into an extrovert. Who knew?!
After our Eau Claire visit, we drove to Duluth to enjoy the scenery along Lake Superior. As the largest of the Great Lakes, it holds 10 % of the world’ s fresh water, remains the coldest of the Great Lakes, contains over 400 islands, including the famous Isle Royale, and its shoreline could stretch from Duluth to the Bahamas. Formed during the last glacial retreat, its water replacement time is exceedingly long, and the dense, cold water contributes to the lake’ s frigid temperatures.
We enjoyed the scenic views along the famed Highway 61 that rims Lake Superior( think Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot). The Gooseberry Waterfalls, Split Rock Lighthouse, woods, rivers and agates garnered great memories. Fun fact: Highway 61 stretches from New Orleans to Lake Superior. Now you know!
from Minneapolis— that foreign land.”
After we left Duluth, we headed to the Twin Cities, the famed Minneapolis / St. Paul, or, as the locals say,“ the cities.” Growing up, whether I lived in Minnesota, South Dakota or Wisconsin, we always said“ the cities,” and everyone understood what we meant. It’ s similar to calling the Fort Worth / Dallas area“ the metroplex”. All Texans know.
Our goal for stopping in“ the cities” was to connect with my childhood friends. So, once we settled into our hotel, I reached out to them. Since my friend Pam from Aberdeen, South Dakota, can no longer communicate because of Alzheimer’ s, I met her sister Penny at our hotel.
What a delight! Penny was 5 years old when we moved from South Dakota to Wisconsin, so she doesn’ t remember me. But I remember her as the
parents owned the corner grocery store, and their family lived upstairs. I can still picture my five-year-old self skipping down the block to buy a popsicle or push-up on summer days— all by myself. After our family moved away, we wrote letters and visited each other every summer. Since we had not seen each other since 1966, it was a special time for reminiscing and catching up on our adult lives.
Road trips come with their ups and downs. Too much time sitting in the car takes a toll on my body, but the experiences make it worthwhile. Once home, we unpacked, washed clothes, grocery shopped, and worked out at Planet Fitness. I napped— frequently— for three days. One night, I flopped into bed at 7:30 p. m. and did not awaken until 6:30 a. m. I think I’ ve recouped now. Is it time to plan another road trip?
We lunched at a local restaurant sandwiched between the woods and Lake Superior, featuring local fish and homemade wild rice cranberry bread. Wild rice and cranberry bogs dot the upper Midwest. Our server, originally from Minneapolis, was still considered a foreigner after living there for 11 years. I told her my story of moving from Wisconsin to Texas in 1976, also feeling like a foreigner. My advice?“ Hang in there. Eventually, your neighbors will forget that you’ re pesky little sister. However, Facebook facilitated our connection. Throughout the years, we communicated as Pam’ s condition deteriorated. What a treat to connect face-to-face. We spent two hours talking nonstop, and realized that if we lived closer, we’ d be best friends. I love her.
The next day, I met with my oldest friend, Lynda. We both lived in a post- World War II neighborhood in Hopkins, Minnesota, teeming with children. Her
20 Community Life