Minnehaha Depot

Also seen in Minnehaha Park was the historic 1875 Minnehaha Depot.

Minnehaha Park

Another highlight was strolling along Minnehaha Creek (below). The 170-acre park has a lot going on in it. Apparently Minnehaha Falls was mentioned in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Song of Hiawatha" and that in turn made this place famous.

Minnehaha Falls

A highlight of Minnehaha Park which is on the outskirts of Minneapolis. Of course after seeing all those falls in the Finger Lakes and then Niagara Falls this was nothing extraordinary, but it was still a refreshing sight on a hot day. These falls are part of Minnehaha Creek which flows into the Mississippi River.

Hudson, WI

A lunch stop in Hudson, WI - the last town before crossing the St. Croix River into Minnesota. Our riverside meal at Pier 500 included cheese curds, salads and refreshing beverages. And maybe some interesting soup? It was a Tuesday so according to their menu it may have been "wild mushroom brandy cream".

The Local Store

After dinner we popped into The Local Store which was located right next to our hotel. It was full of local merchandise and local literature. This visit to Eau Claire confirmed my impression that Wisconsin on the whole is a relatively progressive state.

The Informalist

One of the better meals of the whole trip was dinner at The Informalist - the smartly designed restaurant in the Lismore Hotel. I suppose if we ever did a repeat visit to Eau Claire, we would consider staying at this hotel, a "boutiquified" Hilton.

Eau Claire, WI - part 2

Another very "solid" downtown.

Eau Claire, WI

 

Eau Claire - which means "clear water" in French - has a nice, revitalized downtown, seen here along with Phoenix Park and some bridges across the Eau Claire River.

Oxbow Hotel

In Eau Claire, WI we stayed at the Oxbow, a stylish boutique hotel. Or maybe a quirky boutique hotel. For one night, it worked. It was walking distance to the heart of downtown.

Noodles & Co.

We stopped for lunch in Wausau, WI and tried the Noodles & Company chain for the first time. It was good! I think we had their version of Pad Thai.

Wisconsin Welcomes You

From Houghton we drove south into Wisconsin. Mrs. drove and all I had to do was get a picture of the sign telling us we were entering the Central Time Zone. Such an easy task and I sat there with my camera ready for a long time. When the sign finally appeared, I took a series of pot shots that all missed. The problem was that my camera was zoomed in all the way. My aim is good but not that good. Lesson learned.

cherry potato chips

Par usual, Mrs. indulged in the Anthony Bourdain school of adventurous eating.

Houghton stroll

A nice morning stroll in which the waterway was like glass (above) and the crosswalks were whimsical (below) and the town felt very solid (like it wasn't going to blow away in the wind).