Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Stillwater, Ladysmith, On Our Way to Eagle River...


I still say flying is some kind of miracle.

Another miracle: us, getting out of the house, packed and ready for a long week of travel and vacation in Minnesota and Wisconsin. About the one thing I was sure of was pet care, because both Rebekah and Ruth had agreed to share the duties, leaving us with peace of mind about the house, and farm. Early fights seem like a good idea, weeks before the date, but the morning of departure always comes too soon for me.

Just three mental notes about the actual flight:
1. So much luggage is carried on, I am convinced sooner or later a plane is going to roll-over, right there on the tarmac, due to being too top heavy. All of our luggage was carry on, and so it seems was everyone else's. This airline charged for every, even the first, piece of checked luggage.

2. My lemon soda and ice slipped from my hand and I spent two hours with an icy-cold and very wet region.

3. Maria thrilled at take-off, then fell asleep, and then woke in a whole new world.


Welcome to Minnesota!

Stillwater, Minnesota and the St Croix River. We were here twenty years ago... making visits to a town so quaint it didn't matter if it was the Fourth of July or the still of winter. We wanted to live here, once upon a time.


Here, actually. Across from the park with the bandstand, above the river, in sight of Wisconsin.


And Wisconsin was our destination that evening, so after a riverside lunch and a quick hike up and down the trail to the old prison and warden's home, we crossed the St Croix and headed north and east. We stopped along the way, for the usual reasons. We stopped along the way for the sheer delight of a playground miracle!


Untouched by the overzealous hands of "progress and safety," we found a marvelously dangerous park. See-saws, or do you call them teeter-totters? And three different wobbly, fast, paint peeling, merry-go-rounds! A twisty slide, and one with no landing... just a sheer slip, with barely a side barrier. What joy.


Plan your next vacation: Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Adventure and danger, thrills and wonder await you at the playground preserved from progress. We did not stay long. The sun was dipping and our map pointed us far from our destination, but the vacation fun was already in full motion.

3 comments:

judy in ky said...

It brings back my own childhood.

Posie Patchwork said...

Yay, a fellow mummy of 4. I make everyone in our family travel light, it also helps when we're going to warm destinations & i keep it all simple - we have travelled to Hong Kong as a family of 6 with ONE suitcase, no kidding, one carry on too, i'm THAT well trained. Looks like a gorgeous holiday, love Posie

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Judy... me too! I realize how dull-dull new playgrounds are. Pretty and safe, but dull. We all LOVED riding the merry go round.

Posie! One suitcase for six?! You got me beat. I was feeling pretty good about one carry-on per... wait, we had a few knapsacks too. You are the winner. Thank you for visiting CB. I hope you will stick around... us mummys of four have lots to share!