out The childhood home of my father where he lived with my grandparents and his three younger sisters. I spent a lot of time here and have wonderful memories of this place. I can’t see this house and not think of all the Christmas Eve gatherings we shared here when the whole family got together. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7d05acea-e92d-431c-86d1-47ea7c2a02f9/DSCF2142.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e2ae702a-3ef5-400a-8fb3-23dcd162237e/DSCF2143.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in West Chazy where my family attended church every week for the entire time we lived there. It has changed very little in the past almost 40 years since I last set foot inside. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/28f49a0e-84bf-4bf3-81a3-f68d3cfc99d2/DSCF2145.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ny-amp-vt-trip-day-2 monthly 0.5 2024-05-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dbebe0b6-fae0-41d5-ba97-5b55e2e0b83e/DSCF2083.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Today we drove from Plattsburgh to Lake Placid; site of the 1932 & 1980 Winter Olympics and as you will see from the upcoming photos, the famous Miracle on Ice! Along the way we stopped to look at Ausable Chasm from the bridge on Route 9. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cacb42a7-2d5c-4b66-91c1-cba245cd561d/DSCF2084.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Next time we will take the tour of Ausable Chasm, but not enough time on this visit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/276a51f3-827f-4681-ab4b-45f333be7de5/DSCF2133.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out At the end of the day we stopped by again on our way back to the hotel and took the same photo with different lighting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f41d1700-6e2f-42ea-9129-5c908a7df41d/DSCF2135.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The view from the other side of the bridge looking down the Ausable River into the chasm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d4bc1945-2e40-4af4-ae07-c512692e890b/DSCF2087.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Stopped at a little park in the town of Wilmington, NY and took these photos of the bridge and falls. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/930176f8-29cc-454b-8f1e-5f95f86fc0f6/DSCF2088.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/647df515-ab94-43d8-b98b-a9d4ecaccae1/DSCF2089.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a56e4228-b7b3-4c9c-9f7b-e93be0d94bc7/DSCF2090.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b33b2b82-d806-4ffc-a0db-af3a3b9fcfe4/DSCF2091.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Entrance to the Whiteface Olympic Mountain downhill skiing complex. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bcc013c6-bc67-414a-a565-895f89e4e766/DSCF2092.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The river through High Falls Gorge as seen from the entrance to Whiteface Mountain. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6be64466-38c9-42c7-85b7-f86f9e5533a4/DSCF2096.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Next, we visited the John Brown family farm. John Brown was an abolitionist who is most famous for the raid at Harpers Ferry on October 16-18, 1859. His actions and those of his accomplices is thought to have been a prelude to the Civil War. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ff2f6439-2939-4225-8262-7a9f589003eb/DSCF2093.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out After the raid John Brown was captured, tried, and found guilty of treason and was hanged on December 2, 1859. His body was subsequently returned to his farm and he was buried by “the big rock” at his request. This is the final resting place for his sons as well as some other men involved in the raid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/25ed2b07-b1a9-4583-bbf9-ed8cdbc8c4cb/DSCF2095.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The “big rock” by which Brown wanted to be buried and in the background is the family farmhouse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c191aa9-40fc-443a-8a06-c825d63e7378/DSCF2098.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Some additional views of the John Brown family farmstead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5874d0a2-bf18-4ad0-a707-2e5c7bcee6ce/DSCF2097.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d69e3534-0900-48e6-8954-9a6ae1d32fb5/DSCF2100.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c8f5df0-5ddd-447a-8fa9-aec12d3f9e00/DSCF2101.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out In this image of the Brown farmhouse you can see the tower of the Olympic ski jump in the background. We will visit the ski jumping complex later in the day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cfa6c793-a499-4ce2-ba5a-499ff7fc051a/DSCF2105.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Next, we visited the site of one of the greatest moments ever in the history of USA Olympic competition; if not one of the greatest moments in all of sports. The 1980 Olympic Ice Hockey rink, where on February 22, 1980 the USA Olympic Hockey Team defeated the USSR by the score of 4-3. The US would go on to win the Gold Medal! MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79c800d3-9a05-4353-b34b-b1c724b451b3/DSCF2103.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out This is the actual scoreboard that hung above the rink showing the score as time ran out in the third period of that historic game. The scoreboard now hangs in the atrium of Herb Brooks Arena. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/508b759a-8397-4fa4-ac70-c1774f644792/DSCF2104.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Painted on the wall across from the scoreboard is this most memorable of quotes as Al Michaels counted down the final seconds of the game against the soviets. If you have never heard this call before, do yourself a favor and take a listen to the final moments of the game by clicking on this link!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/314987e3-315a-44ef-b29e-173b1e719943/DSCF2108.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out This is the rink from the 1932 Olympics and I played on this rink in youth hockey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a7a29c4a-c635-489a-904b-e5e63c386e2c/DSCF2107.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out This photo is the view from the Olympic Rink overlooking the speed skating oval and the mountains beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/631377b8-e008-469d-82ca-971b679fc9cf/DSCF2110.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Church in downtown Lake Placid. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/57f9ccc0-0cbd-426e-8723-ae3fb5cda309/DSCF2111.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Looking across Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, NY. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/188bc31d-d63b-47ef-a7e2-7ac9d797f0a9/DSCF2112.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0a5c66f2-eee1-446e-9c2b-43cd993472f0/DSCF2113.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out We walked around Mirror Lake and this is the Mirror Lake Inn. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aea1968f-7aa8-476c-a8d3-5f2d9d5d4865/DSCF2117.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The view of downtown Lake Placid from across Mirror Lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/885f84f8-8b36-41fc-b2db-19f421a8c8ef/DSCF2120.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex. These are the 70 and 90 Meter ski jumping ramps and landing areas. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6b4446fa-f4ab-4f54-b17a-56ae74b0f973/DSCF2121.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out In addition to the two large jumps, there is also this hill where they perform the freestyle ski jumping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ce1aee0e-4bd9-4590-b2ed-37d663a997da/DSCF2122.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Directly adjacent to the freestyle hill is this practice facility where they can do summer practice in freestyle by jumping into this 10 foot deep pool. We climbed the stairs on the right side of this photo and the next images are from the top of these ramps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0fc69f28-0616-48a7-94fc-21415829d311/DSCF2124.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Looking down the ramp into the pool. It is a bit intimidating standing up here. The ramps are covered in a hard plastic material which allow them to ski down them without snow. You can appreciate this interesting surface in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1613673-fb2a-42be-85d3-ffeee5f14468/DSCF2125.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out The freestyle hill and lodge from the practice ramps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/16bd644a-e993-4c85-87e4-69da20ae3739/DSCF2126.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9ad31469-25d5-4dbb-a9b0-9874b88ec3d1/DSCF2130.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Leaving Lake Placid we stopped at Cascade Lake to take these photos. The views are spectacular. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cba2d988-b2e9-45b8-bdf8-b767a7427feb/DSCF2131.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #2 - Make it stand out Difficult to appreciate in this image, but Cascade Falls can be seen in the center of the photo. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/ny-amp-vt-trip-day-1 monthly 0.5 2024-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/868c2b55-b23c-40c7-85c3-2a9f47a644b1/DSCF2066.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out After arriving at the Albany, NY airport we drove to Plattsburgh using Routes 9 & 9N along Lake George and into Ticonderoga. The weather was overcast and rainy, so less than idea sightseeing conditions; however, this view from the Sabbath Day Point Overlook on Lake George was worth a stop. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ab065c7-6494-4cd7-ba2a-76879435fbe6/DSCF2070.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Historic buildings in Ticonderoga. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/495ba8ee-1506-49a1-9d90-5754d12b2439/DSCF2071.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d39d8bc-effe-41c6-9134-bf1c0024aac4/DSCF2072.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d63650e9-5078-48ae-ad69-1848ba1eda24/DSCF2073.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out The covered bridge in Bicentennial Park in Ticonderoga, NY. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a8ad4d7e-db5f-489e-9bad-d0c2da6e6416/DSCF2074.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out View from the covered bridge toward the falls on the La Chute River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8109c108-fb4c-45e7-a0de-99b5510f02a4/DSCF2078.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out La Chute River Falls, Ticonderoga, NY. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c10cbef-a011-4a71-95ed-50f81ee528f9/DSCF2079.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53562012-453b-4e9f-b1ad-2b2e8ed68eb6/DSCF2080.jpg Photo Blog - NY & VT Trip Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/stillwater-mn monthly 0.5 2023-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/457d46e8-1f67-4df1-8794-2412726930c4/DSCF2020.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out A day trip to Hastings and Stillwater, MN. The colors are really starting to look nice. Wanted to get this image of a sun star through the changing leaves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/443b789f-862d-4b14-ba21-5993428ce26d/DSCF2024.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out Timed our visit just right again to catch the engine of this freight train passing over the railroad bridge in Hastings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/55d78ce0-f780-43d8-b34f-f2df521a8143/DSCF2026.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out Finally, the weather was perfect to tackle the 5.5-mile St. Croix Crossing Trail Loop. This is a loop trail that includes the relatively new bridge on Hwy 36 and the old - now entirely pedestrian bridge - in downtown Stillwater. This is a view of the new bridge over the St. Croix River on the south end of the town of Stillwater. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a8aa086-9d3a-4b76-ac69-d4dda5fac22b/DSCF2027.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out Views from the bridge looking upriver toward the town of Stillwater on the left bank and Wisconsin on the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/753577bc-1e2f-4180-8f09-0e617692a07a/DSCF2029.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b4dbfb45-961f-45b6-9a08-2435505a78a5/DSCF2028.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out The engineering of this new bridge is impressive. They have an interpretive plaque along this walkway that explains how the bridge and its supports work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/afa7c62e-88d5-420e-b030-8fc50014200f/DSCF2030.jpg Photo Blog - Stillwater, MN - Make it stand out The old lift bridge right in downtown Stillwater is now a pedestrian-only crossing. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/door-county-trip-day-6 monthly 0.5 2023-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e2bcd60a-1d43-4729-9439-cd1681368606/DSCF2009.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Before we got on the road to start heading back home, we took a little walk around Ephraim. Right in front of our hotel was a small pier and this was the view from there. This is westward facing, so it could make for some very nice sunsets. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d64d6f04-2aea-4a85-b2f0-4c2ba7a9a694/DSCF2010.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Looking northward from our hotel. Ephraim - like most all the towns in Door County - is a resort town and you can see all the nice resorts lining the street and bay. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d54dbf3-5b0a-421f-b0c3-ed66040c8c01/DSCF2011.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Looking south. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b80137b8-cca4-442c-8f1f-c1a9e6ae979d/DSCF2012.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out One of the typical resorts dotting all the little towns in Door County. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b16b30c9-75c9-42d9-b34a-79befa21a8ce/DSCF2013.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out One of the private residences along the main street in Ephraim. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b617687a-6e3a-48ff-a35f-e6c436a5c8b7/DSCF2015.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out We had been told that Door County was the “New England” of the Midwest. These quaint little churches really support that theme. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f64f992c-fd4b-4f77-a90b-7e415e08aa3c/DSCF2016.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/24b364e2-3bfa-4f30-a5d3-6d7192111497/DSCF2017.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/10bcc114-96c9-4620-a506-fccafad85d6f/DSCF2018.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #6 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/door-county-trip-day-5 monthly 0.5 2023-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/839474be-b13d-427d-b8ea-ccf1468b6b44/DSCF1948.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Our first stop today was just up the road from our room in Ephraim, the Anderson Dock, where they have this interesting old building that is covered in graffiti. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/13546590-ff7d-44a3-811a-fbf8943ba48a/DSCF1943.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7796fe9d-34a8-45a3-b908-9ab36093a1d0/DSCF1945.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc99e630-85a8-47d9-a56a-a1e0646a5961/DSCF1946.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/69d1e4af-069d-4b08-afb2-9901a598737c/DSCF1947.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f57da269-4abb-42c5-babd-08a18ccbd1a8/DSCF1950.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out We then drove all the way to the tip of the peninsula to Northport, where the ferry departs for Washington Island. Due to time constraints, we didn’t visit Washington Island on this trip, but that leaves us something for next time. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8eee0dc9-2108-4dc0-b9d2-bd15c7db406d/DSCF1954.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The Washington Island ferry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/688cbd62-117a-4fee-9c43-d5ca84f41e12/DSCF1949.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bbf9b6f3-f9f2-4717-92f6-799ea490020b/DSCF1955.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Next, we took at 2.5 mile hike at Newport State Park. Of all the hikes we took on this trip, this was by far the best. I significant portion of the hike was right along the shore of Lake Michigan and it made for some very nice views of the rocky shoreline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1d15dc53-0087-47ec-ab83-c0907a05e5cf/DSCF1957.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out One portion of the beach was entirely made up of these tiny shells. There must have literally been billions of these shells. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0e1aab3e-0bf7-4cac-b9c9-c7818e80d264/DSCF1961.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Some additional views of the shoreline at Newport State Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea64ce97-9d3f-487d-a5bd-eed06857a034/DSCF1963.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48d6de1b-cd56-4c73-bdd9-d216e48b4a2d/DSCF1967.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d58b909-9b78-4ab6-959f-c15ad45cd2b0/DSCF1968.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3dc22b82-1adf-4525-bc19-ea69a4610dd0/DSCF1969.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/01985442-93d2-4aaa-a415-3c40769e02c0/DSCF1971.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Next was a stop and short hike at Cave Point County Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b62aa2ee-5210-49bd-af11-cf4293fb8ff9/DSCF1972.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out The shoreline is made up of sheer cliffs where the waves of Lake Michigan crash against the shore. Over the years of erosion, the water has actually hollowed out “caves” under the cliffs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9b0c2143-b824-499a-bef3-5c145e627c5a/DSCF1981.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out I put a 10-stop ND filter on and took some long exposure images of the crashing waves which gives the water an interesting look in this series of images. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/921678ae-2f33-414a-a9c5-537c383f7637/DSCF1982.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/02e99f95-24dd-4deb-96c5-04eab845d2a2/DSCF1983.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d821fb7-52f5-49f7-82e6-ef139a1f5aea/DSCF1987.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/10853e51-982f-4a68-b8a1-5c7e5d746416/DSCF1989.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f8aba5d7-35c9-4552-94a3-10f0cba62fd5/DSCF1991.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #5 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/door-county-trip-day-4 monthly 0.5 2023-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/650446e2-c051-4fdc-a77f-44225a80d830/DSCF1889.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Day #4 started with a couple of hikes at Peninsula State Park. This is the view from the Eagle Panorama overlook. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f472ea6a-b7c4-4ca3-9ad5-62164d497ba0/DSCF1890.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out From Eagle Point looking across the inlet to the town of Ephraim, where we stayed for three nights in Door County. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2b71acd9-9140-4ca5-9352-edafba036e0d/DSCF1891.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/18dc4a71-b4b7-4f78-a0d7-33f1890e02a5/DSCF1892.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The Eagle Trail took us right down to the rocky shore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/446c7786-5825-4a43-a4e7-2a5ab13b7f5d/DSCF1893.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out We learned from the museum the day before that the peninsula of Door County is notoriously a rocky shoreline and this gave the early sailors significant trouble. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fea287ab-c8e6-45ff-8750-6fb0f1f2f808/DSCF1894.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out There are many logs and uprooted trees that litter the shoreline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f18f073b-b727-49bd-b840-65676d5757ec/DSCF1896.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The trees along the shoreline get toppled by the weather and erosion. I thought it was interesting how these toppled tree roots had actually grown around this rock which is not trapped in the root system. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b53ae1bf-95e9-4c9d-89f2-3692597eef7e/DSCF1899.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out You can appreciate the precarious nature in which these trees have to exist and why they are so prone to erosion and end up scattered along the beach. You can also see why the rock in the previous image could easily become trapped within the root system, as these trees essentially grow directly out of rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c91c16a6-8b2a-4275-a199-bc0ae67c1d0a/DSCF1900.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Walking along the beach you see where the waves have eroded into the rocky cliffs and created these small cave-like structures. Some of these are large enough to walk into a little way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d756cf5c-237e-4c6d-b588-fb67c6f79b29/DSCF1903.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Standing inside one of these small caves looking back out toward the beach. These images were taken on our two-mile hike along the Eagle Trail. A sign at the entrance to the trail read, “Difficult Trail”, it wasn’t kidding! We both had our hiking poles and we were thankful we did. It was a challenging trail over many rocks and slippery tree roots. But it was a trail not to be missed if you are able. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4b270c67-3d2c-494e-9a47-b650c5a3abd3/DSCF1908.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out We then visited the Eagle Tower. This is an amazing structure which is quite an engineering feat if you ask me. We elected to climb to the top using the stairs and then go back down using the ramp. The tower has been made accessible to everyone by the construction of an impressive ramp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41975364-2ba8-4726-9095-cf0e94eeb168/DSCF1462.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out A view of Horseshoe Island from atop the Eagle Tower. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c917e52e-acda-4e7c-b0d2-a0a2001f01a1/DSCF1463.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Looking across the water toward Epharim, you can see Anderson’s Dock and the infamous Grafitti building - which we will visit and photograph on an upcoming day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d6b81efa-ad4c-4e47-8a8e-6697987762dc/DSCF1909.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The ramp on the back side of Eagle Tower. What an impressive bit of engineering! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/deae4c57-d399-4a06-b690-8c20d7d5c206/DSCF1911.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Looking back up the ramp to the top of Eagle Tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dedb8a42-27c6-4c48-8be1-31cd638cad4c/DSCF1912.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The ramp makes two 90-degree turns to end on the opposite side of the roadway from the tower itself. Incredible!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/295d3868-d2e5-44f2-b03e-fbd37acdafc5/DSCF1914.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Next, it was off to hike the 4.1-mile Eagle Bluff Loop. The trail starts here at Nicolet Bay Beach, one of the only areas where we saw sand on a beach; the rest was all rocks. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/62e982a7-1db3-40a6-8a35-40049a73b57a/DSCF1915.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The sun reflecting off the water of Nicolet Bay. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/24a09dec-4deb-4074-b3ca-f399398ed258/DSCF1916.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bcd559b1-ec18-4578-b0c9-d5c9c630429e/DSCF1918.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f8a64e40-0024-423e-a1f7-3b7f33018911/DSCF1920.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The anchor on display at the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse was recovered from a ship that sank in Sturgeon Bay in 1926. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dfa77872-70fe-4678-9e02-a8dab05493f4/DSCF1922.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Al Johnson’s restaurant in Sister Bay is famous for its Swedish pancakes and goats on the roof. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e61904a2-c041-4caa-91c7-66d621fb0449/DSCF1466.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ea05e832-55d1-4d9a-82bf-43edce98f3d0/DSCF1468.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/947c723a-9042-405f-b3e5-2488b2c9361c/DSCF1924.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The marina at Sister Bay was almost empty with most slips unoccupied. We later learned that “haul-out day” - when they had to have all the boats out of the marina - was October 15th and we were there on the 11th. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/06d38ace-077e-4728-a833-fab9bf1ea026/DSCF1926.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This guy was taking his sailboat out of the marina under the power of its gas-powered engine. We assume he was probably taking it for haul-out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cb43e661-bda7-47ce-a685-b164d1b6cd16/DSCF1927.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out While we were walking at the marina we saw this boat come in from the lake and Lisa and I both commented on how nice it looked. Later, we came across the ower cleaning it up and he was such a nice guy to talk with. He told us all about his boat. He got it brand new in June and he was getting it ready to be taken out of the water later that day. It was a beautiful craft and we thought it would be fun on the Mississippi. He is the one who told us the final day to get boats out of the marina was October 15th and that it would re-open in mid-May. He told us the exact number of days until re-opening, and then said, “But who’s counting?!” He obviously really loves his boat and spending time on the water. The boat is an Axopar - a brand we had never heard of, but it sure looked sharp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ecb8dbf6-1262-4456-8514-da364a60f9e0/DSCF1929.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Day #4 ended with a visit to Pelletiers, in Fish Creek, for a traditional Door County fish boil. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/952d7b5c-1a6f-4341-bb0c-05e0063ac20b/DSCF1930.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out We were told when we made our reservation to arrive approximately 45 minutes before our seating time of 7 p.m. to watch the show. We sat as close as we could to get some of the warmth from the fire as the night got cool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ef853bf4-d210-452f-86f9-68a9a099c328/DSCF1936.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Into the boiling water, they pour whole red potatoes, peeled onions, corn on the cob, and eventually the fish. Here he is adding the onions I believe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b6f649f2-2f77-4847-a208-a673cbc39511/DSCF1932.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out This is the Lake Michigan White Fish which is cut into chunks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8609fc3a-6e02-4a0e-a481-14d8e10a4251/DSCF1937.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out After the fish has been cooking for a while it gives off oils that float to the top of the water. These oils need to be removed before the food is taken out of the water so it does not get all over the food. So, in order to remove the oil they do what is called a boil-over. Here you can see he is throwing a small bucket of fuel oil directly into the fire which causes it to flare up and this raises the temperature in the cooking pot to the point that the water boils over the edge. This boil-over causes the oils on top of the water to be jettisoned from the boiling pot before the food is lifted from the water. The boil-over is the grand finale of the fish boil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3d9beb20-8206-4072-b75f-9b8e23252cca/DSCF1938.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out The boil-over immediately after the addition of the fuel oil to the fire. It is an impressive display and the crowd really enjoys it. Notice everyone with their phones on the other side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f5b35da8-5f6d-4f9c-8754-ac611adf601f/DSCF1939.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1b628bf2-b5c8-4af5-aa0f-fb446702ea09/DSCF1941.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out After the boil-over, the basket containing the food is removed from the pot and the crowd is instructed to go into the restaurant where they are served the fish boil meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a5fa1fd-4895-418a-8ac3-c10fc8b3f9be/DSCF1942.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #4 - Make it stand out So, here is what a fish boil meal consists of - two pieces of Lake Michigan white fish, two red potatoes, one onion, one piece of corn on the cob, and some coleslaw. The dessert, which is brought out after you finish, is Door County cherry pie (I went a la mode). Now, let’s be absolutely clear, a fish boil is an experience to behold once if you get the chance. However, it is NOT a culinary experience! In the end, you are eating boiled fish! The cherry pie a la mode was by far the best part of this meal. It wasn’t bad, but boiled fish is a bit bland and the Lake Michigan white fish is loaded with bones that need to be painstakingly removed before you eat it. It is a spectacle to be experienced but a meal to be forgotten. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/door-county-trip-day-3 monthly 0.5 2023-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed7240a6-75ac-4266-bc37-1b4c5c53a02d/DSCF1832.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Day #3 started with a hike at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center in Green Bay, WI. Although this was a very nice hike in the woods, if we had to do it over again this is probably one we would skip in favor of getting to the Door County peninsula a little sooner. It was a pleasant walk nonetheless. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/780d6647-6f33-4290-9237-c8c120a17d12/DSCF1833.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0cd2af82-3933-421c-bb69-d56819a99e86/DSCF1834.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/84354e52-2fba-4116-b536-f7fb4a933d36/DSCF1838.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out A significant portion of the trail was bounded on both sides by these very tall grasses. It resembled the Chinese silver grass people plant in their yards as a decorative item; however, these were much taller and more substantial. We looked it up, and this is the Common Reed; neither of us had ever seen it before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ae97f15e-12f7-49b5-874c-27753a0c31f7/DSCF1841.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/888e5032-c981-4266-94f3-65b62d572367/DSCF1453.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The Nature Sanctuary had a number of ducks, geese, and turkeys walking around. At first, we tried to quietly approach a bunch of turkeys in hopes of getting a photo before they saw us. However, once they saw us, instead of running away they ran TOWARDS us!! Apparently, they have no natural predators in the sanctuary setting and are instead used to being fed by the people who visit. So, we were identified as easy marks and they came running up to get some handouts. When they discovered we didn’t have anything to share, they headed off looking for their next victim. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/094c3b01-ec94-4c81-a6cb-0bd660fc26d7/DSCF1459.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The sanctuary has some other animals in enclosed habitats, including a big cat, a coyote, a wolf, and some deer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/950a1f30-8342-4928-a35c-437b15989ed6/DSCF1461.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out It was still a bit early in the season for most of the foliage, but there were a few notable bright spots to be had. This pond was filled with geese and ducks, and much like the turkeys, they all came rushing over looking for food. We discovered the nature center sells bird food and that would explain why the birds here are particularly interested in humans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c7286ea-424a-423e-a46a-ba5d9d1dbadb/DSCF1842.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Our next stop was the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, WI. They had what must have been hundreds of these absolutely intricate handmade models of ships that have sailed the Great Lakes over the years. Sturgeon Bay was a very important shipbuilding, repair, and salvage area on the Great Lakes. This was a fantastic museum, but to do it justice it really would require almost an entire day just to fully appreciate all the exhibits. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cec82944-07e1-4872-80d5-4b4df6bde3b3/DSCF1845.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out One whole room of the museum was dedicated to the lighthouses of the Door County Peninsula and how integral they were to local shipping over the years. They have a great interactive wall exhibit showing on a map where each of the lighthouses are located and when you push the button for each lighthouse it shows the area of the lake or bay in which that lighthouse is visible. You can see how important these lighthouses were for navigation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/72f2b542-85cf-4800-af3d-da3b0965ca09/DSCF1848.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The engine room shows a number of engines used on the lakes, all the way from little outboard Evinrude engines to these large diesel powerplants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6e978005-6f0c-4ac0-b39b-73b361578805/DSCF1850.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5955c713-4987-4d83-a428-146c93f1a835/DSCF1851.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out An early decompression/recompression chamber used by divers to slowly return to sea-level atmospheric pressure and prevent the bends. Not for the claustrophobic! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7aa0d4fd-aecf-4f64-a65a-def92f891453/DSCF1874.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Parked immediately behind the museum they have a restored old tug and we took the tour of the John Purves. Our guide, Dick, what a font of knowledge and a lot of fun as well. This was a really nicely done tour and well worth the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d5dfc571-e89a-495d-9891-fc80538ea7b0/DSCF1854.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c72540fc-6545-4151-bdbf-663e4e37e729/DSCF1868.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This is the 4-inch braided steel cable and coupling they would use as a tow line. In the next photo, we can see the winch used to play out the line. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3dc0b6b3-4e84-4675-beee-d3f83225de59/DSCF1856.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The guides show how much line they would extend in each of the different bodies of water. They painted color marks on the cable to indicate how much had been extended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cee4a55-7db6-44c6-ad26-adb43ff00ca2/DSCF1857.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This was the Chief Engineers station in the engine room. This particular tug was originally a coal-burning tug, but when purchased by the subsequent owner he had it retrofitted to use two large diesel burning engines with twin screws for propulsion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f02b634a-825a-41ee-8fd6-5113e21bed5f/DSCF1858.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This electrical panel and fuses were completely open without any covering. On a rocking boat, one wrong step could prove to be a shocking experience! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/19c9dbb2-28c9-48a4-ac2b-21bc6aec8902/DSCF1859.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The two diesel engines used to power the tug. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c5fd4375-d520-42f9-9a44-9e6190fda1b2/DSCF1860.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Looking out a starboard side porthole toward the historic Surgeon Bay Bridge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d203be13-f64d-4fe7-a23b-7daf84ccffa4/DSCF1861.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The sleeping accommodations for some of the higher ranking officers. The rank-and-file slept in much less attractive bunkhouses below deck. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dd28b3f0-115a-4368-a3b8-a36f98bc1017/DSCF1862.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Everything in the galley was specially made to accommodate a ship on rolling seas. Notice that each pot has attached side arms keeping it in place over the burner and the entire stovetop has guardrails to keep the pots from sliding off and onto the floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9f53ea36-fdc2-4fbb-99cb-40c2b5f95107/DSCF1864.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The pilot house. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c05ce473-4c2b-4a7f-8736-636abed0f440/DSCF1865.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out These dials were used to notify the Chief Engineer in the engine room how much power to apply to each of the engines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/03322635-040b-4637-8e79-4b6ac0d72c06/DSCF1867.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out An unobstructed view of the Historic Sturgeon Bay Bridge from the bow of the John Purves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e46732f1-072f-4ca7-9d80-37053ba0fd2e/DSCF1870.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Part of the museum is the 10-story observation tower which here gives a good view of the ship-building complex in the center of the image. Some of the large freighters that work the Great Lakes were originally built here and several others return here each winter and undergo repairs while the lakes are frozen and shipping is shut down for the year. The creation of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal allowed these large ships to reach the Green Bay side of the peninsula directly from Lake Michigan without having to go all the way around the tip of the peninsula which is a navigational challenge due to the rocky shore and unpredictable weather. In some of the upcoming photos, we will see the headlight and lighthouse at the entrance to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5e326377-0b3c-43e9-aeb0-dd346aef660f/DSCF1873.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Some of the early signaling beacons used on the Great Lakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ea531af-0d09-4b20-9e5f-4b2a3d0e76ff/DSCF1876.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The Sturgeon Bay Canal Light is located at the entrance to the canal on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f58a2226-38d8-4193-b376-7076bed156c3/DSCF1877.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out The public is allowed to walk the breakwater out to the headlight at the entrance to the canal. The upper walkway would be for the workers to reach the headlight building itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abb0598d-673a-45ec-8e56-9481e9922d6e/DSCF1887.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Looking back at the entrance to the canal from the breakwater. It is amazing to think of those huge cargo ships threading the needle down this narrow canal. We were told the canal was constructed to a depth of 50 feet. Driving along side the canal we noticed they also built a berm/levee along the side, as I am sure the water level must really rise due to the amount of displacement when these ships pass through. That really would be fascinating to witness someday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9e46f580-768e-4c84-8026-e290566e6882/DSCF1888.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Another look at the lighthouse and Coastguard station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f4e00d1b-7105-4502-9def-d04fb0ef7580/DSCF1880-2.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out This series of images used a 10-stop ND filter and long exposure shutter timing to create some interesting effects on the water and sky. I will include all the images and some in color as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cd033f5b-e613-4a3c-8fed-e635b046cd6b/DSCF1880.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a927733f-c470-43cd-b565-3f19f4f898a1/DSCF1884-2.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/681e73e2-cc8d-432e-a181-f6ed535ba45c/DSCF1884.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e2ae86c-53e6-4abf-b4c3-12e3b23a907d/DSCF1882.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #3 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/door-county-trip-day-2 monthly 0.5 2023-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/42a0fa1f-2ecd-4819-87b0-df050e7f6d1a/DSCF1813.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out We started Day #2 with a 6.8-mile hike at Hartman Creek State Park near Waupaca, WI. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2153ae38-be32-433b-97c4-5d8bcc70845e/DSCF1811.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This is the spillway from the dam that creates the lake in the photo above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4332109e-fe73-47e5-97ee-a97319619fdd/DSCF1815.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This was a peaceful and pleasant walk in the woods. Not too much to photograph here, but when Lisa and I both spotted this lichen pattern on a tree at the same time it was worth an image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99220c2e-97ef-4af7-8b82-6ff75638f505/DSCF1817.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Abundant waterfowl out enjoying the sunshine on the lakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/38ad9f24-1368-405d-abfd-24bc93d1d8d0/DSCF1818.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This pine tree reflected on the lake made for an interesting image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cd3e8ce3-5de9-424d-832c-996d8128334e/DSCF1819.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Our next stop was Neenah, WI for a walk around Little Lake Butte Des Morts. Neenhah is a very industrial town, but they have really invested in their green space infrastructure. This walking path is built on an old train trestle and it is quite impressive. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4cd08451-16c0-460e-af2d-6e97f44723b7/DSCF1821.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out If you have ever walked around Rochester and paid any attention to the manhole covers you will see they read “Neenah Foundry, Neenah, WI.” This is where they are from. It appears that in addition to the steel foundry, there is also a thriving paper-manufacturing trade and several other heavy industry in the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65597573-684a-4107-9e0e-f22ede07e0a5/DSCF1823.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b70d1e1f-d234-42bd-a2e2-0ca48cb47a13/DSCF1822.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out I’m guessing the tax base from the industry in Neenah goes a long way toward the development of such nice green spaces. They have clearly made this a priority and I think Rochester could learn a thing or two from their town planners. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/21fdf7f4-1f4f-4b8e-b8fc-01a4815aaa68/DSCF1824.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Who knew??? All these years I thought this was located in a much different place. Found her here in Neenah! In truth, I suspect this is one of the boy scout statues that you can find all throughout the land. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5dc45aad-189e-4240-b33a-86c291dd586b/DSCF1825.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Downtown Neenah from the pier at Shattuck Park. Again, I couldn’t be more impressed with this little town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b07f388b-74d0-443d-9259-1300972f639c/DSCF1826.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Some of the heavy industry which really seems to co-exist so nicely with such an attractive town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6f5a400-27dc-4f05-baf1-5fe351fc781c/DSCF1827.