Category
Day Trip
The Swedish American Museum in Chicago is a far cry from the grand American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. It still has plenty of charm. The main floor offers a rotating show, featuring a Chicago-related topic. The upstairs has another gallery… Continue Reading →
Woolly Mammoth is a delightfully creepy, or perhaps creepily delightful, curiosity shop in the heart of Chicago. Need a housewarming gift for the Addams Family? This macabre little store is packed to the ceilings with bizarre goodies. Two-headed calf? Check…. Continue Reading →
Located in the heart of the driftless region, an area of Wisconsin that the glaciers took a pass on, Wildcat Mountain State Park is gorgeous year-round. The terrain in the driftless region is far hillier than the rest of the… Continue Reading →
Like Galena IL to the southwest, Mineral Point is a town that time forgot. Then time rediscovered it and opened up a bunch of cute art galleries and shoppies. Originally a mining town settled by Cornish miners. Many of the… Continue Reading →
The first time we visited the JMKAC, a docent ran up and asked if I had seen the men’s room yet. An odd question to ask anyone, especially a woman. When I confessed that somehow I had missed it, she… Continue Reading →
If you’re heading past Dubuque and into Iowa, the Mines of Spain Recreational Area is a great stop-off to stretch your legs. It offers a wonderful vista of the Mississippi River, along with many pleasant, winding paths to hike on…. Continue Reading →
Like the Rudolph Grotto, the Dickeyville Grotto was built by a Catholic priest and his congregation. Though smaller than the Rudolph Grotto, it is just as ambitious and intricately decorated. Even the birdhouse has gotten a going-over. Unlike other grottos,… Continue Reading →
You’ll never guess what you’ll find at the Natural Bridge State Park! Oh, you did. Well, no false advertising here. The main feature of Natural Bridge is, of course, the large natural stone bridge. It is suitably impressive, complete with… Continue Reading →
Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of Galena on West Street (unsurprisingly), is the West Street Sculpture Park. Artist and blacksmith John Martinson has covered his property with large-scale sculptures. The park is open to the public and you are… Continue Reading →
Galena, IL is a charming little town on the banks of the Mississippi River, and bears many of the architectural hallmarks you see on towns further south. Red brick with cream trim abounds, there porches galore and even the most… Continue Reading →
