THE OSHKOSH JAZZ FESTIVAL AND A LEISURELY ROAD TRIP THROUGH WISCONSIN

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN JAZZ FESTIVAL

     The final jazz concert of the summer in Riverside Park featured singer, Steve Tormé. He announced that he would be performing at the Oshkosh Jazz Festival at the end of August. We decided to head east for the free event that was 150 miles from La Crosse.

     We arrived in downtown Oshkosh (pop.66.700) for the festival in the early afternoon with no problem finding parking and then carried our folding chairs for seating close to the stage on Main Street which was closed to traffic. We relaxed, enjoyed the local food, and spent a wonderful afternoon and evening listening to some of the best jazz musicians in the country, including Steve Tormė, Benny Benack, and the amazing Grammy award-winning cappella singers Take 6. It was the perfect start to our four-day road trip through southeastern Wisconsin.

     

Oshkosh is located on Lake Winnebago with 88 miles of shoreline. It is the largest lake entirely within the state of Wisconsin. We spent the next day, leisurely driving around the lake. There were many interesting places to linger like the Asylum Point near Oshkosh, and the Doty cabin in Nemah – where were given an interesting history lesson by a docent who seemed to know everything there was to know about the cabin and the life of Governor Doty. We drove through state parks including High Cliff State Park and enjoyed the many lighthouses along the way.

     After visiting Fond du Lac on the southern end of Lake Winnebago, we drove east to the shores of Lake Michigan to spend a night in Sheboygan, WI (pop.50,000). Lake Michigan gives you the feel of being on the ocean, and I can see why they refer to this city as “Malibu of the Midwest.” The strong winds make it a popular destination for surfers and kiteboarders. The mile-long white sandy beach was impressive, and, unlike the California beaches, there were very few people on them. It was a Monday, the end of August, and a good time to be on a road trip in the Midwest. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's almost 2022. A New Year and 365 new days ahead. Happy New Year!

I'm looking out my window at the white-snow cover, a red cardinal sitting in the nearby barren tree, and Grandad's Bluff in the distance. The temperature in La Crosse, Wisconsin is about 25 degrees F. and calm—warm enough for a pleasant walk. I bundle up every day to get fresh air and check out the weather. There have been some days where the blast of cold wind has been too much, and I immediately turn back, but most of the time it's enjoyable.

Comparing a walk along the Mississippi River to my former daily walk along the San Diego Bay is difficult, however, they both offer a beautiful bridge view. If you happen to like snow and ice, this December view (photo above) of the Mississippi River Bridge is the winner.

I will not even attempt to compare the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights to the Rotary Lights display in Riverside Park, La Crosse. Here are some of my favorite photos from this special winter extravaganza in Wisconsin.

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RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDENS - WHERE SISTERLY LOVE PREVAILS

The Riverside International Friendship Gardens sit at the north end of Riverside Park along the La Crosse River just as it merges with the Mississippi and Black Rivers. It's beautiful, but most importantly, it brings you around the world to visit seven unique gardens, each designed to honor one of the sister cities of LaCrosse, Wisconsin:

Luoyang, China                           Dubna, Russia                   Forde, Norway

Friedberg, Germany                    Bantry, Ireland

Epinal, France                            Kumbo, Cameroon

As you journey through you will find a Moon Gate in the Chinese garden, an Alpine Hill in the German garden, a Le Pinau statue in the French garden, hidden trolls in the Norwegian garden, a Besedka in the Russian garden, a water wheel in the Ireland garden, and a fascinating Mami Wata (Mermaid) Fountain in the Cameroon garden and much more. And, more than likely, you'll leave with a desire to visit one of these special places someday.

A good source for learning more about the design and plantings in each of the gardens is an audio tour that's available on their website. Each one was uniquely planned to resemble the gardens and to honor cities that are located thousands of miles away.

For each of these sister cities, there is a story of bonding and friendship between ordinary people. They include numerous cultural exchanges between teachers, students, technicians, musicians, athletes, health care professionals, businesses, and more. People sharing their talents to make this a better world.

The Riverside International Friendship Gardens were made possible by the joint efforts of the City of La Crosse Parks Department, the Bluff Country Master Gardeners, and the International Friendship Garden Board of Directors. It started about 17 years ago by just a few master gardeners who had a vision. Volunteers continue to meticulously maintain the gardens.

The Friendship Gardens are quiet and peaceful for all to enjoy. And if you care to linger, you can always find an available seat on one of the little stone benches. I know, because I walk through this special place every day.

The gardens are free and open daily from 6 am to 11 pm. 

WHERE THREE RIVERS MEET- LA CROSSE, WI

 

We finally arrived at our new home in La Crosse, WI. We're glad to be settling in rather than dealing with the stress of moving and packing everything we thought we needed into boxes. Moving is not pleasant, but change is good, and we're looking forward to another new adventure.

     Our stuff was delivered to the new apartment by Allied/Atlas moving company. Fortunately, we were lucky and had great people to work with. There are a lot of internet moving scams out there and it's important to stick with one of the top five companies – which is still no guarantee of things going smoothly.

We drove 2,000 miles from San Diego to La Crosse in three days, just in time to arrive before our furniture. We had to move fast because our movers decided to arrive on the first day of the 18-day window that we were given for the delivery.

LaCrosse (pop. 51,000) is a place where three Rivers meet—the Mississippi, the Black, and the La Crosse. It's located in the Driftless Area, a region in the Midwest that escaped the flattening effects of glaciation during the Ice Age, leaving behind steep forested ridges and deep narrow valleys. It is considered one of the most beautiful areas along the Mississippi River.

The city was named for the game of lacrosse that was popular with the Winnebago Indians who were here when the white settlers arrived in 1842. The area was considered neutral grounds and a place where the white settlers and Indians competed in athletic contests.

The La Crosse Metropolitan area has a population of over 135,000 and is an important regional technology, medical, education, manufacturing, and transportation hub. Companies based here include Organic Valley, Logistics Health, Kwik Trip, City Brewing, and Trane. In addition, the area is home to the Gunderson and the Mayo Health systems. Today over 20,000 students attend the three major schools located here: the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College.

A favorite place is Riverside Park and the International Friendship Garden located at the north end of the park. We've been enjoying morning walks along the river and biking on the nearby trails through the marshlands. There are bluffs in the distance to enjoy and lush green trees everywhere you look. And the birds never stop singing.

Life in this small river city is considerably different than Southern California which, of course, we'll miss in many ways. One of the biggest changes is that life is “easier” here. We didn't make the move for that reason and didn't think about it beforehand, however, now that we're here, this “quieter and more gentle lifestyle” suits us just fine.