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/42aa773d-7dab-4832-aa81-1a092cebcc2e/DSCF1828.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the day was in Appleton, WI where we walked a little on the campus of Lawrence University and the downtown area. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5714adb2-7aa0-4c58-9912-f3f07e5a10e1/DSCF1829.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Lawrence University was the first co-ed university in the state of Wisconsin. It had its first graduating class in the 1850’s which consisted of seven graduates and at least three of them were women. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2718f91f-e4bc-4bd5-98e5-07b032cd807d/DSCF1830.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/155b82e6-016b-4d0f-b4fd-f31874aef7b1/DSCF1831.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #2 - Make it stand out This building, just across the street from the university, is actually a museum. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/door-county-trip-day-1 monthly 0.5 2023-10-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fec2f5de-8113-42f0-a5a6-bbb6015e0ad2/DSCF1767.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Leaving Rochester, we decided to take the back roads to Door County, WI over the course of a couple of days. Our first stop was here, in Sparta, WI, at the FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard. This is one of the companies that makes the fiberglass structures we see every day, but seldom give much thought. Those iconic muffler men and Paul Bunyan statues dotting Route 66; the fiberglass slides at pools, and all the strange animals and business logos that are ubiquitous in our everyday lives, all come from a place like this. Here at the graveyard, they have some of the old fiberglass structures themselves, but this appears to primarily be for the molds used in the construction of the fiberglass items. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4dff22dd-ec17-4d29-96d0-002a60086f5a/DSCF1768.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The baseball glove above, and this male pheasant, are a couple of the completed fiberglass structures they have on display. However, as you will soon see, most of the times in the graveyard are not completed structures, but instead the molds used to build these final products. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9b59eb2d-ca7d-453a-9842-b456b976b310/DSCF1766.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Here is one of the typical molds. You can see, unlike the finished product, the mold has a line down the center of the devil’s face with bolts holding the two halves together. It would be interesting to see this process in action and understand better how they use these molds to fashion the final product. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f8bef14c-a8b3-4c52-b15f-537f8449c9ba/DSCF1769.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out I would have to imagine this mold made something for an amusement park somewhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6539b963-51d2-4b87-bc40-cfd65952377e/DSCF1770.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Unlike the finished products, which are smooth, shiny, and nicely painted, the molds are all a drab gray color. If you come here thinking this is a graveyard for the finished products you will be disappointed. Although there are a few of those dotting the property, most of the things on display are these old gray molds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1f27a417-5c8d-46d0-be84-d59d121a518c/DSCF1771.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This is the classic muffler man pose, with those outstretched hands; however, the face on this one is not the one commonly seen on the old muffler men. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2bba3949-c713-41a7-a8d6-9a54c84edd4f/DSCF1772.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Bob’s Big Boy anyone…..? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c94ee75-f885-4bcc-a88a-da0228745691/DSCF1773.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out These things go on and on for rows and rows over multiple acres. It is nice that they let the public just stroll around and look. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/172c857e-00ec-433d-b3b2-69ded05b6935/DSCF1774.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d3ff800-81eb-4a0b-a6df-e820824a1573/DSCF1775.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out I concentrated on photos of the things that were clearly identifiable; however, as you can see in the background there are so many others that are just random pieces that are more or less identifiable as to their purpose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f798e07e-3e4d-4a5d-b0ef-52c53d3a1112/DSCF1776.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out If you have ever been to Marquette, IA, they have a riverboat casino called the Casino Queen that sits permanently docked in the Mississippi. This is some type of a throwback to when gambling joints could not be on dry land, but they could be on riverboats. Anyway, out in front of their building is a pink elephant and I am rather sure this was the mold that must have been used to create that elephant. I will put a map link below to the street view of the elephant in Marquette and you can see what you think - same mold???? When we make our trip down the Mississippi River I will get some photos of that elephant. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/991addc7-dfa3-4e6d-adc2-1954414a1666/DSCF1779.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fbc234fa-7355-48b0-81be-fe75735e0bab/DSCF1780.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The orcas and what appear to be traffic cones are some of the few finished products that are painted and not the molds. In the background, there appears to be a slide that was likely at some water park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/97dc8ce5-8e72-4505-8375-07661976f073/DSCF1765.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out These too are a couple of the finished products that have been retired here. These two are a tribute to the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0dcc1342-96f3-43ec-9868-2b6f38780001/DSCF1782.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Out in front of what appears to be the manufacturing building was this yellow lab statue which was bright and shiny and waiting to be delivered to its new home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/22d430a4-27a7-46e1-8603-4406bdd4a1b3/DSCF1788.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Our next stop was Warrens, WI where they claim to be the cranberry capital of Wisconsin. They had their big annual cranberry festival just a few weeks ago and this is prime cranberry harvest time. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/040d7806-11b5-4ec1-a5e5-59a7866cacb6/DSCF1786.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out We made a point to visit the Cranberry Discovery Center and shared a cone of cranberry ice cream. It was good, but if we are being truthful, it wasn’t great in our opinion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/76eac329-cc02-4567-912e-16a913b60dda/DSCF1783.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Inside the store, there is everything cranberry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dceccfe0-571a-49ac-82f2-3b437515b575/DSCF1785.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/81039caf-ba65-4888-87d1-8fbb0a4a041d/DSCF1789.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3bd783d5-e42f-459e-aa2d-af788f811313/DSCF1446.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out These are the cranberry bogs flooded for harvest. Check out the map below that shows the satellite view of these bogs. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/58aad848-e97a-4481-b094-c68691e884be/DSCF1447.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Driving through the area we saw them building a bunch of new bogs. They dig out the center of the “field” to be a few feet below the surrounding ground level. They then put in the pipes and drainage infrastructure to allow for the annual flooding for harvest. Then, they fill the bottom with sand, as the cranberry vines appear to grow best in sandy soil. When the cranberries are ready for harvest they pump water into the bog from the surrounding ponds and lakes and because the berries are buoyant the water causes them to “pop off” the vines and float to the top of the water where they can be harvested. Here are the red cranberries floating on the water in the flooded bog. A fascinating sight I had never seen before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2a7867d2-e53e-4d1a-85f0-ab4141ba79f2/DSCF1448.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2782f1a4-8122-48ea-af66-cf5b7f27c605/DSCF1793.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The next stop was at the Stevens Point Sculpture Park. This is an eclectic collection of sculptures positioned along a nice nature walk. Some of the art, like this wolf made of steel rebar rods, is clearly recognizable; others not so much. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e2319b7d-ee5e-4402-8e91-ee994ec4d2b6/DSCF1796.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/17a5f278-91b6-43c6-aaa9-609526aa692a/DSCF1799.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This “Auto” is made up of a bunch of random parts put together in a rather haphazard fashion. Sometimes I think I just lack the artistic intellect to get this stuff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/43d106ee-b288-415d-b2ae-71feb9dc5d9a/DSCF1800.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This was made of wood, and this is one where I can understand that it took real skill and know-how to put something like this together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0561aafa-0e60-4a85-aafb-6b38e3a797ae/DSCF1802.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/896b1b4a-d8b7-4054-9e09-4453534c5d1a/DSCF1801.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This close-up of the woven metal ring shows the detail and amount of work that went into such a creation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/deb4ceec-2437-4f31-8450-aa7c57e1db98/DSCF1803.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/871e26cb-19e3-4d9c-b3a3-7359ee4d1362/DSCF1806.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out This piece was about 6 inches off the ground and depicted a canoe being paddled by a number of these figures. The entire thing was probably 12-15 feet long. It appears to be made of steel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2bb45c55-6b90-461b-bfc0-55ffc2f512e7/DSCF1807.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out We finished Day #1 with a nice stroll around Lake Joanis at the Schmeeckle Reserve. This is a very nicely maintained park with trails throughout. The setting sun and clouds made for a serene setting for a walk. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb7b78b9-fcc2-42b0-b2aa-2fef7026703c/DSCF1808.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ee9e185-682e-4802-988d-f25d3f547960/DSCF1810.jpg Photo Blog - Door County Trip, Day #1 - Make it stand out The deer seem to really like the Schmeeckle Reserve as well. This doe was grazing and didn’t seem too bothered by us. We also saw a nice 8 or 10-point buck earlier on the walk but I didn’t get a photo of him. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/apple-orchards-gays-mills-wi monthly 0.5 2023-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c779bd9f-b66c-4d76-a376-d80b80ae2763/DSCF1748.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Today, we took the mothers (Harriet & Karen) on a day trip with us to the apple orchards in Gays Mills, Wisconsin. It was unseasonably warm for the final day of September, with a high in the upper 80s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/06a7b6d1-0fc4-4c80-baf9-ad73b6c28ddd/DSCF1747.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out This trip is a yearly pilgrimage every fall, and it is always a special day. In all the years we have been coming to the orchards, we have never seen it this busy. Everyone was in a fall mood, even if the weather wasn’t. Sunrise Orchard is the largest and the most impressive by a significant margin. However, all the others have their own charms. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/681ac136-fa4d-4556-9f9c-cf1aed69c9ea/DSCF1745.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out The gourds are always fun to look at. Not entirely sure what function they serve, other than as decorations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9ea30eac-abb0-48e0-8e52-c58f23df42eb/DSCF1746.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c5534ec0-7634-4f2c-95c9-676adfa0e461/DSCF1750.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out The sunflowers were mostly past their prime at this time of year, but there were still a few holding on and standing tall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d27257d-69d4-4603-9340-296ab7d9992a/DSCF1751.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b9534ad6-e849-4261-9d54-dba3c84cc933/DSCF1753.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Not sure what the deal is with “warty” pumpkins. We have been seeing more and more of these around. I suspect this is just some type of genetic alteration rather than a disease issue. I don’t think the pumpkins are HPV vectors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bbfa722c-3d11-49f4-a337-10c3886e4010/DSCF1754.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out The apple trees are nestled into the rolling hills. Sunrise Orchard has an amazing amount of acreage spreading all across the area. The surrounding hills have yet to change into fall colors this year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7eea0b7b-7172-4292-9c87-3d169ed13935/DSCF1755.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Decorative bottles of Maple Syrup at Kickapoo Orchard. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/61146b79-5804-4256-b722-742521b45ab2/DSCF1757.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out On the way back home, we drove up the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi. We stopped at Lock & Dam #8 just to get out and stretch our legs and lucked into seeing a southbound barge entering the locking chamber. This tug had 12 barges and the deckhand told us only three of them were full. You can see here that these three are clearly some of the empty ones, as they are riding very high in the water. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/55c9554b-f3f0-4ab3-9d14-e74442c84030/DSCF1758.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0ec72165-6a6f-4c34-9afe-8b0e9ce23cbb/DSCF1759.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out A view looking across the front of the leading barges as they floated past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e6cd3c31-05f7-47db-9581-c5d01eee3e63/DSCF1760.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Because they cannot fit all 12 barges and the tug into the locking chamber at the same time, they have to break the group up into two segments. Here, the deckhands are working to separate the barges on the left, which will remain in the chamber, from the ones on the right which will be pulled back out with the tug. Once the first group is locked and lowered they will be attached to a winch and pulled out of the chamber to await the second group and the tug. They will then be reattached and headed on their way once again. It is quite a process and can take a fair amount of time. The pleasure crafts are always anxious to beat them into the locks, or else they are stuck waiting for this entire process before they can get their turn in the chamber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6914f0e-dbd4-4759-9b3f-4b478272d1e5/DSCF1762.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out These final three images are actually from the next day (10/1/23). Lisa and I went to Lake City and stopped at Pepin Heights Orchard. I snapped a few photos of the fall decorations and fare. These didn’t really warrant an entirely separate entry of their own, so we will put them here with the other orchard photos. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/09cca09f-740d-4bb7-822b-cbda1eb82a70/DSCF1763.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/20167dcb-332c-4edf-9dd3-97b490a5ab7b/DSCF1764.jpg Photo Blog - Apple Orchards, Gays Mills, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/sunday-september-17-2023 monthly 0.5 2023-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c6f8eeb0-fe6f-41c2-8855-b34dc325d618/DSCF1682.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Today, we were passing through Zumbrota, MN on our way to Red Wing and the Mississippi River and happened upon their town festival called the Covered Bridge Festival. They had a rather impressive car show and these are some photos of the cars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fba9d35d-058e-47f0-a919-4d96e9e0879e/DSCF1683.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Most of the cars were antique cars which had been restored - often in rather amazing condition. Others were Hod Rods and some were just plain strange. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/423d840b-3c6e-4ecd-83a0-434ceb1ec0d5/DSCF1684.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out The “General Grant” was decked-out like the Dukes of Hazzard General Lee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e509e807-e9d5-466b-8972-aeae9b5276ea/DSCF1685.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out As we said, some fell into the “just plain weird” category. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/01c9a9cc-41b1-46a5-b627-cf50a7e1e60f/DSCF1686.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d14b2dd-0b87-4812-b35d-fce7209a3200/DSCF1687.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c0c93fce-c6e9-44b4-8f9a-41eb2552b3fb/DSCF1688.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out That might be the original owner driving this antique. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/31c71266-8315-4ad2-9f9a-b76a5832b513/DSCF1692.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out The Zumbrota Covered Bridge, after which the town festival is named. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/77c6c284-dfa6-44fb-aa3b-3a824b0efd8f/DSCF1693.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9bc644fe-40a7-45db-9ca7-ee7e93af9b06/DSCF1694.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/563900d8-c77e-4bef-88bc-53b0816c5bfe/DSCF1696.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab5a91da-3b8a-47ff-87ca-6b90f25f782b/DSCF1697.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3155aba1-7108-48e3-abb2-6167f4a81de1/DSCF1698.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out The old dashboards and radios are fun to look at and think of where we are today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/839fa048-4fa1-427c-98e8-b1fb63abb19f/DSCF1703.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d76eda8b-0caa-45df-8373-f468f49836c8/DSCF1700.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out I’ve been told that it is unlikely this is a real original Cobra; apparently those are exceedingly rare and crazy expensive. More likely, it is a reproduction. Regardless, it was a fun looking car. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cb371b82-002d-4ebe-a84d-1445607da9f7/DSCF1701.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41bbb603-e091-4a93-835c-e0b934fdda91/DSCF1702.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/19bee30d-42a3-4555-bd7d-64e45901a681/DSCF1699.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d9a104d5-af71-4da2-a141-3b9d05545f78/DSCF1704.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Several references to Route 66 among this old nostalgia. Makes us look forward to our eventual trip along the Mother Road! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/909eb49a-2b29-49d1-86d8-dd924c8f3800/DSCF1705.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Some entertaining bumper stickers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e9b52b37-7140-47ab-aa1d-240fd78bd498/DSCF1706.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out This fantastically restored antique was actually driven to the show by the gentleman sitting in the lawn chair in the background. We watched him drive it onto the grounds. He had his hands full with the old transmission, but he was clearly having fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/623ae46c-39a5-4eed-89f2-fd17b783c665/DSCF1708.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out When we finally got to Red Wing, the Viking cruise boat was pulled up at the dock. We have seen other cruise boats here previously, but never the Viking line. Out of curiosity we looked it up and to take this boat from New Orleans to St. Paul it costs roughly $20,000 per person; and that is for the entry-level cabin. For the top-end cabin it ran $40,000 per person. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/79733c83-0170-499a-a9cb-4e2e7693ea05/DSCF1710.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c417db4-7443-44b1-9ecb-67528bd1eafd/DSCF1711.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1377920e-0d26-4ce3-9e8f-ca89b396cb90/DSCF1709.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/02cc0f98-5e95-42f6-8952-12d6465f15f6/DSCF1712.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb3a3019-2e7e-4317-ab9d-8e245e3c300a/DSCF1714.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Red Wing Yacht Club. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c6f8558b-8600-4a30-8796-e2c8d6c3895d/DSCF1713.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/325fb3a7-85a1-42b0-bb79-d8bd7d40dcb6/DSCF1715.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ca1d1d2-03e5-4ef2-9ceb-3a75bb6c09bc/DSCF1717.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Looking back toward downtown and the docked Viking Cruise ship. In the foreground is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tug and barge headed northbound. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/23967bf5-7f79-45cd-b8fc-8cac041bb990/DSCF1718.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out This survey marker was located exactly where the photo above was taken in Bay Point Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c519c85-f24a-445f-91e3-94d1c9e99fbe/DSCF1721.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out This is called the Teepee Monument in Bay Point Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3d88d16c-4897-469b-9b0a-efac782a3e77/DSCF1722.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9fe53a99-6545-42d3-abcf-336538ea3564/DSCF1723.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out Inside the Red Wing Amtrak station they have a number of old signs and photos depicting railroad memorabilia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6fffc60e-c2d7-4dee-b1f6-9a54f94def27/DSCF1724.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out This huge tree and root system has washed up on the shore of the Stockholm Village Park in Stockholm, WI. I really can’t recall this tree being here in years past, so I think it may have landed here as a result of the floods this past spring. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ae2eca1-034b-422f-8a54-ce66d02551ac/DSCF1726.jpg Photo Blog - Zumbrota, MN & River - Make it stand out The breakwater at Stockholm Village Park. I liked the way the setting sun backlit the sailboat and the couple embracing at the end of the breakwater. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/lock-amp-dam-7 monthly 0.5 2023-09-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe17593c-3777-4743-8893-f45cb9797247/DSCF1647.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Today, we had one of the most incredible experiences. Just by chance, we stopped by Lock & Dam #7 in La Crescent, MN, and it happened to be their Applefest celebration. In conjunction with Applefest, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had an “open house” at the Lock & Dam. They gave the public the opportunity to tour the grounds and gave us absolutely incredible access to so much of the workings of the place. A huge shout-out to the Corps of Engineers; they always keep the grounds so well maintained for the public, and to provide this opportunity was just amazing. We can’t say enough good things about EVERY Corps of Engineers employee we have ever had the opportunity to meet. Such nice folks and always happy to answer our many questions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c20404e5-2647-4610-90e3-375f021d7e97/DSCF1648.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Just as we arrived the La Crosse Queen was locking on their tour headed north. Here is the pilot house with the captain maneuvering the boat into the locking chamber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/572d147a-e6af-4d48-a00b-8dcbc4f70721/DSCF1650.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The captain steers the boat by alternating which of the two paddle wheels turn and in what direction. It was interesting to see this mechanism in action as one wheel was spinning in a forward direction and the opposite was in the reverse direction and the result was a rather impressive course correction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fed6264e-9949-4171-9c92-bf96f011d445/DSCF1652.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Here is where the unprecedented access to the Lock & Dam becomes apparent. As they were locking the La Crosse Queen into the chamber, they offered us the opportunity to ride on the gate as it closed on the south end of the chamber. What an incredible experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5a05fafd-1ec3-4009-9050-638fa82943bf/DSCF1653.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out This is the walkway atop the south gate of the lock. This is the gate that we stood upon as they closed the doors to lock the La Crosse Queen into the chamber. Once the gates are closed, this walkway provides access to the dam portion of the property. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/df8dcee9-3f18-4f35-80b5-99f8c2035daa/DSCF1655.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out With the water level in the chamber raised, the Queen was once again on her way north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d674615d-26f3-428b-b6f5-667251dcc63b/DSCF1654.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Once across the locking chamber, we had an unobstructed view of the dam. These are the five larger Roller Gates that are closest to the locking chamber. Further out, across the river, are numerous smaller Tainter Gates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/be752f19-41c1-487b-b5c2-b5e386782f14/DSCF1679.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out This wider view shows the Roller Gates on the left of the image and the smaller Tainter Gates to the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99fd7bf4-68d9-4eac-aa1b-6429c781c6eb/DSCF1656.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The Mrs. P is a “helper tug” that is used to assist the larger tugs and barges as they maneuver into the locking chamber or through narrow bridge supports. The Corps of Engineers live on this tug for 9 months out of the year and they have up to 4 men on the tug 24/7. They told us a typical schedule is to work 21 days on the boat and then have 14 days off. The tug has four small bedrooms, two showers and toilets, and a kitchen and laundry. We were given full access to wander around the tug and it was so fascinating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ff615af9-bcc4-4754-9c17-5348dc488495/DSCF1658.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The pilot house of the Mrs. P tug. The Captain told us some amazing stories of the things he had seen in his over 20 years working on the tugs. He said that Lock & Dam #7 is one of the most dangerous to maneuver for the barges. They have a particularly difficult time when traveling south. The river narrows immediately above this point and the result is the same amount of water has to flow through a smaller channel. This creates some currents that can push the barges in directions they don’t want to go. The Mrs. P is used to help guide the barges into the narrow channel and locking chamber. Apparently, the trip south is much more treacherous because when traveling north the southbound flow of water acts as a natural break, but when traveling down river it actually pushes them rather aggressively - especially when the river is high and running fast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c82029b7-7c00-49a2-b7a6-654e9c0305b5/DSCF1659.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Some of the massive ropes on the deck of the Mrs. P. They use these to attach to the barges when they run aground and help pull them back into the main chamber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/77bbec66-781f-4bdf-8e74-340229da5c71/DSCF1661.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out These are the larger Roller Gates in the foreground. This is immediately above the dam. This is a vantage point you probably don’t ever want if you are in a boat!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da94c274-ae25-4cfd-80a8-38aaf9d2be15/DSCF1663.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The Roller Gate submerged at a rather low level because the flow of the river is so low due to the dry conditions. As the river rises and the flow increases they will raise the Roller Gate and that is the mechanism you can see on the left. In a moment you will see the gears used to raise these gates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6df97631-76c1-43ee-8d76-4e6361424dcd/DSCF1664.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Immediately below the Roller Gates. The flow is turbulent, as you would expect, but rather subdued as a result of the drought conditions. This past spring, when we had flooding, we could see the turbulence below these gates and hear the roar of the water all the way from across the property at the observation deck. We can only imagine how wild it would have been standing here in April of this year!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/212040bc-ae7a-4a06-b30a-5cbd6b373243/DSCF1665.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out We have now climbed up into the tower where the mechanism is located to raise the Roller Gate; seen here from above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5707845f-90e4-48e9-88bf-ff685c3e0c46/DSCF1669.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Each of the Roller Gate towers has this machine room where the gears used to raise and lower the Roller Gate are located. These motors are attached to massive chains which raise or lower the Roller Gate below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ebd5c110-4be9-444f-af66-535958dccff8/DSCF1670.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out On the right is the gauge which indicates the level at which the Roller Gate is located. The top reads, “MINUMUM DISCHARGE OPENING UNDER GATE IN FEET” Below that reads, “ELEVATION TOP OF DRUM - M.S.L.” To the left of the gauge is the massive gear mechanism used to raise and lower the gate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aee24648-645c-4c8e-8dba-e26ee4508be8/DSCF1668.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Looking across the top of the dam toward the far side of the river. You can see a crane that runs on a track on the upriver side of the dam. This crane is used to lower huge cement blockers into slots below. When put into these slots the cement blockers will prevent water from going through that portion of the dam. This allows them to work on that portion of the dam without water flowing through. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/110eb0c1-c81d-4e36-ba43-6efbeee63d82/DSCF1666.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The view from the Roller Gate tower back toward the locking chamber is something we may never get the chance to experience again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0a913af7-b176-4ce0-8cb5-fcd2f06b23c8/DSCF1667.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Another view from the tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ca8b5017-9a0b-4571-a1a7-c1866c9557b7/DSCF1671.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The view from above the dam looking south. Like everything else on this day, this is not generally a vantage point the public can access except for this one special opportunity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/18ef8c5d-3356-4d2c-ade5-809000622b65/DSCF1672.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/68160945-8031-48f1-b13e-d17469263229/DSCF1673.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out At each end of the locking chamber, there is one of these gauges which they use to assess the depth of the pools. This one is at the north end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4637e7b5-39d7-4f06-8cd0-741559f5a45e/DSCF1678.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out This is the gauge at the south end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f910853f-9e17-4ad0-a17d-798a4dc1f585/DSCF1674.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out We spent so much time enjoying the tour of the grounds that we were still there when the La Crosse Queen made its return trip headed back south through the lock. There were also a number of very nice fishing boats in the locking chamber at the same time. We suspect there might have been some type of fishing tournament going on as part of the Applefest celebration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aa35d550-1f05-4d5c-998c-e80379308c48/DSCF1677.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out The Queen headed back south to La Crosse, WI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf0e0ae7-e793-4928-812c-2e5a630ab9a0/DSCF1676.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #7 - Make it stand out This is one of the Corps of Engineers’ tugs and barges with equipment for woking on the river. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/mankato-mn monthly 0.5 2023-09-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba3ed82b-6166-42fa-973b-eb9aa48b350a/watch-the-video.gif Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Click on the link above to watch the video. YouTube will open in a new window. The individual photos and descriptions can be seen below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2797e115-65c5-4fb9-8b67-6b033cd73dff/DSCF1504.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Today we returned to Mankato, MN to take in their wonderful street art and take some B&W images of the art. But first, we visited Once Read Used Book Store on S. Front St. For a city about half the size of Rochester, Mankato definitely has a more artistic vibe and that starts with a high-quality used book store; something we sorely lack in Rochester. The gentleman working the store - I assume from the way he spoke was the owner - was very nice and helpful. I really wish we had something like this closer to home. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/62cb3705-26eb-4dc3-b385-848d4ef98dd1/DSCF1506.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Again, the street art in Mankato is simply impressive. It ranges from all these sculptures - and many more not shown here - to fantastic wall murals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abecbc88-7f06-4ca9-974d-841d4dae736e/DSCF1507.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Using B&W on this image really allows the viewer to eliminate the distraction of color and appreciate the texture of the material the sculpture is made of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5716b448-1421-497c-bc08-884a70752789/DSCF1508.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Mankato has a riverwalk trail along the Minnesota River. This is a view of the mural-covered grain elevators from under the Belgrade Avenue bridge. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d7349139-eecf-4450-b904-e6075f155851/DSCF1509.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Some day, when it isn’t so hot, we are going to need to walk more on the Minnesota River Trail. Today was in the upper 90’s and there is nothing for shade on the trail along the river. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48e9a487-70ae-40d3-a5d0-41c162b4cfd9/DSCF1513.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Even these cement barriers - erected to block the view of a scrap metal yard - are mural-covered. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/baaee67a-768c-45eb-ba74-1dfe47568488/DSCF1515.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out This is the scrap metal yard, adjacent to the railway, on the industrial side of town. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3b4dd7be-6753-4a62-9b76-527dda2c730b/DSCF1516.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Murals are everywhere. The skill to paint on this scale is amazing to me. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14761539-2e01-4d6e-b507-71d795b93725/DSCF1517.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b46efbae-0649-4ee9-b3c0-6f978baaf19a/DSCF1518.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/017b1707-3ce8-4aa2-969e-6c8590cec719/DSCF1519.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12b3cc81-df0f-4319-8bea-9ea0377e64ab/DSCF1520.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e8a1cc3e-7236-4203-a3ad-b7edbb3f3d01/DSCF1521.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/58927cb7-179e-4639-baf1-a168393f2514/DSCF1522.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/19c2a6ed-3a77-4602-8466-a2c4e7baea31/DSCF1524.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/706dfbc3-6eef-4fda-839a-01af327e0fe8/DSCF1525.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1d3bc977-be3b-4152-98ed-8e4a363cf21d/DSCF1526.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bbe0b413-a78d-4acf-8f73-8371d206b262/DSCF1527.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/75ccbf34-99ea-4a63-a732-035f3201f32e/DSCF1528.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out This image of the grain elevator mural is from the Belgrade Ave Bridge. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a91cc1c1-dbd2-4432-af83-61b3bcf3b187/DSCF1529.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out This character is made entirely of wooden reeds. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1dc84f2c-318e-4ecb-9aac-b31240d7f3d5/DSCF1533.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bae23e56-fb71-42ce-bdf5-4cfcd483e244/DSCF1534.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out I like the reflexion off this all glass-fronted building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e14ef603-5a88-44a0-98ae-5e2e931c73a6/DSCF1538.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fa94e146-d708-4288-ae59-496e4373a94f/DSCF1539.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45179eea-d6c4-4e5b-bc83-94c8465a01aa/DSCF1541.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Some of the art is a bit abstract and strange for sure. But, it is fun nonetheless. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/314040ae-3acd-4a51-bf65-addab04654e4/DSCF1542.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out The Dutch angle seemed the appropriate composition for this angled structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/27b30702-c926-4de7-b2fd-0f96ab449b17/DSCF1545.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out The block surrounding the Mankato Civic Center is particularly replete with sculptures. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2d59aa83-1ef9-4dbb-9cd8-df8f966b15a7/DSCF1546.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7386003f-44e8-4d1e-b61e-e933d1124fa5/DSCF1547.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out The exterior wall of the Civic Center Grand Hall. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f162c1b6-b3fa-4171-938b-ef53c7d7e4bf/DSCF1548.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ed9b4f9-8a27-4afd-b0fe-43b6771631b6/DSCF1549.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/46feed4a-65ba-48ed-a039-e80b109fb7aa/DSCF1550.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Fox chasing pheasants on Civic Center Plaza. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e482c689-6b8c-4a12-a964-25346fc1e795/DSCF1554.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/486e0612-08dd-495e-88de-1e003456b6cf/DSCF1555.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c05d55de-24fa-41aa-aeee-4fb314d8e687/DSCF1556.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out After leaving downtown, we took in Minneopa State Park. We were amazed to see the falls completely dry!! Yes, it has been a dry year, but we surely didn’t expect the falls to be completely empty. If you go back to our previous trip to Mankato and look at the photos from May 20th, you will see this waterfall during the spring when there was actually flooding. What an incredible difference. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05cfbc9b-2101-4a1e-898c-b1f38f996116/DSCF1558.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Below the falls, there is the slightest little trickle of a stream. When we last visited here in May, this entire lower falls area was closed due to the flooding. Where we are standing for this photo was completely under water back then. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e7a93d7-0ec3-403f-9532-51263b9afe90/DSCF1561.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Immediately below the falls, looking up at the walkway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/83bae49f-2bb0-49bd-ad37-63c4d58a4a2d/DSCF1564.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out These stairs, from the upper to the lower observation points, were built as a WPA project in the great depression. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0b529f7a-38a4-4f2c-9cec-a97e737f4702/DSCF1565.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out The smaller upper falls area is just a dry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a3c347d6-d348-428e-a00a-b18779e57745/DSCF1569.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out These old corn silos at Crystal Valley Coop in Janesville, MN are in the process of being demolished. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c1fcb84c-8cb2-47da-9479-23628b309be1/DSCF1568.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out The wrecking balls being used to demolish the cement silos. The crane in the background is attached to the heavy chain used to swing the ball. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/911ee699-caf5-4552-a067-35440502a176/DSCF1570.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out In the foreground is the tangled steel rebar they are removing from the cement as the silo is demolished. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd67313d-5696-45d7-ae99-cc97854a6f3f/DSCF1571.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out The old railway siding pulls up below the grain shoots where they would load the rail cars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8a6e5f4e-cd24-4445-bc13-53cc760823ba/DSCF1572.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/1i8ifvxcybvrtuo8v8dk152jx8h1v2 monthly 0.5 2023-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2771f47d-0241-4df5-b6e1-e8cf473ddd85/watch-the-video.gif Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Click on the link above to watch the video. YouTube will open in a new window. The individual photos and descriptions can be seen below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c316c9c-162f-427d-9bd4-4913f7c7a2b3/DSCF1452.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Today we took a trip back to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. We have been here several times before and have photos from those trips; but this time, I wanted to do some B&W images. We stayed entirely in the Irvine Park region on this trip. These are some images from the Glen Lock Lake area and the small river that leads from Glen Lock Lake into the Chippewa River. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bde8736e-5d13-4a0b-aa1a-edbf52978db9/DSCF1456.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/67d0e9ae-8baa-4f5a-a6c0-e65d72ca71fe/DSCF1460.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Some ducks and geese out for a swim in the pond at Irvine Park Zoo. The water was covered with a green algae but it didn’t seem to bother them and didn’t even stick to their feathers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0ec6e0be-a000-4074-ad22-516632d95160/DSCF1463.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out The Glen Lock Dam from below. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3fae511f-8e59-426b-89bf-10f56423ecd2/DSCF1472.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Using a 6-stop ND filter allowed me to get this nice look to the running water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45f57f6f-3e52-4969-ae46-9b3f9e27e4d3/DSCF1478.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Glen Lock Lake from the pedestrian walkway and boat launch. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/17364a33-9ea7-44a4-a712-fa6a7bcf80ef/DSCF1482.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f937cff7-9943-4d17-ba44-5ff0c5ec5291/DSCF1485.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Above the dam. