Got on the road reasonably. Sunup about 5:10, was able to sleep a bit later. Cruised across Southern Manitoba. Starting to get a bit more woodsy, but with some farmland.





As is my custom, wanted to see the geographical oddity of the Northwest Angle. Plus, it's at the end of the road, so a two-fer for me.

For anyone who doesn't know, it's this weird little thumb of water and land at the top of Minnesota. The land is only road-accessible by going through Manitoba.

Going up the road, and it turned to gravel just after the entrance to a provincial park. I looked at my atlas, which doesn't have enough detail to tell. Pulled up to the park, and thought I'd ask the gate agent.

Well, it turns out park entrance is free in 2025 in Manitoba, so nobody was there. There were two lanes, one labeled "through" traffic. "Aha!" I thought, "that's to go through to the NW Angle. After a little while, I saw a sign for Lake of the Woods, which is the big body of water up there. Perfect!

Churned down that road, and after some time, came to another park. This was the end of the road, ending at the lake. Ah Rats.

Still, it was a nice drive through a couple parks. On the way out, stopped at the resort store, hoping they had public internet. They did, so I verified that I needed to go up the gravel further.

Of course, upon my return to the gravel/asphalt area, I noticed the smallish sign that pointed that way for the NW Angle.

A while down gravel, and came to the border.



There's no border station. Kinda the honor system to notify customs when you get further along.

There were clouds of bugs flying around. They were pretty good sized; maybe 3/4", and they're buzzing around.

I got up to Jim's corner. Expected to be a bar & grill or something. Nope, just a parking area, with this booth and sign.





Also a cloud of bugs here. I finally decided they were huge flies. Not really biting or stinging, but really annoying in the buzzing around. Anyway, you go in the booth, and there's a stand with an LCD screen which you fill out. This gets sent to customs, and they approve your entry. No idea what they plan to do if somebody puts in bad information.

Of course, reading the LCD screen in sunlight is no problem at all. Sigh. Good thinking, guys.

Apparently, it used to be done via videophone. Not sure this is better.

Note the phone on the outside. That's how you tell Canada you're coming back in.

Anyway, there's the lake out there.



It was pretty smoky (fires in northern SK & MB), so not a great view.

There is a little community at the end of the road. They have a school. Apparently geography is taught.



Saw this on the way back out. Kind of a play on Key West.



Of course, being Minnesota, there had to be these signs.



Fortunately, I got there during the six weeks of the year they're not in use.



Also didn't get the flashy lights, my call was good.



Finally back to USA #n!





From Baudette. MN. That bridge in the distance is the border.



And a giant, mutant fish!



Now this town isn't tiny. It's got a grocery, a little downtown, etc. Driving all the way through, saw two closed restaurants (not sure if just today. It's Saturday, so guessing not), a Subway, a Godfather's, but nothing to eat. Google helpfully told me the Circle K was a restaurant. Sigh.

So, plowed down the road. After a while, came to a bar and liquor store. Guy said he didn't have food, but the next place down the road was a nice place. It was. Noting amazing, just a good, quick stop.

Continued down the road to Cass Lake, where there's a poker room, according to Poker Atlas. Went in, asked about it, the woman at the customer service desk said they have live poker on the weekend in the back. It's two tables, kinda out on the casino floor. Nobody playing, nor did I see a list or anything.

OK, there's another spot half-hour down the road. Wasn't burning to play, but interested. Went in, saw there's a seat open, so checked on the hotel situation. Kinda expensive, but ok.

Got my stuff in the room and headed down. Different seat open. Checked with what is apparently the floor. The list is a white board hanging off the blackjack tables next to the poker tables. As it's empty, claimed a seat, and got $200 to start.

Just recently, I was talking with one of my poker buds about sometimes you just know you're not going to lose against this lineup. Kinda treaded water for a while. A bunch of OMCs, either limping or making huge raises to pick up blinds and calls.

