We decided to take an overnight trip to the west side of the state. The plan was to drive west until we were tired of driving although the hope was to get as far as Red Wing, Minnesota. We were taking the back roads all the way there so this was not going to be a quick drive across the state. We wanted scenery.
We stopped for lunch in Sauk City at a place called the Press Box. I thought it was a sports-themed bar however the only thing that really seemed sports related was the outside of the bar where there were busts of sports figures in uniforms that appeared as if they were in a press box at a baseball game. The inside of the place was just a bar. We sat at the bar and ordered beers and sandwiches. My husband ordered a jerk chicken sandwich and I had a smoked turkey sandwich. They were well prepared with fresh ingredients and the prices were downright cheap.
A few hours later we stopped at a quilt shop in Prairie du Chien called the Picket Fence. Inside there was a candy counter as well as lots of gorgeous fabrics. I spent lots of time walking the aisles, which was fine with my husband since it felt good to be standing up instead of riding. I purchased a variety of pretty fabrics while we were there and I wished I could have bought more, but I needed to have some budget constraint in place.
As we left the quilt shop we continued west. Just riding along the Mississippi River was plenty of scenery for me however we did run across a gorgeous National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Effigy Mounds National Park is a gorgeous park with beautiful Indian burial grounds that are set on the shore of the Mississippi River. The mounds are the sacred burial grounds and have various animal shapes. They were built by the Indians about 1,400 years ago and it was a wonderful place to stop and reflect on our heritage.
In order to see the mounds, you must hike 2 and a half miles through some hilly paths. Unfortunately since this stop was not planned, we didn't pack any good shoes for hiking. So we walked the paths into the woods for a few blocks in order to see the first set of mounds. It was a quite a beautiful sight. We walked a little further realizing that going back down would be a little treacheros in flip-flops so we stopped. With the right footwear we could have continued on but since the temps were over 90 degrees, we chose to skip hiking any more. Between the heat and the flip-slops it was just not to be. Besides that, we had a plan to get as far as Red Wing and it was getting late in the day.
As we headed northwest, the sun was starting to set and the rain clouds were starting to appear up above. We decided to look for a hotel room in La Crosse. We got off the beaten path and headed to one of the main streets in La Crosse. The street was lined with hotels on both sides and as we passed a Quality Inn we decided that was the one we wanted. So we turned around, pulled into their portico and walked to the desk. They had a room available and we checked in, relaxed for a little while and chose a place for dinner.
We decided to try the HuHot Mongolian barbecue because the idea of stir-fried veggies sounded good and the many billboards we saw along the way was incentive enough. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't the greatest restaurant ever but we were satisfied with our choice and enjoyed eating a variety of vegetables instead of something heavier or boring like a salad.
After dinner we took a swim in the hotel pool then planned our return trip for the next day. We decided to skip going all the way to Red Wing, it was just a whim in the first place so it wasn't like any important destination.
We got home safely and rather quickly as we took the I90-94 route back in order to get some things done around the house. The lesson of this trip was a little like the saying from Ferris Bueller's Day Off: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
My daughter is a Racine Zoo member which has some really nice perks. Tonight there was a member appreciation event with free dinner and many activities for kids.
One of the best things about these member nights is that the girls have the opportunity to touch the zoo animals and learn all about them.
My niece's twins turn one this weekend so we drove up to Green Bay to attend their birthday party. It was the first time we got to meet the little sweethearts. They were the happiest babies I've seen in a long time. Not that I'm around many babies these days.
We celebrated my mother's 80th birthday yesterday and as always, it is impossible to get photos of her. She hates getting her picture taken and sometimes it's just not worth the fight to try to sneak them. So I must admit that I did not try very hard. However, I do have some photos of my granddaughters. They really like the pet bird, Oreo that resides at my mom's house. So Chloe tried hard to get Oreo to go on her shoulder while Avery hoped the bird would hop on the hat my sister gave her to play with.
Christmas Eve at my mother's is a tradition that goes back to my very beginning. It will continue forever as far as I am concerned. So as usual, we head over for dinner followed by gift opening. When we walked in the door, the tree was in a new place and it was pretty. Avery's new bike was right in view and she sure was thrilled when she saw it which made the excitement in the air even greater.
After that, it was a whirlwind of frenzy and gift-opening. We all enjoyed more wine and dessert once the excitement settled down and the kids were playing with their new stuff. The really cool thing about this Christmas is that my brother, his wife and his 4 kids were with us. They live in Menomonie which is too far to come without major planning by them. Other than that, pretty much Christmas Eve has gone down this way every year. And I love the consistency of it. It provides great comfort for me and I think it does for my family as well.
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