Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Eight

The Minnesota State Fairgrounds are located in the city of St. Paul, on state-owned property that includes the St. Paul division of the University of Minnesota. During 50 weeks of the year, the area looks pretty normal with streets and avenues dotted with ghostly buildings of various shapes. But come Fair time, the buildings come to life, with exhibitors and vendors and a surging mass of humanity.


We plunged into that mass of humanity for a second day, finding the familiar Java Joint for a morning cappuccino, then a look through the poultry building before sampling the battered cheese curds. Then it was more exhibits, some root beer, exhibits, then gelato and a Pronto Pup, then more exhibits. Grazing is not solely the domain of cattle.

The highlight of the day was the grandstand performance of the Prairie Home Companion show with Garrison Keillor which we shared with my daughter, Alissa and her husband, Al. It was another feel-good time, with the humor that gently pokes fun at things Minnesotan. Keillor has a knack of blending a wistful look at the golden days of yesteryear with a sense of optimism for the future.

Day Nine will take us back to the Fair to see more of what we missed yesterday. The pilgrimage continues...

Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Seven

Attending the great Minnesota State Fair is akin to making a pilgrimage. I have been going to the Fair on a regular basis since the mid-50's. It is an annual "fix" for all things Minnesotan, minus the ice and snow.

The family started attending the Fair regularly when my brother and I took place at the local county 4-H demonstrations events. Our demonstration was a visual presentation of a home's electrical wiring system and the dangers of using the wrong sized fuses or (worse) putting a penny behind a blown fuse. (You can guess that this was before circuit breakers came into general use.) Having won the county competition, you were entitled to enter the 4-H state competition at the Minnesota State Fair. We won several years in a row, hence I got hooked on going to the Fair.

We left Hammal lake as the sky was clearing from an overnight thunderstorm which lasted well into the morning. We found our lodging place and Jan did laundry while I caught up on some computer work. Then we set out for our first day at the Fair.

The folks who run the Fair have come up with a way to handle the problem of parking all the cars of those who want to visit the Fair. They have set up a host of park and ride locations, with motor coaches that make a regular circuit to pick up and deliver pilgrims like me to the Fair gates. So getting there was a whole lot easier than was the previous experiences.

Once inside the fairgrounds, the familar smells and sights greeted us as old friends. There was the Culligan booth with free water to keep one hydrated. We found a booth selling non-alcoholic pina coladas served in a hollowed-out pineapple. There was the smell of roasting corn competing with the corn dogs on a stick. And that was within the first ten minutes.

Tomorrow we return for a full day at the Fair and a grandstand show in the evening. I'll keep you posted...

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...

Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Two

The "call of the open road" is a somewhat trite phrase, yet it does describe one of the appealing aspects of auto travel in these United States. To be able to get in the car, head down the highways in whatever direction one chooses and know there will be something new to be seen is thrilling.

On this second day of this trip we left Austintown, OH a little after 7:45 a.m. and arrived in DeForest, WI a little after 4:15 p.m. Our route took us on the Ohio Turnpike, the Indiana and Illinois Tollroads, and Interstate #90 in Wisconsin. The roads were again not too crowded, the sky was alternately clear blue or scudded with the fleecy fair-weather clouds and our conversation ranged from concern about Hurricane Irene to the deplorable state of the Yankees pitching.

After arriving in DeForest we headed for the Dane County Token Creek Park for a leisurely walk on the nature trail there -- a locale we had discovered on a previous version of the annual pilgimage. With the sunshine on our backs we strolled the little boardwalk to see goldfinches and Monarch butterflies amid the wildflowers.

I'm wondering what will happen to this call of the open road when our oil supplies run out. Long-range travel in electric vehicles might become an impossiblity given the shorter life of batteries. Or maybe someone will find another source of energy for internal combustion motors and extended-range batteries. Maybe the Holiday Inn Expresses will provide outlets for overnight battery charging while you enjoy their hospitality.

Meanwhile, I'm glad to be able to answer the call of the open road. Tomorrow we arrive in Minnesota to begin the next phase of this adventure. I'll keep you posted...