U. S. TRAIN TRAVELS: Unique Stations

Despite AMTRAK’s sometimes frequent delays, and occasional engine breakdowns, some of our best travels have been on AMTRAK overnight trips. It is not just the trips, but also the interesting train stations that you will pass through along your way.

View of Red Wing Station from the St. James Hotel

One of the unique (and tiniest) train stations we have visited in our U. S. travels is the small one at Red Wing, Minnesota. We have been there several times as we have family who live in Hastings, Minnesota, that is located further up the Mississippi River. We arrived there by catching AMTRAK’s Northwest “Empire Builder” from Chicago that travels along major portions of the route traveled by Lewis and Clark as it winds its way along the Pacific Northwest.

Inside Red Wing Train Station

We detrain at Red Wing and see the Mississippi River on one side and walk a few yards up the hill to the St. James Hotel, a Victorian-era and decorated hotel. With its four-poster beds and vintage furniture, the hotel has two restaurants and amazing views from its front rooms of the Mississippi River and its boat traffic. Along the river is also a walking path and park, and on the other side, silos that are filled with grain for shipping. The town of Red Wing is beautiful, quaint and without the crowds, and a delight to walk through on a warm evening.

We are looking forward to returning to Red Wing.

For More Information:

*St. James Hotel:

http://www.st-james-hotel.com/stjames/index.html

*AMTRAK’S “Empire Builder”

www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Route_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241245653623

*Red Wing, Minnesota -

www.red-wing.org/

Winter Time Activities in Local State Parks

Ice Skating

If you cannot go to a warmer climate in the winter, why not just layer it up in warm clothes and visit your local state parks? In addition to biking and walking on the paved path (unless it is snow-ice covered) that circumvents Locust Lake State Park (Schuylkill County) in Pennsylvania, you can also ice skate or go ice fishing.

Ice Fishing

Or you can hike, cross-country ski, or snowshoe along the walking paths in Tuscarora State Park (Schuylkill County) in Pennsylvania. This is a park that permits hunting, so check the hunting season dates before you go. You never know what wild animals or birds you might see. For photographers, the winter scenes and skies offer opportunities for award-winning pictures.

These are free or relatively inexpensive outdoor activities that you and your family can enjoy in our country’s parks. Shut down your computer; leave your cell phone at home and just go.

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Thumper Pond Lodge

We were happy to continue our drive from Pennsylvania, and through Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and finally to our destination, Thumper Pond (lodge and golf course), of Ottertail, Minnesota.

We crossed over Lake Superior, from Superior, Wisconsin, into Duluth, Minnesota. It was a stunning view with the morning sun on the ships on the lake’s bay and the city of Duluth built on the side of the hill rising from Lake Superior.

From Duluth, we drove primarily two-lane roads in the Northwest section of Minnesota, driving through small towns surrounded with farm fields filled with potatoes and other crops. Many shops had signs selling wild rice from the surrounding wet areas.

Minnesota flowering shrub at a rest stop.

We arrived at Thumper Pond in the afternoon, winding our way through its golf course, trails and stands of pines. My nephew and his bride were to be married on the dock of a nearby lake the next day, in front of the cabin owned by the bride’s parents. Thumper Pond’s rooms and restaurant were excellent. Breakfast was tasty and the wait staff very friendly. Our room was on the bottom floor where we saw some of the guests had brought their pets to stay overnight with them.

Outside Thumper Pond Lodge

Besides the wedding and the following celebration that was held at Thumper Pond’s reception room, my favorite part of staying at Thumper Pond was their indoor swimming pool. It had two, yes two, enclosed water tubes that “emptied” into the swimming area. I loved going down the tubes with my brother’s two granddaughters. They pushed buttons at the top of the water slide tubes that played music and flashed lights as we slid down into the heated pool’s water.

The next day of the wedding, it was cloudy with a cold, strong wind. The bride’s veil streamed out straight behind her in the 30 mph “breezes” off the lake, but I could not see any of her attendants shivering, even though they wore strapless gowns! Minnesota residents are used to cold weather. The reception followed at Thumper Pond with its delicious food and music.