Of course, I ran well as well, but +$152 in 1.5 hours at $1/$2. Oddly, had QQ two hands in a row, as well as AK back-to-back, and won all four. A couple fairly substantial pots for $1/$2. So free room tonight.

Called my aunt & uncle to tell them I'd probably be in town tomorrow, they should think of a place to go for dinner. About it for tonight.

Oh yeah, a few things I forgot to mention.

When coming back from the NW Angle, I was on gravel. Not going super fast, but enough where the back end of the Subie was a little loose. Not sliding it around curves ,but having some fun.

For no good reason, it made me think that Tom Ames used to have similar fun back in the day on the back roads of Mississippi. I have zero evidence to support this conjecture, and can't explain why it occurred to me.

Was able to get rid of the toonie I'd found plus some other Canadian change. Stopped at the park on the way back to use the bathroom. Noticed a sign on the door which said they're glad to provide services, but if you're not going to buy something, please consider tipping the clerk. Happy to do so.

On the way down to the casino floor tonight, found a dime. So I guess I was up $152.10.

Also saw casino staff dealing with a heavily intoxicated woman earlier. She was standing the the doorway to a bathroom, very wobbly, when I went up to the room after poker. Put some stuff back in the car later, and the sheriff and local police had shown.

She wasn't being belligerent, but was not exactly jumping at the chance to get escorted out. I'd guess it took them 15 minutes to get her the ~50 feet to outside between the times I saw her. When I came back from the car, she was pretty adamant that she would "walk herself" to the squad car (i.e., not get helped by anyone). She wasn't cuffed, so I guess that's positive.

Hope she's ok and gets whatever help she needs. Or maybe it was just a Saturday night overindulgence.

Sounds like you hit town just at the peak of excitement! Awesome report--I'd never heard of the NW Angle. I'm kinda shocked that it isn't swarming with people entering the US illegally.

Great call on the gravel roads. I learned to drive on gravel roads on the weekends my parents would visit their friends in Hog Eye as those were the only roads deserted enough for my dad to let my 13 y/o self drive. I'll never forget feeling proud that I was keeping the wheels out of the ruts on my first experience only to have my dad bitch at me about not being able to keep the wheels in the ruts like I should be doing. LOL! A couple of years later my friends and I would seek out gravel roads closer to home (and there were many to choose from) to see how much swerving and sliding we could do without ending up in a ditch.

consider me also among the newly minted MN NW Angle educated

snap called google, turns out most of the township is held in trust by the Ojibwe
some may be more familiar with earing Chippewa

clench my jaw

a first nation people with cultural history spanning backward over year thousands has somehow still found a way to remain after centuries of europeans treating them like weeds

what an interesting thumbnail map of territory they control
vignette rouge sans lube
sorry canada

un, deux, trois
why do the french fight for
fattening a goose for foie gras

And this ties a bow around the neat package if we consider that foie gras is France's solution to Death To Flying Things!

Yep, Ojibwe has both the NW angle, and the casino where I played last night.

Got up late for me, on the road about 8:30. Leech Lake is one of the more major of the 10,000





This is what the MIssissippi looks like near Cohasset.





Rolled up to Hibbing, where I came across this.



Why take a picture of some house?



Also where this started.



And the hometown of Kevin McHale. A lot from a town of ~11,000.

Just north of town is the Hull-Rust mine. It's a huge iron ore mine (indeed, another name for the Mesabi Range is the Iron Range). It's huge, 3.5 mi x 1.5 mi X 600' deep.



There's an outdoor area with some of the machinery.



This is the engine in one of those bad boys



1200 in^3, 16 cylinder IIRC. Freiburger and Finnegan should've come up here when Roadkilll was still on and dropped one of those guys in something like an F150.

Hibbing from the mine.



Some cool public art in Biwabik:



A lot of northern Minnesota is like this:





Kinda swampy, with the occasional bigger lake



Finally got to Duluth/Superior.



