Our huge vacation of the year was last Friday. Yes, we get away for 2 days & 1 night and call it our vacation. Sad. 😦 But I take what I can get and Phil likes to get away for our anniversary every year. I find it dumb we married in May but then every year he is SO ready for a break after planting.
We headed out about 9:30 after the hog truck had been here. We took the scenic route thru WI. Stopped at a roadside rest and ate the lunch I packed for us. Smartest move I’ve ever made! LOL!
Continued on and drove thru Prairie du Chien where our hotel for the night was AND spied a quilt shop for the next day. 🙂
The river is so much wider here than in our area. We took the river road up to the Lansing bridge and crossed to Iowa.
We cut across the NE corner of Iowa across another back road.
This was such a cute place… I tried to get a photo of the barn quilt and landed the quilt RIGHT behind the tree!! :smackshead: Oh well, the home is cute!
Our aim was Niagara Cave in Minnesota. We got there at 2:40 and they waited for us to switch shoes and pay before starting the next tour. There were just 6 of us on the tour, we were the oldest. *sigh* {Several times we noted we were making choices that old people make but I’m trying not to dwell there…. ha!}
Named Niagara Cave because of the large waterfall inside. Stunning! I was sure my photos wouldn’t do it justice and I’m right. You need to go here and spend you own $11.88 for a tour. It is great!
Our guide was really nice; this is her 3rd summer working there. There are 263 steps in. And since it is a one-way cave, there are 263 steps to get back out. They are separated by long sidewalks too so it wasn’t all the steps at one time. However….
The last long chunk of steps to get out…. 99 steps! Ack!! Do I need to remind you that I have a ranch-style house so steps are not normal for me? The ones to the basement are not regulation so a bit smaller and of course, not 99 at a time!
I was the last one up and in the next group were some older than us. I’d love to know how they fared after I commented on the old lady coming up last and they giggled.
We were out by 4 and started our drive back to our hotel. We had hopes of finding a place for a nice dinner in Decorah. And we did!! First we found a WONDERFUL quilt shop. I promised to ask them for restaurant recommendations when I went in so all was well with Phil while he waited in the car. This quilt shop had TONS of fabric AND they are Bernina dealers with lots of machines and a wonderful display. AND …. I think they had EVERY spool of Isacord embroidery thread made! *swoon* I hurried. I only made a small purchase and we headed for supper.
We went to the nice steakhouse they suggested and it was yummy. Quilts on the walls by the lady in the quilt shop made our waiting more interesting for me. 🙂
We made it back to our hotel by about 8…. in time to relax a little before a good night’s rest. I was thrilled I didn’t hear the trains all night. 🙂
Day 2 — will be up next.
and sew on... 
Yikes! That is a lot of steps! I’m so glad that you guys are able to get away even if just for two days. Maybe you should celebrate 1/2 anniversaries for longer vacations!
There is two quilt shops in Prairie Du Chien. One is on the road that has Cabela’s on it and the other is downtown. Sounds like a great trip. My husband and I try to do one road trip a year. This is always our vacation.
I had been to the downtown shop about 2 yrs ago and wasn’t too thrilled about it. I loved the Front Porch Shop. 🙂
How sweet! I’m so glad you two got a little break–sounds like you had fun (and got a Workout!)
Sounds like a wonderful getaway – it’s pretty in that area. I think the “half-anniversary” idea above sounds like a good idea too!
Sounds like a good time even if too short. I’ve put the cave on my list of Places to Visit once we are back in the US — how cool is that waterfall!! and am browsing the quilt shop link now. 🙂 Yes, you can laugh again over my growing addiction.
I know it was brief, but I’m so glad you were able to get away, just the two of you!