Wedding on the Lake

It was a memorable occasion, held at a beautiful scenic resort.

For more information, visit

http://www.thumperpond.com/

Traveling Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

After crossing the five-mile Mackinac Bridge over the Straits of Mackinac that separates Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, we turned left off Rte. 75 onto Rt. 2 West that runs in part along the northern shore of Lake Michigan. We followed many RVs and camping trailers as they were on their way to take advantage of many camping areas and outdoor activities of hiking, biking, off-road vehicle riding, bird watching, outdoor photography and more at the numerous state parks located on this peninsula.

Rest stop view at Lake Michigan

Rest stops line the shore line of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior to the north. I also liked the assorted gift and antique shops like “Injun Joe’s Tourist Trap.” Fresh “pasties” were advertised at little shops along the way, too. According to the site www.upper-peninsula-now.com/pasties.html, pasties are assorted meats and vegetables baked in pie crusts, and were a Cornish (England) food brought over by miners who worked at the copper and iron mines located on the peninsula.

Be watchful of wildlife that crosses the highways, like the coyote who ran across the highway in front of our car; and a young moose that almost did. www.michiganuptravel.com/2010/12/wildlife-of-the-upper-peninsula-mi/

We drove across the peninsula and then into Wisconsin where stopped for the night at a Holiday Inn Express, in Superior. We ate dinner in a restaurant that overlooked a beautiful bay that leads to Lake Superior shore off Duluth, Minnesota. We plan to return for a vacation exploring many more areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, including some of the iron mine tours, lighthouses, and maritime museums.

Dawn in Superior, Wisconsin

For more information

www.exploringthenorth.com/mich/mich.html

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge

Morning View of the Mackinac Bridge

To attend my nephew’s wedding in Minnesota we chose to drive up the state of Michigan, using US 23 and onto I-75. We stopped overnight in Mackinaw City that lies on the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. A cold front blew in that afternoon we arrived, and it was a cold wind blowing off the nearby lakes as we walked into town in search of a restaurant. The Village of Mackinaw City was almost deserted, as it was September and the off-season; but I could imagine it being very crowded in the tourist season with all the available parking spots; and the many gift and fudge shops. It reminded me of an empty, New Hope, Pennsylvania, though seldom is New Hope “empty.” From the shops, people can walk to the ferries that take them to Mackinac Island and other offshore islands.

Not finding any place to eat, we shivered as we hurried back to Darrow’s, a small restaurant across from our Holiday Inn Express. We did not stop there previously because it was packed with people from a bus tour group who were also staying at our motel. The restaurant was still busy; but when you are cold and hungry, you wait, and we did. We were surprised, though, that their service was fast, professional, and the fish I had was delicious. After our meal, we took a walk in the early evening along the shores of Lakes Michigan and Huron (one on each side of the Mackinac Bridge).

After the bus crowd had eaten and departed the next morning, we enjoyed our motel’s extensive complimentary breakfast. Afterwards, we took a walk in the 40 mph winds under the Mackinac Bridge and past the entrance to a historic fort. The lakes had large, rolling waves with white caps beneath the clear blue sky. In nicer weather you can take the stroll along the lakes using the  Mackinaw City Historical Pathway Map and Guide. After leaving our motel, we drove onto I-75 North, over the Mackinac Bridge that opened to traffic in 1957. It only cost us a $1.75. Every Labor Day, traffic is closed on two lanes of the bridge for people to walk across for the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk across its five mile length! Currently, the Mackinac Bridge is the third longest suspension bridge in the world.
Our motel staff said sometimes the bridge is closed if the winds are too strong or the weather too bad; but the bridge was open for us, despite the weather. We followed a truck with a trailer, going only about 20 mph. That gave us time to enjoy the beautiful view of the bridge’s tower, the islands in the distance, and the shore line of the Upper Michigan Peninsula ahead that we would drive across its entire width to reach Wisconsin and eventually into Minnesota. We definitely will return again to Mackinaw City** to stay longer so we can further explore its attractions and the nearby islands.

