Vacation 4: Olbrich Botanical Gardens

English garden

















Hollyhock













Perennial garden
The Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison are well worth taking time for. I've never seen such a wide variety of plants so well organized and cared for.

Vacation 3: Wisconsin Dells

My husband had visited the Wisconsin Dells as a child, and was interested in seeing them again, on our way south through the state. We boarded a boat and chugged down the Wisconsin River between sandstone cliffs and rock formations. Twice the boat docked, and we were able to go ashore and trek through some of them, to concession stands.

Henry Bennett invented the shutter that makes possible stop-action photos. To prove it, he had his son jump to and from Stand Rock until he was caught mid-air (1888). The photo was exhibited at the World's Fair, and brought fame to both Bennett and the Dells. Today, dogs demonstrate the jump for tourists. (You can see the back end of the dog on the edge of the cliff on the right.)

Vacation 2: Naniboujou

Nancy asked if we were able to visit the Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant, on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior, during our recent visit to Minnesota. We actually ate lunch there, the day after we arrived. The Naniboujou is an amazing place, a feast for the eyes, artistic beauty within and panaromic views without. Its story charts a fascinating slice of U. S. history. Original investors included Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and Ring Lardner. The lodge was built just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929, and has had a succession of owners since.

The scenic road north, past the lodge, travels the edge between forest and Lake. Going up the last hill, we met a couple cyling down. The man was seated low on his bicycle, turning the pedals with his hands. When we got to the lodge, we found he was Tim Ramey, owner and operator of Naniboujou. His story is shared in the history of the lodge.

The autumn of 1998 brought a profound change to the Ramey family, as well as to all of their staff and friends. Tim Ramey, while fighting to save the home of his Hovland neighbors as a volunteer firefighter, suffered severe injuries when a tall fireplace collapsed on him. Crediting God and thousands of prayers for his life, Tim miraculously survived his severe injuries. He suffered neck and back injuries that have kept him paralyzed from the chest down. After weeks in critical condition, major neck and back operations, months of physical therapy, and the loving help and devotion of his wife Nancy and the children, Tim has taken on the task of redefining life with limitations. As staff members and guests offer prayers of thanks and continued hope for Tim's improvement and recovery, we all recognize how we are affected by one another. We feel greatly blessed to still be a part of the loving presence of Tim and Nancy at Naniboujou. The spirit of Naniboujou lives on.

The rest of our party got to meet Mr. Ramey after lunch, while I was walking out on the shore for a few minutes. (I saw him from afar.) What an inspiration. That was one of the iconic moments of the vacation, being reminded in the midst of idyllic natural beauty that heaven is not yet here. But life is still good.

Vacation 1: North by northwest

Lake Superior, viewed from Grand Portage Lodge and Casino, on the Grand Portage Reserve, in northeastern MN.
Many years ago, Native Americans created the nine-mile Grand Portage trail from Lake Superior along the river to bypass waterfalls created as the river descended to the lake.
















Walking through the woods to High Falls.













High Falls, Minnesota's highest waterfall, on the Pigeon River, near the U.S.-Canadian border.