Mississippi motorcycle meditation–

RIDE, BABY, RIDE!  Out here on the Great River Road that runs along the mighty Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin things are wide open and flowing.  There is no traffic…few people…occasional rest stops along the way…big sky…churning river water…and warm summer breezes. . .mmm, aaaahh!

That’s Iowa over there…or maybe Minnesota depending on how far north I am at the moment, but it doesn’t really matter. . .all these borders are fine and dandy–it is more fun to imagine the borderless time out here…surely it was rougher…fur traders, frontiersmen, ne’er-do-wells. . .and gringos just like me making their way here and there soakin’ up the sweet open vibes, thinkin’ about nuthin’, sippin’ refreshing beverages, snappin’ pix, and movin’ along.

The Mississippi River is massive: wide and long. . .it was here long before us, and it will be here long after we are gone.  What are we doin’ here?  Where are we goin’?  No matter as long as we enjoy the ride.

I send you wanderin’ vibes from the banks of the Mississippi River here in southwestern Wisconsin. . .feel them. . .they will have you smilin’ all day long.

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It’s lovely out there.

Delectable deliciousness…Duluth–

BAM!  Here we are puttin’ on a major feed at our new number-one restaurant in the American midwest: a place called New Scenic Cafe on the outskirts of Duluth, Minnesota and right on the shore of Lake Superior. . .this restaurant ROCKS!–oh-you-betcha-it-does!

We drive about 15 miles east of Duluth, and BOOM! we come upon this lovely little building sitting cozily on a rise overlooking the lake…we pop in…our table is being prepped…we are seated a few minutes later…our server is extremely switched-on and chill…the host helps us arrange a car for the return trip to Duluth…we peruse the menu–it is full of interesting items like laab moo, rabbit stew (hausenpheffer), grilled fishes, roast chickens, veggies baked into pastries, nice wines, etc. and so on. . .we are feelin’ real good here, real good indeed!

We gobble the laab–amazingly good for anywhere, especially here in the upper midwest of the U.S.. . .we ingest the rabbit stew–totally delectable, I am extremely happy with this. . .we do asparagus galette with a gooey poached egg on top–YES!. . .we do grilled fish with another gooey poached egg–Oh, keep it comin’. . .the whole meal finishes with an apple pie that is as good as any that I have ever had anywhere, quite possibly my favorite of all time–lovely buttery crust, simple fruity filling, vanilla ice cream…nearly perfect.  All of this is washed down with a tasty Sancerre that warms our hearts and makes us go, “mmm, aaaahh!!”

WOW!  If you ever find yourself up in Duluth, Minnesota, then you must make your way out to the New Scenic Cafe for din-din. . .this place is top-notch. . .absolutely wonderful.  You can thank me later.

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It’s lovely out there.

Cozy Duluth pub…youbetcha!

MMM!  The sun is setting…we are feelin’ thirsty ‘n’ hungry…we see an old railway station in the distance…as we get closer we see that it is actually a pub…not just any pub, but quite possibly the coolest and coziest pub in all of Duluth, Minnesota–jaaaa!!  It’s called Endion Station, and we are darn happy to be here.

Endion Station is situated just off the shore of Lake Superior along the Lakewalk. . .it is, indeed, an old railway station house that has been converted into a pub with grub.  We settle into some seats on the outdoor patio, order up some brews and a giant soft pretzel, and sip and gobble as we watch the sunlight fade away bringing another glorious summer day to a close here in Duluth…mmm, aaaahh!

This giant pretzel is DELICIOUS!  It is just-out-of-the-oven warm, it is soft, it is chewy, it is salty, and it is totally gobble-worthy–the perfect complement to our icy-cold locally-made brews. . .the crowd sitting around us is quietly sipping away and enjoying the mellow vibes. . .we are not doin’ so bad here–feelin’ lots of midwestern calm and sturdiness. . .most wonderful to spend some of our precious touring time up in these parts.  Thank you, Duluth, for being so nice to us…really appreciate it–mmmhhmmm!!

I send you extremely easygoin’ vibes from Endion Station in Duluth. . .feel them. . .they will help you sleep deeply this evening.

To see more fabulous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Oldest restaurant in Duluth–

BAM!  They got giant freshwater fish mounted on the ceiling…they got old wood paneling and exposed beams…they got tasty bloody marys…AND “the game” is on. . .WOW, they got it all here at the oldest restaurant in Duluth, Minnesota: Pickwick…mmm, aaaahh!

