We went to Belvidere, IL, to pick up our permanent school records. We knew our records could be destroyed soon. The law for Illinois schools says permanent student records must be kept for at least 60 years after high school graduation. We were able to get the originals and it's been fun to see the comments from teachers, our IQ scores, and more.
Then we did a little hiking nearby in Spencer Conservation Area.
A few days later, we headed north to visit family. We enjoy driving the backroads and saw this little waterfall in the Village of Merrillan, WI. The water was rushing over the dam. A lady stopped to also take a picture and said the spot is a favorite for homecoming and prom photos.
In Rice Lace, WI, we stopped at Busy Bobbin. I've been frequenting this shop for many years. I found kit to gift and some purples and black. Do you think there is a theme happening?
Further north, we stopped at Seams Like Quilting in Spooner, WI. I stop at this shop every time we visit family in the area. I found some purples and a fabric, called Northern Brights, with purple in it.
Then we decided to sit down on a bench and enjoy a snack. We were quite surprised to see it was Ellen's bench! Ellen was a lake friend of ours for many years. It was nice to recall some good times with a super nice lady and her family.
This picture shows my brother's boat. The lake is so low that they'll have to move the boat lift to deeper water before they can get the boat off and out of the lake. Those steps should be below water.
We had a nice visit with my brother, Jim, and also with our sister-in-law (my oldest brother's widow), Sam. A bonus was having our twin nieces and their friend visiting also. We enjoyed some great food and too many wonderful treats!
While in Belvidere, we stopped at Sunshine Stitches. This is a great shop and I visit whenever I am nearby. This day, I purchased some purples and blacks.
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This picture shows my brother's boat. The lake is so low that they'll have to move the boat lift to deeper water before they can get the boat off and out of the lake. Those steps should be below water.
Ray and I took walks in the area where Jim and Sam both live. The trees were beginning to change.
We headed south to visit my aunt in Hudson, WI., and then went on to LaCrosse, WI. We had a rental on Lake Onalaska and saw a gorgeous sunset.
We stopped at Olive Juice Quilts in nearby Onalaska.I found more purples. This is a neat shop that I try to stop at whenever we are in the area.
It wouldn't be a visit to LaCrosse without a stop on Grandad Bluff.
We love the view from Grandad's. You can see the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse, our alma mater. The trees are just beginning to turn.
We also stopped at River Road Quilt Shop @ Nelson Flag in LaCrosse. I found some purples and a periwinkle blue. Ray found a Cubs flag! This is another stop we always make when we are in the area.
We headed to Decorah, IA. Although we've passed through this city, we've only stopped to eat once or twice. We decided that this time we would stop and see the sights! We "hiked" to Dunning's Spring. (It was an about 200 yards!) It was a gorgeous day and some water was coming down the falls.
I loved the stone bridge.
Then we headed to the Ice Cave.
We stopped here where we had to turn left, thinking our backs would not bend the way needed to get thru this and further gaps.
Lunch one day was at Dixie's Biergarten, home of the 2026 Best Burger in Iowa. The winning burger was a smash burger.
It was delicious!
The last quilt shop on the trip was Red-Roxy Quilt Co. This was my first visit but I will definitely stop again when I'm close.
One afternoon we stopped at the Fish Hatchery where rainbow trout are raised. This little falls was fed by Siewers Spring right at the hatchery. Many people were fishing or just relaxing in the area.
While in Decorah, this Airbnb was our home.
The temperature dropped considerably at this point.
My treasures included blacks, purple, a brighter periwinkle, and a backing.
We took a longer hike to Malanaphy Springs. It was a beautiful day, but the waterfall was at the edge of the river, facing the river, and there was no way to actually see it unless you were across the river or in a boat.
We had the right half of the duplex. Maybe you can see the rooftop terrace on the garage. "This historic duplex was curated by Decorah's famous architect Charles Altfillisch and is part of the South Decorah tour of his buildings across Decorah." It was interesting and very comfortable to stay in this beautifully restored duplex.
I think I have enough purples and blacks for one of the next graduation quilts. I won't need it until May, 2028 but when I heard purple with black and Galactica, I decided I'd better get started. my stash WAS lacking both purples and blacks. I think I have a pattern designed and I'm anxious to see how this goes.