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f552c9b5-27b3-4f44-b7ef-d6a160bd9aa5/DSCF1489.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out This is a very nicely built and rather substantial walkway and bridge over the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b970d908-fb5b-437c-9956-0ca1f007e790/DSCF1490.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a431f6fd-949e-4ee3-8ed9-c88d0e5e5705/DSCF1491.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out This bridge is rather substantial and rather impressive when you consider it is just for pedestrian traffic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/36c747c9-6069-4727-8ea2-ab512bea46ca/DSCF1494.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out This unique building in residential Chippewa Falls, WI is now home to a storage company. However, it is outfitted with some great old antiques consistent with a historical garage. I’ve photographed it previously, but this really needed to be done in B&W. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a9790241-2deb-4cb4-b681-276a4762f89b/DSCF1497.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e61ef6d6-f689-4e76-9023-3af93a5140ba/DSCF1498.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/28e2a24f-dfe1-4b7c-9f96-389b4600fe79/DSCF1500.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6311e9c2-14d7-43a8-bba3-339334d56539/DSCF1501.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bbff2efc-c3aa-495b-aa9e-dd16b7c16df5/DSCF1503.jpg Photo Blog - Chippewa Falls, WI - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/red-wing-amp-hastings-mn monthly 0.5 2023-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12b2372a-71c0-490c-9899-2c8cca935f3d/watch-the-video.gif Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out For this entry of the blog we tried something new. We have trialed making a short YouTube video that combines color video with B&W photography of the places we visit. Click on the image above to open the video in YouTube in a new window. The photographs can still be viewed individually below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d97509e5-5a14-4f93-8823-5de27657ed89/DSCF1421.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Today was an absolutely beautiful summer day in the mid-70’s and we took a ride to visit Lock & Dams #2 and #3. We started here in Red Wing, MN at Lock & Dam #3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f2d5bfe6-1cbb-4e90-9143-40aa178f0ad1/DSCF1418.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out When we arrived at the locking chamber this tour boat from the Treasure Island Resort and Casino was pulling into the lock. They were headed south after leaving the resort, which is located just north of this lock & dam. You can see the Red Wing nuclear power plant in the background with what appears to be columns of steam rising into the sky. We can only assume the steam is from the water used to cool the nuclear reactors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/398511d2-cb8e-49d4-b358-3851922227e4/DSCF1419.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/481332c6-e518-486f-9bd9-85986335489f/DSCF1317.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out The captain’s bridge as he navigates into lock & Dam #3. He also narrates the tour as he pilots. The lower level of the boat appeared to be a buffet style dining area and everyone was enjoying a brunch on the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/822ccee6-acc8-44b5-8382-eec6fee23235/DSCF1420.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Here are a series of images looking north toward the nuclear power plant from lock & dam #3. You can really appreciate the steam columns in some of these photos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c6df631-2c4b-4732-9e62-311e73f02b9a/DSCF1313.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2412a37b-af0b-4700-8d1b-25dacfbcf68b/DSCF1316.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out I find looking at an active nuclear power plant to be fascinating. I’m rather sure they wouldn’t offer public tours of such a facility, but if they did, I would jump on that opportunity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65a3f5c0-2b46-4a67-b4b3-27b131a935c0/DSCF1314.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out This tug was parked adjacent to the main locking chamber. This appears to be one of the tugs they use to help the larger barges navigate into the chamber, especially when the river is running particularly high/fast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8293b6df-4335-49e6-a1f3-29e524bff439/DSCF1321.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out The area around Lock & Dam #3 is a refuge for wildlife and this egret was fishing for an afternoon meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e5e36036-30df-4a44-a37c-9542acd7e754/DSCF1424.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d6c15c2a-af89-45e6-be01-7adbfe75a38f/DSCF1433.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Next, we drove up to Hastings and walked from downtown up the river to Lock & Dam #2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a76affac-385f-4287-825f-d7845fc3f4d7/DSCF1432.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb242af9-1d6e-4ee6-b6af-d689ef17c189/DSCF1431.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e299036d-d5c6-4e5c-a37c-d3aadefbafb2/DSCF1430.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out We always enjoy this train bridge over the Mississippi. The middle of the bridge lifts up to allow taller boats and sail boats and barges to pass below. It was down today because there were no tall boats in the vicinity and several trains passed through in the time we were there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/13b854fa-9680-4d35-a212-d88408734566/DSCF1425.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out We were lucky enough to catch this locomotive pulling its load southbound down the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5010dfeb-f0d1-47cd-a440-6a642691905f/DSCF1426.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out We enjoyed the juxtaposition of the huge train going over the bridge and the small private boat heading down the river below it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5345c856-c839-4d3c-a228-df10cf36ab5b/DSCF1435.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out This appears to be an old factory building along the river, we assume maybe a “brickyard” based upon the BKYD sign on the side. We have watched this over the past several years as it underwent renovations. Now, it is clear this is The Confluence Hotel and it should to be opening soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6107dd31-5d72-4244-aea8-b01cfba776a2/DSCF1436.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8448ab4e-cfd4-440a-9a75-0f6d081ebb43/DSCF1437.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out This large steel contraption is where the barges would tie up along the river. This one is now on display along an area of the pedestrian walkway that juts out into the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a2e839fb-27be-463a-96ea-a9f0caea81b3/DSCF1439.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out The light was falling strongly upon the opposite bank of the river and made for some interesting contrast in this photo. You can see a northbound train coming into the frame from the left side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0055f2ab-28d1-449b-90d1-0617dde30fe8/DSCF1440.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1bf51698-1c0b-4caf-95b1-5e3ab9dc8234/DSCF1441.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out The puffy white clouds were beautiful on this amazing day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/76f56d8b-5b22-480b-87d5-c703bab8a03d/DSCF1442.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Some images of the locking chamber and dam at Lock & Dam #2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/553bb661-280f-4586-9107-1139ef653966/DSCF1443.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/140f1f4e-f27b-4fe0-b2dc-3780e5dd807c/DSCF1444.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8cdc59c6-b5aa-4d2b-b601-642e3611cb69/DSCF1446.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Using a red filter, the blue sky and white clouds made for some nice contrast in this image of the power lines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9a851440-40a1-4844-99e9-4cd50d02f4f4/DSCF1447.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Some fishing from the shore below the dam. The light reflecting on the opposite shore was beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0421cdd4-5472-4714-98a5-c16da8cf9155/DSCF1448.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out These structural pieces from an old bridge are now left along the pedestrian walkway as an art exhibit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f2057cb5-5b7c-41b8-9150-40cf3bcc8b22/DSCF1449.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out I liked the framing of the two bridges in this image. The roadway bridge in the foreground and the railway in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/efd909b7-430d-4072-af9c-9dfc5f83a457/DSCF1450.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing & Hastings, MN - Make it stand out Art along the walkway. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/wabasha-amp-steele-county-fair monthly 0.5 2023-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ebe54598-33c2-4698-a277-e9e753312128/DSCF1337.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out We stated the day with a visit and stroll thorough Wabasha and ended with a visit to the Steele County Fair in Owatonna. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ddfc8e9d-dc1b-4c07-8264-3660445f50e7/DSCF1338.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The National Eagle Center and its grounds continue to undergo renovations and expansion. Looks like it will be quite impressive once the entire project is completed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7db5073b-f98d-431a-b3c6-48abad312bb1/DSCF1339.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/deea52a2-01d7-4f66-b914-4a3308db1475/DSCF1340.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Not in this photo, but the pleasure boat traffic on the Mississippi was active as people enjoyed the wonderful late summer weather. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9a4720a0-1466-4a8c-bf27-559889fe49cf/DSCF1341.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The Catholic cemetery in Wabasha has an old section with some very interesting and weathered monuments. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c86b53e0-865c-4c0b-b890-10d360fe078d/DSCF1342.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fa6c0222-808c-44be-96b9-02182bdc0beb/DSCF1344.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out This empty lot on 4th Street East in Wabasha serves as a woodpile for someone. They build these rather elaborate stacks of firewood. As we are approaching fall the piles are well-stocked and throughout the winter they will slowly be depleted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/68954613-6819-4e72-8ca3-6649656adc2f/DSCF1345.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out This home overlooks the back of the marina in Wabasha. They have some wonderful landscaping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/714b1fb4-58e0-4bf3-a071-d7dca2178578/DSCF1346.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out A large southbound barge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b243619-e63a-4da5-b680-265dd7fc6f4e/DSCF1348.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c6d30da-6712-48bd-8973-d34ca4e9c800/DSCF1349.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Most of the flowers along Lawrence Blvd East have gone past their prime, but this one wasn’t quite ready to give up yet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/65cd86c7-711a-4408-8d6f-390b4d28334a/DSCF1350.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The Steele County Fairground shares some property with the Steele County Historical Society and they have the Village of Yesteryear. The buildings and historical artifacts have appeared in this blog before, but here are some more. It is always such an enjoyable place to wander around and lends itself to some interesting photos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/94a5ddd3-e530-4205-b723-b1f68842d510/DSCF1351.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/35c3b545-50ec-4ca4-9eaa-11375be54d29/DSCF1353.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3a9f1dd8-a1c2-4636-854e-1eac43fc42aa/DSCF1354.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The light falling on this red velvet seat demanded to be in color. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b870280b-22cb-4fc6-8af4-1d927b0bf287/DSCF1355.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9145276e-655b-4712-9a99-3e5f65090031/DSCF1356.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out All of the buildings in the Town of Yesteryear were once located in other parts of Steele County and subsequently moved to the fairgrounds to serve as the focal point of the exhibits. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fde6bea0-f5ac-4036-ab5b-a76bba8b226c/DSCF1359.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out During the fair, the buildings are open and staffed by volunteers from the Historical Society. It is fun to go in and look around at all the old antiques. This is from inside the school and shows the old lunch pails, thermoses and hand-carried lanterns they used in the era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e8bc72bb-b288-4026-ba82-e54a68b63dbe/DSCF1360.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out “The old ball & chain…. When the fails were full, work release might formerly mean attaching a ball and chain to prevent prisoners from running away while at hard labor. At 65 pounds avoirdupois, this particular ball & chain may have been used to tether livestock or perhaps even a peripatetic spouse!” -From display on site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/697ce36a-1ca5-43d5-81da-7912b3a46e84/DSCF1361.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out This typewriter had two entirely different sets of keys, one for lower-case and one for upper-case letters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/489aae8d-1428-4044-bc54-7db646a1c864/DSCF1370.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4307096a-a2bd-42a4-a359-7a7dc55ed273/DSCF1367.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9b8aae5a-526a-450b-9491-d6c75f5a791f/DSCF1368.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/31a3480b-77fc-4d7f-a2f9-9d5f59b17f7d/DSCF1369.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The country store also served as the post office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ca44caa6-91ab-433f-a02d-338c2ceed148/DSCF1371.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e902d080-be7f-4e9b-abb2-94ff377403a0/DSCF1372.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c8e18602-906f-46d5-9588-afba71bd28ea/DSCF1375.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ce6d0674-7a77-4cfd-8354-e1800a14d794/DSCF1376.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad10ec38-ce94-4f1f-8c8d-68a755c2ee2a/DSCF1380.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/114fb2ed-c5d5-468b-bc5e-9545488f256f/DSCF1382.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Check out the treads on these tractor tires! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2f536714-e525-4ffa-b384-15abed4ed2cc/DSCF1383.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out This picture was painted directly on the inside wall. They built a “frame” around it an made it look like a painting hanging on the wall. Imaginative. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/11b90df7-2b80-4f68-80d3-e83907408e89/DSCF1385.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out These old seats don’t look all that comfortable for an entire day in the fields. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a5dcee1-6312-444f-951a-2d93f45946e9/DSCF1386.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b4f6a07c-ca7d-4b1f-8640-83e9e09cb690/DSCF1387.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out This device looks like it was involved in the installation of barbed-wire. These gears and chain made for an interesting image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1331aabe-fdd9-49e2-940c-43076079ef47/DSCF1388.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out I enjoyed that the phone number for this old lumber company was “61”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5f51b5f7-327c-4ff8-8b53-94760eab63be/DSCF1390.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out These are the gears that operate the drill press in the blacksmith’s shop. All these exposed gears and chains would never fly with OSHA today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ca8df8e4-8867-4249-bffc-9e40ea33728e/DSCF1391.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out It was a three-person project to get this cow ready for showing. They have a dedicated grooming station and use barbers shears and trimmers to get the job done, it’s quite a process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7f0b6d53-4cb4-43b6-8624-3ba2af7eb85f/DSCF1392.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Each year the car building features a different genre. Some years it has been hot rods, others it is antique family sedans. This year it was the Chevrolet Corvette. I believe this one was a 1964. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d325766-654d-41f6-9444-c5f8b7068244/DSCF1393.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8109b436-71ef-48e0-a428-177dc360f7b7/DSCF1401.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out On this Friday night the main stage had a band doing cover songs from the band Chicago. They were really quite good! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0607ab77-0283-4183-8320-5aeb1a71983d/DSCF1404.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out I really like the way that monochrome renders these nighttime shots of the band and stage lighting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b3049318-c99a-42f4-8b72-5bfe648f48b0/DSCF1406.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha & The Steele County Fair - Make it stand out This incredibly intricate model appears to consist of completely hand-crafted pieces and the detail is amazing! It won grand champion in its class. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/mower-county-fair monthly 0.5 2023-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/351af30a-5c0b-43aa-b888-a1d344920846/DSCF1272.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The Mower County Fair in Austin, MN. The County Fair shares the same location as the Mower County Historical Society and during fair week they have all the old historical buildings open for viewing. Here is the inside of the church building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0cdf699e-71a7-41e6-84aa-5d3338de6e82/DSCF1273.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The old country store is outfitted with products typical of the era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5fab493e-40b1-4fa2-b66c-e2c57e0d556e/DSCF1274.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e34dfde0-a4b4-45e3-9a9f-760063008db9/DSCF1284.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c69691ac-df9d-4e95-bc68-502f137296e1/DSCF1285.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf635b91-bfc3-428a-a358-ee6e9c6d6a8e/DSCF1275.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The transportation building has several old buggies and sleighs. This old Motel sign is hanging in the transportation building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/22eaacef-2db2-4acd-b09b-5e8965e63040/DSCF1276.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/befae970-bfec-4ec0-89b0-3f61a52b9a4a/DSCF1277.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out One of the buildings is entirely dedicated to the history of Hormel; a critical economic driver for the city of Austin, MN. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/307d8323-1036-4997-8cbc-b0a3f88d035d/DSCF1278.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The blacksmith’s shop is one of my favorites. They have a functional forge that a gentleman named Dan was operating. Dan said he was 85 years old but still felt young. He heated up an old nail and had me pound it flat on the anvil. What a fun experience. He called my creation a “letter opener”, and with some imagination, it could be exactly that. I have it as a souvenir, a big thanks to Dan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fad396b-c411-4c0e-9b20-5eb237835783/DSCF1279.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b97fa554-5509-4792-a78d-cf76a524b6c2/DSCF1280.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The railroad and train depot buildings are particularly interesting. This is the wheel mechanism on an old passenger car. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a506af75-0198-40a0-b1ab-f5b343623dfb/DSCF1281.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The Austin Historical Society is the final retirement site for this steam engine #1004. “The 1004 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1909 and began its service in 1910 for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.” “The last time the Milwaukee Road used a steam engine was March 16-17, 1957 on the night route to LaCross and back.” “Upon retirement in July 1957, the 1004 was donated to the City of Austin and moved to the Mower County Historical Society.” The 1004 is a ten-wheel engine, is 65 feet long, and weighs 154 tons! In its 56 years of service, it traveled over three million miles. -Information from interpretive plaque on site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f9f9ae05-00fd-4a20-a9d4-fdaaeabbc894/DSCF1286.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6055028c-4b86-44cc-88c0-8b0bef534bd9/DSCF1287.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Lisa operating the hand-crank siren on the old fire engine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d36af249-9ee9-4611-94e1-28a526635d4c/DSCF1288.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7553010d-3b15-421d-93a9-1dd774f68954/DSCF1289.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/150c6f24-ca80-4c4e-8dec-116db651dbd4/DSCF1291.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The “earless” goats. We are not sure what the deal is here, but I sure hope this breed comes this way and they don’t cut ears off intentionally. They have a lot of these at the fairs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e859ea6c-825b-4171-83cc-d27d7589b7cc/DSCF1294.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5083deed-3f79-405b-8771-8aa9ec53dca4/DSCF1295.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/afbfef23-5b1b-49d2-8258-1061437a343c/DSCF1296.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out This young man was out “exercising” his hog. Appeared to be practicing walking him before going into the ring to show. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d130b275-d879-47b9-b017-f42a83be6e20/DSCF1297.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6777e908-2828-43cb-af19-935865373e91/DSCF1298.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The hogs come in all different colors, but the classic pink pig is still my favorite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a43db214-373d-46f7-8d00-78e135822236/DSCF1299.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a472ff30-348f-4847-a7f3-05cb56acc0ee/DSCF1300.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1863cb5a-f13f-4daf-9ac6-3a2d8e04714c/DSCF1302.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out This earless goat appears to have a flag of Japan for a paint job. Okay, we found more info on these earless goats. According to Google: “LaManch, American breed of dairy goat known for its much-reduced external ears.” It’s good to know they come this way and are not having their ears cut off. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/67171fd2-4b35-46da-b444-c8f9042357ad/DSCF1307.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out This guys ears make up for the others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/330cab86-e6fa-4763-bb6d-3c982feed2f4/DSCF1308.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/26ad6539-61d4-4d54-a4ea-37eaaaebce42/DSCF1316.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out The draft horses are always impressive to see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cfebc407-906f-403c-98bf-832e0c481e20/DSCF1318.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e967ca86-1f6e-4a34-95fa-57a3cea171e1/DSCF1322.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/11215824-8ba7-4661-90ff-1a6ddc62dbce/DSCF1323.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4c46ee91-bae6-4245-93ad-566f2d0d9bc1/DSCF1324.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out This gal has a racing stripe down her back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/64bc23cf-47b2-4744-832c-d31de2fab31f/DSCF1326.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2fb6d3c9-9e76-4828-8adc-8a6c84bc2ba0/DSCF1329.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out We really appreciated this chicken’s colorful paintjob. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad113916-a1cf-4bb3-9824-f4e55e0b655e/DSCF1330.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out This is the way the corn looks when they harvest it. Unlike corn on the cob for general consumption, this is very dry and hard. In fact, if the water content is too when when harvested, the farmer will have to pay a drying fee to reduce the water content to acceptable levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/20d5a5dd-7b1a-49af-bb69-27944541cdea/DSCF1331.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Seeing gourds at the fairs always reminds us that summer is growing late and fall is just around the corner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fdf23c5c-051b-47f7-b662-bac4cb544938/DSCF1332.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whistle at the train depot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c5f503a1-3001-4714-aad9-e548f6677fe5/DSCF1333.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out This old wood burning stove and oven remind me of a near identical one that they had at an old fishing/hunting camp in upstate New York. The cabin belonged to the family of one of my father’s employees and each spring we would spend a long weekend there fishing. Each morning we would have breakfast of eggs and bacon made on a stove nearly identical to this one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0e75d910-b3fa-46ba-b24a-d13b3a9bc537/DSCF1334.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/036e532b-bbbd-49ee-8a23-7331cc7ede49/DSCF1336.jpg Photo Blog - Mower County Fair - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/l3ielp0l77ah13o2thc9u0sf94t09b monthly 0.5 2023-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8067f3a-0b8a-4551-ab13-96cf5df35ad7/DSCF1241.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out The Pickwick Mill in Pickwick, MN is an old grist mill built from 1854-1858. It is open to the public for tours on select days from May to October. The town of Pickwick was reportedly named by Mary Davis in 1857 after she read the Charles Dickens novel, Pickwick Papers. The mill is located on Big Trout Creek, which provided the power for the grist mill. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/680aebd7-ed50-4239-97d3-4a237fe77fb5/DSCF1240.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out The dam at Pickwick Mill with chain operated gates for regulation of the water flow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5c8dd04d-6144-40fc-99ac-4ce82455cff2/DSCF1239.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out The chain operated gate mechanism for the dam at Pickwick Mill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a9c7eb52-8d5b-4b61-8a29-7009bb34ff88/DSCF1243.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Equipment used in the milling process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71d47979-fe6e-4596-a1a7-c9301a6e2f7c/DSCF1265.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out The main part of today’s adventure was a walk on the Reno Dike Trail. This is a 6.8 mile out-and-back trail along the Mississippi starting in Reno, MN and ending here at the Minnesota side of Lock & Dam #8, known as the Genoa Lock & Dam. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b42bc95e-8c15-4853-84ce-13e85ea6484d/DSCF1267.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out The Minnesota end of Lock & Dam #8. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3e43421c-79e4-4cae-96bc-295549871e04/DSCF1246.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out There was a great deal of nature to enjoy along the walk. These lilli pads were huge and some had beautiful flowers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dedd7ad7-fa86-436e-b292-1593d6f23632/DSCF1247.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7cd13174-dcf5-4eea-af29-0aa985fca79c/DSCF1250.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f7d2c049-b979-4c88-95fe-bdfd085184ac/DSCF1248.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out All along the walk, there were MANY of these small skeletons of sun bleached bones. Our best guess is these are likely small rodents, such as the abundant rabbits which end up as dinner for the eagles and other birds of prey that are so common along the Mississippi. Here is a rather intact spinal column. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9383618e-7229-463f-aad4-1da644968d07/DSCF1249.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out This appears to be a pelvis, and seems most consistent with a rabbit by our best guess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9c68b470-f99b-4326-a18b-febaf2ad59ed/DSCF1263.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out More sun bleached vertebral bones. These little skeletons were everywhere along the trail. The eagles are well fed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/98bb6940-bd29-4e51-92aa-65cc744e8d89/DSCF1252.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Some thistle blossoms getting visited by a honeybee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/776196df-8f85-44dc-a6d3-9bfba684b0e1/DSCF1253.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Although it isn’t a Macro lens, the Fujifilm 33mm f/1.4 renders the small detail rather nicely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1b2cb6c7-fb28-4f22-a610-63df3418479e/DSCF1254.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c68b23d-1e49-4638-ab28-8d3715b90eea/DSCF1255.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out This piece of driftwood has clearly spent a good amount of time in the waters of the Mississippi. All the bark has been removed and the pale wood is very smooth to the touch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ff9fa47-dcaa-4bda-8328-6d3d0604d2c4/DSCF1262.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out The spring floods likely uproot these large trees, which then float down the river until they encounter something to temporarily halt their progress. Many have “beached” along the manmade dike. The water has washed away the dirt from their root balls, making the intricate branching of the roots visible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c3180ff6-4c02-4898-8740-d320c4e85eac/DSCF1271.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out This old tree would almost appear to have been “twisted” in some way. This doesn’t appear to be a natural way for the trunk of a tree to grow; in a spiral fashion like this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c88e077-3f76-4a3e-a438-353820c5d8a9/DSCF1258.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Escargot https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/479352e9-9baa-41db-b118-f383785fcdbb/DSCF1260.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out Northbound freight in the main channel just above Genoa Lock & Dam #8. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fb39fd4a-0c6f-450b-977a-37c68ad737b7/DSCF1268.jpg Photo Blog - Reno Dike Trail - Make it stand out This rock on the bank of the Mississippi was very porous and inside there were crystalline structures suggestive of a geode of some sort. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/change-in-direction monthly 0.5 2023-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/67e414c8-1fd7-4f56-83f7-2ceba4e0050e/DSCF1219.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out I am exploring the prospect of a change in the direction of my photography. Specifically, making the switch to concentrating on black-and-white images. As the quote above suggests, I do think it is more timeless, subjective, creative, and less distracting than color. So, let’s see where the pursuit of light & shadow, shapes, and texture takes me. Here is a series of practice photos aiming to capture some of these basic forms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0ae02e9f-c1d3-4458-982d-8b4ab51614e7/DSCF1220.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Rays of sunshine over Cascade Lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45a57781-368f-4ae1-9815-28a31348ad08/DSCF1221.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Leading lines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7199be10-c937-40e3-8eff-0cfe6ced54a9/DSCF1222.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Shadows and shapes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/499b2968-317c-4a56-84a4-95ade22313aa/DSCF1224.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Objects which wouldn’t necessarily make for interesting subjects in color can take on a more mysterious and moody form when presented in black-and-white. The absence of color and the distraction it provides allows the viewer to linger longer on the image and create a story in their mind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dff6d627-9c34-4b1a-ba11-f89b2a967b95/DSCF1225.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Variety of shapes and tones. This is the back-yard of a fuel oil company and these are some of their storage devices which sit empty on the back lot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/47ad9fbf-ba80-4696-93c6-a511b74a6bb7/DSCF1228.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Lourdes High School. Three crosses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e4b7e340-1561-4301-92dd-9bbd8d3badf5/DSCF1229.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out The contrast provided by shadows. Again, the absence of distracting color allows the viewer to linger a little longer and appreciate the complexity of what would otherwise be overlooked simply as a shadow; something we see every day and elect to otherwise ignore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d64b9228-bf85-4438-8e0e-ce618258ccc5/DSCF1231.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out I like the way the shadow provides a leading line directly to the dark figure walking away. Despite being in the mid-80’s, hot and humid that guy had on dark long jeans and a heavy long-sleeve sweatshirt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/158107a6-2a69-4789-b8a1-593a2857d28f/DSCF1232.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abafac4f-c666-418e-970e-9b2991a74286/DSCF1233.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Removing color allows the textures of these black-eyed-Susans to really stand out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/42e51f95-47bb-4185-ad24-fb08272ce674/DSCF1235.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out Black-and-white really makes the use of lighting an even more integral part of the artistic aspect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c0d91e0-6406-4de6-928a-dc476745e71d/DSCF1236.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out The ruins of the demolished dam take on a more timeless and textured nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2cc60062-4a6a-4241-ab3d-4789ac39ff88/DSCF1237.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out The use of a red filter turns what would usually be a bright blue sky into a moody and ominous looking one. I really enjoy the use of the light and contrast in this genre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/15d3df24-cfe7-41d9-88df-631589af634f/DSCF1238.jpg Photo Blog - Change in Direction - Make it stand out This was using the 33mm lens, but I am really looking forward to what I can create with the Macro lens in black-and-white. This is a direction I am going to explore for awhile. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/whitman-dike monthly 0.5 2023-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/305c3ba4-ed04-4363-92a0-cc9ba611c830/DSCF1172.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out We discovered this walking trail called the Whitman Dike in Cochrane, Wisconsin. It is a 6.8-mile out-and-back walk along the eastern shore of the Mississippi River. The views are quite nice and we look forward to visiting again in the fall when the foliage is changing. Today, the lily pads were blooming. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4957a181-fee3-42fc-bb0d-f5fd8ef6c70d/DSCF1173.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Across the river, on the western side, is the city of Minneiska, MN. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/60ad5ac2-a962-4c90-b824-2dfa41b3ae31/DSCF1174.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/72c03915-4d78-4d14-8831-9a6e307d1b16/DSCF1175.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e6f340ca-a3a2-404f-b10a-b8bfd63fab1a/DSCF1176.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out We didn’t have the proper lens for this shot, only had the 33mm with us for this walk. But, we will include it here anyway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/462f588e-33f5-43e0-a7fc-8ab7ed2c0e1c/DSCF1177.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/807657a8-d64b-4a3b-8331-2af7cc76aaf7/DSCF1179.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Navigation buoy to help the barges navigate the river’s main channel. Click on the MAP link below and using satellite view you can see the buoy out there in the river. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/515f3fe8-7674-4f12-a612-f2ecaced39d0/DSCF1181.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out You can really appreciate the bluffs along this stretch of the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8fd87141-e7c5-4982-9ca8-7dc6500dbfb1/DSCF1182.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Northbound Canadian Pacific Railroad train. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/be524f93-5ae2-426e-8aee-0aa09a51a1ac/DSCF1184.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Here is a new look at Lock & Dam 5. We always enjoy visiting this lock and dam on the Minnesota side, but we had never seen it from the Wisconsin side before. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/980fa4cb-e708-47f4-913f-799b4597c1af/DSCF1186.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7f1349de-3f1e-49cf-a79a-08527a875fd7/DSCF1188.jpg Photo Blog - Whitman Dike - Make it stand out On the way back to the car we stopped to say hi to this BIG gal. Wish I would have had the Macro lens for this one, but it still came out okay with the 33mm. This is a female Wolf Spider and those are all babies on the back of her large abdominal area. We have never seen this before. Lisa correctly identified those as baby spiders once we enlarged the photo afterwards. Looking up images of wolf spider with babies confirms she was correct. Now we really wish we had the Macro lens with us for this opportunity. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/dodge-amp-waseca-county-fairs monthly 0.5 2023-07-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/98676ff9-4601-46a3-9c33-6a0e44ff2130/DSCF1117.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Dodge County Fair. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2784809e-2f88-47eb-ab30-10aa0237af2a/DSCF1118.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f720254a-af68-428b-98dc-f9767e3456d5/DSCF1121.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f5f3bc37-deab-4b51-8dff-dc4f837c8405/DSCF1123.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/92853008-f4d7-40a6-b4c5-0c1a5aa54035/DSCF1124.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/778dba71-708f-4347-ac32-7d39bb88a5ce/DSCF1126.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out It is interesting that what appear to simply be “spots” on a cow, commonly have a surrounding lighter toned boarder. Just an interesting observation which you can’t appreciate when viewing from a distance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/81508f8c-81cf-4cac-888e-fee724653a8f/DSCF1128.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/49d69712-52bc-41cc-8ec9-3098d458c806/DSCF1130.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0924d444-1ed6-433f-b3ed-56222fbcfbe9/DSCF1131.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/284b7e80-9746-4c9a-8ef5-796fa270a151/DSCF1133.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5217dad3-52de-480a-ade0-e13ece7fe483/DSCF1135.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29f0547b-395f-4c11-8a1e-ec49c4ba1ded/DSCF1144.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dc5b0eca-18e3-4112-b240-e3865934a2e9/DSCF1150.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7273727c-41b9-44d5-9be4-bfd20e85a033/DSCF1158.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aa1832d6-bb07-4ac8-bfa4-e5e023fddcb8/DSCF1159.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f394684a-62b6-4732-82c2-f87b690ec607/DSCF1162.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/495d7731-82fd-4a09-a51d-0f67d9a3055c/DSCF1163.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Later the same day, we visited the Waseca County Fair. These are the images from that second fair. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f32ec011-99de-4049-8721-49a25124742a/DSCF1164.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dd275dc2-4e2c-4a71-b1ca-cfd0ff71e075/DSCF1165.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1049ae5-d2fe-456c-901c-da647baff819/DSCF1166.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/16d664d1-3972-4bbb-8617-c3b170c88cec/DSCF1167.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d730a42d-ec7d-40db-97b5-c4408850f23a/DSCF1168.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/db2fcc8c-9426-4665-88de-2aa15c015ec3/DSCF1171.jpg Photo Blog - Dodge & Waseca County Fairs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/lock-amp-dam-1 monthly 0.5 2023-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3493da48-f719-4381-82c5-2b37ddccf323/DSCF1089.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out “Lock and Dam No. 1 is one of 29 lock and dams along the Upper Mississippi River. These 29 locks and dams form the 9-foot Navigation Channel allowing for travel of barges and tows from St. Anthony Falls to the Gulf of Mexico and making Minneapolis - St. Paul a major trade and transshipment center to the world. Recreation craft, ranging from canoes and power boats to floating palace excursion boats, also benefit from this structural solution to the rapids, rocks, and snags which formerly threatened to destroy the vessels that braved this river.” -Interpretive plaque on site. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2f4e057d-035e-4cf6-9473-22f4c6fd66bc/DSCF1093.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1f8d992c-d82c-4a62-a5f4-63c3c6f71bb1/DSCF1094.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ca5ad650-3351-4256-8c90-f8fe7f5cf338/DSCF1099.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out “The Mississippi River 9-foot channel project was authorized by Congress in 1930. The project provides a continuous navigation channel for the commerce that enhances your life. Navigation of this waterway is made possible by 29 locks and dams. The 29 locks combine to raise or lower boats about 420 feet in the 630 mils between St. Anthony Falls, Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri. There are no locks on the Mississippi between St. Louis and the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 700 miles.” -Interpretive plaque on site. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0df764cd-94ad-45fe-877a-8edd52aa3a3a/DSCF1101.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out The hydropower generation plan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ba0d2380-cb7b-4991-addf-3b85a85790cc/DSCF1102.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out A few interesting views of the falls. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bcc2e4a0-6c6b-4ef9-b3c0-a113af466fc8/DSCF1103.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2c8d0c5d-b68f-4342-9ef3-69012e7ec9b9/DSCF1104.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out Standing here, the sound of the water over the falls is really quite impressive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/be4b0951-1fbd-437c-a665-03a806658221/DSCF1105.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out The water above the falls is eerily peaceful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45808f4b-40e6-444f-b7a8-b0d777133a7e/DSCF1106.