From the Urban City to the Rustic Northwoods

We are deep in the northwoods and lake country of northern Wisconsin today, at Lakewoods Resort on Namakagon Lake outside Cable Wisconsin. Getting here was a trip of contrasts, leaving Minneapolis this morning and travelling through many different countrysides in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

We spent a wonderful 2-1/2 days with Mary & Jim Arnold in Edina, just west of Minneapolis. Jim is Vic's cousin and he and Mary have been an important part of our life since we first moved to Minneapolis in 1970. We certainly don't have the opportunity to be with them as much these days, but see them whenever we can. We spent most of our time sitting around the kitchen table or on the porch, just talking and enjoying one another and being together. But we were able to get to (Mary & Jim's daughter) Barb & John Moksnes' for Sunday afternoon. Barb & John's three sons were also there with girlfriends whom we've known from the Steamboat Arnold reunions. It was so special to see them all again and try to get caught up with the lives of these young adults. Then that evening we met (Mary & Jim's son) Bob and Sarah and their two teenage daughters for hamburgers and beer at Lions Tap -- a regular stop when we get to Minneapolis.

This morning we left for Cable. We went up the eastern edge of Minnesota to Taylors Falls and crossed the magnificent St Croix River into St Croix Falls, Wisconsin. We were immediately in lake country with houses and resorts surrounding the lakes. As we turned a bit east we were suddenly in totally different landscape with agriculture and scrub/marsh woodlands. Then just as suddenly the trees turned huge and the road narrow -- we were in the northwoods of Wisconsin with hidden lakes on both sides of the road.

Our resort, Lakewoods, has been operated by the same family since 1907.

This is a stay-and-play resort and we plan to play golf at the resort course, Forest Ridges

Our room is on the lake with fishing and recreational boating and so much more. We are at the Lodge so our room is indoor with the pool and spa outside our door on one side of the room and patio and lake outside the other door. We took a few pictures of the resort which are shown below. It is a complete and year-round resort with activities, restaurant, bar (and gift shop!). The setting is beautiful and we are delighted we found it -- but there is no doubt we are in the rustic north lake country which is friendly, common, unpretensious and familiar to us. We plan to play golf at the resort course tomorrow and Thursday mornings and spend the rest of the day exploring around here and the quaint town of Cable.

View from outside door

The restaurant

Bar ceiling-- all birds

Outside area

Trails thru woods to cabins