My semi-regular blog documenting the fun and excitement of traveling along the Mississippi River.
Any day that begins with dropping your smartphone in the toilet is fraught with symbolism. Down the toilet went my common sense and a big chunk of my day. I managed to squeeze in a quick driving tour of Brainerd, found a nice place to sit next to the Mississippi, and even managed to spend
On a Saturday night in June, the parlor of the restored Grand Rapids (Minnesota) house where little Judy Garland (nee Frances Ethel Gumm) spent the first four years of her life is draped with nostalgia. The parlor, decorated with period furniture, an upright piano, and a small gaggle of old queens and divas, is an
It started so innocently. First I started taking pictures of fun/odd statues that I came across. Then I wanted to get in a picture of a giant mining truck, so I could provide a sense of scale. After that, I had the brilliant idea that I should be appearing next to all the odd/fun statues
This was a good week for getting outside. To kick things off, I had a chance to chat and learn from two of the area’s experts on the natural world: Bill Marshall, the sage of the forest, and John Latimer, a man in touch with the seasons and cycles. Thanks to them, this city
I’m a threat to the national security of two countries, apparently: Canada and the US. Slowly step away from me. Last weekend I took a break from my normal routine—a vacation day, as normal people call it—and drove up to International Falls, just because it’s there. I thought it might be fun to cross
Mississippi River near Grand Rapids MN After a week, I’m settling in and getting a pretty good feel for Grand Rapids and surrounding areas. The Mississippi is a very different river up here, smaller and in some ways just one of many mid-size streams, not as central in the consciousness of folks like