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out These manmade waterfalls are amazingly impressive feats of engineering. However, they also seem so intimidating when one considers the power of nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dee00402-fb98-4c3a-9e01-0d205f25f313/DSCF1107.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out This locking chamber is located closest to the river side of the facility and is called the riverward lock accordingly. Construction of this locking chamber was completed in 1930. On the day we visited it was not operational, as you can see from the buoy and chain blocking the downriver entry/exit. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a67f10c4-c4a1-4cd6-94ef-3005c2c074cc/DSCF1108.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out “Navigation on this stretch of the river in its natural state upstream from St. Paul to Minneapolis was hazardous. During high flows, the current was swift, and during low flows, huge boulders made navigation almost impossible. It wasn’t until after development of the locks and dams here that the transport of flour and grain from Minneapolis to the Gulf of Mexico, and coal and bulk products from downriver to Minneapolis, became possible.” -Interpretive plaque on site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6b153c0f-44c3-47f9-8362-a02fcad7bc14/DSCF1109.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out “On July 3, 1917, Lock and Dam No. 1, with hydroelectric capability of 15,200 horsepower, was opened for navigation. Six years after completion, a lease was negotiated with the Ford Motor Corporation for utilization of the dam’s power capabilities. Between 1917 and 1925, the upper pool was used primarily by pleasure craft; the main reason being the lack of adequate terminals and turning basins. All barge traffic was halted in August 1929 when the lower lock gate failed. To ensure against future interruption and in anticipation of a 9-foot channel between Minneapolis and St. Louis, the decision was made to build twin lock chambers. The first lock - the riverward lock (right in this photo) - was completed in 1930 and the second - the landward lock (left in this photo) - was placed into operation in 1932.” -Interpretive plaque on site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/82bf551f-6a86-4211-8544-94141fb22868/DSCF1113.jpg Photo Blog - Lock & Dam #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/birds-amp-reptiles monthly 0.5 2023-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb322876-062f-46ee-8cd7-4d764588649c/DSCF0603.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out We set out today with the XF 150-600mm attached to the X-H2S in hopes of getting some images of birds and other wildlife along the Mississippi. Before we even got to the river this guy was sunning himself on the road near Weaver, MN. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/366e0fa7-676c-4962-b706-4f42916bc094/DSCF0605.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out This common foxglove was at Lock & Dam #5. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bd678dd5-6a7d-4b70-97fd-42da9ab580a4/DSCF0606.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out The view down into the city of Winona, MN, and over the bridge to Wisconsin from the Garvin Heights City Park overlook. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2aac4f53-9b26-4fc3-8035-1cbf2ad4d4d9/DSCF0607.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Looking at Veterans Memorial Park from Garvin Heights. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6929f2f0-4249-42ad-83ac-4fdf73b0f11f/DSCF0614.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out This family of turtles were sunning themselves on a beautiful Sunday morning in Pettibone Park, WI. The roadway into the park is closed due to the horrible damage it sustained from the spring flooding. There are areas where the roadway has been completely undermined and torn apart. There are trees that clearly came down the river and crashed into some of the buildings and completely bent street signs over at 90-degree angles. It will take an incredible amount of work to bring the park back to what it was before the flood. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c94ede4f-1df8-42c7-8286-37307d534482/DSCF0618.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out With traffic in the park greatly reduced due to the damage, the wildlife took over. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/28288099-ee0a-463e-aa3e-44df5125e6a7/DSCF0620.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out We hadn’t expected to see this in the park, so I was still using just the 55-200mm lens. Can only imagine how close we could have gotten with the 600mm. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fbfbc266-36c7-4fcc-bb43-28d75f1d8522/DSCF0622.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out We were maybe 30-40 yards from the bird, but that was plenty close enough for him/her to decide it was time to head out. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cb4391b0-068a-4b61-8d36-c1feb788fc39/DSCF0637.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out In the town of New Albin, IA - just below the border with MN - there is a Wildlife Management Area where we were able to walk out as far as possible until the road was still flooded over. There were a number of Egrets and other birds, but they wouldn’t let us get more than 50-75 yards from them and they took off. The 600mm worked well, but these birds are still a bit too far away. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cd0771d6-cb36-4647-88ae-35e8a08224c1/DSCF0639.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out These sandpipers were bathing and drinking from the water covering the flooded dirt road into the Wildlife Management Area. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8ef847b2-4b93-4ef8-8663-db408f891f39/DSCF0646.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a1841ab-8cc6-4721-b339-79f5ba10af7e/DSCF0650.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out These Trumpeter Swans were doing some preening in the far distance. If you have never heard them make noise, they get their names from the sound they make; and it sounds just like a trumpet section of the orchestra warming up. These two were at least 200 yards out - if not further - so, the image is sketchy at best. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6bac25e8-012c-4045-b806-07c71a4bb029/DSCF0655.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out The redwing blackbirds are always very photogenic and don’t mind being close enough to get some quality images. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/43226116-3b07-46cb-90bb-37e1892f3084/DSCF0659.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Okay, this Northern Flicker Woodpecker has quite a story. We first noticed him here on the ground at the edge of a kids’ sandbox at the park in New Albin, IA. At first, we thought we were dealing with a “special needs” woodpecker. He just lay here on the ground, on his side, looking up into the sky. We figured he was injured or maybe he had suffered some brain damage from whacking his head too hard against a tree. He sat like this the entire time we ate our picnic lunch at the picnic table nearby. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ee78bd81-4ecb-41aa-9da7-1d3bd4b0a7da/DSCF0664.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out When we were just about to go check on him, he raised his head a little more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d7b49c0f-1c0e-4e1f-90ee-dafae9901651/DSCF0672.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Well, now we had some hope for the guy. He had almost righted himself completely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ccf2814e-8fd4-4634-bd8f-a66e3339da4b/DSCF0673.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Then, he popped-up and flew away, like he had nothing wrong and fully intended to just chill in the sandbox until the time came to take flight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c638ef0a-d492-49ed-bb44-83006d7697ca/DSCF0678.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Happy to see that he was alright, we figured he deserved some more flattering photos in a more natural pose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c522b78f-0a96-40ac-8ede-aa66f8157500/DSCF0684.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out He took care of a little preening to get the sand out of his feathers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3fe3ab08-314f-4dd5-8e0a-81d6bdcfcb38/DSCF0685.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0ddc90a6-1cec-460b-90c2-9c53bb826787/DSCF0687.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out We encountered this Baltimore Oriole at Goose Island Park in La Crosse, WI. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4e3d510a-cffc-47d2-bb16-4cd514c1e756/DSCF0692.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out A river otter we believe. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/388477a1-1aae-4c4b-a80c-67f1686a9a0c/DSCF0693.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out More turtles enjoying a warm sunny day. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e5ce2248-ac03-4226-a829-0ded635c94fe/DSCF0694.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e15fbe6b-2ca5-4c13-9b02-ac7aef7e708e/DSCF0696.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out This bullfrog had it in his mind that he was going to cross the road. Figuring that wasn’t such a wise choice we convinced him otherwise and chased him back into the river. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bb5e802f-a1f1-47a7-9f29-078110fab843/DSCF0698.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out By the looks of his smile, I think he appreciated our efforts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0c6cbdb4-249f-4c37-8e6e-20d856417a57/DSCF0700.jpg Photo Blog - Birds & Reptiles - Make it stand out This tree swallow sat still long enough for a quick shot. Generally, these are some very fast-moving birds and they don’t seem to like to sit still very long. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/mankato-amp-st-peter monthly 0.5 2023-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/287afc12-a9ef-4c9a-b169-07ad0b3dafac/DSCF0547.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out We had never been to downtown Mankato, MN before so decided to walk around and check things out. This mural depicting diversity is painted on the grain elevator silos on Riverfront Drive. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d2276c46-d289-4b81-b31d-62d0f974fdf3/DSCF1772.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Not sure how this image was created; if it was in some fashion computer generated or if it was actually drawn by an artist. If the latter, it is amazing to consider the scale and the complexity of the canvas being a rounded surface and what that must do to the proportions and perspective. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c4779570-4343-49c1-94b2-49687ce0baec/DSCF1770.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Reconciliation Park statue. “The limestone statue of a white buffalo is a symbol of the spiritual survival of the Dakota people and honors the Dakota heritage of this area. A prayer written by Dakota Spiritual Leader Amos Owen calls for reconciliation by all people. Local sculptor Thomas Miller is the artist.” -From interpretive plaque on site. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/618fb4af-f180-445b-b02a-3beeed9e4f79/DSCF1769.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Mankato has an active street art scene with many pieces located all throughout the downtown streets. We ran into a least two groups on guided art walk tours hearing about the different pieces from guides. Might be fun to take one of those tours someday. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d4a9dd5a-494a-4406-bfc4-64528b006642/DSCF1773.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out In addition to all the sculpture art, they also have some interesting painted murals on several buildings. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/91a18592-af42-4813-b458-686fd618cdd7/DSCF1776.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Moose on the Loose by Michael Legatt. “Artist Statement: While out walking through willow - Mother Nature inspired me to sculpt a moose. I could see how each willow piece - bent just right - would form a part of the body. Walking on high ground, I saw ironwood trees and I saw how they would make the skeleton of the moose. After hundreds of willow pieces, thousands of pin nails - plus one in my finger - and many coats of Linseed Oil finish, it was finished.” MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d597524e-68de-427a-be0d-b7724eb9608a/DSCF1779.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Viktor by Jefferson Davis. “Artist Statement: Viktor: A powerful and fierce warrior that stands down to nothing. Courageous, yet kind. A legacy of triumph assembled by many pieces and many personalities. An idol: Hammered from steel … and forged in the glory of Minnesotan hearts.” MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6c672b6c-0ac7-41ad-92cc-a097a5b62daa/DSCF1781.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0e456695-77b3-40da-a030-a4cbc4663de8/DSCF0550.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1967a8e2-9f90-4c50-bbb2-38bb3ca7c3d6/DSCF1787.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Double Trouble by Scott Schlag. “Artist Statement: This sculpture epitomizes the characters of our dog Jake and cat Sylvia. They were always getting into some kind of trouble. It is a memorial to them.” For those who have followed this blog, you may recall another Jake sculpture. Check out the post from October 11, 2021 - Day Trip #7 - to see “Jake on Bass.” MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b7a84663-b9de-42a9-b0ac-084afed47380/DSCF1785.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Blue Earth County Historic Courthouse. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf04291a-93b0-4733-91b5-4b388f62113c/DSCF0551.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Not far from downtown Mankato is Minneopa State Park. This is a smaller size Minnesota State Park. but it has a nice waterfall and across the road they have a bison drive where you drive your car among the wandering bison. The river was running rather high and quite dirty from the sediment it was carrying. Here is a view of the main falls at a shutter speed of 1/320 sec to stop the action. You can really appreciate how dirty the water is in this photo. Compare it to a similar shot below with an ND filter and shutter speed of 3.5 seconds, it makes the water look “smooth” and much less dirty. You can decide which effect you prefer. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/18a08009-6467-4b3a-b6dc-a679e025486f/DSCF1795.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out The main falls with an ND filter and shutter speed of 3.5 seconds. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb3042fd-187a-49e5-b3f0-3b4f7f4c6b8e/DSCF1789.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out The upper falls are located just above the pedestrian bridge. Normally, there is a stairway that accesses the area below the main falls. Someday we may visit again when it is open; it would likely provide some interesting photo perspectives. However, due to the high flow right now this walkway was closed because of safety issues. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f3a6cacf-cc50-4f2b-a50c-d1bb8c846c8c/DSCF1798.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out At the far end of the Minneopa State Park Bison Drive we parked and walked the Seppman Mill Trail. This is a photo of the Seppman Mill. Historic Significance: The Seppman Mill is a historic windmill that was built in 1862 by Louis Seppman, a German immigrant. It served as a grist mill, grinding wheat, corn, and other grains into flour for the local community. Design: The mill is a five-story wooden structure with a traditional Dutch-style design. It features a rotating cap and sails that harness the power of the wind to turn the grinding stones inside the mill. Preservation Efforts: The Seppman Mill was restored and preserved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the 1990s. It stands as a testament to the region's agricultural heritage and the importance of milling in the area's history. Scenic Location: The Seppman Mill is located in Minneopa State Park, which offers picturesque views of the Minnesota River Valley. Visitors can enjoy hiking trails, a stunning waterfall, and the opportunity to observe bison in the park's bison range. Operation went well until 1873 when lightning struck, knocking off two of the arms and sails. These were replaced and operation continued until 1880 when a tornado again tore off two arms. These were not replaced but operation continued until 1890 when another storm finally damaged the structure beyond repair. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/476a7cad-bf21-49ed-b356-b418a09a7364/DSCF0602.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out After Mankato, we drove to St. Peter, MN to tour The Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus College. All the photos below were from the grounds of the arboretum trying out my new 80mm Macro lens. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/61685842-e334-41a8-841b-a69af3ad91a1/DSCF0555.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7fc7750f-9a4c-49df-b60f-2d5c526287f4/DSCF0556.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1acc521b-218f-4b25-9139-583fdaa9263a/DSCF0557.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/730cca29-f4b2-49c9-bb9c-28a6f6d15896/DSCF0560.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf2501f4-1c63-45ee-b8f8-9f3142933653/DSCF0563.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b727fe91-9e06-4405-a2ae-6443010a7211/DSCF0566.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out The little green bug on this flower was interesting. Macro photography really lends itself to intricate pictures of insects, but they are a real challenge because they don’t sit still!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/955e36f2-36cc-4e10-96f6-eb5c068daeb1/DSCF0572.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1dbe1931-e77a-48eb-95fe-cbd21a8b0778/DSCF1801.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/34a65a13-247c-4300-9d4e-b9492ecd8c34/DSCF0573.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out The macro lens really brings out the intricate details. Check out the individual “hairs” on this Sumac branch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5bd6f3f1-a2b5-47f3-895d-7dacc852f9db/DSCF0574.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3bd98144-001d-4eff-9a79-27bfbdd68c0b/DSCF0576.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/51a484d6-7a55-4d16-b0fd-e222f58681ed/DSCF0579.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad7bed3e-c5fa-4342-bea3-3f42a59441a9/DSCF0580.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out The depth-of-field for macro photography is really razor thin. This image was taken at an f-stop of f/22 and still the focus is just on the inner aspect of the flower while the petals are out of focus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d82c56bd-561b-4e76-9e20-ec093296d1f1/DSCF0581.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/af8c6d32-a8cf-424e-821c-dcceb5d307a9/DSCF0582.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e11cc66c-8b0d-4b78-a21d-1b52e72e4c4a/DSCF0584.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1647ef33-3b67-4b20-9047-91a4268e17e1/DSCF0586.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f436fd35-eff2-4c83-8cc5-91dadf65e504/DSCF0587.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41d73e81-e3e4-4ac8-b543-ef4e8c5d6c6e/DSCF0588.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/56f6ddf0-f41f-4b80-a5fb-a1ccec2d8a91/DSCF0593.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e4665ee1-8779-4aa3-9e2a-076a4077efdd/DSCF0594.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ffd10668-bfd4-48bc-a4b4-2c3f7646bc19/DSCF0595.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/95f5b79b-37aa-4438-9b05-8c4db19b5edf/DSCF0596.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cb76587-80c5-4165-bcf6-2b9f1c17f053/DSCF0597.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/52a15436-6a59-4de2-8a6e-e0bcf2b93cea/DSCF1802.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cd519c2-07bf-4270-aa07-adbc5ee6f914/DSCF0601.jpg Photo Blog - Mankato & St. Peter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/effigy-mounds-national-monument monthly 0.5 2023-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d72133d7-74ae-4b88-abef-93fe5f2d9d4e/DSCF0318.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Effigy Mounds National Monument involves a rather steep hike to the top of the bluffs along the Mississippi. However, once you get to the top of the trail you are rewarded with some spectacular views. Here we are looking southward, down the Mississippi River. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48c58678-6a82-4e48-9edf-dde8fd4fb768/DSCF0319.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Some fall foliage in full display. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/01fed3ed-48ee-42d0-9dc6-e48c0cdd5209/DSCF0320.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8b197994-8d3e-4ccc-a367-205853d10007/DSCF0322.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out This was an interesting looking fungus along the trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/92a916db-9c20-4197-afe3-86d3e82b42ef/DSCF0323.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out The view from another of the overlooks. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5643f122-5032-4a48-9ef5-8d64e5de21a1/DSCF1758.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4ca963b2-98ca-47e3-9857-336a1b825201/DSCF1757.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out This is always one of our favorite views from the bluff. You can see the Great River Road (Iowa Rt 76), the railroad, and the Mississippi River; three very important means of transportation. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/36ff1bd6-d104-41c0-a80b-450a207d8a30/DSCF1759.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14d901c1-05d1-458d-93e1-79a222102ae6/DSCF1760.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a5536767-08c7-4f0b-a5df-fad979b9129a/DSCF0325.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out This farm is located across the river on the Wisconsin side as viewed from the top of the bluff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9e1327e6-77ef-46db-bbc2-bb74cd051d5f/DSCF1761.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out Here is one of the mounds. Some are simple hills like this and others are more elaborate, made in the shape of animals. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fad16d53-1db9-4ec7-9bf4-6d63ca0aa26e/DSCF1762.jpg Photo Blog - Effigy Mounds National Monument - Make it stand out On this particular day, we walked the trail all the way to the very end to Hanging Rock Overlook. This is the view from the end of the trail looking northward upriver. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-2022-day monthly 0.5 2023-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b308de61-6fe7-4889-a127-21c66bea2079/DSCF0295.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Day #5 started with a ride down Highway 16A with a stop at the Norbeck Overlook with a view of Mt. Rushmore in the distance. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0236d9ba-df5e-4fbe-8a5c-367bf3a05746/DSCF0297.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a6a188fe-0c40-4604-b282-8c03a02ce75c/DSCF0298.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out A typical view of the black hills. Always special! MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41b3ff2a-d818-4fd6-844b-d054d1144ee7/DSCF0300.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Just can’t get enough of these views. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f4290cbd-e3c1-4c87-977d-2fced1621cbb/DSCF0301.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out This is the view from the top of the Lovers Leap hiking trail. This is a 4.2-mile loop trail. We went left at the decision point - taking a clockwise course around the loop. This decision led to a very steep climb to the top of the hill and then a gradual descent on the other side. Given the choice, I would probably go in the counter-clockwise direction if given the choice again. The trees show signs of the fire that went through this area. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d3a015c6-b1bb-4509-b79d-af286b192a39/DSCF0303.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Many of the hiking trails around Custer State Park have these metal medallions. They are meant to be copied by placing a piece of paper over it and making a rubbing image with a pencil. If you collect a certain number of them you can obtain a token/badge from the park rangers. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/357b2595-cb61-4fd9-bf63-61492e286541/DSCF0304.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Another view from the top of Lovers Leap Trail. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05ac51c3-2897-491d-ba5c-5579ee7743b9/DSCF1750.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Can really appreciate the fire damage here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f0abfeab-9805-42b5-b399-8d0ded36ba44/DSCF1751.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out This sign along the trail speaks the truth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99ab5fec-18b0-4fa4-b77b-684357cf06c3/DSCF1752.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Continuing along the trail, as you come down from the top of the hill, the terrain begins to change and the rock formations return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7176f35d-84cb-474e-861f-d5e6202d021f/DSCF1753.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out The trail is flatter and much easier here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f581777a-cd26-4b02-9bf6-9d91aa0ecc4a/DSCF1755.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out The rock formations along the trail are always awe inspiring. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a644feaa-78c1-4cce-a33c-334b971919db/DSCF0305.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out After finishing the Lovers Leap hike we continued along the wildlife loop to visit the bison one last time for this trip. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/95f77487-f133-44e0-944e-ce35a6702ea5/DSCF0307.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out This pronghorn was relaxing in the afternoon sun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9c1d8b0c-b70c-4ba8-8ded-b184522f7696/DSCF0309.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out These bighorn sheep were grazing on Highway 87 just outside the Custer State Park wildlife loop entrance. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/386b5511-411d-4c7b-8d80-fbdb514d50c1/DSCF0312.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3ae4d406-0798-471c-ba4a-eace172d78f3/DSCF0316.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aab69cb7-10a0-4bc7-a22b-6fc816e5dcb0/DSCF0317.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #5 - Make it stand out Finishing the day at the Heddy Draw Overlook has become somewhat of a tradition as we end our time in South Dakota for another year. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-2022-day-3-1 monthly 0.5 2023-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/181d3857-2069-43ce-b5bc-e6a7c21ae33c/DSCF1727.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out Day #4 started with a long and rather difficult out-and-back hike along the Horsethief Lake trail. These are some of the views from the trail. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c5625bec-c74b-40bb-8512-2b035a67128e/DSCF1728.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/78fb0634-3008-4455-8bc7-cfe801aa2334/DSCF1729.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c83b1993-669c-487e-b305-a535d2c4f0eb/DSCF1730.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/260d3503-5208-4855-89e9-93a7eb170318/DSCF1731.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out The trails are very well maintained. The downed trees are kept clear of the path. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fbbf91de-18e6-4044-a7f8-27971fb1cb1a/DSCF1732.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out The fall colors in the aspen trees and bushes made for a pleasant hike. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2a93acf7-300c-4771-989d-db68d7695b8f/DSCF1733.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/173771fd-cda0-41d4-8723-7735e10015b3/DSCF1734.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53a51a91-e5ce-4f58-865d-6715f5d22522/DSCF1737.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out Back at Horsethief Lake with the pedestrian bridge in the distance. Such a peaceful place to visit. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e246d5f-edc4-45f2-bde5-df711a1d764d/DSCF1738.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out Next, we visited the Pactola Reservoir. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1cdc6f99-ead4-486c-ab7f-ef2047849f61/DSCF1739.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out Driving through Spearfish Canyon we came across this gentleman fly fishing in Spearfish Creek. He hooked one while we watched, but he wasn’t able to land it before it jumped off his line. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a9e1e61a-103f-44c7-8d9c-42e944d8ed64/DSCF1743.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out A couple of images of Spearfish Creek. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f93ed450-20d9-4415-bc42-9bd6532c3273/DSCF1744.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/324c24b3-4561-4a9a-a8ae-e0c608aa6a52/DSCF1748.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #4 - Make it stand out This trail connects the Old Spearfish Creek Dam - where the gentleman was fishing - to the Roughlock Falls Trail. We appreciated the way the scene frames the home on the hill in the distance. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-2022-day-3 monthly 0.5 2022-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6703abcc-5a72-45a3-8ecd-69cfcdeff168/DSCF1708.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out We started Day #3 with a roughly 4-mile out-and-back hike on the Iron Creek East Trail. These are a few images of the scenery along the hike. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/06c573e0-dd07-418e-96db-d22bc91f53bd/DSCF1710.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Iron Creek Trail. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8317f9fc-a04d-425e-b006-8e8252174e75/DSCF1711.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Another view from the Iron Creek Trail. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8dfdc6ec-f47b-4210-a307-566f813841da/DSCF0258.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out After our hike on the Iron Creek Trail, we visited Custer State Park. A Custer State Park visit is never complete without Lisa making some new friends. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f4eff59f-82e7-452c-ba2f-36fa97f7607e/DSCF0259.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Who knew that begging burros enjoy Milk-Bone dog treats? MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ec8656d0-27d5-42ec-a3f8-d816362d0356/DSCF0240.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Having established that Milk-Bone dog treats are rather tasty…. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d3ac7619-18c8-47d0-9859-0f0c48d37019/DSCF0254.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out … things started getting really intimate in a hurry!! MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14baa714-daad-4878-be13-5fd8c354cc12/DSCF0270.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out A little further along the Wildlife Loop is Prairie Dog Town. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a733d68-a43a-4492-ae1e-0defcb22f954/DSCF0271.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Once again, Lisa wanted to get out and make some new friends. However, when I told her that prairie dogs are a well-established vector for the Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the Plague - she took a pass! MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f8ba0c88-238b-429c-a87a-721642373932/DSCF0273.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out They are funny to watch and prove to be quite entertaining. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/58030b07-bf40-44b3-acf5-0ade866742de/DSCF0274.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out After leaving Custer State Park, we drove up Needles Highway. This is something we didn’t get the chance to do last year, since it was closed due to snow. The next images are all from Needles Highway and the fantastic vistas it provides. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3a8a4bb4-2e8f-4409-a4a9-f78d8f75d0ae/DSCF0275.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The Cathedral Spires are just an amazing site to behold. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/abc3cb38-259b-4e1b-85e6-4f478def4a93/DSCF0277.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Check out the balancing rock on the upper left side. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8e435e9c-7c56-4774-84d6-5b4a05963e5c/DSCF0278.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Sedrick took a short stroll among the incredible rocks of Needles Highway. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cf8552bb-416d-4505-a79d-68f2f53c3b85/DSCF1715.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The Aspen trees really provide a spectacular fall display at this time of year. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8bf233eb-cc8e-48b7-ae79-4ff863c1d37b/DSCF0280.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c571aee0-3dc7-4f78-9dd3-10b25999ee46/DSCF0281.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out This is just such a spectacular place, it begs for multiple photos. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5a60df44-4a14-4d59-9f65-c547f12742f4/DSCF0282.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out There is a trail that goes right down to the base of these majestic rock formations called the Cathedral Spires Trail. On a future visit, we are going to hike that short trail. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9a58a78e-087e-4cc8-b8ef-81ebf244bb93/DSCF1714.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Another view of the balanced rock towering above Needles Highway. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d863644a-fa09-4eeb-93af-6b6f5771e97b/DSCF0283.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The views from Needles Highway are just never-ending. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/25e33004-7313-4177-a38f-c308b50b1115/DSCF0284.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/626957a1-23e0-4a6a-b728-e4e7a1e72610/DSCF0285.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The whole thing is enhanced by the fall colors of the Aspen trees. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/60762a09-8672-4071-bc2b-7f09b935cbdf/DSCF0286.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The late afternoon sun really provided some nice contrast between the shadows and highlights. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/af763fe4-1a41-44ab-8063-77516848c511/DSCF0287.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out You can see the road in the foreground and it gives you some idea of how amazing this drive is. Plus, what a feat of engineering to build this road. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d68fe62c-663e-43e4-8934-397f4006aa4e/DSCF0289.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Lisa insisted on this photo because she is convinced that this rock formation looks like a Christmas gnome. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0a198482-4112-4dee-a606-898343592eb0/DSCF1716.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Another view of the Cathedral Spires formation. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1b68db9-771f-4b86-a0d6-4dd80d3ac0bf/DSCF1717.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The Cathedral Spires trailhead takes off from right here. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2aaaffff-9c73-452d-9174-1bbd8bc3a886/DSCF1718.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/028c3f74-43b5-475b-bbe6-3953557be1a4/DSCF1721.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The fact that someone actually built a road here is crazy. But, thankfully they did! What a place. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/70862799-aeda-4ecd-8a6f-aa6317890ceb/DSCF1722.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out The view from Needles Eye Tunnel. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c5adb519-b801-4558-ae5b-6f8b8df25f5d/DSCF1724.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out Needles Eye Tunnel. Don’t plan to do this road with an RV! MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e540ba37-44ec-49df-8587-acdc3571e203/DSCF1725.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out This is the iconic formation that gives the road its name; this is known as the Eye of the Needle because it resembles the eye of a sewing needle. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/512cddef-4f9f-4636-a9ab-328e15af0e4c/DSCF1726.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #3 - Make it stand out With the sun rapidly setting, one last photo of the truly unique rock formations along this amazing stretch of roadway. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-2022-day-2 monthly 0.5 2022-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87d1bc1e-dc34-4f8a-aa42-742353b85b52/DSCF0155.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Old abandoned farm buildings in beautiful Virkula Gulch along Vanocker Canyon Road just outside of Sturgis, SD. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8d1aef5b-1ab6-45f7-8488-cd48616b3a64/DSCF0156.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The Aspen trees are just starting to turn golden yellow. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/100 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2769a2f7-78f0-41a3-b065-0ed1b381a561/DSCF0157.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out We found a random dirt road and decided to go for a stroll. This old windmill was part of an old ranch and was quite picturesque. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14f07235-1f0a-4307-997d-ae962124fafd/DSCF0158.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad34215d-e06a-4589-a808-36321fdb80d0/DSCF1682.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out This moose is made up of individual strands of silver metal. A very interesting and detailed piece of artwork. Fujifilm X-Pro3 18mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/28c1ab44-551e-4f54-9fc9-a3736c96a3b0/DSCF1683.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Near the trailhead at Roughlock Falls Trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 18mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9997b925-d81b-4bf7-a882-ae8a336da90d/DSCF1684.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Views along the Roughlock Falls Trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 17mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fdd88e4e-f6ea-440a-ac9b-3db7fd30cf3e/DSCF0159.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Roughlock Falls Trail. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a8a3a30-7096-4073-92b7-b2ae98556567/DSCF0162.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Roughlock Falls consists of several different waterfalls on the upper and lower trails. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/200 sec, f/8, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/648bf719-f64a-44b8-a39b-1ec4c7a88df5/DSCF0163.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Every turn in the trail provides another amazing view. Check out the trees growing on the top of these narrow cliffs. Fujifilm X-H2S 74mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/242e7d1c-ee08-43b9-bd8f-e4f386bcb029/DSCF0164.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The towering cliffs and deep valleys make for some really interesting shadows and lighting. Here, the river is in the shade and the far canyon wall is bathed in the afternoon sunshine. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1981e533-836a-4683-b2b8-a78f363927a3/DSCF1688.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The waterfalls range from towering to just a babbling brook. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cb65aa31-73d6-4cfc-b214-5a1d277ce262/DSCF1691.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Roughlock Falls Trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 19mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f843dfb4-b236-4584-8f3d-918edc16aada/DSCF0168.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out This rock outcropping is about 80-100 feet up the side of a sheer cliff. Notice the small pine trees growing in the hollowed-out area. This is clearly the work of birds dropping seeds up this high. Fujifilm X-H2S 156mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c38fad28-62ac-48ef-9f11-5b502d971637/DSCF1694.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The lower falls at Roughlock Falls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 22mm, 1/60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e16ed55-d448-46a8-8899-804e0e53369c/DSCF1696.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Lisa and Sedrick held perfectly still so I could get this 1/8 second exposure of the nice waterfall effect in the background. Fujifilm X-Pro3 22mm, 1/8 sec, f/14, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87f43b42-33bb-47f4-a707-f557008d4035/DSCF0177.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out A family of mountain goats was enjoying some late afternoon snacks of vegetation on the side of this rather sheer cliff in Spearfish Canyon. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e5b7bbb6-8f34-434f-9696-7348124326ee/DSCF0179.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out This is one of the two babies that were with the parents. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4db4bcaa-988f-40ee-90ee-c01f9f541730/DSCF0191.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out This pose gives you some idea of the agility they have to climb these incredibly sheer cliffs. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b24fa8a2-c68c-4f85-84ab-6a4e8756813a/DSCF0198.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The two parents. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c93f1f5-a646-4b66-b2b3-5480a2fa17a5/DSCF0201.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out This incredibly beautiful male Wood Duck was swimming in one of the trout ponds at D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives. Fujifilm X-H2S 110mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.2, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8f515c79-7537-470d-993b-83e4095fc8d2/DSCF0214.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cbe13cb9-4940-4b4f-9b3e-c864934e2ea6/DSCF0216.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The colors on the duck and the foliage reflecting in the pond made for some striking images. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d7941e92-6aed-4032-80c2-a2992a6d8ff9/DSCF0232.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/200 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bde405fa-88d3-4bfb-86ff-6e111451d99c/DSCF1701.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out We visit here every year, and take the same photos each time, but this has to be one of my favorite places on the entire planet!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bb1e92eb-782a-43df-9911-b8c45c4416bd/DSCF1702.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out We tend to visit here towards the end of the day and the grounds are splendid in the late-day sun and shadows. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/745ba7f6-77fd-4a48-9e85-d118cd55f94c/DSCF1703.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out The fish hatchery is both a museum and a working hatchery. The pools in the foreground are filled with trout. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d2753d93-bfe7-474b-95cc-4be94c5a2941/DSCF1704.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives in Spearfish, SD. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/5, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9dae12e0-57ee-409b-a43f-8feaca95ce92/DSCF1707.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #2 - Make it stand out Kroll Meat House. “Built in 1880 and used by Rudolph Kroll of Lead as a slaughter house and market to supply the needs of Lead and Spearfish. Kroll sold out in 1891.” -From the interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/60 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-2022 monthly 0.5 2022-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5dcfb61b-e243-4b0c-ad31-ba16df49a012/DSCF0150.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99232a6c-d0f5-4f91-a48b-be3250cb8417/DSCF0151.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #1 - Make it stand out The Juniper trees are full of berries this time of year. Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d272569f-8596-40b2-a123-dbd997728eb8/DSCF0153.