Streets of Another City

It feels as if it has been a very long time since I have walked the streets of my hometown and chronicled it here. I guess it has been two weeks; that can be a very long time. The bad news is that I am not chronicling any of our streets tonight either. I have, for a single day, become a traitor. But don’t get too worried right off the bat – I have not become a Vikings fan. Nothing that serious.

I had a meeting for work up the road in Minocqua today. The meeting was supposed to get over around one, so the boss told me I could have the rest of the afternoon off. I was psyched. And since it was a beautiful sunny afternoon (the first one probably since I walked last), I thought I would just wander the streets of Minocqua and see what it had to offer.

In the summer, these streets are packed with tourists. Even winters bring snowmobilers to the area. In the colorful fall, though, there’s not much going on downtown and many of the businesses are closed already for the winter. I think that Otto here is ready to call it a year. 

I don't know what is going on at this place and was too afraid to cross the street to find out. 

I also don't know how politically correct these are anymore. When I was a kid every tourist town had a store filled with cheap bead-work, made in China but touted as "Indian".

 The view from Torpy Park is beautiful in any season.

 According to Wikipedia, the town gets its name from "Ninocqua", the Ojibwe name that means "noon-day-rest”. I don’t know about that. I always thought it had something to do with water thanks to the “qua” (which is almost aqua, which everyone knows is water). Let me know if you have thoughts on the name.