Duluth is built on a pretty big hill, which can be problematic in the winter. Again, fortunately for me, arrived during a rare non-showing period.

Got into town, went to a campground intending to camp one night, then move to hotel when the rain starts. Nobody around the campground to find out about reserving a site, paying for it, etc.

So, went to my aunt & uncle's to use their internet to find a hotel room. Got checked in, then back to their house, from which we went for dinner.

Afterward, met a guy I've been friends with since we were probably 7 or 8. Nice to see him again, caught up a little. He's a local musician. Unfortunately, doesn't have a gig while I'm here; playing the night I leave, and played last night. Rats, always enjoy seeing him play.

I'll be in town a few days, so I imagine I'll get together with both of those again before leaving.

Oh yeah, I meant to comment on Canada.

The highways aren't like interstates in the US. Even the Trans-Canada Highway is more like a US highway: divided, but with side roads going right onto it instead of ramps. In the cities, they're more like interstates.

Also no mileposts in Saskatchewan. Seems like TCH was marked in Manitoba. Occurred to me because, when I had those couple of warnings, I was thinking, "how do I tell somebody where I am?"

I guess they'd be kilometre posts.

Surprised by Canadian radio. I kinda figured it would be nothing but Neil Young, Rush, Tragically Hip, Loverboy, and Gordon Lightfoot. While I heard all of them (except the last), not to the extent I expected.

When you're nearing a town, the sign on the highway has icons for the services offered: the pump for gas, knife/fork/plate for a restaurant. (I saw one with a knife/fork/coffee cup, not sure what that meant). Seemed like every sign had an icon of a curling stone. Would not have guessed it was that prevalent.

Always enjoy visiting our neighbors to the north. Another good visit.

Finally dawned on me you were on another ride with the Easter eggs you have left in other threads.

Great stuff as per usual.

A pretty eventful morning. Just down the road from the hotel are old taconite (iron ore) docks.





No longer used. Can't really see, but the trestle is open in spots. I'm pretty sure one of these was the last port of the Edmund Fitzgerald, made famous by the previously mentioned Gordon Lightfoot.

And even in town, there's wildlife.



A shot of the docks further away for perspective.



Somewhere right in this area of the Nemadji River is the spot where I caught my first fish.



My uncle tells the story that it was a little walleye. The DNR guy happened to be there, and it was too small too keep. They told him it was my first fish, and he looked the other way. I don't recall that, but I was probably six or so at the time, so it's possible.

Found a place for breakfast. After that, went on one of the two main drags and started laundry. Two blocks down the street was an oil-change place recommended by both my uncle and friend, so brought the Subie down there for its 30K maintenance. Here's what that part of town looks like.



Actually, same friend used to live in those apartments on the right. Anyway, after dropping the car, back to the laundromat, where I had to wait ~15 minutes to throw the stuff in the dryer. Then, back to the oil change place, where they were finishing the tire rotation. After a few minutes, back to the laundromat, where the dryer was close to done.

Packed everything up and went to the grocery store area, where there's a haircut place. While on the list, walked to the liquor store across the lot and got this.



A case of Leinie's and a 12 of Spotted Cow for ~$35? Yes please!

After haircut time, wandered into the neighborhood where I grew up. First stop was at my late uncle's house. This house was my grandparents' originally, then my uncle stayed there his whole life. So I guess it's sort of my ancestral home. Christmas Eve tradition was at Uncle Dale's for as long as I could remember until he died.

One odd story about his death. My uncle was a huge sports fan, and Green Bay more specifically. That year, the Packers were the six seed. Went down to Atlanta and just bombed them in the first round. One of those games where it's over at halftime.

So I called him up, "Hey, that's at pretty good start, huh?" IIRC, it was a Saturday night game; Tuesday Mom called to let me know he'd died.

Was the year GBP won with Rodgers, so he didn't get to see that.



I have a key on my ring which I don't know what it's for. It's possible it's Dale's house, as I ran his estate. Rang the bell and knocked, intending to tell them the story and ask if it was ok if we tried this key. Nobody answered though.