**FYI, Mackinac and Mackinaw are both pronounced as Mackin”aw”.
For more information: http://mackinawcity.org/; http://www.mackinacbridge.org/

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A Visit to Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park

On a recent visit to Penn State University, we traveled eighteen miles East of State College to tour Penn’s Cave located outside of Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. It was a rainy day, but that did not deter us nor the many other visitors, including many from other countries, from taking the tour. We drove through the various local green farm fields to reach this attraction.

Penn's Cave Legend (just before cave's entrance)

We purchased tickets at Penn’s Cave gift shop that offered a full range of T-shirts, hoodies, jewelry, nature books, and more. In one corner was the “Cave Cafe,” a small dining area where tourists could purchase a light lunch. We chose to tour the underground cave only, instead of purchasing the combination cave-wildlife tour package.

Penn's Cave Gift Shop

The wildlife tour is a 90 minute bus tour of the wildlife living there such as bats, bears, bison, and other native animals. This tour ends at the Wildlife Adventure Museum, featuring South African animals. We came primarily to tour the cave.
When it was our turn for the cave tour, we walked out the gift shop and down the paved path and steps to wait our turn for the next long boat to take us through the cave. Each boat held approximately 20 people, and was driven by individual guides.

Penn's Cave boat with tourists

Other boats were going and coming. It was cold and damp inside the cave, but the rock formations were well worth the trip. Our guide pointed out unique formations, as well as the figures that resembled landmarks like the “Statue of Liberty.” The guides were well-informed about the history of the cave and its geology.

One of Penn's Cave formations

Another cave formation

Our boat exited out of the cave and turned around in the adjoining pond, and returned again through the cave. The ride lasted approximately an hour. Young children appeared to enjoy the tour, fascinated by the lighted cave walls, “rooms,” and ceilings, asking many questions. Even though it was summer, wearing sweaters and rain gear kept us dry and comfortable.

Exiting Penn's Cave to turn around in the nearby pond

We exited through the gift shop (like many attractions like to do to encourage visitors’ to purchase the assorted souvenirs) and traveled for lunch at a nearby restaurant. There are plenty of places to picnic, but the weather was not suitable. It was a fun tour and I would recommend it to others.
For more information, visit http://pennscave.com/

Picking Wild Berries

Here in the NE Pennsylvania Mountains, people still pick wild berries to make delicious jams and jellies. In the spring, there are wild black and red raspberries, strawberries; and in the mid-summer there are wild huckleberries, elderberries, and (my favorite), blackberries. These are the most common types of wild berries. There are other types, but these are the most popular here. I also like to harvest the wild purple grapes that grow on the vines hanging from the trees in my woods.

Where to find these wild berries? You can ask local residents where they go for picking; or ask permission to pick these berries on their property if they own some woods or fields (you can offer to pick some for them). Some county and state park lands also have these berries. Check with the park rangers for permission and if you need a permit to pick berries.

Wild Blackberries

Some cautions:
*Know the berry you are picking. Ask a naturalist or biologist to identify any berry you plan to pick if you are unsure what it is, to avoid accidental poisoning.
*Beware of wasps, spiders, and oh, yes, black bears who also love to eat these berries.
*Dress appropriately wearing boots, long pants, a hat, a long-sleeved shirt and gloves to protect yourself from the sun and thorns. Use a non-toxic insect spray and sun screen.  I also use a long-handled tool that has a hook on the end, and is handy to grab high canes and branches. My tool was a hand weed-switcher that my son accidentally broke while trimming our mountain path. Its blade broke but left a two inch part that nicely pulls berry branches within my reach to pick ripe berries.

My blackberry-picking tools

*Other items I carry are a penknife, hand pruners, pepper spray (just in case), and a hand-held transceiver to stay in touch with other berry-pickers.
After picking my berries, I wash and then freeze them to make my jam or jelly later when it is cooler in the season and I have more time.
Once you have tasted the wild jams and jellies, you will find the commercial grown ones, “tame” in taste comparison. They make great gifts and are beautiful as their shades of reds and purples show through the glass jelly jars. Happy berry-picking!

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