Never Hand a Gnome Your Beer
The town we’re in, New Ulm, Minnesota, is the most-German town in the U.S. (I read that but now can’t find the source; it makes a good opener anyway though,... Read more.
Almost Had to Add “Peacock Replacement” to the Budget
We’d put it under the column, “Banjo,” of course. What happened was we were walking in the formal gardens at historic Schell Brewery when we surprised... Read more.
Tip: Know Which State You’re in Before You Critique It
I’m in Minnesota, and but I’ve gotten that wrong twice now: when complimenting the helpful associate at an AT&T store while she was hooking me up with unlimited... Read more.
Ignoring the 2-2-2 Rule
We’re in Minong, Wisconsin, where Tracy spent several summers as a kid because his grandparents lived here and ran the town grocery. He took me on a tour as... Read more.
Time to Migrate South
Lake Superior is so alive and accessible and multifaceted. The NorthWoods are lush and cool. The culture is a type of weird I’ve never encountered. But it... Read more.
Yooping
All broken things aside (my laptop is officially toast, as is my bike tire and pump), we’re making the most of our non-fixing-things time here. We’re... Read more.
Deer Skull Boiling: We’re Not There Yet
We made it to Hancock, Michigan, which is right on the canal that sets apart the tip of the Upper Peninsula. According to signs, there’s a lot of these activities... Read more.
Goodbye Perch Lake + Planning
We’re leaving this gorgeous lake today and headed for our final northern camping spot in Hancock, MI, before big plans. Here are a few final photos. Banjo’s... Read more.
The Mosquito Hike
You know things are quiet around here when I follow a post about seeing a bird’s nest with one about taking a three-mile speed walk around a wetland. ... Read more.
Eagle’s Nest Island
I’m one of those pitiable people who grew up when bald eagles were endangered and never saw them. I was in my 40s when I’d occasionally see one over the Potomac... Read more.
The Sky on the Lake
I just can’t get enough of it. I would have spent more time on the water this evening had I realized when I got in the boat wearing my rainboots that eventually... Read more.
Watching the Ducks Go By
That’s about as exciting as this campground gets. Of course Banjo’s all over that. These ducks are used to being fed by campers so they creep up to our... Read more.
Why I Do This
This is where we live this week. It’s just a site by a lake, in the woods, on the upper peninsula of Michigan. Nothing exotic: it’s not the Keys or the... Read more.
A Couple-hour Vacation
Here’s how I enjoyed this campground the most: by packing as if for the beach and driving through the campground—a full five minutes—to a pull-off by the lake,... Read more.
Banjo Special Edition II
(This edition is brought to you by our new weekend neighbors who come out to the middle of the north woods, where people seek the delicate sounds of nature, and... Read more.
Downtime in the Woods
I’ve described the campground where we decided not to stay and even the one we stayed at last, again, but I haven’t said much about this campground, and we’ve... Read more.
Choosing Solitude
Or: Luckily Missing Out on a 1980s Dead Show When Jerry Wasn’t All There We’d had that campground at Ontonagon, MI, on our summer to-do list for quite a while... Read more.
I Need a Pith Helmet
Instead of this floppy gardening hat I bought back in Bethesda at the overpriced hardware store. I’m not sure what a pith helmet is exactly, but if it’s... Read more.
Goodbye Premium @ Superior!
Today’s our last day camped directly on this little bay (you can see the thin peninsula that forms it in the photo above). Here are my straggler photos from... Read more.
A Shortcut to Mushrooms
You Tolkien people must’ve known I would eventually use this title for an entry. Turns out it’s a pretty good descriptor for the long hike we had on... Read more.
Our Third Week Here—What Are We Up To?
Just this morning I filled out the little campground form with our vehicle info and length of stay, folded a check into the envelope, and dropped it in the “iron... Read more.
Happy Birthday to a Dangerous Man
When I first met Tracy, he had a beer coaster thumbtacked to his closet wall. If you know him, you know that’s not like him. He hates doodads almost as much... Read more.
The View I’m Addicted To
Right behind the Airstream. This bay that leads into Lake Superior. Morning, noon, and night. I stand in the water watching, and I lie in the water listening. I... Read more.
Hiking with Tourists
AKA: Walking along Wooded Paths and Stepping aside Every Few Yards to Make Way for Others AKA: Pictures of Banjo’s Butt Tracy’s graciously done a lot... Read more.
Kayaking Our Corner of Lake Superior
This wide-open water is one of the reasons we brought the ocean kayaks—they move quickly so you can paddle from a ho-hum spot where you’ve put in to a more... Read more.
What I Love about this Campsite, Part 2
(Part 1 is here.) Cool Campground When there’s wind, the lake is pushed against the shore right behind the trailer so that it sounds like the ocean. That... Read more.
Tragedy Narrowly Averted
That’s how Bobby Weir introduces a song during a Grateful Dead concert in 1980 that I’ve listened to a million times. He says, “From a long... Read more.
Seasonal Campground
I saw this practice of people parking their camper in one spot all summer back in Virginia at Small Country Campground, but only now it is sinking in as a very cool... Read more.
Premium @ Superior
Please excuse the mess on the table in the photo above, but I just love the view from inside the Airstream at this “premium” camping spot—directly... Read more.
Key Is Entering the Water Lilies Slowly
I finally found my groove in my new kayak (and with myself), at least for this lake. I slowed all the way to a meander as Tracy paddled away at his own rate. ... Read more.