A couple houses down lives Dale's lifelong friend, Frank. Actually, it was him who found Dale's body; Dale didn't show for breakfast one morning when all the guys planned to meet, so Frank went to check on him. As things go in small towns, he had a key to Dale's, so went in, and found him slumped in the corner of the bathroom, a little shaving cream on his cheek. Apparently, Dale had gotten up, started preparing, and had a lights-out heart attack or something. Pretty good way to go, I suppose; probably very little suffering.

Anyway, Frank happened to be outside, so I stopped for a few minutes to say hi and chat. Nice to see him again.

Next, I drove by the house I grew up in, about four blocks away.





We didn't have the cedar fence, so that's a nice improvement they've made. I think in the mid 70s, Dad built the garage. In the 80s, added on those back two rooms (kind of a mud room and a dining room, though the latter just stored junk).

Sometime in the 90s they had the ground-floor bedroom and bath added (on the left in the second picture. My dad was a heavy smoker most of his life (it was cool then), and was pretty overweight. One emphysema got serious, he was on oxygen and couldn't manage the stairs any longer.

So most of my life, it was five of us with one bathroom and three bedrooms. When I went off to college, at least I was used to having a roommate.

After that, went for some of my favorite pizza in the world, Sammy's, for lunch in Duluth. They have a small buffet, with about four pizzas, wings, pasta, and a small salad bar. The pizza is thin crust, fresh cheese and toppings. The sauce has some flavor, not plain tomato like most places.

Upon returning to my side of the bay, went by an old fishing area.



You can also see Spirit Mountain, where I learned to ski, in the background. Of course, midwest skiing (skate down the hill) is nothing like Colorado's.

Anyway, when I was growing up, this used to be an old wooden drawbridge carrying US 2 traffic to Minnesota. Here you can see an old photo of the bridge, from the Duluth Herald.



It used to be people would stand on the walkway on the left to fish. First, you'd check where your neighbor's lines were, so you didn't cross. Next, look for from traffic coming down the bridge. Finally, cast.

I think around my college days it was finally replaced with the concrete Bong bridge seen in the distance. The closer bridge is rail. Apparently, Richard Bong was a WWII pilot and air ace from a small town in the area, so that's the name, not what you were thinking.

Then I went down to the old sand pits. In my day, 28th street just ended here with a flat, sandy area where we would park and go fishing or drinking (or both). Good spot for high schoolers to drink on a summer night, as nobody really lives out there.

Well, good as in, "good for that era, when such things were acceptable," not good as in, "it should still be done."

After the big lunch, pretty tired, so rolled back to the hotel and laid down. Now need to find some way to kill one-and-a half more days in this town.

Oops, can't edit in photos. Here's the newer US 2 bridge.



and the sand pits

This afternoon, went out to Wisconsin Point. As you no doubt guess, this is a point of land which comes off the Wisconsin side. That, along with the corresponding Minnesota Point, makes a great natural harbor. While the other side is developed, this has been left alone.

It's a spot with some nice sand beaches, if the sun ever comes out. Another high school drinking spot, since nobody lives out here--we'd come out, start a bonfire with the driftwood, play music and drink beer.

In fact, somehow the people running one of my high school reunions somehow got my information some years back. Among the things that were included in the money for entry was going to a "Point Party".

Uh, no. I can go in a bar with warmth instead of freezing my ass off. Of course, the fact that I haven't kept in touch with anyone from that era didn't help.

That reminds me of another oddity for this area. When the wind switches off the lake, that cool air is a natural refrigerant. It might be 80 inland, and in the 60s in town when the wind switches.

Went out to the end of the point, and stopped in the parking areas on the way back.





I tried to get shots of the old docks from this morning, from across Allouez Bay.



The big lake they call Gitchee Goomie





Most of the road is open on the Allouez Bay (town) side, and wooded toward the lake. Towards the end you enter a wooded lane, which is a nice drive.









