Pool/Side by Akima Brackeen
Our big summer vacation last year was…Indiana! Columbus, to be exact, for the biannual Exhibit Columbus. This was a hard trip to explain to folks. Basically, Exhibit Columbus is a big public design and placemaking event, set in a city with a long history of amazing public architecture and design.
Read MoreMy SEMAC freelance photography gig that took me to Red Wing, Minnesota to photograph my first music festival: Big Turn Music Fest. “Big Turn” refers to the bend the Mississippi River takes near Red Wing. Big Turn takes place every February in downtown Red Wing. It was started by Sam Brown, the force behind the Mid West Music Fest (MWMF).
Read MoreJason and I will make a drive if the destination involves good baked goods, excellent coffee, and a welcoming spot to hang out. The Basic Place in Hammond, Minnesota has all of these things and more.
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The Parlour at The Charmant Hotel
One goal for 2022, especially after two years of the pandemic keeping us close to home, is to travel more. First up: La Crosse, WI. I took the recommendation of my driftless sister Courtney and booked a night at the Charmant Hotel. We almost exclusively stay at Airbnbs these days, so being in a hotel felt like a true luxury. Also, La Crosse is just a two-hour drive from Northfield, so it felt like enough of a getaway, but still doable for a weekend. The Charmant is a 67-room boutique hotel in downtown La Crosse, and housed in a former chocolate factory (so of course you get fancy chocolate upon check-in). It is right off the Mississippi River, and even in the negative temps of January, there were still runners jogging along it.
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As a child, I used my allowance to buy my first architecture book: Thomas Fisher’s profile of Duluth-based architect, David Salmela. I had forgotten about it until a few years ago when I went to a panel of women in real estate at The Coven in Minneapolis. There, one of the women talked about a new development she was working on near Bayfield, Wisconsin. A retreat called Wild Rice Retreat Center, perched on the shore of Lake Superior near the Apostle Island National Lakeshore. She was partnering with Salmela as the architect, who had designed the original restaurant on the site years ago. Since then, I’ve been biding my time, waiting to see what it is actually like inside one of his spaces.
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We were lucky enough to snag one of Whitetail Woods’ new Prairie View camper cabins to ring in 2022. If you can get one, these camper cabins are one of my favorite winter camping options in Minnesota. They are the perfect distance from home, heated, cozy, well-designed, and peaceful.
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Visitor center at Franconia Sculpture Park
Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, Minnesota is a great spot for a COVID-friendly stroll if you, like me, desperately need to leave your home.
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The view from Madeline Island.
We spent a perfect Labor Day weekend biking and hiking around Madeline Island, poking through used bookshops, and seeing what the much-lauded Bayfield, Wisconsin had to offer.
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The view north from Palisade Head
As an evangelist for the southeastern, driftless region of Minnesota, along with the western prairies, I have a confession: I'd never been past Two Harbors. I've seen the plunging shoreline photos, had friends rave about Grand Marais, but just nodded politely, assuming THEY were the ones missing out. So, to back-up my claims that SE is where it's really at, I knew I had to give the other regions a fair shake. About a year in advance, we booked the best pack-in site at Cascade River State Park and spent a long weekend literally camped on the shore of Lake Superior and poking around Grand Marais.
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First Christian Church, designed by leading Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, built in 1942. Also pictured: Large Arch by sculptor Henry Moore.
When I say “Columbus” you say “Ohio?” And I say, “No, Columbus, Indiana!” Then I’ll tell you to watch Kogonada’s 2017 film, “Columbus,” set in Columbus, IN. You probably won’t, and it’s also not likely you’ll find yourself in the middle of Indiana anytime soon (unless you have the Exit 76 Antique Mall on your bucket list, in which case we’re kindred spirits and should be friends!), so let me tell you about it.
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