Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Eleven

Our return to New Jersey started with waffles and good conversation with my sister and brother-in-law. Politics and religion are supposed to be topics to avoid in polite company, but within the our family circle they are respected subjects that bring us closer to understanding where each is coming from. We saw eye-to-eye about Minnesota presidential hopefuls and agreed to disagree about same-sex marriages.


On the road again, we took the Great River Road along the Mississippi River from Red Wing, MN to La Crosse, WI. It was a gorgeous day with cool temperatures prompting fog to rise from the valleys and warm waters of the river especially where it broadens into Lake Pepin. The river flows through a wide valley formed eons ago when a pre-historic glacier melted and sent water coursing toward the Gulf of Mexico. In the Minnesota section, hills were carved into bluffs facing the river -- which make great vantage points from which to do sight-seeing.

Along the river road are too many points of interest to be seen in one trip. Previously we've looked at the Lock and Dam #5, one of the structures built by the Army Corps of Engineers to make the Mississippi navigable for commerce and leisure. One of the intriguing places I'd like to see next time is the Bunnell House, located just below Winona, MN. Built by a fur-trader named Willard Bunnell on property granted by his friend Chief Wapasha, the house is a pristine example of Rural Gothic Architecture from the 19th century.

From the Mississippi Valley we crossed the fertile farmlands of Wisconsin and entered Illinois. We decided to stay further to the south in Joliet, IL, to avoid the heavy traffic around Chicago. And tomorrow we continue heading to New Jersey.

Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Six

The lake holds some wonderful surprises.

Visually, it is an ever-changing panorama. Often there are blue skies with fleecy clouds reflected off the water. Then the skies can turn dull gray and the water looks greenish-brown. There are three loons on the lake this year and they play hide-and-seek no matter the weather. The eagle seems to have lost its nest in a strong windstorm but can still be seen standing guard, perched where the nest used to be.

From the fisherman's point of view, there are similar surprises. Often the lures that are trolled through the water catch more weeds than fish. When something strikes and takes the bait, often it is a small pike which are tossed back immediately. But once in a while a bass will take the bait, and they give a spirited resistance before being hauled in. And once in a very great while, a very big pike will take the bait, testing the strength of the fishing line as it is pulled closer to the boat. In either case, the prize fish are admired, unhooked and returned to the water.

Today, both Jan and my sister, Louise, caught good-sized pike. Louise's fish measured about 30 inches in length. To compare, Louise is about 50 inches tall, so when photographed, the fish comes chest high on her.

While these don't really qualify as monsters of the deep, they are wonderful suprises when caught. And this is what makes coming back to the family lake such a joy. Soon it ends, as the focus shifts tomorrow to the Minnesota State Fair. And I'll keep you posted...

Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Five

Beside reunions and revisiting familiar locales, a major part of this vacation getaway is to do some fishing. This is a family sport that has engaged the Rollins family at this particular lake since the 1950's. And the pleasure the lake gives seems never to disappoint.

Today, Jan, my brother Leonard, my sisters Barbara and Louise and I climbed aboard the pontoon boat kept at the landing to do some serious fishing. We had good luck. In just about 90 minutes we had caught more than a dozen pike and one bass. Contrary to our usual custom, we kept three of the larger pike to provide a supper meal.

Fishing is more than a sport; it can be a communal activity, especially when siblings get together. From catching up on what all the children and grandchildren are doing to discussing the state of American politics, the conversations never cease. The only interruption comes when there is another bite on the lure and all eyes turn to see how large (or small) is the next one to be reeled in.

Tomorrow we return to the lake for a reprise of today's adventures. Will we catch that big one that is said to be lurking in the weeds? I'll keep you posted...

Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Four

It seems appropriate that as I get closer to my vacation destination the speed limits on the roads approaching get slower and slower. It seems that all systems are saying "time to slow down".
Today we drove from the 70 mph Interstate through the busy Twin Cities and on northward toward the family lake home where the speed limit is about 50 mph or less. The weather is beautiful which helps make the slowing down much easier to take.


We stopped in the Twin Cities area to have lunch with my daughter at the restaurant at which she works, a place called the Buffalo Tap. It was a great time and good food.
We arrived at the family lake in the afternoon. And it is the same peaceful place I remember. We did some fishing as soon as we could get the pontoon lauched, and found the fish willing to be caught!

In the evening, my two sisters joined us, so that the Rollins siblings are having a great reunion. The conversation is going on as I write, so this entry will be short. Tomorrow -- more fishing, and more relaxing. And I will keep you posted...

Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Three

"You can't go home again." In many ways that old saw remains a truism. The house in which I was born and raised is now abandoned. The farm on which it stands still belongs to my brother, sisters and me, but no one is living there. All of us have moved on to other lives and homes.

But visiting the old homestead is a wonderful part of the annual trip. Today we made that pilgrimage and found the place to have the same emotional grip as it always has -- memories of childhood, happy times and ones not so, and a feeling that this little piece of land is a place of belonging.

We also went from there to visit my aunt who will turn 99 in September. She is my father's only sibling and is still plucky and independent. We had a good chat, viewed the pictures of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and went for a short ride to see the Veterans Monument erected by my grand nephew as his Eagle Scout project.

The day was capped with dinner with my brother, his wife, and my nephew, niece and their spouses and children. For a short time, we could celebrate this branch of my extended family. It wasn't celebrated around the old home's dining table as we used to, but it was a sense of being "home" once more.

Tomorrow we head for the family fishing lake for more reunions. And I'll keep you posted...

Vacation 2009 - Part II

After two uneventful travel days from New Jersey to Minnesota, we headed north to our place on Hammal Lake in Aitkin County. With us were my brother, Leonard, and his wife, Jolene, and my daughter, Alissa, and her husband, Allen Streitz. (Pictured above on my brother's pontoon boat is Leonard, Jan, and Allen in the back seat) We spent 2 1/2 days fishing, feasting and just relaxing.

Fishing from a pontoon boat is luxurious. It is stable, so one can stand, walk around, or sit without any threat of it tipping. One can bring extra gear, tackle and clothing without feeling crowded. The general modus operendi was to troll -- moving slowly by motor around the lake with fishing lines attached to lures and trailing behind. As a fish takes the lure, one reels it in, shows it off, removes it from the lure and returns it to the lake. This "catch and release" method maximizes the fun and minimizes the work.

Jan and I had great success. We caught and released at least 30 fish each during the 2 1/2 day period. Most were pickerel, but I caught one bass and Jan caught one perch. My biggest thrill was hooking a small pickerel and discovering, as I reeled it in, that a much larger pickerel had grabbed it. Just as I was to lift both into the boat, the smaller one shed the hook and dropped back into the lake, still firmly in the jaws of the larger one.

That part of the vacation is complete. Tomorrow -- the Minnesota State Fair!