Back at the hotel, this car is at the bar & grill just outside the hotel.



A much-loved-by-Top-Gear Morris Minor!

Almost certainly my last trip up north. So, I'm trying to think of things I want to see or stop by one last time. Of course, there's nobody left for me, besides the three I saw last night, so that's taken care of.

I hope each of us will be able to spend time together tonight or tomorrow one last time.

The trip took a sudden bittersweet turn. It must be tough looking at what will likely be your last trip there. I'm hoping you guys have a great time tomorrow!

Pics are great! When we were up there several years ago, I kept having difficulty grasping just how big Lake Superior is. That Morris Minor would be lovely had they kept the transmogrification a bit less extreme. It's still pretty nifty, yet ...

Thanks, Tom. Wish I'd known you were up here, would've given you a few ideas.

Bittersweet an excellent description, in a number of ways. Of course, it's my hometown and I have this tie to it because of a mistake my ancestors made.

OTOH, now that I've seen a lot of the world, I can see how bad this place can be. No opportunity for young people, blue-collar jobs are leaving. I'm told that crime is worse, though by biased sources.

Anyway, went back to my neighborhood this evening because it faces west. Thought I might catch a nice sunset.

But first, wandered into the bars in the neighborhood. Seems like this one got new signs, but everything inside for both seems like exactly when I lost saw them in 2020.



Two things about this.

1. This was the first bar I had a legal beer in
2. Not sure what the Schultz estate thinks about this

For the first, I remember staying up late to watch Saturday Night Live, then walking up to the bar (about six blocks) just after midnight. At this time, it was 18 in Wisconsin.

I was sure I'd get carded, the bartender would refuse to serve me, I'd point out that it was after midnight and thus 18, and he'd buy a beer for my birthday.

Well, the first part worked out.

I remember ordering a Miller Genuine Draft (I guess I was into that, at the time), having the one, and walking home.

On the second, the bar has been Charlie Brown's for as long as I can remember. It may have even preceded Peanuts, I don't know. However, I can't believe a family comic like that would be thrilled with this association. In addition to the outside, there's tons of Peanuts stuff inside.

It is a true dive bar. This is not judgmental, I think it accomplishes what it sets out to be. I'm assuming nobody in the Peanuts world knows about this place.

Then I went down to the bay to check on the sun setting.





Then wandered back through town, stopping at a couple bars I'd never been to for one.

I haven't quite been to every bar in town, but it's close. Over the years, I bet I've missed less than five. It's not that big a place (~27K), but it is pretty much just a bar town anymore.

I feel like the choir being preached to here.

Don't want to hijack your thread, so I'll just say things could have been worse. That sunset on the dock of the bay would have gone a long, long way in my hometown.

Enjoy what you've got! Especially the memories! Cheers!

Finally we've answered the age old question, "Were you born in a barn?!"

Speaking of born in a barn, the legendary Tom Ames' 50k post ladies and gentlemen:

I did not notice that I got Tom's 50k post. I am honored.

Yeah, it was kind of a barn. Updated in the 70s, then never touched again, except for big problems like roof leaks.

Even then, it went on far too long, because mom "talked to someone " and would wait for them to respond.

I remember telling her at one point that it had been six months, they're not interested.

Went out this morning to go along Skyline Drive. It's a road near the top of Duluth hill with occasional pullouts, offering view of the harbor below. There's a lot of similar-looking pictures as I puttered along.













Eventually, you get to Enger Park, which has an observation tower.



Here you get a little better view of the Aerial Lift Bridge, and Minnesota Point's beginning. The bridge is kinda interesting, when a boat goes through the Duluth entry, the entire middle section rises up to let it pass. So kind of a drawbridge, but not in the traditional sense.

A little better view of Minnesota Point, and the outer harbor.

After a while, eastbound Skyline Drive ended, so I went down by the water.