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota 2022 - Day #1 - Make it stand out Always such a nice view of the railroad bridge over the Missouri River in Chamberlain, SD. Fujifilm X-H2S 122mm, 1/500 sec, f/9, ISO 320 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/wabasha-mn-septoberfest-2022 monthly 0.5 2022-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d57a26bd-1a70-4c23-9edd-192f0707d3b0/DSCF1637.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Each fall, the river town of Wabasha, MN has its SeptOberfest celebration. The decorations change slightly each year, and it is always fun to see what they come up with. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a892c70a-ec81-4d6c-b7d3-5609837c80c2/DSCF1639.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/2000, f/4, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39a3641b-365a-405a-8568-d3fda925b263/DSCF1640.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/4000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2b80d7d2-89aa-441a-bc6e-07b498604178/DSCF1645.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Sedrick always enjoys checking out these characters. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9f31113f-0f51-495d-a227-0eb9cdb8e3e0/DSCF1646.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out In all the common areas downtown, they put up these themed displays. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/98dd5240-1630-4838-9dfb-b5b6a994b646/DSCF1647.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/64603de5-1a9d-44fb-a292-895934a4d8ae/DSCF1649.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out They decorate the area under the bridge, and this year it is with gnomes. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7e1ba953-05fd-4693-9a90-927c1e4efe75/DSCF1650.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c3f6fefd-9322-4083-90cc-1d963607b0f2/DSCF1651.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/2000 sec, f/4, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7058e228-5fb7-40c1-8a36-327a8cf58e83/DSCF1652.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/638a7aab-7176-4248-b15f-33dfd4f400dd/DSCF1653.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9a9a6cf-b10b-4de4-b39a-21461d4d8614/DSCF1655.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 19mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5327936e-a580-4121-9432-34f8156ae19c/DSCF1656.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out This chalkboard outside the Broken Paddle Guiding Company will strike a chord with any Saturday Night Live fans. Fujifilm X-Pro3 19mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d55e686f-81a3-40d6-bce2-1c3b9b1f383b/DSCF1657.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99401903-99fc-45b3-ae37-89d0b7a50b2c/DSCF1662.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out A sure sign that the summer is coming to an end and fall is soon to arrive, is the annual corn harvest for the Lakeside Foods company in Plainview, MN. Trucks loaded with corn come from near and far to deliver all this corn to the processing plant which I am told runs 24 hours a day during this time of year. Fujifilm X-Pro3 10mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/707bb0c6-74f9-4009-99a3-b875ca9a5cfe/DSCF1661.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN SeptOberfest 2022 - Make it stand out The volume of corn is staggering. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-20 monthly 0.5 2022-09-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6189b079-dc89-4142-be03-1f9aab088bce/DSCF1605.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out It was an absolutely bright clear Sunday morning and we started the day by visiting the US Army Corps of Engineers Lock & Dam #7 located just north of where I-90 crosses the river in La Crescent, MN. The locks were busy with barge traffic. We stopped at a total of three locks that day and each of them either had a barge in the locking chamber or just exiting. This barge had just exited and was headed south on the river. Fujifilm X-Pro 3 16mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8738536-c4e1-43f8-b2d5-525351c4e4af/DSCF1609.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The 9 Ft. Channel Navigation Project refers to the minimum depth the Corps of Engineers maintains the main channel so the loaded barges can go up and down the river. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da0ac783-1d48-4af8-a43f-b188b9c73a24/DSCF1607.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The locking chamber is in the foreground and the dam gates span the river in the background. The dams serve to regulate the flow of water down the Mississippi for flood control as well as keeping the river “tame” so it doesn’t overrun its banks and change course. There is an interesting book I read about the time before the Lock & Dam system and it was incredible how the course of the river would change from year to year as flooding would cause the river to overrun its banks and take a new path. The book was called “Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild” by Lee Sandlin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4cd4e825-6e6f-4a20-a9ec-dbfc47d0dad6/DSCF1608.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Most of the Lock & Dam visitors areas have some type of small park and the US Army Corps of Engineers do a really wonderful job of keeping these parks impeccably groomed. They are such a pleasant place to visit and have a picnic lunch while watching the boats and barges pass through the locks. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7c613683-521a-492a-8608-cab6382f2513/DSCF1610.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out This particular Lock & Dam has a unique feature that allows you to walk on a pedestrian pathway along the main locking chamber. The chamber wall is on the right in this photo and the water on the left is a popular place for fishermen to cast their lines. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aa830344-6936-4385-92ee-312ef5db3c0a/DSCF1613.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The I-90 rest stop in Dresbach, MN is immediately adjacent to Lock & Dam #7 which is visible in the background. Sedrick said he was overdue for an appearance in the blog! Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/11, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8e7b173a-cec5-47d5-9100-e4eea7203800/DSCF1619.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The Effigy Mounds National Monument has a boardwalk on the south side of The Great River Road (Route 76). Most people climb the bluff to the upper/northern side of the park where the majority of the mounds are located. However, this lease the southern boardwalk a rather quite and peaceful walk through the woods and marsh. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/17f26cd8-043e-4999-8bf5-3f903bfca8d3/DSCF1618.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Some impressive fungi growing on these trees. I’m afraid the web doesn’t do these photos any favors; they look much better in their original file format and seem to lose quite a bit when transferred to the compressed files needed for posting on the internet. Sorry….. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8207e186-926d-4f66-855b-103727a6077a/DSCF0132.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out A little closer look at the fungi. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/800 sec, f/4.8, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/84199b2f-b9c1-4985-a249-67842e08d7b7/DSCF1621.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The walkway is really very nice and an easy walk for people of all abilities. It is even wheelchair accessible. Walking the boardwalk, the marsh is right below you as you pass. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9f9a155-d1f9-4334-840b-d222ab89bfaa/DSCF1623.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Here is the marsh which surrounds the walkway on both sides. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a7b22703-99b6-4b23-8943-1bc4eec012b8/DSCF1624.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out A few more views from the trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a932d2a8-3cc5-4b8b-a486-2f822b2fc3a3/DSCF1625.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The bridge on the trail passes over the Yellow River. This view is looking up the river and behind the viewer, the Yellow River empties into the Mississippi. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1630e180-2194-43fa-94af-cb7405da17cb/DSCF0135.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The marshlands make for a good fishing place for the Great Blue Herons. Fujifilm X-H2S 128mm, 1/320 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/14806da1-6ae5-4ddb-ae94-371e48366047/DSCF0137.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 128mm, 1/320 sec, f/6.4, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad5ceca5-abba-4f9b-9255-ec377617d72f/DSCF0139.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out This guy was a little more cooperative with getting his photo taken. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/500 sec, f7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/08e8cc4b-b2fc-4ed0-9da3-2081aa524f3c/DSCF0140.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Lisa noticed this large hive well off the pathway. Using the telephoto lens we could see bees/wasps zooming into and out of the holes in the hive. Notice how this large hive is suspended from one tiny thin branch. Very interesting to stand there and watch. Look very closely and you can see a few of the bees/wasps walking along the surface of the bottom of the hive. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c735acc4-063c-4627-8dc1-21b0866dceb6/DSCF0143.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out I just thought this was an interesting look at the thick marsh/swamp land with the dead tree stumps coming up through. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c7c515aa-99d6-445e-a86b-8cff6b222fb7/DSCF0145.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out These Field Thistles have an attractive flower and the bees were enjoying the pollen. Perhaps these are the same bees from the hive. Fujifilm X-H2S 60mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4f29c1a4-bc36-42eb-94d4-1591df7d2ff3/DSCF0147.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Field Thistle flower. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/400 sec, f/6.4, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3caf7658-2a83-4680-b6ab-b62110ab55b7/DSCF0149.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out These are Jack-in-the-pulpit berries, also known as Indian turnip, Bog onion, Brown Dragon or American wake robin. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc38dcc0-c633-4053-87cc-5fd8abe9dccf/DSCF1626.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out This is the view looking up river from Lock & Dam #9 near Lynxville, WI. The barge headed north had just exited the locking chamber when we arrived and you can see all the pleasure crafts that were waiting to enter and head southbound. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/9, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc6e0d79-4612-4ce8-9bde-47bfa0998197/DSCF1627.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Lock & Dam #9. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/41316151-2124-46fd-a310-2bec76b7d084/DSCF1628.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out While walking the park at Lock & Dam #9 we saw some of the first fall colors of the season. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dbe69d8c-2338-4f4e-98ab-ad1dbdbd78f7/DSCF1631.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Once again, these Lock & Dam visitor’s areas are just fantastically groomed and offer some impressive views. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6697c19a-a599-43c0-a00a-d53b82e624b1/DSCF1632.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Our final stop for the day was at Lock & Dam #8 in Genoa, WI. This loaded barge was in the chamber heading south. We thought this was coal, but someone who worked there was saying something about asphalt mix. Regardless, it is an interesting process to see these barges navigate through the locks. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f0c188f9-e054-410e-8852-38288e75d27f/DSCF1633.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out The tug heading south. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/20fd85e4-bfa4-4bf7-8753-b64946cf1dea/DSCF1635.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out Looking south from the locks you can see the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b6accc3a-c2b8-488e-883b-2e164dcbc413/DSCF1636.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #20 - Make it stand out One final look at the dam as the sun was getting low in the west. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 500 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/a-day-on-the-farm monthly 0.5 2022-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3bfb9b74-099c-4858-bea0-94e56269a1a2/DSCF0119.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Our Division Chair invited everyone from the OB/MFM and CNM Divisions to her family’s farm for a fun-filled day of cider making, goat chasing and general camaraderie. The is the cider press and we really enjoyed getting the opportunity to give it a try. It is a brilliant contraption and works amazingly well. Fujifilm X-H2S 58mm, 1/800 sec, f/4 ISO 160 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3c0a9751-4f64-4a11-b3f8-8eea0b8817b9/DSCF0121.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/400 sec, f/5, ISO 160 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/566a15de-844e-455b-880a-7e2d2ff22ec9/DSCF0113.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out An idyllic location out in the country. Fujifilm X-H2S 110mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 200 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d769a449-97b4-42e8-970e-7b91dcca71cb/DSCF0114.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 200 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/269b4032-7c9b-43a1-a6e4-750e8d1676d9/DSCF0031.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out The children enjoyed feeding the goats some apples; and the goats seemed to really enjoy it too. Fujifilm X-H2S 122mm, 1/2000 sec, f/4.2, ISO 400 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/210d9ff6-c601-4ba0-8bed-b4fd75a6baa7/DSCF0032.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 122mm, 1/2000 sec, f/4.2, ISO 400 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c580815d-239c-4838-a583-d4accd3773b5/DSCF0037.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 128mm, 1/2000 sec, f/4.4, ISO 200 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/aad3d95d-1ae8-4d9a-9902-54ac7968e741/DSCF0038.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/2000 sec, f/4.8, ISO 250 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/149b1e07-3a33-4e26-9970-d19f8042c5bf/DSCF0048.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 110mm, 1/400 sec, f/4.2, ISO 160 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/093f31e8-27d1-47d9-b785-6cb2a416578d/DSCF0054.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Of all the goats, this was Lisa’s favorite. Fujifilm X-H2S 110mm, 1/125 sec, f/4.2, ISO 1600 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/846cdf2d-9750-454d-bc58-600ba3fd3456/DSCF0056.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out These chickens move at blistering speed, so it gave my new X-H2S a good chance to show its stuff when it comes to bird-eye tracking. I think it did a rather respectable job overall. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.8, ISO 160 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bc1d57b8-75c3-4a92-81c8-db314d2eb9bb/DSCF0059.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.8, ISO 160 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/46ac5963-3593-4222-9ffd-38ad9ef5e8b0/DSCF0094.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.8, ISO 200 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d28a6ef4-fd0b-46be-88f0-6abef9480af9/DSCF0111.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.8, ISO 160 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/59e183d1-0845-4d03-b44a-5248be2daafb/DSCF0116.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out These are the apple trees which provided the apples for the cider press. The cider was as good as any we have ever had, and it doesn’t get any fresher! Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 500 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9cc6cdeb-630e-449c-b0b2-f644fe39bb9a/DSCF0122.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out The fresh pressed cider. Never tasted better! Fujifilm X-H2S 55mm, 1/400 sec, f/5, ISO 200 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f8e65fbd-005e-40eb-b0db-7d366ce10a6f/DSCF0115.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out They use these grapes to make homemade wine and we tasted the sangria made from the wine. So impressed with the entire process. Fujifilm X-H2S 90mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c0a66eca-3540-41fd-8bf3-dfbf32474f6c/DSCF0127.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Because you can never get too many goat photos. Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/800 sec, f/4.8, ISO 250 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87779cdd-338d-42c6-bf97-0e2a112796d8/DSCF0125.jpg Photo Blog - A Day On The Farm - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-H2S 200mm, 1/800 sec, f/4.8, ISO 250 https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/red-wing-mn monthly 0.5 2022-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9b0c1173-0574-4a05-8fc7-a3f831aa7b7c/DSCF1591.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out The American Queen was docked at the Red Wing marina preparing for the trip south to New Orleans, LA. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a487ad0a-1c29-4c0d-9fa4-34eb8a5d401d/DSCF1592.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out Looking on the internet it appears this cruise company is called American Queen Voyages. There is a similar outfit called American Cruise Lines which also does Mississippi River cruises. The American Queen appears much more reasonably priced, but we have not done any research to truly compare what each one offers. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/884143bd-b26b-4d8f-9e0f-b4557739a759/DSCF1593.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out “Christened in Memphis in 2012 by Godmother Priscilla Presley, with a bottle of champagne, the American Queen is the largest steamboat ever built - spanning 418 feet.” -From the American Queen Voyages website. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/11585616-f24b-4bf6-bf18-34d7136ab67a/DSCF1603.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out The American Queen sitting at dock as viewed from upriver. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/330eb8e0-fa6d-49bd-a208-8717cb6f9560/DSCF1602.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out The Red Wing sign at Bay Point Park framing the American Queen and downtown. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/429e8f9b-75e5-494b-9138-299b822c826e/DSCF1594.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out Red Wing Grain. “Red Wing Grain loads corn and soybeans onto barges from local farmers within a 75-mile radius of Red Wing. A river towboat will gather up to 15 barges and then head south on the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The grain on these barges will be loaded onto large vessels destined for Taiwan, Korea, Japan, China, Africa, and South America. The corn and soybeans are used mainly for feed for livestock. 1 Semi-Truck = 1,000 Bushels. 1 Barge - 55 Semi-Trucks or 55,000 Bushels. Red Wing Grain loads approximately 450-600 barges from April to November every year.” Interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 20mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85e48be4-face-4b41-b820-21bbd7a2aa89/DSCF1596.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out These are the ropes they use to secure the barges during the loading process. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ed0dfea-78c2-42cc-9322-2ee3de0c6068/DSCF1598.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out Just up the river from Red Wing Grain is the Red Wing Yacht Club which consists of a marina and boat houses. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/74d54cea-ae68-4a6e-992d-0d66aa2ffa1d/DSCF1597.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out There are MANY of these boat houses in the Yacht Club marina. Fujifilm X-Pro3 17mm, 1/250 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a35e6a4c-dcec-4614-befa-649560a97816/DSCF1599.jpg Photo Blog - Red Wing, MN - Make it stand out The narrow plank walkway between the rows of boat houses. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/200 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/steele-county-fair monthly 0.5 2022-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e6bcdb6b-2aa3-458e-a9fe-d2cd2bdecb96/DSCF1556.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Our annual trek to the county fairs in Southeast Minnesota ends each year at the Steele County Free Fair in Owatonna, MN. The Village of Yesteryear is a wonderful collection of old buildings taken from their original locations throughout Steele County and moved onto the fairgrounds as a historical display. Each year, during the county fair, the buildings are opened to the public and provide a great opportunity to look into the past of rural upper Midwest life. Saco Church. “The St. Wenceslaus Mission in Moravia Church was built in 1891 in the little community of Moravia, seven miles southwest of Owatonna.” “The community of Moravia, known as Saco by the area’s local residents, also had a school and several residences nearby. The cemetery still remains across the road from where the church once stood.” “It closed in 1952, and in 1962, the Sacred Heart Parish donated it to the Steele County Historical Society as the first building to begin the Village of Yesteryear. It came complete with all its furnishings.” From the interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/30 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d92bdb1a-ddae-4885-9ddf-c2051c9ad5ee/DSCF1558.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Saco Church original key. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/088923de-6fd0-4f0b-8f07-ac993ffe661e/DSCF1560.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The General Store and Post Office had these old mailboxes. I recall almost identical mailboxes in the old West Chazy, NY Post Office where I grew up. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 4000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d4681f3a-38b6-407b-91b6-71b8e770b941/DSCF1561.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Here are a collection of photos of the animals at the fair. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/50 sec, f/4, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/16045aab-58c9-492f-b6b0-38dfeeee3a8f/DSCF1565.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out We have seen banded cows before, but never a banded goat! Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/50 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/afe07aaf-c952-46fb-9ce8-cbe926f5bbe3/DSCF1566.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/25aaabca-79bc-48aa-8fb2-b9ba091ea94f/DSCF1571.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ce8dd1ba-93d2-41db-9af2-11c9c482b48b/DSCF1572.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out The Highland Cow. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7ab7dbbe-a0d0-44da-90df-c25817120045/DSCF1574.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 21mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/631691a8-e55f-47c1-998b-b1fad7b9374e/DSCF1576.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 21mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/de6f82f1-738e-4438-88f3-2cecf51d8d3d/DSCF1577.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 21mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/325b8495-1666-47d3-80a6-0bdb00c01580/DSCF1578.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 21mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d44e70e9-de9f-42dd-ba89-f5259f630fdb/DSCF1582.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Mother and calf pair. Fujifilm X-Pro3 12mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/807c44c9-39e3-4cca-80dd-f5c238a9a2f0/DSCF1585.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Quite a lineup of young ladies! Fujifilm X-Pro3 21mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/725fe4e1-36e9-4e75-8156-489b93044889/DSCF1590.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out “Whaaaaaattttttttttt???????!!!!!!!!!” Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a068b2c9-0f5e-4400-8f4f-da1adfde7a8f/DSCF1584.jpg Photo Blog - Steele County Fair - Make it stand out Some interesting cabbage-looking things outside the cow barn. Fujifilm X-Pro3 20mm, 1/2000 sec, f/8, ISO 800 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/wabasha-mn-riverboat-days monthly 0.5 2022-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dab7636c-06ab-48b7-bbcb-b2bea9e9ae16/DSCF1507.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out On Saturday, July 30th, we drove over to Wabasha, MN to take in their Riverboat Days festival. Wabasha really does a great job at promoting itself with many different town-wide events throughout the year. We had never been to Riverboat Days before. There was a parade - which we didn’t see - but also some other family-friendly activities. One was the antique car display. They shut down the main street through town and lined it with all these fascinating antique and custom cars. Some of the cars, like this one, were marvelous restorations of actual production cars; others were some highly customized hot rods. Below are a series of photos of some of the fun and interesting cars. Fujifilm X-Pro3, 22mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f13e2a58-41ca-46f0-8b71-e7a387e25f87/DSCF1508.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out American Speed Company (SPEED 33) Of the custom hot rods, I think this roadster was my favorite. Fujifilm X-Pro3 22mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/daaccba3-36b2-457e-858c-c01b5a0858d3/DSCF1509.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out You can appreciate how heavily modified these beautiful hot rods are. Here, the “original” instrument cluster is surrounded by a leather interior that would put Mercedes to shame! Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/482298e2-352e-4eb5-acc1-220ba42fc85d/DSCF1512.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 16mm, 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/de081327-cb94-48d9-8604-bd47e4b7f1d7/DSCF1513.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/24bb8c50-2486-4c8a-a936-b0414ab48bee/DSCF1514.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 22mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71c359ca-d80c-4d70-b58f-d67172d0917f/DSCF1515.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out As you can appreciate, there are a few “customizations/modifications” here. I rather doubt any looked like this off the production line! Fujifilm X-Pro3 17mm, 1/500, f/7.1, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2b3cc0b3-8db5-476f-93ad-8b07b3957d23/DSCF1516.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Vintage race car. Fujifilm X-Pro3 22mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a76e33c2-0cb3-4e55-a4f9-4c30bad38f18/DSCF1517.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out This old Ford Econoline really caught my attention because I remember my grandfather Traynor having one of these. His was the van, not the open bed in the back. But the blunt-nosed front end and the grill were iconic of the era. Fujifilm X-Pro3 20mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ab7d0156-703d-4b9c-83f2-2e56126c4c9e/DSCF1519.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out These hot rods are just amazing. Her cleaning rags and shorts clearly have to match the paint scheme. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b9b7c90f-1147-41c1-8799-93a9ad8bc33d/DSCF1520.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500, f/7.1, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5344e44c-c22d-429a-90b6-0a23a0b0b3cc/DSCF1521.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 22mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/11b52856-75de-4471-bfa0-a84a8c5357f8/DSCF1539.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3, 22mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/87d3cfd0-76c2-48ae-b457-6d4ee65434bc/DSCF1540.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 13mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9f77e0ee-abe2-4f9d-a2ba-d9a6abfc70e7/DSCF1522.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out After taking in the cars, we went for a stroll along the river and took some photos of the waterfront and flowers. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e19c0b73-07a2-468e-8928-4cf9cbf516a0/DSCF1523.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0be6a6af-fe7d-4c23-b056-e46c8090166b/DSCF1530.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out The bees were busy collecting. Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/500 sec, f/6.4, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a449f7d4-49e8-4cb9-8331-1acb8ef54cb6/DSCF1532.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/7.1, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ad990f1-978e-45e1-a20d-826d37829e1d/DSCF1533.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d22ed245-319b-4c15-9756-772431cf380c/DSCF1536.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out Eye-to-eye! Fujifilm X-Pro3 24mm, 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d5543c5e-0563-43f4-93e2-bdea37a882bc/DSCF1546.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out These two photos are my first attempt at infrared photography. I got an IR 830 filter for my 23mm f/2 prime lens. This filter blocks all light below 830 nm, which removes basically all visible light. What the camera “sees” is light from the infrared spectrum. These filters are VERY dark and thus the photos require long exposure times. Even with the bright mid-day sunlight, these shutter speeds were 10-20 seconds. Thus, you can notice a little motion blur in the photos. Also, there is definitely a “hot spot” in the center of the images, and this is because I put the IR filter over the top of my UV filter already on the lens. The UV filter coating is known to cause these “hot spots” when used with IR filters. I will be removing the UV filter next time. Again, just experimenting and learning the process. The images will get better with time - I promise. The compositions of these two images are nothing special, I just wanted to set up the tripod and give it a whirl to see where I am starting from. More to come…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 10 seconds, f/8, ISO 800. IR 830 nm filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66e9333a-0990-4554-a005-582269d34de0/DSCF1552.jpg Photo Blog - Wabasha, MN Riverboat Days - Make it stand out There was a moderate breeze and you can really appreciate the motion blur in the trees as a result of the long exposure time. The infrared filter makes for a great contrast photograph and it gives the green colors a very unique white appearance. It will be fun to experiment with this more. I have a bunch more to learn about this, but I am looking forward to some fun and interesting opportunities. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 17 second, f/8, ISO 800. IR 830 nm filter. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-19 monthly 0.5 2022-07-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6a9694f6-f64e-45a2-a59f-0028aa116dcc/DSCF1368.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Having recently discovered the town of St. Peter, MN, we wanted to return to walk the streets and explore a little further. These three photos show some of the architecture in this lovely town. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 seconds, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/82f316be-c811-41ec-88c7-04a48462543e/DSCF1369.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out The homes in this area have such character. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6e2ef8b2-b694-4c1a-a175-02a76eadce29/DSCF1370.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out A creative way to display flowers in the front yard. Such a pleasant neighborhood. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5976818e-9d40-45c8-a1cb-8c1e8efeb1df/DSCF1371.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out The Eugene St. Julien Cox House. “In 1871, Eugene St. Julien Cox, a man of eccentric tastes and ‘great vigor of mind’ built this picturesque neo-Gothic Italianate house noted for its towered cupola, small balconies, and carved eaves. Cox began his law career in 1857 and built a thriving practice in the frontier village of St. Peter. After brief service as a Union officer in the Civil War, Cox enrolled fifty men into the ‘Frontier Avengers’ and led this unit in the defense of New Ulm during the Dakota War of 1862. After the wars, the ‘affable and genial and always daintly dressed’ Cox was elected St. Peter’s first mayor. This was followed by his election to the Minnesota Legislature, first as a representative, later as a senator. In 1877, he was elected judge of the ninth judicial district. Within four years the Minnesota House impeached Judge Cox and the Senate organized a high court for trial purposes. He was mainly charged with intoxication ‘caused by the voluntary and immoderate use of intoxicating liquors, which disqualified him for discharge of his official duties.’ In 1882, after a sensational five-month trial which included seventeen hundred pages of testimony and a petition for acquittal signed by four thousand people, Judge Cox was convicted and removed from his office as district judge by a bare two-thirds vote of the Minnesota Senate. Nine years later, the legislature passed a resolution ‘vacating, annulling, and expunging all the proceedings of the impeachment and trial.’ Nevertheless, a few years later, E. St. Julien Cox left Minnesota and died in Los Angeles on November 3, 1898. The house remained in the Cox family until 1969, when it was donated to the Nicollet County Historical Society for preservation and restoration. In 1969, this property received the first grant awarded by the Minnesota Historical Society, as a part of the newly created State Grants In-Aid program, created for the preservation and restoration of Minnesota’s historical sites.” From the interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/2000 second, f/10, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f40a9d4b-def1-49cf-8535-e7548ce4a415/DSCF1373.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Some of the first Tiger Lilies of the season. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d25b4da8-171a-4bbd-8df2-640806333d0f/DSCF1374.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out This fun art is located in the alley next to the Arts Center of Saint Peter. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/5, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/61d5f767-2f0b-42cc-9282-438cbb5ca04a/DSCF1375.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Heading north on the Sioux Trail/N Minnesota Ave, just on the outskirts of Saint Peter is the Nicollet County Historical Society. We were not able to go inside the visitor’s center, having Sedrick with us that day. However, on the property, they have this example of a mid-1800s prairie cabin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/5, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a0fbfe9e-ecf6-4371-a584-11571d2a3eca/DSCF1377.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 seconds, f/5, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3782129b-0d49-4921-8363-2459c5d8ecce/DSCF1378.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out These are the stairs leading to the second floor. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4d6d346f-8212-42bd-b1a7-06f3fa7c6065/DJI_0052.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Our next stop was the town of Le Sueur, MN. Here are a couple of drone shots of their water towers. DJI Mini 2, 4.5mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cfcf9d57-22d6-47fa-8879-db211b14b3f2/DJI_0055.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out The newer of the two current water towers. In the distance, you can see the older one from the prior image, and between the two is a brand new water tower that is still under construction. DJI Mini 2, 4.5mm, 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/68be8814-12a6-4cc1-8efd-0e377a2976db/DSCF1383.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Dr. William W. Mayo House. “The accomplishments of the Mayo family in the field of medicine have brought fame both to its members and to Minnesota, for it was Dr. William W. Mayo and his two sons, William J. and Charles H., who founded the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1903. This little house was built by William W. Mayo in 1859. It is intimately associated with the Mayo family’s early years in Minnesota, for there on June 29, 1861, the Mayos’ first son, William J., was born. His father had emigrated to the United States from England in 1845. By 1854 the doctor was living with his wife in Indiana. He left the family there when he departed suddenly in search of relief from the effects of malaria, saying to his startled wife, ‘Good-bye, Louise, I’m going to keep on driving until I get well or die.’ Dr. Mayo’s travels took him to St. Paul, the rude capital of Minnesota Territory, where he settled with his family. In 1859 he moved to Le Sueur, where he built this house with the help of his brother James. In 1863 he again moved, this time to Rochester, where in 1889 he was asked to become the medical director of St. Mary’s Hospital, the nucleus of the future Mayo Clinic.” From the interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8a7cb88c-d3ea-4e8e-bce3-a2eab8b1e256/DSCF1384.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out “On August 19, 1862, word reached Le Sueur that the Dakota Indians Soldiers had attacked settlers living near New Ulm and were threatening the town. Militia volunteers quickly organized into two companies named the Le Sueur Tigers No. 1 and 2 and they went to New Ulm on August 19 and 20. The Dakota made their major attack on New Ulm on August 23, and the Tigers were in the middle of the battle. Some fought from the Roebbecke Mill, a tall, strongly build structure while others fought elsewhere outside the barricades, keeping the Dakota at bay. It was a hotly contested fight. Le Sueur doctors William Worrall Mayo and Otis Ayer accompanied the Le Sueur Tigers to New Ulm and tended to the wounded. The town’s defenders did manage to prevail, but the cost was high with about 30 killed. Six of the Tigers were dead - Mathew Ahern, Monro Edwards, Washington Kulp, William Luskey, William Maloney and Luke Smith. New Ulm was evacuated on August 25 and the Tigers were mustered out on August 27. Most of the bodies of the Tigers who were killed were brought back to Le Sueur later that fall. The Tigers had willingly left their families and the safety of their area to confront a deadly enemy. They answered the call, and, in doing so, earned a place of high respect and honor in their community and in the state.” From the interpretive plaque in the foreground. Fujifilm X-Pro 3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da044b5a-a39d-4608-b106-4bd3f5958cef/DSCF1382.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out “The Mothers” sculpture at Louise Park in Le Sueur. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/731cfa0e-eccf-4864-8fc2-7e0c48c351ab/DSCF1385.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Lisa just had to have her photo taken on this cow bench in front of The Friendly Confines Cheese Shoppe. They have some fantastic onion & garlic cheese for sale here!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/024bf1dd-2758-4ba3-abcd-33ffcd96ab01/DSCF1388.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Wall mural across the street from the Jolly Green Giant. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b231fc4f-1bde-4269-8c37-c1004efad0a4/DSCF1391.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Nowhere near as impressive as the one in Blue Earth, MN, but an interesting story nonetheless. The Jolly Green Giant. “In 1903, fourteen of Le Sueur’s leading businessmen met in the back of the Cosgrove Harness Shop to start a canning factory. They called it the Minnesota Valley Canning Company. Sixty-seven shares of stock at one hundred dollars per share were sold that evening. The sale provided enough money to buy one kettle, seed, sugar, salt and cans. Corn was brought in from the fields with horse-drawn wagons. Women husked the corn by hand for three cents per bushel. Eleven thousand seven hundred cases of white cream style corn were sold that first year. The profit from this was enough to buy two more kettles. The company continued to grow, and in 1907 it began canning peas under the Blue and Gold label. In 1925, the Green Gian brand of peas was added. Vacuum packed Niblet brand yellow whole kernel corn was introduced in 1929. Though the company continued to expand, packing a variety of vegetables and opening canning facilities throughout the United States, only corn and peas were ever canned in Le Sueur. In the early 1940s, during World War II, many of the local men went into the military service. That left a shortage of help. Laborers from Mexico and Jamaica and German prisoners of war were assigned to help harvest the vital food crops needed. In 1950, the Minnesota Valley Canning Company changed its name to the Green Giant Company. In 1978, one year before the company was acquired by Pillsbury, its national sales were over $485 million, and its net earnings were over $10 million. Over the years, the canning company had a direct impact on the positive growth and development of the City of Le Sueur. The Le Sueur plant closed in 1995. Today its history remains, and if you listen carefully, the gentle laughter of the Jolly Green Gian can still be heard echoing through his valley.” From the interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/13a17b10-721e-4226-97bd-e06e59e3be48/DSCF1396.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Heading home on some of the back roads we came across this interesting find. it is the Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association and they hold an annual event here which, from what we can tell from their website, features historical tractors, various demonstrations, and a swap meet. They have held this event every year since 1974, and the grounds feature period-appropriate buildings which are shown in the subsequent photos. Here is a link to their website. Lisa and I may have to come back and check this out when it is up and running. http://pioneerpowershow.com/ Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a654860a-dcfa-43a0-8512-b1ad312b633b/DSCF1392.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Wind-powered water pump. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4331eb1f-5dfb-46af-8f9f-742b303ee9ee/DSCF1393.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Praire log cabin. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/63441dc0-180b-4740-9383-8a8d733cca18/DSCF1394.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Country school. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1e756c8e-cf3d-4296-bcca-73967befaead/DSCF1395.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Church. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8c343bdd-12d5-4242-a0d0-9972530da0c6/DSCF1397.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out In looking at their website, it appears that all these old buildings are open and have demonstrations/exhibits during the show. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b50c791d-1fc2-4341-84df-760a75663ee5/DSCF1398.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Fire hall. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c89f5fe0-0155-4f6e-945e-fcd9ce349dfc/DSCF1399.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #19 - Make it stand out Some of the historical power equipment upon which the event is based. Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 500 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-18 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/97e1111e-4876-4f73-9ed1-56b5092dea72/DSCF1291.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Riverside Park in Wanamingo, MN. The North Fork of the Zumbro River is in the background. However, it would appear that the river once went over this dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5f14e768-cf10-478a-9411-37b558817320/DSCF1292.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Blooming lilies in front of Hulings Hall on the campus of Carleton College. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a7ab218f-fb9a-4fdf-af0a-b16dbbd80f6f/DSCF1294.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Goodsell Observatory at Carleton College. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ed91755d-5e2f-4f89-8d66-6693d794e792/DSCF1295.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Fountain in front of Boliou Hall. