Little Norway/Cave of the Mounds

OK - So it's been a while since I've posted and yes, I've been doing some traveling!

Little Norway was pretty cool, being that I grew up in a slightly more north area of the state we didn't visit it in grade school so I had never heard of this BUT I greatly enjoyed it. You go and take a tour (guided) and they tell you all about the original owners of the property (how they came to the US etc) all the way to the present owners and how they used each of the buildings as well as the Norwegian culture. Again I grew up with allot of German lifestyle, so the Norwegian is a cool change of pace. After the tour you are welcome to mill around the grounds and revisit the outside of the buildings and peer in on your own. There is also a nifty gift shop there as well! (Bathrooms on site too)

Cave of the Mounds was different than I remembered it, it seems they have added more buildings! Granted the last time I was there I was a teenager (I think). The tour was still the same but the grounds have been expanded. You can have lunch on a grassy knoll or next to the tiered flower gardens behind the main building. For around $1 you can buy a map/flyer of the grounds that you can reuse again and again in the future. That's kinda cool to just go and walk around on a nice day. The tour you would have to pay for time and time again, but on the hot days of summer this would be a great place to take visiting friends and/or family. Mind you it takes a while for the caves to change their look so even 10 years isn't enough for it to change (it'll still look the same).

I don't have any pictures of Cave of the Mounds of Little Norway because Mom has them all on her camera.

In the Area - For those adults over 21 take a picnic to Botham Vineyard and buy a bottle of wine to enjoy on their outdoor terrace in Barneveld or The Grumpy Troll Brewery in downtown Mount Horeb for a beer and burger!

Split Spring Weekend?!

Here's the view from the inside today!

Saturday traveled down to Dubuque to visit a friend and often forget how close DBQ really is. Only 1.5 hours from where I live with alot of potential stops along the way. Historic sites, breweries, wineries, etc etc. Saturday was of course cloudy and chilly due to wind but it didn't rain! We went up in the Fenelon Place Elevator located in downtown DBQ. $2 round trip for adults it takes you up 189 feet to give you a panoramic view of the tri state area (IA,WI, IL) it's quite beautiful I bet when the weather is nice! After we ate at Crust (a newer restaraunt) comparible to, but different from, Benvenutos in the Madison area. Build you own pastas was a nice touch and the options were cool too! Sunday's drive home bought even more wind but at least sunshine and wispy clouds! A last minute decision to stop at Botham Vineyards in Barneveld involved the purchase of 2 bottles of wine. Complimentary samples are a plus. Only 30 minutes from Madison they also have a terrace you can sit outside and enjoy the country and your wine on.

http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/
http://crustdubuque.com/
http://www.bothamvineyards.com/

Colorado - Easter Sunday

Well I thought that Spring was etching closer (and it is) but this weekend temps were again in the low 30s upper 20 during the day and down below 15 at night. But the picture to the left was taken Sunday... We're getting there.

A friend of mine recently traveled to Colorado and I asked her to bring me back a post card. One of the places that she went to was Red Rocks Park. Red Rocks is located in Denver CO and in Red Rocks they have an Amphitheatre. My cousin will soon be going to a concert there but the primary stance of this blog is that they do an Easter Sunday Sunrise ceremony. Being that I have been to Easter Sunday's sunrise service (though not in a while) I bet this would be quite the experience. To be outside surrounded by nature just like they were the morning that Christ rose again. To feel the chill in the air and watch the sun come over the rocks must be absolutely breath taking. At least that is how I imagine it. Someday maybe I will make it there and see this place. I hope you get to experience it as well.

That's all for this week - until next time!

First Day of Spring

The first day of spring. No snow on the ground (though they're forecasting it for this week). It's raining. 3 days after St Patricks Day.

I've often thought about traveling to Ireland. I know people that have been there and I love the quotes on plaques that you constantly see everywhere this time of year. But even just to walk around the beautiful countryside and spend some time by the sea. Amazing I bet.

I'm trying to figure out what to put into what I hope will become weekly blogs. I'm guessing in time that it'll work itself out, of course when log on to write then my mind goes blank. What gives. Have a good week and enjoy spring (come flowers and snow as always you will see in spring in Wisconsin)

Galapogos Islands

A couple weeks ago there was a three hour tv special (or not) on tv. Being that it was a Sunday and snowed in we decided to watch it. This location is also somewhere that my brother wanted to go at one point so it always sticks out to me.

It was interesting to learn about the animals that inhabit the island and the differences of the species and adaption to each island. Each island is different from the other which makes this an intriguing place to visit. Charles Darwin visited here way back when too. I'm a sucker for beautiful animals and wildlife and while I know this trip isn't close enough for me to be able to afford if I lived within driving distance I would definitely check this place out. That and they have animals called blue footed boobies. (tortoise, lizards, birds etc)

Is a view always better?

Today was one a kind. Recently my office (which is two cubicles) lost one of it's tenants (not me) allowing me to switch to the window side. Now this allows me to view the parking lot and the comings and goings of all of our members. Last week I even watching one member hit another with their car. No serious damage but none the less *crashed*.

Today though I happened to look up and see this boy of thirteenish heading for the door... coughing. It's winter people cough. And then he stopped to spit (maybe a lougie) by the outside door. Coughing coughing and now he's throwing up. PUKING outside my window. And we're not talking the clear stuff here. We're talking... I won't go into detail. He then comes inside and I mind you was did that really happen?! Comes inside, sits down at a lobby computer and is looking at images of bongs. yes bongs. To top it off, why are these two kids not in school (maybe they were sick). And the Mom made a comment (while not tending to her sick pukey child) that I told you that you ate to many tacos last night. You made yourself sick. Thank you Mother for that one.

Needless to say the image stuck with me through the day giving me my own little gag reflex of awesomeness. It is NEVER a dull day at a credit union!