Unfortunately, didn't get to see the bridge in action. Minnesota Point is public beaches, but as it's also private land, people have their part fenced off.



Though I don't know where the public might park. It's become a tourist area with shops and restaurants. It took some time for me to find a place even for a 20 minute walk.

While driving around, I came upon the HQ of Allete, in which I hold stock. It's the public utilities company for NE MN & NW WI. Unfortunately, we stockholders voted to sell it to private equity firm.

I was disappointed by this. It's been a dividend machine; not very exciting on the price side--one for the safe investment. The sale price wasn't monumentally higher than current, when announced.

Oh well, what's done is done. When the vote was tallied, it was announced that the acquisition was expected to complete in mid-2025.

So, I popped in, and asked the receptionist if they had any more specific date, since mid-2025 has come and went. She said she thought they were still finalizing details. Then, upon asking if I was a shareholder, said she thought "they" were in the in office today, and could ask them to meet with me.

Not that important, I assured her, but thanked her for offering.

Headed up the hill to the mall area. Was surprised to see that Bridgeman's was still open.

Back when I was a kid, Bridgeman's was an ice cream shop, with a few locations around the area. The one over in Superior was kind of kitty-corner from the junior high. Now, its a payday loan place, of which there seem to be a disturbingly high number around town.

Anyway, at some point, Bridgeman's offered simple food too. Mostly known for breakfast, but I decided to have lunch too. Cheeseburger and chocolate malt.

I didn't think to ask about the size of the malt. It turned out to be one of those metal cups they put in the mixer, pretty near full. An $8 shake.

And no, they didn't put bourbon or nothin' in it.

Started back down the hill, and picked up the east side of Skyline Drive, going west, for a few more shots.

Twin Ponds:





If this is the place I'm thinking of, it used to be for swimming when we were kids, and I nearly drowned here. Now it's just fishing.

Then, the final view of the inner harbor



and the outer



After this, kind of drove around aimlessly in the general direction of Superior. Took the Bong bridge over, went past my family's houses from yesterday one last time, and back to the hotel.

Laid down a bit. Now early afternoon, not sure how to kill this last day here.

Went down by the river, and tried another road leading toward it. I think this is more the "first fish" area. Just a little gravel parking area at the end of the road.





There was a young guy there with a couple of lines out, so we chatted about fishing, living up north, whatever. Turns out he was from south-Central Missouri. He didn't offer a story how he got up north, and I didn't pry.

However, the road went between two little cemeteries. This caused me to realize that I hadn't been out to the cemetery in many years.

Now, I'm not one for ceremony or whatever. They're not getting anything out of me visiting--the laws of thermodynamics being what they are--but it was a way to kill some time.

Superior is kind of a triangular town. I'm in the east end, and the cemetery is south of town, with a very industrial area between. That's where the huge oil tanks and natural gas balls are, and the refinery--heavy industry. When Superior gets in the news, it's because of this area.

Not really sure where I'm going, I set out, generally going west and south. Eventually found the main road out of town, and the cemetery's just beyond that. Pulled in, and had this vague notion of where their graves are from my dad's funeral--it's kind of on the left side as you enter. I knew mom was next to him, but had never seen her site (she died in December 2018, and they don't inter bodies in the winter, waiting for the ground to thaw. Probably just started for the year).

Anyway, pulled up just past this puddle so I wouldn't step in it, and in about 10 minutes of wandering, found their sites. I was surprised that dad's headstone (footstone?) had a cross on it, and mom's didn't, as she was very much the church lady and dad was decidedly not. I think it might be that he was a veteran, and that's just how he was registered when he enrolled.

Getting ready to leave, I noticed the stands where they put cremated people's remains. The dad of my best friend from high school is in one, so thought I'd see if I could sett Paul's site.

There's three of these stands. Each spot is faced by about a 1 foot square piece of marble. There's about five of them high, and about 20 around in an almost-cylinder. Couldn't remember which he was at, so looked at each, looking for his name.