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/1000 sec, f/1.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a8f88e86-cba2-4b44-ac63-5aae4a6f1b3f/DSCF1297.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out This artwork is located in front of the Lawrence McKinley Gould Library. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d8627062-ce5f-4978-8880-e6001c040384/DSCF1298.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Clock tower at Willis Hall. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe2b4528-b30a-4672-ab00-cd1b073b64b6/DSCF1299.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Front entrance of the Scoville Memorial Library. What incredible architecture on this campus. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/60 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/371075b0-31c4-45ca-a8a1-de2a6be61a65/DSCF1300.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Scoville Memorial Library. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e0e9ce0f-d623-48b8-b969-6de1fe10e75a/DSCF1302.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Skinner Memorial Chapel. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4d248315-bcd8-42c8-b63a-2f2d0f9138e6/DSCF1305.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out The streets around campus have some very nice landscaping and flowers. The recent rain left water droplets on the leaves of these hostas. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e98dc2a8-7815-465c-a161-57272f21597b/DSCF1306.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out This home on the corner of Union Street and 7th Street East has a couple of old Model A car bodies. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/60 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ce1bbde1-a4ac-4dcd-9cff-68ff57da25fc/DSCF1307.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out This one, on the Union Street side, claims to be the thirteen millionth Model A. We have no way of confirming the accuracy of this claim, but it is interesting nonetheless. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/caec2ee2-ebf7-4977-bf35-d06b70214cbb/DSCF1308.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out This character stands guard in front of the old Armory building. Unfortunate placement of the wall faucet in this image; I need to pay more attention to backgrounds I guess. This most definitely was not done on purpose! Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b3069487-05c6-4301-886c-691820a49ab1/DSCF1310.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Bridge Square is a small park in downtown Northfield. There is a fountain, some sitting areas, and an older couple selling popcorn from a vintage cart. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6d125953-221e-4c08-93b1-416bec9b5dfb/DSCF1311.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Artwork in Bridge Square park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/5d2fb7ab-5dee-4c4b-aed2-8ad8db46d8a7/DSCF1312.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out The same piece of art when viewed from the other side. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e2313f24-26b1-4131-af84-ebb4906703ee/DSCF1315.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out These colorful stairs lead from the river walk to the bridge at Water Street South. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6e761735-3039-4722-a8ef-9229045ddf76/DSCF1316.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Froggy Bottoms Pub. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/61c4df9b-0152-400f-b0d2-c49a5ad36235/DSCF1317.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out A wall of ivy. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/3.6, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d695e5a7-bb73-488a-bfb9-50365a86fd7a/DSCF1318.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out Lisa loves cows, so she really enjoyed this sign. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d0a1ca58-fec8-4dc0-89e8-e43b2d06540f/DSCF1319.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out This side entrance to the Contented Cow, located in the alley, had a real speakeasy vibe. FujiFilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/da2d961a-7601-444a-86c2-5c0c9b03329e/DSCF1321.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #18 - Make it stand out This is the Carleton College President’s house. A nice perk to the job. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-17 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39cbe2f0-4be6-4cf8-b4fd-cc510273284e/DSCF1260.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out “The Old Fire Bell. For 38 years this 1905 bell, in the belfrey above the old Fire Hall next door, was Madison Lake’s fire alarm. Two ropes through two pulleys clanged it swiftly. For the nine o’clock curfew a single rope tolled the hour by the village Marshal. The bell’s predecessor was a 36 inch circle saw blade mounted on the roof of the log jail one block north. A siren replaced the bell in 1943. This monument erected June 1984. Madison Lake Area Historical Society.” Interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9d579843-2ee9-4da9-b0b2-f8926dac8116/DSCF1267.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The Old Madison Lake Fire Hall now appears to house a private residence and the building seems to be undergoing significant renovation. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c24111b0-6c40-46d9-8e42-04aab8c73891/DSCF1261.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The All Saints Catholic Church is a nice-looking building on the corner of Walnut Avenue and 4th Street in Madison Lake. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a06b3e02-182a-43d7-a5a5-af9eca0d9dd4/DJI_0047.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out A photo from the Drone shows the All Saints Catholic Church and Madison Lake in the background. DJI Mini 2 4.5mm, 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/46612c9a-eac1-4c8a-9af6-807ccdb822c6/DSCF1263.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The Madison Lake Area Veterans Memorial at North Shore Park. Fujifilm X-Pro2 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39732a1e-bba0-4139-a505-9a72648d08ea/DSCF1262.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The houses along Lakeshore Drive each have their own dock and private sitting area. This one was particularly inviting. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/184eedeb-ffef-4631-9cca-0d1b79fc6d0b/DSCF1265.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out This well-appointed sitting area is located at the entrance to the Point Pleasant Resort & Campgrounds. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fb3aa7cb-5f15-4b67-9a7b-7bcc7293e24b/DSCF1268.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out This historical marker commemorates the town of Cleveland, MN was first organized in 1857. The significance of the marker reading 1853 is a bit confusing. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39e5bdc1-c311-4e56-870e-25187be283c0/DSCF1269.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out This building on Broadway Street/Dodd Road was built in 1870. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2903c9f0-4f21-4b38-a7c0-bd44df823094/DSCF1272.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The Cleveland water tower and welcome sign at Veteran’s Memorial Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/13, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf7b012d-8abf-4cdf-a6f1-6aaf89334d83/DSCF1273.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out Veteran’s Memorial Park in Cleveland, MN. “M101A1 105mm Towed Howitzer. Placed July 2004 by American Legion Post 207 in Honor of all Who Have Served.” Interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/46e56033-509d-4ac9-b8f4-f8448a7922f8/DSCF1276.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out Nicollet County Courthouse with the John Albert Johnson Statue in the foreground, St. Peter, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/30dc9595-668f-4675-aeeb-468c55249506/DSCF1275.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out A historic downtown building in St. Peter, MN framed through this sculpture on the sidewalk. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/16, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a62c2bff-d15a-4954-99dc-bc811448fa94/DSCF1279.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out While we were visiting St. Peter, we came across the Ambassadors’ Blues Festival in Minnesota Square Park. The live music was enjoyable to listen to as we strolled nearby. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/052eb13a-5164-4b95-b025-f17bb09f7a1a/DSCF1289.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The Saint Peter Area Veteran’s Memorial at Minnesota Square Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f7bd679e-90f4-495b-80eb-2ac221984d03/DSCF1281.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out The entrance to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2138ca46-5afb-4acf-a2b9-bf03b2b553de/DSCF1282.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out Old Main, Est, 1875. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/90c4dc7a-da06-4eba-b17b-52f6269723d1/DSCF1284.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out Christ Chapel on Gustavus Adolphus campus. What an impressive building and grounds. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/bf6269d2-0000-4f38-819f-8b2cdc05208f/DSCF1286.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out Some vibrant flowers in front of the Jackson Campus Center. This campus is really beautiful and we only saw a small portion of it. We will definitely be making another trip to St. Peter to better explore both the town and campus. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48a327c8-4244-4109-9307-c00c44ecb661/DSCF1287.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out Uhler Hall - what fantastic architecture. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/73a13914-4959-4870-aded-fdbf7a4d7925/DSCF1288.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #17 - Make it stand out We happened across this fella on College Avenue and Lisa wanted to bring him home with us. Sedrick pointed out that he did not intend to share his bed on the ride home! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-16 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/614b1995-71b8-463d-84f7-a43e0f8c6482/DSCF1204.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Our day started in Zumbrota, MN with a visit to “The Old Covered Bridge.” “The Old Covered Bridge was finished in November 1869. This bridge spans the time from the 19th to the 21st century. This authentic 116 foot long covered bridge is the last in Minnesota. It was moved to this location in the city of Zumbrota on March 4, 1997. The restoration and relocation of the bridge as a beautiful and practical way to cross the river resulted from the combined efforts of the citizens of Zumbrota and the members of the Covered Bridge Society. In the spirit of respect for the past, determination and resolve in the present, and optimism and faith in the future.” From interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e230a3f0-8b19-499d-a114-73c2e0be833b/DSCF1208.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out “Zumbrota Covered Bridge. Constructed over Zumbro River in 1869 cost $5,800. 120 feet long town lattice truss design. Served as stagecoach route between St. Paul and Dubuque.” From interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05224ed1-deba-40c2-aee7-0fffc846d805/DSCF1209.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out A view from inside the bridge with the window framing some wildflowers on the river bank. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/07aded8a-60d6-4091-9995-42c286eb5f4c/DSCF1210.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out The wooden truss construction of the bridge. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1c6ff0b7-b2d0-48a5-8773-e7c621fc81f6/DSCF1211.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out A brief stop in Red Wing, MN to visit Lock & Dam No. 3. Notice the nuclear power plant in the background. “Lock & Dam No. 3. Designed by and constructed under the direction of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army 1935-1938.” Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29df0035-4c54-45ab-a552-f088dc5217b9/DSCF1214.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out An intricate and vibrant wall mural in Hastings, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/99236643-f2b5-4d35-8971-d622bced5e66/DSCF1215.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Looking from Levee Park toward downtown Hastings. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2076ede3-f553-4dc3-a5b0-1f200ac0d69f/DSCF1216.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Lock & Dam No. 2, in Hastings, MN. Notice the large gathering of pelicans on the breakwater below the dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/70d6f6b2-4a7b-4525-a346-21305eed278f/DSCF1217.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Looking up-river at Lock & Dam No.2. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/0af92e26-c6a7-42fd-9266-a78317bc25d5/DSCF1221.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Hastings City Hall as viewed from 3rd Street. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d66a8ebe-57ce-4ea8-9b59-472ade8edb43/DSCF1222.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out We came across this guy who said he was visiting from Roswell, NM. Fujifim X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/83414661-a6ad-4aee-81a0-d5d8669980d8/DSCF1226.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Some sailboats on the St. Croix River looking back from the Hudson Pier toward the town of Hudson on the Wisconsin side. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fe3ab554-59c4-4641-b7c7-36ef5b6ca3a0/DSCF1227.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out These boats on the St. Croix River were gathering for a party and used the dingy to shuttle into the town of Hudson for dinner and drinks. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e6b04b9f-b3bc-490b-8759-37b74df337e6/DSCF1228.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out This is the BNSF Railroad St. Croix Bridge in Prescott, WI. The bridge raises to allow boats to pass ] underneath. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ad6fd4d9-597f-4be8-a23d-5c05807c61d9/DSCF1231.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out On the way back home we stopped in Wabasha, MN, and admired these lovely flowers on Lawrence Blvd. along the Mississippi. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9cc35f82-39d5-42bc-8ad1-6650baf9ad64/DSCF1232.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #16 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/3.2, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-15 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/143ec8a8-2427-4ae3-99a1-435f14270807/DSCF1168.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Our first stop this Memorial Day Monday was the small town of Hayfield, MN; where they were having their town’s Memorial Day festivities. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/90a6821c-2b9f-4249-b933-26ec2d279d6f/DSCF1167.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out The Presbyterian Church in Hayfield showcases some of the wonderful architecture scattered throughout the town. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/90546e20-ce81-49b7-b85d-bc5847dcbb23/DSCF1166.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out The ivy on this home is going to be even more impressive in a few weeks when it finishes filling in. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a6c538b-9cda-40ec-a4ec-88e03ecef58b/DSCF1169.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Grain elevators are a common sight throughout these small midwestern towns. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ecafe8cd-d5de-4abe-b3e4-09b03759b8a5/DSCF1171.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out The next stop traveling westward down Route 30 was Blooming Prairie, MN. There are several very nice churches on this stretch of Main Street, and the water tower is classic small town. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/89099de3-831b-40fc-90d8-d979a64786ec/DSCF1170.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Prairie Home Floral Decor and Gifts showing off their flowers and antique gifts on the sidewalk. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/484b93ef-a6a0-4e97-95c6-549ac1030bac/DSCF1172.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out A fun perspective looking up at the Blooming Prairie water tower. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e346d975-ca8c-4941-b993-a0459bb9130f/DSCF1173.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out This creative rendition of a train and railroad crossing is located in an empty lot in downtown Blooming Prairie, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ce20169-f357-4c4c-9942-483ce745f07d/DSCF1174.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out A closeup of some of the rail cars. The lights along the track suggest this may be some part of their Christmas holiday decorations. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/43ddb619-bbe4-456d-b723-a6439949b83f/DSCF1175.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Heading south from Hayfield and Blooming Prairie we came across Brownsdale, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/85606a37-3943-4b03-a68c-4bfcc77a0e9a/DSCF1176.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out This appears to be a former church in Brownsdale, but there was no signage and the surroundings give the impression it may now be a private residence. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4edc76b8-24dc-48ec-9b1b-364fb1b8bbff/DSCF1190.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out The Winnebago County Courthouse in Forest City, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8708a0cc-3917-45ea-a09b-56178cd265f9/DSCF1179.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out A WWII tank in front of the Winnebago County Courthouse. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53101f0e-7e08-4f39-831c-d6fcd65cdadd/DSCF1180.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out These small midwestern towns have some of the most attractive government buildings. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4d106282-b8a0-46b6-b79b-c086956cdc9f/DSCF1192.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out “Bicycle Parking Lot” “Are they dinosaurs? Are they birds? Are they robots? It’s up to you! What we do know is that these wonderful pieces of art were created and donated by artists Steve Johnson and Andy Sinnwell in the spring of 2010. Did you notice that the statues are fashioned from 100% recycled bicycle parts?” From interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/38ea0c13-cdc5-4ca5-ad13-bb4742abab23/DSCF1193.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out More bicycle art along North Clark Street in downtown Forest City, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ef0c4862-3a8e-4499-9364-0042c970f63d/DSCF1195.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out This is known as the Mansion Museum and the sign says it was a 1900 Bankers home and cost $6,287 to build in 1899. Fujifim X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1455b41a-7093-4bbd-86e5-842f76858530/DSCF1197.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out A wall mural depicting downtown Forest City in the early 1900’s. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8bd0305c-ec5c-48b7-94bd-a3fd09d8e370/DSCF1188.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Forest City, Iowa is also the home of Waldorf University. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e4348719-d70b-4ea3-9557-d54a2772d569/DSCF1187.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Waldorf University campus. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/646816fe-57b3-4ab6-a83f-b68d59d34499/DSCF1182.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out The buildings on campus are really quite impressive. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1fcf0ba3-6b2b-4f57-baad-fb1e1b2c2237/DSCF1183.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out A real gem of a small campus. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b9a8244c-e6c4-48f0-a50d-e18c53ea598e/DSCF1184.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Waldorf University campus grounds. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d11a9af1-6a03-4c7d-a92a-f936268aa523/DSCF1185.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out Marching band practice on the football field. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6ec7090c-1a4f-4ebb-b987-9847fa3386a6/DSCF1198.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #15 - Make it stand out On the way back home we encountered this dust storm over the plains. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-14 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/48e72f44-0ce3-4dee-b2e3-588a3e819255/DSCF1119.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Veterans Memorial Park in Wykoff, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/86762967-38e0-43da-8cae-229c00c2c886/DSCF1121.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out An old abandoned grain processing site in Wykoff, MN. Interesting to compare this old place with the new modern one in Winona pictured later in this post. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4487c543-2bd3-4e37-b288-38809a930a08/DSCF1124.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Historic Forestville in Forestville State Park. What is now a ghost town maintained by the park service was once the homestead of Felix Meighen and his family. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6d8b2b81-6295-4dca-9fc5-638efdb1a67f/DSCF1125.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out On certain days the buildings are open for tours, but not the day we were there. Notice the little bird sitting on the water pump handle. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/60 sec, f/13, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3b42bc7b-e7d9-430f-89d1-188ee5cee89e/DSCF1123.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out “Horse medicine, school slates, eyeglasses, flour - all might have been for sale or trade in the log cabin store opened in 1853 by Felix Meighen and Robert Foster, boyhood friends from Pennsylvania. As the only store in Fillmore County, it did a thriving business and also served as a social center for the new town of Forestville. The stagecoach station stood just beyond the store, and up the hill was the schoolhouse, located now by its foundation ruins. In 1856, Meighen and Foster build the present store, constructed from the first brick made in the county. Although Foster withdrew from the partnership in 1868, the Meighen family kept the store open until 1910. Some of the original trees still forest the Meighen homestead area; the family set aside land about a mile past the store as a park, and placed picnic tables for public use along the river bank. The Meighen store, complete with its 1910 inventory of merchandise is now part of Forestville State Park, which includes more than 2,000 acres.” From Interpretive Plaque on stie. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/eb68fc02-7c53-4daf-ab3c-9f0f71b96a8b/DSCF1127.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out An outbuilding behind the main house in Historic Forestville. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/71d38a4c-020a-47d6-8f3e-f46a34e617d3/DSCF1128.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out This bridge is immediately adjacent to the old Meighen homestead and crosses the South Branch of the Root River. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9f3ce284-26cd-4f49-8289-c511b3a79c82/DSCF1129.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out This tree, along one of the hiking trails, has a rather peculiar shape. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45305106-d74d-4524-a6dd-6f82e43de5bb/DSCF1130.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out The view from one of the scenic overlooks along the trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/650fefc2-c098-483e-83bd-96f0e0394534/DSCF1131.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Interesting fungi. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/06818214-d300-4924-9045-00e729569419/DSCF1132.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Ferns abound on the forest floor in this park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53a533a9-e47c-4406-aeb9-42f822bd7cff/DSCF1133.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Varied topography with prairie and rolling hills in Forestville Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2854e95c-51b3-420f-b2c3-1f759c68c485/DSCF1134.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out In the small cemetery behind Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove, MN we found these two headstones of children who were born and died on the same day. As an Obstetrician, I can’t help but think we have come a long way since 1888. If these children had been born 135 years later, it seems rather unlikely they would have met this terrible fate. One can only speculate that these were infants born either at a premature gestational age or possibly with an infection, and without the benefits of modern medicine there was no treatment available. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 160, Acros MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4fa50276-82ce-46ea-9871-faa34cfed631/DSCF1135.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 160, Acros MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/693be2a9-ddad-4653-8a1d-9a349b4800c2/DSCF1136.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Mississippi River flooding of Levee Park in Winona, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/993d5a05-65da-4450-a563-d5c42048e37b/DSCF1137.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out The old firehouse built in 1891 in Winona, MN. Still an active firehouse with modern trucks and equipment. Directly across the street from Penguin Zesto - a fantastic place for soft-serve ice cream! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/702bd1dc-847a-42a6-898a-90876d6ae4ff/DSCF1138.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Winona, MN has great architecture. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/672e1cb4-1001-4ef9-a065-43679060928f/DSCF1139.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Watkins Medical Products in Winona, MN. They make a number of commonly available lotions, ointments, and extracts. It always smells so nice when you walk by this place. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/711bb0e7-a982-4205-bcb9-33cd8be0641c/DSCF1140.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out Bay State Milling plant in Winona, MN. Compare this to the one above in Wykoff, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1797c21c-59f1-495a-926c-955872f9e46e/DSCF1141.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #14 - Make it stand out One day we will stop here for a beverage. They have a nice outdoor seating space right along Levee Park and the river. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/4000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-13 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/38fa8e59-a438-48f0-b067-6c5149ce1b7c/DSCF1110.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out Frawleys Saw Shop and Variety Store, in New Albin, IA; because that is a winning combination for sure. A random place, but the lawn ornamentation with Uncle Sam demanded a photo. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d730d544-1651-48dd-96e1-8b3f0d192ad8/DSCF1111.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out The view from Mt. Hosmer Park in Lansing, IA. Horseshoe Island is in the foreground. A common stop on our trips, but so nice to see it with green again. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4d8ee492-12a5-472f-9928-6286310b3aca/DSCF1113.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out Bridge from Lansing, IA to Wisconsin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c2393829-b8d8-468d-b2fd-78032f71b724/DSCF1115.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out Goose Island Park in La Crosse, WI, looking toward the Minnesota side. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7675877c-a0ac-4548-b1ee-701dcc79a447/DSCF1116.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out Ernie’s Service Station in Whalan, MN. Whalan is a small town along the Root River and Root River bike trail. This restored old service station has some great period appropriate antiques and when it is open you are welcome to wander around and explore the collection. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9091013b-ecc1-495f-a059-ee671b136bea/DSCF1117.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out Inside the office at Ernie’s Service Station. The place is full of old signs and memorabilia from the time when the station was in operation. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/2, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d1dc6eea-b53b-4791-9e88-667ae439e04c/DSCF1118.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #13 - Make it stand out The restored service station reminds us of something we anticipate seeing along Route 66. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 640 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-12 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/47b69a41-6c30-4313-82f4-bd9f50212bf0/DSCF1032.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out The visitor’s center at Lime Creek Nature Center in Mason City, Iowa. Great trails are well maintained and they have a web-based interpretive program that explains the flora and fauna seen along the trails. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/209bdc58-7b76-488f-81a6-2bd6adb0f586/DSCF1042.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out Meet “Mindy” the Wood Turtle sculpture located in front of the Lime Creek Nature Center. She is modeled after a Wood Turtle spotted at the Lime Creek Conservation Area in 2017. The Wood Turtle in an endangered species in Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/9, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e31061f6-bbe7-4477-9034-0131895b9fb7/DSCF1033.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out Winnebago River winds along some of the Lime Creek Nature Center trails. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/176edbff-7f0a-48f4-9394-22889ae8cc75/DSCF1035.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out Old ruins along the walking trails. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/416b870b-0925-491a-8082-a4bddfb43927/DSCF1036.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out “Ruins of the old Mason City Brewery; built in 1873 and used as a brewery until 1882 when a prohibition amendment was added to the Iowa Constitution. Afterward, the building was used as a slaughterhouse, ice house, home, barn, and office. All that remains intact is the brewery cellar.” From an interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1ff1c2f6-ffe7-4f8c-ab7b-de1cf060b9c1/DSCF1038.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out A controlled burn site in the prairie grass at Lime Creek Nature Preserve. Notice the first green shoots of spring emerging. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/13, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b6800733-4b24-41b2-8e48-0557e0e39849/DSCF1039.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out An old railroad bed passing through the nature preserve at Lime Creek. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e8fa752e-29a3-42b7-9586-d9c2c599492b/DSCF1040.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out Not really visible in this photo, but this large anthill was teeming with activity! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8db33a74-91f5-48ec-97a2-f30377f745b4/DSCF1041.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #12 - Make it stand out The old Quarry Lake at Lime Creek Nature Center. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/420 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-11 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/20e29322-0179-4c5a-a7cd-c906d4fc6691/DSCF1007.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out We have seen this image of the Lake City Yacht Club in the summertime, but it looks a little different this time of year. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/1700 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4273a657-b7fa-4f9e-aaa3-be049b4b7d85/DSCF1008.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out The marina has a different look to it as well this time of year. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/1100 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a25105af-31fe-4707-96dc-3f091f9d2914/DSCF1006.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out We found the boats! Shrink-wrapped in the parking lot. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/1000 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/e030278d-8bcb-4059-8fc2-dcc3fdd7bed8/DSCF1009.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out Looking across frozen Lake Pepin toward Wisconsin. The frozen tundra! Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/1250 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/18bf7093-5836-4613-9c04-8112f9e28bcb/DSCF1011.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out Lock & Dam #5. Because of the open water below the dam, this is a very popular fishing site for Bald Eagles this time of year. You can see one flying in the upper right of the image. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/640 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f434b459-849f-4589-bb83-2e7ed873a4f2/DSCF1013.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out The eagles were plentiful today; here you can see several in flight and all those dark spots along the edge of the ice are eagles as well. It is really an incredible site when you can find them in these numbers in one spot. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/640 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f6fe0c85-0b75-4901-8a2e-a72337a2916a/DSCF1014.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out The locking chamber is all frozen at this time of year. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/900 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/dfc47641-9aad-49f8-9a3d-4d22f4d78cab/DSCF1015.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out The New Albin Town Hall in New Albin, IA. This building was built in 1895 and just recently got a very nice facelift. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/900 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6512aada-5979-4ff3-a0a5-20630329c4c3/DSCF1016.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out Immediately adjacent to the Town Hall is the New Albin Old Fire House. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/1900 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/59f56a3e-9ad5-4ba6-92fb-3163db4e2407/DSCF1018.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #11 - Make it stand out Shelly the turtle is the mascot outside of The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing, IA. Fujifilm X-Pro3 35mm, 1/150 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-10 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/411d07e0-e722-48bf-b458-6bfd668782f5/DSCF0988.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 Railroad bridge over the Mississippi River in Hastings, MN. In the summer, it is common to see this bridge raised to allow for sailboats and some of the taller motorboats to pass underneath. On occasion, we have seen a train cross over this bridge and it is an interesting site. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9b63454b-bf92-4d07-9341-77c367112989/DSCF0989.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 Hastings has built a very nice riverside park and pedestrian walkway along the Mississippi. Here is the stone Hastings sign with the new bridge over the Mississippi in the background. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7f9ca2bd-b262-48bf-9f5b-980fc6c33f2c/DSCF0990.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/800 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 Some interesting artwork in the Hastings riverside park. Looks like something from Rancho Deluxe in Mason City, IA. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/31136a90-b886-4ac1-ab44-53c21c3df11e/DSCF0991.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/450 sec, f/4, ISO 160 This guy hangs out under the Hastings bridge. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/178ab3ec-e74b-4d0e-af3a-8bae07ad360d/DSCF0993.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/550 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 Lock and Dam #2 is located in Hastings and is about a 1.5-mile walk from the railroad bridge downtown; this makes for a nice 3-mile round trip stroll along the river. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b22b2afc-4634-4b1d-8851-a0e109b50360/DSCF0994.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/10, ISO 160 The locking chamber at Lock & Dam #2; looking upriver. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53425277-0945-4555-ab15-6500c57978e5/DSCF0995.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/10, ISO 160 The Dam is in the background on the far side of the river. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b02d032d-6328-45e8-9a39-f77383ac0f0b/DSCF0996.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/480 sec, f/8, ISO 160 Stillwater, MN has a very pedestrian-friendly waterfront with walkways and this old bridge. With the construction of the new elevated bridge across the St. Croix River just south of this photo, they have converted this downtown bridge into a pedestrian-only walkway. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/cc1eae2f-c704-4ee5-803b-8171bfb63b79/DSCF0997.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/8, ISO 160 In the years before the construction of the new elevated St. Croix Crossing bridge, Lisa and I have driven over this smaller bridge many times. However, it is now a pedestrian-only crossing and it is a very popular spot for walking and biking. Like the Hastings railroad bridge, this one also raises to allow taller boats to pass underneath. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fdef61fc-e73d-4785-862f-c7ac18bbadfb/DSCF0998.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/340 sec, f/8, ISO 160 Another view of the Stillwater pedestrian bridge over the St. Croix River. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a84468df-137a-48d5-a88d-2fccbeffec81/DSCF1002.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 Glen Park Swinging Bridge in River Falls, WI. “In the 1860’s the area below the swinging bridge was a popular site for outings. Down in the glen, several bridges were built to cross the South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River but were often washed out by floods. In 1925 the Minneapolis Bridge Company designed a suspension bridge high over the South Fork to connect Glen Park with Cascade Avenue. It was placed directly over the Cascade Mill and Dan, spanning 130 feet between the supports, costing $4,800.” From interpretive plaque on site. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d669426a-04b4-4524-b97f-1468ec6b10ac/DSCF1000.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #10 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 View looking downriver from the Glen Park Swinging Bridge on the Kinnickinnic River. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-day-5 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/55cb115a-ae5e-4bcc-bcf6-449fee4ff3a7/DSCF0955.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 Rushmore Mountain Taffy Shop in Keystone, SD. The BEST saltwater taffy in the midwest! Here he is adding flavoring and coloring to the taffy. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/3005c223-ee2c-47d3-889b-b10674618c5a/DSCF0956.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 You can watch the taffy being made right in front of you. The process is really quite fascinating to observe. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/4291bdf4-fced-4745-9497-4bb73971d3b1/DSCF0953.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 He will later take the long rolls of taffy in the photo above and pass them through this machine which cuts them into individual bite-sized pieces and wraps them in a wax-paper cover. It is quite a process to behold. The sign on the window explains this intricate machine: “The ‘Antique’ Taffy/Candy Wrapping Machine. This machine was made by Package Machinery, Springfield MA. The company started in the late 1800’s but the first patents of the Model K Kiss cut and wrap machines were issued starting in the early 1900’s. The original machines were powered by an independent gas engine, underneath where the electric motor now rests. Mass production of the K Kiss Machine stopped in the 1950’s. We are now estimating the age of our machine is between 120-125 years old. There are no ‘new’ cut and wrap machines like this where you can see the whole process. There are only rebuilt ‘used’ machines. All the parts on this machine are cast and machined as needed. Don’t worry though, we have a backup machine we cast/machine parts from as needed.” MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1572b5a3-a2de-4a0e-ab27-e7d7e9b05977/DSCF0961.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/14, ISO 160 On Route 244, right behind Mt. Rushmore, there is a scenic pull-out called Mr. Rushmore Profile View. This spot provides a perfect example of the scenery throughout the Black HIlls. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/10428f2a-12d6-4f2f-bf4d-efb3774530c4/DSCF0962.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/8, ISO 160 As billed, the Mt. Rushmore Profile View, gives you this unique perspective of George Washington’s profile jutting out of the mountain. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6fe5be26-708b-49a1-94a6-d2fd7d84dac8/DSCF0963.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/8, ISO 160 Horse Thief Lake has some breathtaking views as you walk along the trail that surrounds the lake. On this cool morning, the lake gave off a fine fog just above the water’s surface. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/749a6335-8d51-437b-aad0-0da2d6ecce07/DSCF0968.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/11, ISO 250 Another view of fog rising off the surface of the lake. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/00c7a9b6-417d-4108-87d2-847a514b6f0c/DSCF0965.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/11, ISO 320 Sedrick and Lisa paused for a photo-op at Horse Thief Lake. Sedrick is sizing up the squirrel climbing up a tree. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8038e06c-8998-495f-b185-8d4cf3454f1e/DSCF0971.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/11, ISO 500 Bridge along the walking path at Horse Thief Lake. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/2ab600e5-aaeb-4e78-8995-ecdbac707931/DSCF0973.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/11, ISO 200 Same bridge from another vantage point. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/29d3f9ce-1ec6-40c9-a6fb-20721cf34a75/DSCF0975.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/160 sec, f/11, ISO 160 This is the Hill City Depot for the 1880 Train that runs between the towns of Hill City and Keystone. In a prior photo, we saw the other end of the line in Keystone. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b1bc9b9e-59a0-431c-a33c-a37596e6456a/DSCF0976.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 Sheridan Lake is a popular spot for fishing, camping, and swimming. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/d2bbb117-5fb0-4dbe-a283-bbefe13c9b8a/DSCF0977.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/850 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 Another perspective on Sheridan Lake. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/ef210deb-2f95-4ce4-b1a1-7d37229eb7f0/DSCF0981.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, F/8, ISO 320 Sedrick enjoyed hiking the trails around Sheridan Lake. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b9f36d00-bb61-4b95-80f4-47e8e721047e/DSCF0982.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 160 Pactola Reservoir is another popular boating and fishing spot. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/66339dc5-bb89-4c59-9c4c-7fd91e6aa1aa/DSCF0984.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #5 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/8, ISO 160 When you walk over this bridge you can see huge trout swimming in the lake below. On this particular day, they were not biting, according to the gentleman standing on the far right of the bridge. MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/qxdcv9jqo9yqho0al0tyjah8v3bkc5 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/96f7238a-b33b-4c0f-9642-e3ac94d63a27/DSCF0883.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out Day #4 started with heavily overcast skies and an early fall snowstorm then ended with a bright sunny blue sky. Custer State Park with a dusting of snow. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/fc2e06ef-f998-4885-a61c-844478a5f0df/DSCF0884.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The park takes on an entirely new look with a dusting of snow. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/26946b25-4d68-437f-a222-2711b1d16458/DSCF0890.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The fall colors and the dusting of snow make for a nice contrast. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/9e2d607a-b0f1-4474-a390-2c77decd5d87/DSCF0897.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out While walking the path along Highway 16A we came across this group of bighorn sheep. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/44f69a8c-91a7-48b0-8c78-48400f012b76/DSCF0899.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out Somebody took the time to balance these rocks along the path. It made for an interesting photo with the fresh snow. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/b91d4187-d149-4425-8fbb-9a36eac0499f/DSCF0901.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The Game Lodge Campground has a cute little non-denominational chapel. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/950 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/05c2cdcf-1ecf-4879-9ef8-d65a13496c7e/DSCF0910.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out Traveling south on Highway 87 toward Hot Springs, SD we came across a herd of bison. They were quite intent on licking the salt off the road and didn’t seem to care that they were holding up traffic. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a88830ba-4011-4eff-9d12-9616567e3dd5/DSCF0915.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out More salt licking bison. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/49f8f20f-6aa6-49a5-8f28-b008a55406d9/DSCF0916.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out As we drove by, they started to approach our car and began licking the road salt off our vehicle. Our CR-V became a giant bison salt-lick. At first, it was a bit disconcerting, but once we realized what they wanted, we just sat back and enjoyed the show. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/199ca296-3e89-4347-ae06-49f42fde08f7/DSCF0947.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out While its mother enjoyed licking our car this little guy came over to say hi. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 2500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/c9b5b168-47aa-4a2a-b918-d2bbf4884bed/DSCF0943.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out One final bison photo, just because they are that impressive up close. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/33a02c3a-3c01-4987-99a6-d03ff3d882a7/DSCF0919.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The landscape out here is just fantastic! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/550 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/f82b5bab-fb87-41c9-b34f-5cbdd9e38bf0/DSCF0920.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The Evans Hotel in Hot Springs, SD. “The site of Hot Springs was occupied before white men ever came to the area by tribal people for the ‘curative’ benefits of the mineral springs. The constant 87-98 degree waters became the basis for the thriving resort town. Numerous bathhouses, sanitariums and luxurious hotels were built to host the thousands of people visiting to bathe in or drink from the warm springs. One of the men, a leading entrepreneur of the time who helped to build the town and ensure its growth was Fred T. Evans. In 1891-92 Mr. Evans built the Evans Hotel, the grand five-story structure that still stands as a centerpiece in town. The hotel had furnishings imported from Europe, electric lights, and warm water piped in for steam heat and baths. On the grounds were golf links, tennis courts and bathhouse connected to the hotel by an enclosed passageway.” From an interpretive plaque. The architecture of Hot Springs includes many such sandstone buildings. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/45fe2b05-9646-48c7-bb9a-a48506e00913/DSCF0938.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The Evans Hotel is now an apartment complex. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7a6bf320-6ee8-45fa-b33d-0da5976588be/DSCF0925.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out Historic wood jail. “This historical wooden jail was found within the walls of a frame house at 332 South Chicago Street here in Hot Springs by William L. ‘Bud’ Soper while he was demolishing the structure for salvage. The jail was donated to the city and it was moved to this site in April 1983. This jail is built of 2x4 lumber laid flat and nailed together with rows of #9 wire between the boards to discourage anyone from sawing through. Calamity Jane gave quite a drunken exhibition on November 10, 1895 in the Bodega Saloon just down the street and tried to ‘borrow’ a horse to take it for a ride. She was ‘offered’ a nights lodging in the city jail by Mayor C.W. Hargens. Local historian Helen Magee estimated the jail was built in 1885 or ‘86. It is the oldest wooden jail in existence in South Dakota.” From an interpretive plaque on site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/120 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a55b63b2-843e-464b-a774-a172c4be85ee/DSCF0928.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out This image really highlights the 2x4 lumber construction of the jail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1a3a0748-a7e3-4345-8570-8287f44bd736/DSCF0930.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The stairs leading up to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Hot Springs again features the sandstone construction that is so common throughout the town. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/480 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a6b55d1a-7bc1-4a4c-8d0f-6fcdf41f6d86/DSCF0932.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The flood channel that contains the Fall River runs through Hot Springs. “From 1894 to 1947 the City of Hot Springs experienced 7 great floods. The flood channel in this photo and two dams, Cold Brook (completed in 1953) and Cottonwood Springs (completed in 1969), were designed and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the risk of potentially deadly flooding in the historic Hot Springs downtown.” From an interpretive plaque on site. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/418e1061-fea2-4a90-8c14-3fba94303768/DSCF0933.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out This colorful psychedelic bison mural adorns the wall of a building immediately adjacent to the Hot Springs Police Department. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/12ca88e5-fa70-4f5b-b482-3f5e818dd3ec/DSCF0935.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out The Pioneer Museum was closed for the season but is still an impressive structure and example of the sandstone architecture seen widely throughout the city of Hot Springs. I find the surrounding landscape nearly as impressive as the building itself. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/365f62f5-014b-4c2f-89d6-a0727901de50/DSCF0948.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out Sylvan Lake is just an amazing place. There is a walking path/hike around this small lake and the views are simply fantastic. We arrived here just as the sun was setting and there was absolutely no wind, so the lake was like glass and made for some really nice reflections. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/a6312022-3cf7-4251-aea8-6621421e35e2/DSCF0949.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out This is just such a unique place. It looks as though the rocks just grow out of the lake. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/800 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/8c5ae6b9-b5f9-42c9-9942-8d1f6c879692/DSCF0950.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out More of the same, just because it is that beautiful here. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/680 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/53e2b54d-ed4e-440f-873b-902d9fbe366f/DSCF0951.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out Looking toward the eastern shore of Sylvan Lake, the setting sun made for some spectacular lighting. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b80270f-aee5-407b-9f19-f4bc536bcadc/DSCF0952.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #4 - Make it stand out One final image of one of our favorite places to visit. What started out as a snowy overcast day really turned into a lovely evening for a stroll at Sylvan Lake. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/850 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-day-3 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634784756012-JUMS80YC6TWVDZR3U2HM/DSCF0807.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Winter Street is the main drag down the middle of Keystone, SD. They very much strive for the wild west vibe. If you ever visit, the Rushmore Mountain Taffy Shop has the best salt water taffy. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634784997174-QYX58DY5CR9YGAMV6KAQ/DSCF0809.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out More chainsaw art and I have to admit, I have a thing for yetis! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634785146844-H91ZY3132IFR0WCGT75M/DSCF0813.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out The sheer size of this yeti is staggering!! This thing is at LEAST two stories high. Also, it appears that Dahls has a monopoly on the chainsaw art market in this part of the country. It seemed like every town we visited had a chainsaw art dealer. However, upon further inspection, they were all Dahls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/120 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634785498713-W9O9EODQ1NVKMCS1HP84/DSCF0811.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out In keeping with the theme! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634785600830-7PFTGPEFCN74MRC2OSTR/DSCF0817.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Lisa just can’t get enough of posing with chainsaw art. In reality, she cursed my name every time! But, she made it look like it was a real blast…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/350 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634785752683-3BX6ALJX5OMH2UOBM9S0/DSCF0818.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out We can’t stop laughing as we post these foolish pictures! I’m just thankful she doesn’t want to learn to use the camera, or else I would be mounting these crazy things. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634785867831-BNLF1Z4HDIHX8Y1TNSG5/DSCF0821.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out What every diehard Harley Davidson lover needs; a screaming eagle replica in front of their home. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634785980793-D4GO77B5C8XMGKKQVT6P/DSCF0824.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Okay, we promise, this is the last one! But who can resist one more Yeti? Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634786080656-RJS6J7BD6SJYVZ3A81BF/DSCF0825.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out 1880 Train is an actual locomotive and passenger car that carries tourists between the towns of Hill City and Keystone. This is the Keystone depot stop. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/5.6, ISO MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634786294496-2DD8A51FMFPTYSF71VHD/DSCF0829.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out This is a very typical landscape in the Black Hills. It is fascinating how these pine trees can find a way to grow out of the smallest cracks in the rocks. This photo was taken on the Centennial Trail. The Centennial Trail is 123 miles long and takes between 5-10 days to hike according to the website backpackingroutes.com. We walked about 2 miles of it. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/350 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634786654653-SDUMOQIDDDA8Q2CCYOMT/DSCF0830.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Another image from the Centennial Trail. And, once again, check out the size of this tree growing out of what seems like an impossible spot for a tree of that size. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/450 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634786780448-SNCP4VTLG5Z3GXHP2XDA/DSCF0833.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Lakota Lake is just off 16A between Keystone and Custer State Park. This is a rather secluded place and we have often been the only people here when we stop; as was the case today. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634786965127-EQ0NQ28Y8VJEPS4GP1JR/DSCF0835.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Another view of Lakota Lake. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787073528-SMIXT65LPQ6UVJUPS6XL/DSCF0837.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out This is taken from a place called Heddy Draw Overlook. It provides a nice view down into the valley below. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787200921-BLO3SJR6YMAKLXEDQWVA/DSCF0841.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Sedrick & Lisa hiking the trail back up to the Heddy Draw Overlook. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787333127-RTYC0IN1S1JBYY374CSV/DSCF0844.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Custer State Park buffalo. Most of the females have young ones with them and they don’t stray too far from their mothers. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787477019-V8YXJNDGN32C2ZZ3C4Y5/DSCF0846.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out The buffalo herd relaxing in the park. That sky looks nice here, but things are about to change in a big way…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787613199-VSRMODYY24V6AD0RBJEJ/DSCF0865.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Custer State Park Wildlife Loop is a must-see when you are in the area. Go slow and enjoy, your way is often blocked by herds of buffalo roaming free across the road. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/80 sec, f/Manual, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787765904-ZHH8619RMFN3D9JY28WQ/DSCF0870.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Mom and her baby. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/80 sec, f/Manual, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787855157-JCXQW8O3I6FQ2QOENYZG/DSCF0852.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Lisa really enjoyed feeding Sedrick’s Milk-Bone treats to the begging burros. They may be dog treats, but burros LOVE them too! Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/80 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634787999936-M0LZTG14YNI0T7EIWM73/DSCF0858.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Noting in this world makes her happier than interacting with animals. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/105 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634788094609-8G27IPTRXZW3ATAWKPKE/DSCF0875.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Legion Lake is located on 16A. There is a lodge and campground here as well. This is a very popular recreation area in-season. The skies continue to change and in just a few minutes things are going to look very different. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634788273862-PX91FJ3FUDCVIQ5PO5W9/DSCF0878.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Stockade Lake is also located on 16A just outside of the town of Custer. The wooden bridge on the left of this photo is a very interesting piece of engineering. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634788425867-53SS417BIPAT126BCEDL/DSCF0882.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #3 - Make it stand out Throughout the day the temperature had been in the 60s. As the sun started to set, a front moved in and the temperature drop was the most rapid I have ever seen. As we were driving along Highway 87 on the north end of Needles Highway, heavy fog rolled in (as seen above) and the temperature would drop a degree or two every mile we drove. By the time we were back in Rapid City, the temperature was below freezing. Some areas got upward to 5” of snow that night. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-day-2 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634644155791-PE9BL9D210KASJ32ZRIM/DSCF0714.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out On a hill in the middle of Rapid City is Dinosaur Park where they have built several life-size replicas of the dinosaurs which previously roamed these areas. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634644375374-SB0AR08LMWQYSLKHOWT4/DSCF0717.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Sedrick enjoyed posing with these giants. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634644606692-VKWFXN5DPTBVGKBFI4VN/DSCF0718.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Right in downtown Rapid City is Canyon Lake Park. This park is very nice and has walking and biking paths throughout. The locals really take advantage of this beautiful green space and it is always hopping with activity. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634644834745-A46H3JGFU67ADZG0MQZX/DSCF0719.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Canyon Lake Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634644950509-3EBD7MXIB72YNS43XP52/DSCF0722.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Canyon Lake Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634645102333-KA3GS6J1C6IDPE7WXIEN/DSCF0725.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Where Canyon Lake empties into Rapid Creek there are a couple of small waterfalls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 3 seconds, f/10, ISO 160, 8-stop ND filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634645274727-T8ODJ73IQSIFQ2PWROQ0/DSCF0731.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Another view of the waterfalls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 4 seconds, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634693936014-WZT38CPSMC88TPESH010/DSCF0734.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Canyon Lake Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 5 seconds, f/11, ISO 160, 8-stop ND filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634694069958-D1UZ0PFGRWJ3OZFVTHC0/DSCF0736.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Canyon Lake Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 5 seconds, f/11, ISO 160, 8-stop ND filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634694233982-ILT69N34V2TQUXG1CN7D/DSCF0740.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out One last shot of Canyon Lake Park, just because it really is that beautiful. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634694400098-IN5IAHJARD97U6R7GKXH/DSCF0742.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Soon after leaving the park we came across this over-the-top Halloween display on S. Canyon Road. Check out the bird drinking from the beer mug on the bar. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634694699331-NWV9IBATGMSRAQ0PGCK0/DSCF0744.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Sturgis, SD in October is all but shut down. However, for two weeks in August, it is host to the largest and most famous motorcycle rally in the country. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to this little town in the black hills of South Dakota. The next series of photos are some of the bars in town. They are absolutely huge with multiple stories and decks which, during the rally, are packed to capacity. Today, they all stand empty until next season. This is The Knuckle Saloon on Lazelle Street. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634695000923-XYCLCQ4D8N74BANN6Z45/DSCF0743.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Inside the covered patio at The Knuckle Saloon. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 2000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634695139058-S2FIJ5N1ACGYVBOMPV6L/DSCF0747.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Outside The Knuckle Saloon is this sign which reads “All Roads Lead to Sturgis!” The closest city listed is Denver at 395 miles and the furthest is Sydney at 8,501 miles. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634695414038-5E8RB6FSCX6301GBOH5K/DSCF0745.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The Iron Horse Saloon, also on Lazelle Street is absolutely HUGE! The deck extending from the right side of this photo goes on an entire city block and has several different levels. To imagine this with a packed crowd is just incredible. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634695690646-AFC6TIHZKSCP9LJIQE9M/DSCF0750.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Yet another huge establishment, this is One-Eyed Jack’s Saloon on Main Street in Sturgis. Once again, there is an entire multi-level deck attached to the main building. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634695837247-36GMI7MJF7DJHVK85NBY/DSCF0748.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The main stage is located on 2nd Street. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/120 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634695952275-5ZHJMFKMRIDU3M33K9QF/DSCF0752.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out This Sturgis sign is located on a hill that overlooks downtown. This sign is visible from I-90 as you drive by. This photo was taken from Lazelle Street and 3rd St. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634696200172-FXUWAECTWQPAO8PTT2EP/DSCF0755.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Leaving Sturgis take highway 85 - a curvy and very scenic drive - to Deadwood. Deadwood is now a main street with many bars, casinos, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Admittedly, it is now a serious tourist trap, but the town does have some interesting wild-west history from the early days of this country. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2400 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634696422357-2Y8VWDTQODCYWTB6H25C/DSCF0756.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Chainsaw art is a very big thing out here! You can buy one of these for your yard if you would like. They will be happy to arrange for shipping - rider not included. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1250 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634696690888-JYWIJA4NTKA9UOBLMQBP/DSCF0758.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Here is the website address in case you wish to order one of your very own! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634696797007-ESHH4JLCXZMAMEGL0KT6/DSCF0759.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Pam’s Purple Door Brothel, closed by the FBI on 5/21/1980. Once again the FBI ruins it for everyone! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634696962706-TMQHRZTCI2A5PRX2GQTP/DSCF0760.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out This is the original site of Saloon Number 10 where Wild Bill was shot on 8/2/1876. The current Saloon Number 10 is located across Main Street - see photo below. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634697164109-5OK3MF48U70CM23V1RJ3/DSCF0766.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The current Saloon Number 10. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634697356731-9D86C20F123H0RJ8LW4C/DSCF0762.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Just two blocks away from the original Saloon Number 10 is the site where Jack McCall, the man who shot Wild Bill, was captured. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634697875709-65M5KGFX7K0RHV8IX0ZS/DSCF0764.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The Franklin Hotel on Main Street in Deadwood, SD. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634698018853-N3I0MS8DEU6MJ2BNK1OK/DSCF0769.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The Homestake Mine in Lead, SD was a gold mine that closed in 2002. They have a very nice and informative visitor center. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634698183009-FQ0WYL1NXFEHZKO0U3ZN/DSCF0767.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Sedrick & Lisa pose in front of an old mining artifact from the Homestake Gold Mine. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634698441572-5YTHV1OTQ8M6ED377U94/DSCF0770.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out On July 10, 2020, an EF 1 tornado hit Spearfish Canyon. This photo shows the devastation that it did to the trees. There are several miles in the canyon where you can see this kind of destruction. Over one year later they are making progress on cleaning up some of the dead trees, but there is still a long way to go. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/9, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634698714043-DJ8ZA47TRQE1G5BDCSYZ/DSCF0772.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Spearfish Creek runs alongside highway 14A through Spearfish Canyon. This creek is filled with trout and just standing on the banks you can see a large number of them swimming by. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/9, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634698859447-T60YXS10CP77KUY4OTGJ/DSCF0774.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out Roughlock Falls is a great hike when the weather cooperates. However, if you don’t care to make the hike you can drive up to the falls on a dirt road and there are walkways and decks to view the falls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1.9 seconds, f/16, ISO 3200, 8-stop ND filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634699059382-66SIKW93ELFXM6D516EL/DSCF0779.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out These sheer cliffs make up the walls of Spearfish Canyon and are simply incredible. This view is from the Roughlock Falls trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634699171571-85GY60IWLRP1XA7NUQDT/DSCF0785.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out These smaller cascading falls are located downstream from the main falls seen in the background. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 13 seconds, f/9, ISO 160, 8-stop ND filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634699283454-X7FVCOIX5INUL6EWCF2P/DSCF0791.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out On the other side of Highway 14A is Spearfish Falls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 10 seconds, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634699386847-1P2IRC7GM8SOHY05ZB5O/DSCF0792.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery is both a history museum and a working fish hatchery. The grounds are spectacular to just walk around and appreciate the fall colors. Such a peaceful place! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634699532007-JILHXQBN1MSZH5EL6TX8/DSCF0793.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The Yellowstone Boat. “A long journey ended on August 6, 1996, when the boat known as the Yellowstone boat was ‘docked’ here.” Quote from the informative sign at the site. The boat was used to make annual trips to Yellowstone to collect trout eggs. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634699885676-AB1XA5W1AHZTKC93NT7A/DSCF0795.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out In the early 1900s train cars like the one shown here were used to transport fish eggs and young fish to their final destinations across the country to stock the rivers and streams. The ice house in the foreground is a replica of the original 1899 ice house. Ice cut from a Hatchery pond was stored in the ice house and used to cool the water in the cans used to carry young trout on railroad cars and trucks. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/6.4, ISO 2500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634700244599-68X6CEH2RN348OUCTH1V/DSCF0796.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #2 - Make it stand out The museum at the DC Booth Hatchery. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/6.4, ISO 1600 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/south-dakota-day-1 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634528473704-VO4Q1QKLJLM3YLKEJ3AC/DSCF0671.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Sedrick & Lisa pose with The Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634528609248-S0LJP7D8DRUKYFV3JKKI/DSCF0674.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Sedrick thought Sprout was a little more reasonable size. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634528863840-TKJ0Z7DUIWB9BMTFNE10/DSCF0678.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Okabena Lake in Worthington, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2900 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634528994580-CQVB8H6S7S6OISMJ9OIS/DSCF0679.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Centennial Park in Worthington, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634529285884-Z7B5MB91UEH5M45G6Z8P/DSCF0681.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Botanical garden at Hitchcock Park in Mitchell, SD. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634529419927-4RPHG1WF8E0CSY92NDO8/DSCF0682.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out African fountain grass in Hitchcock Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634529555908-QKVPS2MOLXIPU9QBKGH7/DSCF0688.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out The view from the I-90 Chamberlain rest area. This has to be one of the best interstate rest areas ever, and if you are ever traveling I-90 through Chamberlain it is a must-see. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634529849274-EI9CKJ5GBWW4UO1JQSFV/DSCF0689.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Another view from the Chamberlain rest area. This one is looking out over the Missouri River. The train bridge is on the left and I-90 is on the right. To get this view you need to walk the trail to the overlook. It is definitely worth the few extra minutes. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634530021654-MH4DF1HD8BN9XB5NUQ3N/DSCF0693.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Sedrick & Lisa with the Dignity statue at the Chamberlain rest area. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634530143411-LF12AD4TIXKLE7R9WAZ8/DSCF0694.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Each South Dakota rest area on I-90 has one of these art formations. We think they are teepees as a nod to the Native American heritage of the area. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634530344732-0IQP7149MBZXA7RKSNXC/DSCF0703.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out For hundreds of miles on I-90 there are billboards advertising Wall Drug. It is an iconic piece of Americana and worth a stop if for no other reason than to say you have been there once. It started as a drug store and is now a collection of stores and silly attractions that serves as a tourist trap. Spend a few minutes here and it will be something you will never forget. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634530580012-FRL8ATZS6LG5V6VNCGDJ/DSCF0700.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out This is the main entrance to Wall Drug on Main Street. However, there are numerous shops all along both sides of Main Street. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634530729086-BPMO5HSNRONF1KPHH6NL/DSCF0710.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out This sign is located in what is now called the “backlot” at Wall Drug. There are a number of goofy interactive attractions back here. See below…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634530907997-DMUVQSPBS250MJEDYDQ7/DSCF0699.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out The Jackalope is a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope. They are very common in these parts. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634531056762-75XI1DVV43CNXMXBXZ9B/DSCF0704.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Some are actually large enough to ride!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634531197464-7VYEI96238FMTMIF6I9U/DSCF0711.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out You kind of feel bad for these poor little fellas…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/55 sec, f/8, ISO 3200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634531335751-POUWUOR8SLPM2IU1HZ2S/DSCF0707.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Believe it or not…. she actually stayed on for the whole 8 seconds!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634531497654-V2JHWQB74AEHYTBSOV80/DSCF0709.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Heading west in her Conestoga wagon…. ride that prairie schooner! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634531646405-KLNDGP632UCLMFS1QFGX/DSCF0701.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Caribou and Starbucks will never beat this deal. Think of how much money our MFM Division could save if they only had a Wall Drug across the street from Mayo! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634531870810-VSFK6TPYBD9SSPMJETU3/DSCF0702.jpg Photo Blog - South Dakota Day #1 - Make it stand out Hitching post on Main Street in Wall, SD. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-9 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634414641701-ZRVE2SGOBHCQC1SLXBJN/DSCF0658.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, WI. The Leinie Lodge is a combination of gift shop, museum and bar. A very enjoyable experience! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634414863503-Z31S38TAULJ0V0QGYMDB/DSCF0638.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Inside the Leinie Lodge. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 2000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634414936152-U5C7PX1LKLPTQGMS6CYW/DSCF0639.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Inside the Leinie Lodge. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634415000160-XDI3FAI1FPMZ3XXTGQ07/DSCF0640.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out The walk from the Leinie Lodge to tour the brewery is just a short stroll and the grounds are impeccably maintained. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634415241920-0ZZYK43K8280RAM93KG7/DSCF0643.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out A view of the outside of the main Brew House. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1700 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634415369014-V97T8XNJFOYGG80P0D2Q/DSCF0644.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out The original spring which provided the water to make Leinenkugel’s beer. The spring is no longer in use, as the brewery has outgrown the amount of water it could provide. However, the spring house remains on the property as a nod to the original Spring Brewery and the history of Leinenkugel’s. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/280 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634415567596-7V7NRSMAMN89NMI0TQD3/DSCF0645.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out The process starts on the fourth floor with milling and mashing of the grains and combining them with the critical Chippewa water. On floor two the mixture is boiled and then moved to the cooling room on the third floor. It is here that fermentation takes place and the beer becomes an alcoholic beverage. Fermentation takes 7-10 days and this is followed by a maturation process of 2-3 weeks. The beer is then filtered and sent to the bottling and packaging house. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634415821640-628RNOLCBNFGNONUL83K/DSCF0646.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out In this room there are two brew kettles made of copper. The yellow tinting on the windows give the room a soothing and warm atmosphere. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634415940865-LDR64V6HUPYE07SNS9UK/DSCF0647.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Copper brew kettle #1. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634416007666-7LWT4JV0HI6B42KTP7J9/DSCF0649.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out This was the entryway to the original brew house. Because of additions to the building made over the years, this is now an interior wall. However, they have preserved the original brickwork and arch over the door as a nod to the brewery’s history. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/35 sec, f/5, ISO 3200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634416153682-E74AD2X9KP8MEJLHRR39/DSCF0650.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out This is the bottling and canning room. It is quite today because, as we discovered, the brewery is generally in full operation on Monday-Thursday and Friday is a day of cleaning. We were there on a Friday. I will be going back again on a different day because I really want to see this room in operation. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634416301611-1UZNMYR3JYOV5BWH0YQM/DSCF0651.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Another view of the bottling room. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634416377849-98R9BHX4E1IATRPH2VO3/DSCF0653.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Here is the final step in the process; with the beer packaged it waits to be sent to distributors. This room holds roughly 1,500,000 bottles of beer, and the turnover is generally less than one week. Thus, since today is a Friday, all the beer in this room will be sent to distributors and it will be completely replaced with new product by next Friday. Leinenkugel’s only brews beer on demand - they do not brew and let the product sit until requested by the distributors. Instead, they brew only that which has already been ordered and this prevents the product from sitting idle in storage. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634416807371-GDII2ZZUO08A8VZG613Q/DSCF0654.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out A first-class operation. Our tour guide, Heather, was fantastic and all the information in this blog was provided by her. After the tour, all participants 21-years of age and older are given four 5oz samples of their choice from the many options on tap that day. There is definitely something for every beer lover’s taste. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/850 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634417048430-4EYZHAS3YPQGQENPZJAH/DSCF0655.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Mom, Dad, and Lisa posing for a photo-op with the Leinie Lounger. These giant Adirondack chairs are definitely “a thing” here in the midwest. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/450 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634417252896-AKFMBJGHA8HMHY9R565I/DSCF0659.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out A rural church and cemetery in Urne, WI. The dates on the older stones indicate it has been here from the mid-1800s. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634417384635-LQ4H97ELUC77NWCNLPUA/watch-the-video.gif Photo Blog - Day Trip #9 - Make it stand out Click on the play button above to watch the video of today’s adventure. The video shows some of the brewery grounds but mostly concentrates on the Chippewa River and Hydro-Electric dam in downtown Chippewa Falls, WI. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-8 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634263875195-PUGM8BT4Z006WL5YCA5H/DSCF0612.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out You’ve seen this image before, but today I am testing out a new lens. This is horseshoe island in the Mississippi River as viewed from Mt. Hosmer Park in Lansing, IA. Today’s photos are all taken with my new 7Artisans 55mm f/1.4. This lens provides a much tighter view than we have seen from my 23mm. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/180 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634264086048-FW1OKF3ODKE6CKX20D3E/DSCF0613.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Another view up the Mississippi River from Mt. Hosmer Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55m, 1/850 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634264175932-I8A41WKM63ZX20OTL9PG/DSCF0623.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Gays Mills, WI is known for their apple orchards and considers itself the apple capital of Wisconsin. Entering the town there is this sculpture depicting their claim to fame. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/750 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634264453675-T77JV4AM133Y3UUJ30TJ/DSCF0615.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Even before you get to Gays Mills you start to encounter the orchards. This is the first large orchard when arriving from Mt. Sterling, WI. We have found this to be the best place to get squash; well, the second-best place actually…. The BEST squash comes from Gloria & Jim Pflughoeft! Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/1000 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634264766813-PPWVEN7THNQU6SL50YPE/DSCF0619.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Our Picture This App tells us this is a Crookneck squash; we will have to take its word for it. West Ridge Orchard. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/2900 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634264880980-R8WT42486UASIOW4SIPN/DSCF0616.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Interesting looking gourds at West Ridge. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/3200 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634264952091-1UYS5JJTJGYX0MVP9TAO/DSCF0617.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Pumpkins abound in every size, shape, and color available. West Ridge Orchard. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/2400 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634265070629-GV97CZHOBK153SD06H4J/DSCF0620.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Dogs are welcome outside at West Ridge Orchard. In keeping with the diversity movement all are welcome and can decide which option works best for their necessary business. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/850 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634265245526-B0SXSLB64W51EWCIH05C/DSCF0624.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out After passing through the small town of Gays Mills, continue up the steep hill on Hwy 171 and you will arrive at Orchard Ridge. Here you will find several orchards in rapid succession. Sunrise Orchard is by far the largest and has the best apples, cider donuts, and many other treats. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/6400 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634265511968-4XSQQ09K5M5AH9ENWD08/DSCF0625.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out At Sunrise Orchard these near-perfect specimens are actually considered “seconds” and are discounted accordingly. The #1 apples are even more perfect. You can’t find better apples anywhere! Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/55 sec, f/Manual, ISO 3200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634265723045-C4L0IRR1TBYZT0Z0VO54/DSCF0626.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out The pumpkin patch at Sunrise Orchard. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/2400 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634265808746-TXX580N7NM6O0O412JMJ/DSCF0627.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Dogs are also welcome here and they have a few games and swings for the kids. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/2500 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634265930179-AL4Z6A61A5G2KV7PVN9I/DSCF0628.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out They grow apples differently than I remember from my youth. These are the new shape of apple trees in the foreground. They are no longer tall trees, but more like short bushes and they are absolutely PACKED densely with apples. These trees can be completely picked without the need for a ladder. Technology at work in the agricultural industry. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/100 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634266149183-TBH4NWAQORA144HFOBRP/DSCF0631.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out The Kickapoo Orchard sign states “since 1914”, we think that is when the sign was made as well!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/4000 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634266243365-8FH262JMIHRD4RY73FDK/DSCF0630.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out The view from behind the Kickapoo Orchard building. The foliage is clearly past-peak, but it is a beautiful valley nonetheless. Catch it during peak color and it is breathtaking. The corn and sunflower maze is in the foreground. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/300 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634266371237-KD0ZACFTWAY6RFOSMQMU/DSCF0633.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Inside the Kickapoo Orchard. They have various locally made products, including wine. However, as good as their apples may be, the wine leaves a bit to be desired - Napa Valley it is NOT. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/80 sec, f/Manual, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634266583111-RYDTGCMHVK6TZD4E1ZQW/DSCF0636.