The magnificent Art Deco-style St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse Building in downtown St. Paul is a bit of a 1930’s time capsule.  Built during the Great Depression Era when Art Deco was all the rage, the structure has changed very little to this day. The countless signature Deco stylings have all been well-preserved, and visitors who enter the courthouse from the 4th Street entrance encounter something much more fascinating on their way in: the three-story tall “Vision of Peace” statue, dramatic and visually-arresting. Continue reading →

There are a lot of quirky things to see and do around Baraboo, Wisconsin.  The small town just south of Wisconsin Dells is home to the famous Ringling Brothers, Dr. Evermor’s Forevertron; and this week’s curiosity, the “Man Mound,” which dates back to the late Woodland Period (750-1200AD). Continue reading →

Have you ever been to Wisconsin Dells? Have you ever experienced the madness?  We have. Several times.  It’s chaotic. It’s quirky. It’s touristy.  It’s loud, hot, busy, fun, exciting, expensive, visually assaulting and arresting at the same time.  You want it, it’s there. And it’s all set in a beautiful natural and scenic bluff country town along the Wisconsin River.  Quaint reminders of simpler times remain, now completely dwarfed by gargantuan waterparks and rollercoasters. This week, I thought I’d do it a little differently.  Instead of a broad description of the experience and highlights, I’m going through the entire cacophony of sight and noise that is the “Dells”, A through Z. Continue reading →

Every 2 years, we end up in Wisconsin Dells in June for a few days for a sporting event and vacation combination.  The last couple of trips we’ve spent taking in the sights and sounds of Wisconsin Dells, of which there are a lot.  If you’ve never been, it can be hard to understand the magnitude of such a place.  There are theme parks, waterparks, museums, boat/ski shows, haunted houses, and a plethora of other things I won’t get into today, all crammed into a scenic rivertown of about 6,000 people. Continue reading →

While recently heading up to Saskatchewan, Canada, we made a pit stop in Minot, ND, to grab a bite to eat. It was starting to get dark out and we still had a bit of a drive ahead of us, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see some roadside attractions at the Scandinavian Heritage Park. Continue reading →