Noticed that the names of the parents of my friend who I met the other night where on one of the stands. While it's good that they've planned ahead, it kinda freaked me out; when I asked after his folks the other night, he seemed to say they're not doing great.

Anyway, found Paul's in another stand.

Took off from there, and went across the old Oliver covered bridge, which goes to Minnesota. MN side:



WI:



The St. Louis River there eventually becomes the bay from last night and then the harbor area from earlier, and is the border.

On the Wisconsin side, there's the small (pop 623) town of Oliver. That small, and thy've got three bar & grills. It's hard to explain how much of the culture up here is tied to drinking.

Back into town, drove through, then back to the hotel. I'm on the very east edge, almost out of town. Probably have something like a sandwich for dinner, after that big lunch, then a few beers before getting to bed so I can get out of town tomorrow.

Also it occurred to me today that I forgot to look for Moonlight Graham when I went through Chisholm the other day. Rats.

what an honor to receive the TA 50k prize
guessing Tom won't notice for another ten thousand

Friend texted this evening. Said he was going to his folks, would I like to stop by.

Nice surprise, great to see them again. Probably early 80s, so likely last time.

Then, I got to the bar near the hotel. Bartender mentioned they'd had live music earlier. My friend has been playing gigs like that for many years, so I gave her his name. Hope he gets some work out of it.

I know you've seen the bridge in action, but for those who haven't, here's a picture a couple of tourists from the South took in 2016 with it partway up for that boat. IIRC they blast a horn loud enough so that everyone in the greater Duluth area knows that the bridge is rising.



I can't think of a place I'd rather that post land. I still haven't received my cash award though. Any idea who I'd contact to make sure they know where to send it? $10,000, you say? Wow!

further evidence missppi folk have been historically suppressed from understanding the meaning of dollar signs

And, the boat in particular in Tom's picture appears to be the Vista King (or Queen). Back when I was still there, it was part of your senior year in HS to go on the harbor tour.

I thought I remembered seeing it in the outer harbor in one of my Skyline Drive pictures (don't see it now), and meant to point it out. There's a couple of very similar ships that go on a trip around the harbor, and point out grain elevators and whatever else is there.

Do not recommend. But then again, I don't recommend anyone to come up here, so there's that.

Spun out of town 7:30 ish, so not too bad.

While still the north woods, there is the occasional farm.



Headed east, and saw the Brule River. It is apparently a very famous trout stream.

My late uncle used to go out about every day during the season after he retired. His world was pretty much sports and fishing. When cleaning out his house, found a little notebook he kept of his fishing. Not just catches, but weather conditions, flies he used, date and time, time spent on the river. Just tons of data over the years.

I asked mom to take that up to the DNR (about two miles away),, figuring that they would love such a trove of data, but that never happened. Then, I couldn't find the notebook in mom's house when she died. Guess I should've taken better control of the situation.





Went to the state fish hatchery nearby. Unfortunately not in use currently. The season is August-May, which surprised me. I would've thought this stuff would freeze solid and kill the little fishes in the winter. Nobody around to ask.



I remember us taking the occasional ride to this place for dinner. Used to look different, but the same name.



Turned south, lots of creeks and lakes along the way.





and more farms as I went, though still mostly woods.



Eventually got to Timms Hill, the highest point in Wisconsin. On the trail, it started raining. More a steady shower than anything, but glad I grabbed my raincoat. When you get up the short trail, there's an observation tower, from which you can see all the land of cheese and beer.







Here's the actual marker





Next to the public observation tower, there's another one. Not sure what it does. (The marker is actually underneath the latter).



Here's looking up the non-public tower. There's nothing really stopping anyone.

On the way down, saw this guy



(frog next to the leaves, pretty good camo).

Trundling along, came across the Wisconsin River



and Lady Lake



Moving south again, it started raining like hell. Camping's out for tonight, so got an early night in Antigo's Super 8. Probably an early night and morning.