Scenic Buildings

Every city has their own “favorite son”, someone who has made a name for himself, become famous, someone who has done his town proud. For Superior, Wisconsin, that man was Richard I. Bong. Thus, when my husband and I spent a few days in Superior in 2007, we had to visit the Bong Museum.

The actual name of the facility is the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center. It is a tribute to the men and women who fought so valiantly in World War II. There are exhibits of the Korean War and the Vietnam War as well. It was an interesting place, and would probably be even more fascinating to the military buff. I just don’t like dwelling on things like war very much.

The only other building we toured that summer in that city was Fairlawn Mansion. Now, I now I told you all about this place once already, so I am not going to go back over it. I am going to remind you though, that, there is still a story brewing in my head. Someday I promise to write about those orphans.

Scenic Waterfalls

Gooseberry Falls State Park in Minnesoa. The next stop on our short vacation of 2007. And another hot day. I suppose I can’t blame all the many other people who were visiting Gooseberry that day for wanting to play in the water, but gee whiz, for the second day in a row I had to muster lots of patience to get any pictures sans tourists.

By the next day we had figured it. We bounced out of bed at some ridiculous hour – ridiculous for vacation anyway – and went to the next waterfalls before eating, or showering, and before anybody else was up and about.

Nature the way it was meant to be – just me and my camera in the woods all alone, seeking out a new waterfall.

At 165 feet tall, Manitou Falls is the highest in Wisconsin. Located in Pattison State Park, it is a short walk to view from either side of the river. The problem is that the view is not that great. I really don’t want to sound like I am complaining, because I much rather have the natural trees in the ravine and a poor angle than have some colossal eyesore of a structure jutting into the gorge allowing me the perfect photo op.

Scenic Superior

I already told you all about my major travel with Val in 2006. So suddenly, I am up to 2007. It is July 29, a Sunday morning, and Himey and I are heading to Superior. I have this three day trip planned, like usual, down to dollars and hours, and Himey doesn’t have a clue.

First thing to surprise him is the big sign coming into Superior advertising the Bong Musuem. I told him I planned on going there the next day. He thought I was pulling his leg. But, just like Himey, you will have to wait a day to hear about it.

We stopped at Amnicon Falls State Park just outside of Superior. A pretty place, but way too many people on a Sunday afternoon. Rather hard to take a decent picture of the Falls when kids and their parents are playing in it.

We got to our hotel in time to check in and headed right back out for supper. We found a little family restaurant, Julie’s, the food was pretty good and our waitress was super. The only problem was it was warm in there, but hey, it was hot outside, so really what do you expect.

The next morning, at the usual crack of dawn, we rolled out of bed and downstairs for the free continental breakfast. If you have stayed at many Day’s Inns, you know it truly a hit or a miss. Some are simply dumps and some are pretty decent. This one – well, it was ok, a little old and musty, and if I remember correctly one wall was a solid mirror, but at least it was clean and we didn’t plan on spending much time there.

We were on the road by 8:45 am, heading to Split Rock Lighthouse. My husband had never been there, and from his reaction, he hadn’t seen pictures either. Split Rock Lighthouse, to me, is the epitome of the perfect lighthouse. Set high on a rocky bluff above Lake Superior, it is the classic cylindrical shape, several stories tall and made of brick. The look of it says romance, history, a thousand stories, some happy, some sad. And my sad story is that with my digital camera just a year old, I managed to delete all the best pictures.