Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.
Yes, we are blessed! We are off once again on a road trip. It was 50 degrees and sunny when we left about 9 AM yesterday.
We spent last night in Rochester, MN. We had a great Airbnb, Porch on 4th.
We didn't stop at any quilt shops or yarn shops! There really is nothing I need but I'm sure I'll find things as we go along. All of the shops we passed are within a few hours of home.
It was a gorgeous day and many of the flowering trees are in bloom.
We drove the back roads through various Amish communities. Many of the people were working outside - in the fields with horses or in gardens. At one of the Amish schools, everyone was outside playing. I know the Amish really don't like their pictures taken so I restrained myself.
We spent time at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse campus. We both graduated from UW-L 49 years ago. Wow! Where does the time go? There is a new student union and a new science building since we last visited and so much more! It is the last week of the semester - we saw students studying and many enjoying the sunshine and 70 degrees.
On our way back to the parking lot, we took a trail down by the river. It was pretty and peaceful.
If we lived in the area, we'd definitely be regulars at Quarry Hill.
After dinner, we walked around 'our' neighborhood. There were lots of people out doing yard work and/or enjoying the evening. We talked with one guy who had a neat sculpture that he had made beginning with a bicycle tire. We also met some dogs. I thought a cute little one named Lucy was going to follow us home. And then there was this ear of corn:
"Water towers are generally built for a purely practical purpose, but the Libby Food Plant executives had a different idea. Built and installed in 1931, it served as an entertaining as well as functional structure during one of the most difficult periods of American history, the Great Depression. Anatomically accurate, the water tower is built as an enormous ear of corn, and attracts curious visitors and tourists. The tower is now a part of the Seneca Foods Complex and is now a historic relic towering at 60 feet (18.288 meters) over the skyline and serving as a distinct landmark for the town. Lit up during the night, the tower is hard to miss and is a fun detour if you're looking for off beat local attractions to visit." ~cityseeker.com
We also spent some time visiting with our hosts. We'd enjoy coming back to this area and we'd love to stay in the same Airbnb.
We spent last night in Rochester, MN. We had a great Airbnb, Porch on 4th.
We didn't stop at any quilt shops or yarn shops! There really is nothing I need but I'm sure I'll find things as we go along. All of the shops we passed are within a few hours of home.
We drove the back roads through various Amish communities. Many of the people were working outside - in the fields with horses or in gardens. At one of the Amish schools, everyone was outside playing. I know the Amish really don't like their pictures taken so I restrained myself.
We spent time at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse campus. We both graduated from UW-L 49 years ago. Wow! Where does the time go? There is a new student union and a new science building since we last visited and so much more! It is the last week of the semester - we saw students studying and many enjoying the sunshine and 70 degrees.
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| Student Union looking north and to the left |
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| Student Union looking north and to the right |
When we arrived in Rochester, we found Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center. We both felt that we needed some time outside and some exercise. It was sunny, 63 degrees, and very pleasant.
We found lots of geese and goslings as we walked around a pond.
There were some decent reflections even thought we had a breeze.
I caught reflections of this group of children too!
We walked some of the trails and found some interesting things.
This retaining wall was constructed over 100 years ago as part of the quarry operation. Since 1980, hundreds of classes of students have used the wall as a training site for technical rock climbing training techniques. In 2003, the wall was restored so classes could continue.
I asked Ray to get in the photo for some perspective and he began to climb...
Further on we came across this large fireplace, protected behind a huge fence that I could easily get my phone through to take a picture. It was built more than 100 years ago with limestone from the quarry. Reading various signs provided us with a little insight to the history of the area.
If we lived in the area, we'd definitely be regulars at Quarry Hill.
After dinner, we walked around 'our' neighborhood. There were lots of people out doing yard work and/or enjoying the evening. We talked with one guy who had a neat sculpture that he had made beginning with a bicycle tire. We also met some dogs. I thought a cute little one named Lucy was going to follow us home. And then there was this ear of corn:
"Water towers are generally built for a purely practical purpose, but the Libby Food Plant executives had a different idea. Built and installed in 1931, it served as an entertaining as well as functional structure during one of the most difficult periods of American history, the Great Depression. Anatomically accurate, the water tower is built as an enormous ear of corn, and attracts curious visitors and tourists. The tower is now a part of the Seneca Foods Complex and is now a historic relic towering at 60 feet (18.288 meters) over the skyline and serving as a distinct landmark for the town. Lit up during the night, the tower is hard to miss and is a fun detour if you're looking for off beat local attractions to visit." ~cityseeker.com
We also spent some time visiting with our hosts. We'd enjoy coming back to this area and we'd love to stay in the same Airbnb.
Your BNB looks great!Much better than a hotel. Finding a place to walk and visit is a plus. Of course, I sure the rock wall just wore Ray out:)
ReplyDeleteCute corn water tower. I love fun history like that.
ReplyDelete