The Pickwick serves grub all day long: lunch, brunch, dinner, supper, snacks, etc. and so on.  It’s spacious and cavernous in here…doesn’t feel like a great spot for an extensive feed, but we are perfectly happy to while away an afternoon sippin’ on bloodys and beer chasers. . .plus, we gots some good views of Lake Superior out of the windows at the end of the restaurant. . .kinda empty in here. . .a few old folks eating fish and onion rings with grandkids ‘n’ such. . .nice to take a moment and feel the calm. . .folks don’t seem to be too concerned about much up here…just doin’ their parts to enjoy the passage of time without botherin’ nobody.

I send you jus’-gettin’-along-‘n’-makin’-do vibes from Pickwick up here in Duluth. . .feel them. . .they are a large part of what the midwest U.S. is all about.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 hotel…Duluth, Minnesota–

Here it is…the number one place to stay in Duluth, Minnesota: Fitger’s…jaaaa!!

Fitger’s is a big ole brewery building sitting right on the shores of the Lake Superior that has been converted into a hotel and restaurant complex, and it is totally wonderful.  There are lots of rooms looking out over gigantic Lake Superior, there is an outdoor restaurant, an indoor restaurant, an ice-cream shop, gift shops, clothing stores, bars, fire pits, outdoor lounge areas, etc. and so on…this place has everything you need for a fabulous stay way up in northern Minnesota…mmhhmm, yes it does!

I say get on up here and check this place out. . .all you need is a little intrepid spirit to fully appreciate this big centrally-located building in the heart of Duluth.  It is fun and magical to explore the corners of the world…and though this is somewhat out-of-the-way for most road trip itineraries, you will be rewarded with good vibes, good food, good drink, and fabulous views of one the largest bodies of fresh water on Earth: Lake Superior.

Google “Fitger’s of Duluth” to learn more.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you deserve a trip somewhere nice right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Duluth, Minnesota–

Up here in Duluth, Minnesota they have a lakewalk on the shores of Lake Superior, they have an iconic old bridge that raises the entire roadway up and down (fancy), and they have a number of sweet inns right on the lake for gringos like us to rest our weary heads.  We are happy to be here. . .though today it is hard to believe that folks once believed that this area could be bigger and more important than Chicago…close, but no cigar.

We have popped up here out of curiosity as we continue our great tour of the American midwest. . .we find friendly easygoin’ people, some tasty grub here and there, soothing summer breezes off of this giant lake, and a sense that this place is ok with being somewhat under the radar. . .they enjoy having visitors like us here, but I betcha that folks who live here really like it when winter hits and only the intrepid stay behind. . .I betcha they do–mmmhhmmm!

If you ever find yourself doing a big cross-country drive here in the U.S., then you definitely gotta pop up here. . .there are cozy bars, welcoming diners, and a quality restaurant or two to satisfy any thirst or hunger you may have. . .also, you can pop into the Duluth Trading Company up on Superior Street–this company started here…fun to peruse the fire-hose work pants and the keep-yer-bits-n-pieces-cool-n-dry underwear on display…plus so much more.

I send you glad-we-made-it-up-here vibes from Duluth. . .feel them. . .not sure that I will send you these specific vibes ever again so get up here and check ’em all out fer yerself.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and sooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Delectable pub grub…Duluth, Minnesota–

POW!  We are in Duluth, Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior poundin’ down some majorly-good pub grub at a place called Grandma’s Pub & Patio…mmm, aaahh!

Duluth is the sister city to Superior, Wisconsin. . .Duluth and Superior exist because this is a major entry point for ships heading in and out of Lake Superior, one of the world’s largest bodies of fresh water.  In the late 19th century some folks thought that the port here could be bigger and more important than the ports in and around Chicago, but as history has played out, this has certainly not been the case.  Chicago is one of the world’s great cities now…while Superior is a grungy-feeling industrial town home to concrete factories–these are some of the most toxic types of factories on Earth…not pleasant to live near at all. . .and Duluth is somewhat shielded from these factories by the geography of the lake shore, bridges, rivers, and man-made coves. . .the Duluth folks have created a nice boardwalk/waterfront area that flocks with visitors like us during the summer…mmm, aaaahh!

Anyway, we have made our way through all of the toxicity to Grandma’s Pub & Patio…we are hungry…so we gobble fried walleye sandwiches, bratwursts, french fries, onion rings, etc. and wash everything down with bloody marys packed with sausages, pickles, onion, and peppers and  a couple of cans of Bent Paddle Pilsener. . .mmm, aaaahh–we are about as happy as two people can be while sitting near the entry harbor to Lake Superior between Superior and Duluth.

If you ever find yourself hangin’ out up here in Duluth for any reason, then please make your way over to Grandma’s Pub. . .you will find extremely friendly staff, tons of tasty pub grub, and lots of beverages to satisfy even the deepest of thirsts.

To see more fascinating images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.