Spring Green, Wisconsin. American Players Theatre

 It has been several years since I joined the trip to Spring Green, Wisconsin, and the American Players Theatre. It was a good trip where I got to meet new friends and catch up with old ones.

We saw "Ring Round the Moon" in the hilltop theater. It was very enjoyable though the mosquitos were not. Rose and I were surprised to see Barbara Kingsley in the play. Barbara is an actor from back in my Guthrie Theater days.

Here are some photos from the weekend....

The group hanging out in front of Arcadia Books in downtown Spring Green

Ice cream at the new ice cream shop in downtown Spring Green

I always buy some new article of clothing at Nina's in downtown Spring Green

The Old Feed Mill in Mazomanie,

Rose checking out a "new" car

View from the hilltop theater at American Players Theater

Me and Dave before the show

The play was long and the moon was bright

Spring Valley Inn, Spring Green

Dinner at the Old Feed Mill

There was a spectacular full moon.

Picnic before the show

You have to closely but there were two sandhill cranes in the field next to the motel

Wisconsin weekend

Another Spring Green, Wisconsin weekend. Photos in reverse order.
Happenings in reverse order.
9' tall corn.
Somehow avoided a speeding ticket.
Avoided washouts from Wisconsin's torrential  rain storms.

Fantastic production of 'Born Yesterday' at American Players Theater.
A delicious tart cherry beer.
Land's End photo shoot.
Bargains at the Bargain Nook
Mineral Point
Pendarvis

Bob's Bitchin' Barbecue

Dodgeville

Don Q Inn

Spring Green, Wisconsin

I joined the annual trip to Spring Green, Wisconsin again this year. I picked up Rose and we headed to St. Paul to get Dave. We stopped to get coffee before driving to JT and Linda's in Burnsville. We transferred to the Taylor vehicle and drove to the Buckboard in Lakeville for breakfast.

Since we were already south of the Twin Cities and Burnsted's is no longer, we took a southerly route to Spring Green. We were all surprised by how much fall color there was. It was really pretty all along the route. We stopped at a nice rest stop on Interstate 90 west of the Wisconsin border. It had an incredible overlook.

We made good time and met Megan and Michael at the Spring Valley Inn in Spring Green. The hotel no longer serves dinner so we went to Freddie's in Spring Green. The restaurant was a bank at one time. We were sat in the vault. Good food and good friends.

Saturday morning I got in an almost 6 mile run of the flattest land ever. A little pool time then breakfast at The General Store, of course. Dave had a good idea to go to Tower State Park instead of shopping. Dave, JT and I went to the state park which was just a mile from the hotel. It was warm and humid but such an interesting site. Lead buckshot was made using a hand carved hole and tunnel in the limestone.

Saturday night we attended Pericles, King of Tyre at American Players Theater. It was a fantastic production. The Hill stage has been renovated along with the audience/concession area. Really nice.

Sunday we ate breakfast as usual at The Shed. Then headed home via the Mississippi River route. It took a lot longer than expected but was very scenic. You will have to ask about the sports car, driver and hat story.

 A picnic along the Mississippi River (on the way home)

Downtown Spring Green

We stopped at an apple orchard in Wisconsin

Mississippi River from Wisconsin side

Inside the tunnel at Tower State Park

The hand dug hole for making lead buckshot

My Saturday morning run took me by this

Geat fireworks (lots of photos)

Many thanks to my friend Dave and his family for including me on their annual Independence Day celebration and fireworks. Dave's sister and brother-in-law live near Durand Wisconsin. The farmer across the street produces an incredible fireworks show form the community. All we had to do was take our chairs and blankets a few hundred yards up the road and enjoy the show.

The fireworks are synchronized with music. These were not some backyard version but comparable to any major municipal or professional production.

Door County - celebration of Joan Rendall

I had the amazing good fortune of knowing Jill Rendall's mother, Joan. Joan Rendall was a classy lady who had an impact on many people including me. Her strength and care and style will inspire me the rest of my life.

The Rendall family gathered in Door County Wisconsin this past weekend to celebrate Joan's life... to share stories... to visit the sites she loved... to eat the food she really loved.

The Rendalls spent many days at their friend's home on Lake Michigan so it made perfect sense to celebrate Joan's life here. And to spread her ashes in many of her favorite places.

I had the pleasure of sharing some of that Door County in the 1990's and now again in 2014.

The weather was fantastic. Lake Michigan was incredible. An east wind blew in warm water and created waves big enough to body surf on.

The Rendall clan at Cave Point.

Wisconsin red barn

Joan's great-grandson and my buddy, Tanner.

Me, Jill and Becky having a blast in Lake Michigan.

 We had ice-cream in Ephraim and a Schaum torte in Sister Bay. Jill's dad, Dave, pointed out the locations and events that happened all over Door County.

Beautiful "found" flowers

Weekend trip to Michigan

Took a long weekend road trip to upper Michigan for my friend Kathy's birthday.  Started out Friday later afternoon.  Took a scenic route to Michigan through upper part of Wisconsin on Route 8. Spent the night in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  Saturday was a drizzly, windy day to Lake Michigan and around the top side.

Lindstrom, MN fun water tower

Lake Michigan was roiling with waves and wind and rain.

Crossed over the Mackinaw Bridge in fog, wind and rain.

The birthday girl, Kathy, on left and friend, Margaret, from Virginia.

There was still fall color even with all the rain.

Birthday celebrations were Saturday at the house in Petoskey, MI and Sunday at the Bay Harbor club. I headed back to Minnesota Sunday afternoon in a real downpour. Made it as far as Shawano, Wisconsin on Sunday night having gone further down Lake Michigan on the Wisconsin side (near Green Bay).  Arrived back home on Monday at 1pm.

Annual Spring Green, Wisconsin road trip.

Last weekend was the annual Spring Green,  WI - American Players Theater trip.
This year Rose, Dave and Jeff drove from Minneapolis. And Michael and Megan drove from Iowa. The weather was amazing and gorgeous.

Rose was challenged to find a hotel with available rooms even having started several months ago. No hotel was available in Spring Green so we ended up in Dodgeville, about 18 miles away. We've stayed in Dodgeville before but never at the Don Q Inn.

As you can see the Don Q Inn has a very special feature... this Boeing Stratofreighter in the front.

And that's kind of just the start of it.  We enjoyed our stay at the quirky Don Q Inn.

The show at APT was The Critic by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. On my gosh! The production was hysterical. At one point in the second act, I had tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard.