Chanticleer Inn Eagle River

Years ago Mom said that she would like to take her 3 daughters to Chile to visit Gloria, who had lived with the Fergusons in 1970/71. Two weeks ago we decided that now is the time to make this journey. Dec. 2 we will fly from Milwaukee to Atlanta, GA to Lima Peru. We will visit Machu Picchu. Then we will fly to Santiago Chile.

... becomes rolling hills (some look like speed bumpy things that would be great for dirt bikes). The Blackfeet reservation is huge. Passed a long ridge that had more than a thousand windmills -- a pretty impressive sight from an engineering perspective. Saw many herds of beautiful Pronghorns plus a few unidentified (since I had never seen them before) large sandy coloured hawks with black wingtips. This state also had more ...

There was ice on Erik the kayak and the van when leaving Whitestone Lake; also frost in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) when I left the next morning to setup the pop-up for a three week sojourn in northern Wisconsin before continuing towards Yellowknife. The trees have buds here but I haven't seen any flowers yet, but there is a plethora of Blackflies L. The first ...

... areas. TEN INDIAN COMMANDMENTS - Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect. - Remain close to the Great Spirit. - Show great respect for your fellow beings. - Work together for the benefit of Mankind. - Give assistance and kindness wherever needed. - Do what you know to be right. - Look after the well being of mind and body. - Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good. - Be truthful and honest at all times. - Take full responsibility for your actions.

The trip to Presque Isle from Parry Sound was pleasant with lots of deer sightings; the deer whistles work well on the van as they just look up to see you pass. Our first night was spent in a cheap Bruce Mines motel but we dined at the more luxurious Bavarian Inn where their imported Austrian beer is still the best in Ontario. I must be getting better at border crossings since we breezed through Sault Sainte Marie clutching our duty free liquor (of course mine ...

... we reach Hayward. A final ski, Raven trails in American Legion forest, Three km, then a reading, several more, another reading: From the Earth Speaks, by Steve VanMatre, Passages to start one thinking about nature. To see the fire that warms you, better yet: To cut the wood that feeds the fire that warms you. To quest for wild berries; more satisfying than a gift of tropic fruit. These are the rewards of the simple life ...

... Worrying us about frostbite, no feeling in our toes, Changing plans: outdoors, No! Indoors - too tame! Its 40 below wind chill; let's have that talk: Skulls, Skins, Skeletons: but not just talk, Look at it: Did the scat contain moose or deer hair? Were wing feather edges fuzzy enough for a silent hawk? After lunch: up to 5 below air temp, 20 below wind chill! Let's get out there, folks: the sun is out, snow sparkling. How many layers do we ...

... years! Flex your ankles, bend your knees, keep the poles back, I probably heard that before, but now maybe I will heed. A wilderness evidently is different if it has a capital W, No motors, no privies, not even blazes on any trail, Virgin trees, never an ax, never a saw, It does have one feature - not a sound beyond the wind. Skiied in the Nicolet Forest, the Anvil trail Just a few miles from Eagle River, but away from the sleds. Gentle hills, try not to ...

... go smoothly right from when we step out of the car until all the gear is unpacked and set up. Our daily routine has worked itself out, too - on travel days, we get up around 8:00, have breakfast and coffee, break down and pack the gear, and we're on the road by 9:30, 10:00. I try to keep the driving to under 4-5 hours (which is why we're only in Wisconsin after 2 weeks) and when we arrive we unpack and set-up the site. On non-travel days, we get up and get going by ...

Well, I'm off to Cuba. Just as thousands of Cubans have braved the high seas to reach our shores, I too will travel by water. My Little River Marine rowing shell is fully packed and tomorrow I row through our chain of lakes to the headwaters of the Wisconsin River. In traversing the river to reach the Mississippi, I will have to portage 26 times around various dams. Once on the Mississippi it will be a piece of cake....or "pan comido" as they say in Spanish. Once past the port of ...