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out I remember these from my childhood; bubble gum and candy cigarette sticks. How are these even still made in the year 2021?!?! Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/80 sec, f/Manual, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634266722550-8EVFZFHI58YJY9SWTHP9/DSCF0637.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Decorative display outside of Fleming Orchard. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/280 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634271098950-L4A68IEI2M255QNZAWZ2/DSCF0622.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Click on this image of the Kickapoo River Museum or the button below to view the video of today’s trip. Fujifilm X-Pro3 55mm, 1/950 sec, f/Manual, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634271287364-PKIJ536B8B6CI7XX0SIX/watch-the-video.gif Photo Blog - Day Trip #8 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-7 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634051434914-MIL2K9B68MI0IXRKVPSP/DSCF0580-2.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634051616195-MNXMIK5GROWZWCYSU645/DSCF0581.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Downtown Red Wing industrial buildings repurposed as apartments. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634052089700-TFIAZM8WU3QJFNVIJJ8U/DSCF0584.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Downtown Red Wing industrial buildings repurposed as apartments. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634051813971-7Y19B48HOJ0HO8LHV3N1/DSCF0582.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Archer Daniels Midland grain elevators. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634051963430-VHZ6RGX0FK5GK5P8CPH9/DSCF0583.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out The iconic Red Wing shoe emblem painted on the grain elevators. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634052232959-G223ABCNFGPZYM19QJIN/DSCF0586.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out In the same fashion that Rochester has painted Canada Geese located throughout downtown; Red Wing has painted Red Wing boots. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634052671837-YMWCG5932BL4N0UHX3VT/DSCF0587.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out If you want a challenging hike you can scale the hill from Bush Street up to Memorial Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634052829030-P6CCLHOZAA3FQX9EUMG0/DSCF0588.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out If climbing the hill isn’t your plan, you can drive up to the hilltop park from East 7th Street. Here, you can get panoramic views of downtown Red Wing and into Wisconsin toward the east. In the far distance on the right of the image, you can see the two silos of the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634053117241-R0GS9TEFJP34J4OA3LPX/DSCF0607.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Looking from Memorial Park toward Barn Bluff Regional Park. There are trails atop that bluff as well. In the distance, on the right, is the state of Wisconsin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634053354120-3NCQM6XOBI9IYTT526P2/DSCF0589.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out The old water tower at Memorial Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634053554393-BXDL9H8B0MI1SPB3R933/DSCF0591.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out The old water tower. In addition to scenic overlooks, Memorial Park also has a few picnic tables and a disc golf course. There are additional hiking trails once atop the hill. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634053745860-V2ZJAFX2073Q538L8TRM/DSCF0594.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Located in Red Wing’s Central Park this piece of artwork is titled “Jake On Bass.” Notice his dog tag…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1400, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634053917277-38ILFLH9E6X7LYXZRL11/DSCF0603.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out LaGrange Park, adjacent to the Red Wing Shoe Company building. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/160 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634054209718-E4P7731XBR0FXDOQAYGF/DSCF0605.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out LaGrange Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634054077090-JAR6TNCQ8D89915OJEKF/DSCF0599.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Sedrick and Lisa posing with the world’s largest Red Wing boot! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5, ISO 2000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634054324066-567CPJO25UYIWZ68LZOI/DSCF0608.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out We just had to stop a take a picture of this over-the-top Halloween decorating project in Lake City, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/280 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634054434889-1GSEWYFW9VSEUJD0SMKR/DSCF0609.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #7 - Make it stand out Even the cat got in on the act! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/5, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-6 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634001467592-4YIAFD4CEVYNSP77BJVQ/DSCF0557.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Rice Lake State Park in Claremont, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634001569061-39HXVYH4RNX97A2MQ3OX/DSCF0559.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Rice Lake State Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/105 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634001655243-7A7OCN377M0JCHB2WBWE/DSCF0560.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Rice Lake State Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634001723525-AP3DWMAVSTUEM5Y1THE5/DSCF0561.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Rice Lake State Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634001830347-99SUZ1QJ5275DZL4WAMH/DSCF0562.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Rice Lake State Park. From the pier looking back to shore. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634001931490-54U6U0I3LXKECIUXCZXG/DSCF0563.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Rice Lake State Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634002006395-WBUX54MT97HPCASZYX0Q/DSCF0567.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Sedrick and Lisa hiking the trails of Sakatah Lake State Park in Waterville, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634002132787-5T9W6N79F8RIH8X9WAA0/DSCF0568.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Sakatah Lake State Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634002214589-L01NYCH8P4Y7VTW8N83S/DSCF0572.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Sakatah Lake State Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634002284407-UPFP6YV1HMRDPZRZMD99/DSCF0574.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Foliage from the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/200 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634002383027-2CUL3ZZZ25LPQ9J18V61/DSCF0576.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Abandoned barns in Warsaw, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/450 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634002478797-3U140XU6SKOKKSWHZDOY/DSCF0577.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out A little drafty perhaps?! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1634028032643-LV6T5MB77OE0QH2OD1Q5/watch-video-web-button-editable-vector-illustration-isolated-white-background-watch-video-button-124400917.jpeg Photo Blog - Day Trip #6 - Make it stand out Click WATCH VIDEO or the button below to see our first attempt at linking video to the blog. If we can make this work - higher quality videos will be forthcoming!! MAKE SURE TO TURN ON SOUND https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-5 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633912702068-0UKGN0J7LKAGKMHLE4U2/DSCF0508.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out View from Mt. Hosmer Park in Lansing, IA looking South down the Mississippi valley. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/480 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633912945558-P0IZ3D7U3HFT68AKIB0L/DSCF0510.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out The boardwalk at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633913145112-S7N3QXNZ26Y1J1097QC5/DSCF0513.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Sedrick and Lisa on the boardwalk bridge at Effigy Mounds National Monument. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633913296960-PV6LIEPT2CL2CVE5HPTR/DSCF0514.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out A pond between the Yellow River and Effigy Mounds National Monument. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633913506234-EPP0O2U2MI9BB5MH0519/DSCF0517.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Villa Louis Historic Site in St. Feriole Island Park in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633913674885-GBLLNRAJOMGRNC6O0RTR/DSCF0518.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out The Brisbois House on St. Feriole Island Park. “This stone house began as one woman’s haven from a crumbling marriage. Jane Fisher married fur trader Joseph Rolette in 1818. Jane was 23 years younger than Joseph, but their marriage joined property from two wealthy families. Their relationship soured, and 1836 the couple signed a separation contract. Joseph agreed to build Jane this house and provide her a regular allowance of goods. In return, Jane agreed to separate without divorce and allowed Joseph to keep their real estate. In an era where the law forbade married women from holding property, the Wisconsin Supreme Court set a notable precedent by upholding Jane’s contract for a separate allowance. In 1844, two years after Joseph died, Jane married Hercules Dousman and moved to his home. Jane gave this stone house to her cousin B.W. Brisbois. She had grown up with Brisbois, and he had helped Jane in her separation case. The stone house remained in the Brisbois family until 1899. The Wisconsin Historical Society acquired it in 1958.” Quote from posted sign at the site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633914203907-IES37V9EFODPKYK54YMK/DSCF0520-2.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out The historic Dousman House is now a family owned and operated event center in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633914421545-GLFLY27W1IIJR597Z7LO/DSCF0524.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Prairie du Chien Visitors Center, St. Feriole Island. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633914554331-LLMTK9RC0Q0S09E0TDTK/DSCF0526.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Fall foliage in downtown Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633914667446-1U69N0YG8WHYWVUNM6ZL/DSCF0527.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Sedrick and Lisa enjoying the fall flowers in St. Feriole Island Memorial Garden. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/11, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633914836376-VUTP60ZGKB60AEUN9PUZ/DSCF0531.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Sedrick and Lisa enjoying the fall flowers in St. Feriole Island Memorial Garden. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633915131129-2KSP77Z1841RDKP808KQ/DSCF0529.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out St. Feriole Island Gardens. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633915256847-SKIY5V3ZNXGPS5W9BF0O/DSCF0539.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out St. Germain Dit Gauthier-Coorough House circa 1840. St. Feriole Island. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633915424448-A5D9NAEW94ZY881WMKAC/DSCF0542.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Dr. William Beaumont and Israel. “Having read medicine and apprenticed under a doctor, when war broke out in 1812, Beaumont enlisted as a surgeon’s mate in the United States Army. He was assigned to the Sixth Infantry Regiment and saw action at York Canada. After the war, Beaumont established a private practice in Plattsburgh, New York (Kyle’s birthplace) but re-entered the Army in December 1819. He was sent to Fort Mackinac as post surgeon. Here, he was to treat Alexis St. Martin and begin an association that defined both their lives. In June 1822 St. Martin was accidentally shot in the upper left abdomen. Beaumont cared for him. Not expected to live, St. Martin’s wound healed., though a permanent open hole remained in the stomach. Unable to work, Beaumont hired St. Martin as a live-in handyman. Transferred to Fort Niagara, St. Martin traveled with the Beaumont family, and in 1825, Beaumont began his experiments with St. Martin. Beaumont became the first person to observe human digestion as it occurred in the stomach. Beaumont was assigned to Green Bay then Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien. In 1829 St. Martin returned with his family to the Beaumont household and Beaumont resumed his experiments. In 1822/3 Beaumont conducted a third set of experiments with St. Martin on human digestion, then began work on publishing his observations in a book, Experiments in Observation on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion. Israel was William and Deborah Beaumont’s youngest child, born while William was stationed in Prairie du Chien.” Quote from posted sign at the site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, F/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633916542487-GNGEH9UAG5221ZZKRUTY/DSCF0544.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out “Aunt Marianne LaBuche was the community healer in Prairie du Chien when, in 1827, she was able to rescue her granddaughter who had been scalped in the Gagnier cabin during the Winnebago Uprising. She was preparing the baby for burial when she discovered that baby Louisa was still alive. Aunt Marianne was able to bandage & heal her wounds. The baby, Louisa, grew up to be 67 years old and had 13 children, leaving a living legacy for the community.” Quote from posted sign at the site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/900 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633916849768-YML0GVNESA7TZ403X204/DSCF0545.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Emma Big Bear. “(Wa’ ka’ ja’ ze Winga, b. 1869, near Tomah, Wisconsin; d. 1968, Waukon, Iowa), a Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) woman of the Bear tribal family, who walked in silence, kindness and humbleness, was the daughter of Chief Big Bear and Mary Blue Wing. She was the wife of Henry Holt (Floating in Air), and mother of Emmaline. As a direct descendant of Winnebago Chief Waukon Decorah, she instilled in her bloodline the fortitude to be honest, strong in beliefs and to march ahead, never complaining of the hardships she encountered and endured. Outliving her husband and daughter, Emma Big Bear made a living by selling her black ash baskets, beaded jewelry and ginseng, and by accepting food and assistance offered by the caring, local people of McGregor and Marquette, Iowa. She didn’t wander far from the graves of her ancestors. She lived out her days as the last in the tradition of the ancestors who inhabited the prehistoric site near the Effigy Mounds sacred space along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa.” Quote from posted sign at the site. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633917303832-9QKKG98OETNNLWOM88DS/DSCF0548.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Fall foliage in the City of Marquette, Iowa. Make note of the photobomb by Sedrick in the bottom right corner. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633917528686-HEHOV14S7PSUOK06LZ1E/DSCF0550.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Immaculate Conception Church, Wexford. Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633917653787-8HGTD4CZK365Y91PZJ6T/DSCF0551.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #5 - Make it stand out Immaculate Conception Church, Wexford. Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 320 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/autumn-scenes monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633223325260-DLYX5IPBWO42S5YOORKS/DSCF0484.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Fall foliage along the Mississippi River in Lake City, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/350 Sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633223559745-FGZCXYCSZNMT6G96NY2O/DSCF0487.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Fall foliage. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/680 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633223689442-NA07UW0MZ5AGXEGIFDHR/DSCF0488.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Raking up the leaves. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1400 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633223833619-6ULGAKE3HGZVF4UBAZBM/DSCF0489.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Fall foliage. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/350 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633223963371-7VT3JWSMI0OKXUJXTMHF/DSCF0491.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Fall foliage. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633224080031-8X3X86K7N35KM9LE3N0O/DSCF0492-2.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Fall foliage. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633224272510-OUTL4IAFA1WNBKEZGY41/DSCF0494.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Fall foliage. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/210 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633224386532-RUIP48CO03SAXMY3WAHM/DSCF0495.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Corn ready for harvest. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633224602318-WYYYHP3ZJN945HRXGKYQ/DSCF0496.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Seasonal decorations in Wabasha, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633224830015-D2G5QVOJROH742RV0785/DSCF0497.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Giant pumpkins at SeptOberfest in Wabasha. The pumpkin in the foreground weighed in at 929 pounds!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633225004087-35B70JBE6W2OP0FEGFR9/DSCF0501.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Sedrick was fascinated by the giant pumpkins. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633225137006-R643XRRLPY0QN2CPRS7H/DSCF0502.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Seasonal decorations. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1500 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633225281053-II1HQJR2EKNP31EG3JZ4/DSCF0503.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Milkweed pod with seeds. The milkweed plant is a favorite staple of the monarch butterfly. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2700 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633225438788-ZXAOKYMD1TYOOEU8CYO3/DSCF0504.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Leaf peeping by the stately riverfront homes along Lawrence Blvd in Wabasha, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/550 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1633225647298-MGGSH99JWQ544VE1EAFX/DSCF0505.jpg Photo Blog - Autumn Scenes - Make it stand out Foliage along the bank of Lake Zumbro. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/100 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-4 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632658579385-03EELOZIKJTMKLQJ58YF/DSCF0456.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Mural in Downtown Chippewa Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1700, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632657820687-8X1LD17XV2JTLR2HUBF2/DSCF0418.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out In 1871 this Irvine Park cave located in Chippewa Falls, WI, was purchased by F.X. Schmitmayer, the owner of Schmitmayer’s Brewery. He installed an iron gate at the entrance and used the cool cave to store beer from his brewery. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632658864027-AO3H6C60EBCFFZ9LK2FS/DSCF0419.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Below Glen Loch Lake and the Glen Lock Dam, Duncan Creek winds its way through the valley. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632659372394-YBCAMLEMJ5Z23JJ8V1UR/DSCF0420.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Irvine Park has many walking/hiking trails of varying levels of difficulty. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632659703705-35USHOUDQLYAJK5ZA0ZU/DSCF0421.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Pedestrian bridge over Duncan Creek. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632660068540-34LJI8EJBFZEXQEENUU1/DSCF0422.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Glen Loch Dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632660364042-9GMDTT74P2ZD53BXDHEO/DSCF0429.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Glen Loch Dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632660596758-3EOD6N9CCB6ZY8FV428O/DSCF0426.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Glen Loch Lake above the dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/8, ISO 360 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632660784408-RNI13F2SVL4KHCF363ZR/DSCF0427.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Glen Loch Lake above the dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632661121800-R79ZLF3RZ0M94JJPX3EG/DSCF0430.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Rumble bridge, Irvine Park, Chippewa Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632661389582-6CZFUKNHUE94UOASG2MQ/DSCF0434.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Sedrick & Lisa deciding if they dare to risk walking over Rumble bridge…. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632661737451-287PXN8RBXA6QPJJXMPA/DSCF0436.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out For those that don’t care to walk/hike in Irvine Park, there is a drive around Irvine Park Zoo and the surrounding park area. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632661997760-46QH3R3X3NNXB4RA5RIS/DSCF0437.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632662619146-E26EOGLJAKY0ISM37VHI/DSCF0438.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out This pioneer Norwegian log home was constructed out of hand-hewn White Pine logs by Ole Pederson Bjerke in about 1881. Ole and his wife Mari and raised three sons in this modest building. Ole and Mari lived here until their deaths in 1905 and 1908. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632663030256-PBUQ6GI2LIBZ06W85QVD/DSCF0441.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Irvine Park, Chippewa Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632663563503-FRDVIGFVOXOW5O5XFCZW/DSCF0442.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Anderson’s Chic-n-Fish is a great place to get chicken tenders, cod filets and sides for take-out. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632663840336-AZS7SG6YCSRKGZR1AMUJ/DSCF0444.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Inside Anderson’s Chic-n-Fish. You can also order “Fair Foods.” Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1000 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632664009776-V6MYEZLNZF4I978IP9NS/DSCF0445.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out Chic-n-Fish lunch at Irvine Park. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632664425464-TMJONI5L367PHNTQ520V/DSCF0447.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out This old-time garage in Chippewa Falls, WI looks like something you would expect to see on Route 66. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632664594040-8S3LR22ZCD1Y5A1MUYNJ/DSCF0451.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #4 - Make it stand out The falls of Chippewa Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/160 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-3 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632098153692-IIK6EHKHYVC9810GZEA0/DSCF0382.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Lake City Yacht Club at Lake City Marina. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/950 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632098311412-QAB0MZAEX16RSTRH61QX/DSCF0383.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Lake City Marina, Lake City, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/850 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632098426237-POHV6YJWOGJPPNG6BXOS/DSCF0384.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Sedrick & Lisa at Lake City Marina. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/4000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632098564617-W0U0CR7YNLG1RZAAXJPM/DSCF0385.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Pelicans on Lake Pepin in Lake City, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/900 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632098710361-D3KV525CLTZQP0P6SLBZ/DSCF0388.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out View from the breakwater across the marina toward the Lake City Yacht Club. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632098867476-8MTHN7BANJEX7OKZOOCU/DSCF0389.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out On the breakwater looking toward Lake Pepin at the Lake City Marina. Fujifilm X-Pro3, 23mm, 1/120 sec, f/16, ISP 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099099316-JJ45NP2TNUC9XLFJFEL9/DSCF0391.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out A creative idea. Lake City, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/350 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099255128-YI6P52PWY3JHZHMO9IGK/DSCF0392.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out The other side of the same tree. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099333983-7T8DW23JJSIS7CZ6JOQ1/DSCF0393.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Each fall the city of Wabasha, MN celebrates SeptOberfest from early September until late October. The town does a wonderful job of decorating for this event. The next series of photos showcase their creativity. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099543338-DLJ3HP20BBCIDA5RVE5Y/DSCF0394.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out SeptOberfest decorations. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2900, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099613105-IR5ZTW3LAYK4GR6ORLFL/DSCF0396.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Downtown Wabasha. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2000, f/2.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099760730-Q14JPFCS1ASTVP2X7MH1/DSCF0397.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out In a small open lot, adjacent to the National Eagle Center, they install a playground each SeptOberfest. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/450 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632099943618-C3AIJARNG55ZSJOKQS1F/DSCF0398.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out SeptOberfest. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632100016770-J73DANN48MVAKJZNZ2QW/DSCF0399.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out SeptOberfest. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632100084093-0P6JVYEOKBLJPH31QBWM/DSCF0400.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out The giant Adirondack chairs are a recurring theme. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/550 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632100891021-VJDPE9KWQ9R97MXIJH0R/DSCF0403.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out The Clampetts (Jed, Granny, Jethro, Elly May, and Duke) from the Beverly Hillbillies make an appearance at SeptOberfest. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632101165379-FXHSKM6PVBO1AX2OT4RP/DSCF0405.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out That’s a lot of Bull!! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632101283631-7WNLHBO320DM4UVFD3HF/DSCF0406.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Mississippi River catfish. SeptOberfest, Wabasha, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/170 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632101496338-5URXX4MN9YMBZLWIZWSK/DSCF0407.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out SeptOberfest decorations in support of the local high school football team. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/340 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632100257524-X9V770SQGN1MHR03ZX1L/DSCF0401.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN. An interesting and informative visit including live eagles and feeding demonstrations. Budget ~2 hours for the experience. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/140 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632100467008-YPMMXLL4RWNKTGGAFYOQ/DSCF0404.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/320 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632100604344-U7IUEJPN21IJCNGLAKES/DSCF0402.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Chief Wapahasha II was installed in 2010. In his hands, he holds a cedar sprig and eagle feather. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632101650078-YRDHR8DQD32NE2E44HWT/DSCF0410.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Canon Park, Wabasha, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632101862961-JDQQ6WGW1I2OC57F5GI2/DSCF0412.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Each fall, during the month of September, truckloads of midwest grown corn arrives at Lakeside Foods in Plainview, MN. They are an industry-leading producer of frozen and canned vegetables. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/800, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632102164917-FWCFRAM9STYXL4JHNVTH/DSCF0415.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #3 - Make it stand out Lakeside Foods, Plainview, MN. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-2 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632018613950-P6WYBA3VWQB3BCW0GWP2/DSCF0333.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Old rural schoolhouses are a common occurrence in the upper midwest. Many are now left to decay, but some are repurposed to serve other functions. In this case, the Glasgow School is now the Glasgow-Hardies Creek Community Center. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632019017036-YT8BX4NRTAP96H454B1Q/DSCF0335.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Another common finding in the rural midwest are community churches, commonly surrounded by cemeteries for their deceased parishioners. Pictured is the Little Norway Lutheran Church in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632019266760-UE97WPUSY3V8M166P8PV/DSCF0379.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Another such church and cemetery; in this photo is Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Independence, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/450 sec, f/6.4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632019464122-M0F2E1XGMMHVXQDEPNEV/DSCF0338.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/280 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632019598368-WK1WT8HOZOXO3OEI2ISZ/DSCF0339.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out These guys were looking for a free handout! Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/110 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632019728449-52Z848REWLTSN3EUSKRT/DSCF0341.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Cattails in Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1250 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632020150824-9MD7YULM6YKXR65FML33/DSCF0343.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/280 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632020268942-DBFB038VVF0AP2YCA6YY/DSCF0345.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Chinese silver grass in Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/1250 sec, f/4, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632020434965-OXLQ3UAPHE3EMZ3CB3RO/DSCF0347.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Bur oak giant acorns. The bur oak can reach heights of 150 feet and its acorns are the largest of all the types of oak trees. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/850 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632020656282-52PTZ2IHHEPCQP9HLHNX/DSCF0348.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out An early sign of fall. Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632020769525-1BIW4V95DKJ8RC9K3RM4/DSCF0349.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Sculpture in Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/10, ISO 400 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632020952323-DUFUDLQ0IHL0WNGRHRXJ/DSCF0350.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out This park is located behind the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce building. It is a great location to access the Foundation Trail, which is a walking/biking trail that encircles much of downtown Black River Falls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/160 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632021166878-GZLWXB5DZB9X5KX0GSAD/DSCF0351.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Sedrick, making his blog debut in Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632021287044-0MUIKT1SXZ3GATA71MUA/DSCF0355.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out The Black River lends its name to the town and powers the Black River Falls Hydro Electric Dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632021571993-FNHFJOGNJEAYGUS9THYN/DSCF0356.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Black River Falls Hydro Electric Dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/150 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632021710640-Z3UWXPOC25K8SL4B4AVV/DSCF0358.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Above the dam. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/10, ISO 200 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632021833364-TY62KKXBTR8YT0RYI8P4/DSCF0361.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Downtown Black River Falls, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632021951336-4GTAODRGI15ZFE42J43E/DSCF0363.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out The big orange moose at Black River Crossing on Oasis Road. The story behind this moose as told by the granddaughter of the original owner is that the moose first resided on the car lot of Moose Peterson. The moose was made in Sparta, WI, and was originally brown in color. Mr. Peterson won the moose in a dice game and placed it on his car lot. Mr. Peterson died in a motorcycle accident in the spring of 1974. Shortly after Mr. Peterson’s passing the moose was relocated to its current location in Black River Falls Oasis and was painted orange. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/3200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632022520479-1K37J3HE7ARHM9B3OFF6/DSCF0366.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Sedrick and Lisa give the moose some scale. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632022645308-BPOG4HM3VGNNGYCJ9ZOF/DSCF0368.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out In keeping with the giant fiberglass animal replicas, why wouldn’t there be a leaping buck as well??? Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/220 sec, f/11, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632022749981-WKVE0017K3A50LIOQMFR/DSCF0370.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Why stop with just two oversized fiberglass statues??? A giant cheese mouse! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/2500 sec, f/3.6, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632022907004-IGWFS5109628WSD4NWYM/DSCF0372.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Experimenting with some long-shutter photography with my new 8-stop ND filter. Waterfall on Oakwood Lake in Merrillan, WI. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 13 seconds, f/16, ISO 160, 8-stop ND filter. MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632023133381-787L3EUAGEFQNCZ2I4D8/DSCF0374.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out More long-shutter experimentation. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 13 seconds, f/16, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632023217163-9M7IQ9PADL519ZW2NALC/DSCF0376.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out One last try. Getting some sun flare, but I will know better for next time. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 10 seconds, f/16, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1632023341060-ZA32KKXU46HL8YF33815/DSCF0381.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #2 - Make it stand out Wisconsin Route 95 between Fountain City and Arcadia is a curvy drive through the bluff country with fantastic views of the rolling hills and farmlands. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/180 sec, f/9, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/day-trip-1 monthly 0.5 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631665142128-9HNMECJJTLRLOJ43XGRF/DSCF0304.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out East Park in Mason City, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/11, ISO 320 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631665249730-DWTFU0M3WPLAB2VRAFCD/DSCF0305.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out East Park in Mason City, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631665396368-5NA3WNZKZ38W2KJJJV1I/DSCF0307.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out The Rancho Deluxe art instillation in Mason City, Iowa is described as recycled and re-purposed items pertinent to North Iowa’s history. You will find everything from bicycles and bathtubs to hub caps, license plates and bedsprings. It is an ever-changing installation and sure to be different on each visit. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/850 sec, f/3.2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631666106488-DNIE3GOCUZLKKOMAXYHZ/DSCF0306.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Hollywood in Mason City. Rancho Deluxe. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631666248970-FDZSL9SKVJ6470N7D14I/DSCF0308.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Remember…….. it’s art. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631666502754-UM2SNGAG6RSIXVO9JEB1/DSCF0309.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out The canvas for these paintings are 3,000 pound blocks of granite from the former county courthouse. Take note of the bathtub on top, which is filled with what I believe to be bowling balls. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/350 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631666704706-JKXU4XNMVJ9PYX6CGOFM/DSCF0310-2.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out This takes a level of talent and skill far beyond anything I could ever accomplish! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/10, ISO 500 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631666854063-NRMZJYXKBI52JMCGT0L2/DSCF0311.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out More 3,000 pound granite blocks. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631666989915-WU3X1AQV0QAACNEAM0FL/DSCF0312.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Rancho Deluxe. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631667117572-7NZQ556E3XKRUC9ZCTZT/DSCF0313.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Rancho Deluxe. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/10, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631667260465-0PSNBZTX7SARHPCG5YQY/DSCF0314.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Rancho Deluxe. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/90 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631667632671-1YAZBVQ6RJMF38HLKWRZ/DSCF0315.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out If that was the goal, did they succeed? Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 250 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631667792903-3GVR5HY8G4P7HG7GYIPW/DSCF0316.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Immediately across the street from the Rancho Deluxe art exhibit is this rather elaborate mural. The artist continues to work on this project which will one day take up the entire side of the building. On a prior visit we watched him paint the dragon’s tail while standing on that ladder. A level of skill and talent beyond my comprehension. How is it even possible to get perspective when standing 20 feet in the air on a ladder at arms length from the wall? Amazing really! Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/240 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631669427827-LMA0G5B6HZSHJB1JW2O2/DSCF0318.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out The Statue of Liberty in Mason City Iowa? In 1950 the Boy Scouts of America celebrated their 40th anniversary with a project called Strengthen the Arm of Liberty. As part of that project, approximately 200 Statue of Liberty replicas were installed throughout the U.S. This is the one located in Central Park in Mason City, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/300 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631670217297-CMZJYDDN2KFKTHOYW4BP/DSCF0319.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Veteran’s Monument. Central Park, Mason City, Iowa. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631670369561-NJ4ZDLYRH43XCRLTWTKU/DSCF0323.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa. On the evening of February 2, 1959, the entertainers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson “The Big Bopper” played their final concert at the Surf Ballroom. Following the concert, they boarded a chartered flight to take them to their next show in Fargo, ND. They would never arrive in Fargo; their plane crashed shortly after take-off in a field approximately 5 miles from the Mason City airport killing all three rock ‘n roll stars and their 21-year old pilot, Roger Peterson. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631670916976-3CAMHXBE6167OS4L2VYL/DSCF0328.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out The Surf Ballroom was built in 1948, and on September 16, 2011, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside the Surf is a museum dedicated to the three entertainers whose tragic deaths made the Surf famous; as well as the many other headline entertainers who have played this venue over the years. If you ever have a chance to visit, check out the dressing room just off the side of the stage. The entertainers who have played here have signed the walls. One, in particular, stands out as poignant to the history of this building. Don McLean has written the first verse of his iconic song “American Pie” which is a tribute to the men who died in that Clear Lake cornfield in the early morning hours of February 3, 1959; “The day the music died….” Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/200sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631671538817-311IGNAH6BXW583Y3ABL/DSCF0326.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Memorial outside the Surf Ballroom. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631671704740-U61R9HZETRSQ7JLYUY87/DSCF0320.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Street signs outside the Surf Ballroom. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/5800 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631671892566-GX5RWENPJM7DK1DGLHTT/DSCF0327.jpg Photo Blog - Day Trip #1 - Make it stand out Street signs outside the Surf Ballroom. Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/5800 sec, f/2, ISO 160 MAP https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/category/Travel monthly 0.5 https://www.traynorstravels.com/blog/tag/Travel monthly 0.5 https://www.traynorstravels.com/about daily 0.75 2024-05-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/1631366131139-N8CANA0LHVLX19ZMC9M7/DSCF0257.jpg About - I am an amateur hobbyist photographer who enjoys documenting my wife Lisa and my experiences. Each of our day trips/adventures will be a blog entry and contain the pictures created on that outing. Below each photo will be a few comments or words of description about the place where the photo was taken, and when available, a link to the location data. Clicking on the link that says MAP will open another page in Google Maps showing the location where the picture was taken. Kyle D. Traynor, MD traynor.kyle2@gmail.com https://www.traynorstravels.com/preproduction daily 0.75 2025-07-10 https://www.traynorstravels.com/preproduction/2023910 monthly 0.5 2023-09-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/44f52d10-d4fd-4e44-9318-22715394dd8b/DSCF1610.jpg Image Gallery - 2023-9-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/df73bf88-733a-4f66-ab8b-5c1e046d6c59/DSCF1612.jpg Image Gallery - 2023-9-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/39d47153-3df9-4426-ac3c-45fc87cb9c74/DSCF1613.jpg Image Gallery - 2023-9-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/27c46ba8-5ce3-4334-885f-f82bfc6c42f0/DSCF1614.jpg Image Gallery - 2023-9-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/7b1c456e-95e7-4a52-acad-2af6f9a54a3d/DSCF1615.jpg Image Gallery - 2023-9-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/613c6d2991dcdb6e5de141ae/6275896e-4921-49a6-9186-e282c7a33976/DSCF1617.jpg Image Gallery - 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