Travelog for: Hansi Hü

Hi there!

I arrived in Minnesota at the aftermath of a big snowstorm - however, 25 cm of snow were almost completely gone just a couple of days later. So I could join sannah on a nice evening walk in a nearby park.



In the background, you can see downtown Rochester from Silver Lake Park. The snow is gone, but spring hasn't arrived yet, either. Don't expect that to happen before late April here!



The park looks much more beautiful when it's all green, but judging by this picture, you surely won't think that Silver Lake is manmade.



I studied the history of Silver Lake to be better informed.



It has truly been a very nice evening!



Silver Lake is known for its population of Canada Geese. They act like they own the lake. Well, with over 1,000 of them living there year round and even more staying over winter, that is surely true!




More adventures to follow soon!

Yours,
Hansi

Hi there!

sannah and her husband went on a trip for an extended weekend. Greetings from Lake Superior! Although it is called a lake, it looks more like an ocean ...



As you can see, a couple of inches of snow fell over night. Luckily, the sun is relatively warm - no surprise, since it is already April!

In the very background, you can see the most famous landmark of Duluth: the Aerial Lift Bridge. sannah promised we'll get a little closer later on this trip.



It's time to do more exploring! We should make use of the sunshine, sannah said, as the weather here at Lake Superior can change rather quickly!

All the best,
Hansi

Hi there!

Our day started with a couple of inches of snow, but the sunshine made it appear warmer than it actually was. So we decided to get into the car and drive even further north along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

The road was a little tricky because snow had turned to ice where the sun hasn't hit the ground, but we managed and stopped at some wayside rests.




The roads got better and less snowy the further we were away from Duluth. Welcome to scenic Highway 61!



We then stopped at one of the state parks that are neatly lined up on the shore. This is Gooseberry Falls State Park with Lake Superior in the distance (behind the hills).



And these are Gooseberry Falls, the Upper Falls, I think, as they consist of two or three falls.



Snow and ice left an interesting landscaping approach ...


We then continued our travels to Tettegouche State Park, the largest one at the north shore. But we didn't do that much hiking with sannah being almost nine months pregnant ... Still, the views are beautiful. The tip of land in the background is called Shovel Point, but there are too many stairs to get there ...




At Tettegouche State Park, the Knife River enters Lake Superior. Obviously, lots of snow has not yet melted at the river's outlet ...



And lastly, we did a last stop at Split Rock State Park to have our picture taken with the Icon of the North Shore, the most photographed object: Split Rock Lighthouse!



As you can see, there was not much snow left that far north. But sannah told me that spring doesn't officially start before May, so I should not be surprised to see more winterly weather even though it is already April ...

How do you like the north shore? I loved it!

Greetings,
Hansi

Hi there!

Good news to start with: I made a new friend today, he is huge, very friendly, and a moose living in Minnesota!



But we had to part ways although staying inside seemed to be a good idea because all sunshine was gone overnight and it got really, really windy and cold (around freezing) at Duluth's Lakefront in the usually touristy Canal Park district.

Those two lighthouses mark the entry into Duluth's harbor.




We didn't want to get closer because the wind was so strong, we were afraid to get wet.

This picture shows how strong the waves were pushing into the harbor entry. I found the sign a little ironic given the circumstances ...



In warmer weather (late May to September) donuts are sold from this boat.



The whole lakefront has a maritime theme and even exhibits anchors and how their appearance has changed over time.



But this still is Duluth's most known landmark: the Aerial Lift Bridge. When ships want to pass, an alarm goes off to clear the bridge from cars and pedestrians alike. Then the bottom part is lifted up several feet.




In the end, we were glad to escape the wind and continued our short walk along the bay which forms the harbor. On this picture you can see in the background how Duluth was built on hills surrounding Lake Superior. No surprise the weather changes so quickly around here!



But we could not resist having a last look on the southwesternmost corner of Lake Superior. Look at all the driftwood! Some brave people seemed to be looking for something on the beach.



Brrr, I was glad to escape the cold into sannah's purse afterwards!

All the best,
Hansi

I have arrived safely in beautiful San Diego!  Judy and her family are so happy to have me visiting.  Already I have met two other toy voyagers, Suny and Kelev, and a few other toys who do not go traveling.  I also made a good human friend named Layla, who is Judy's granddaughter.  I like her hat!!!

I had a picnic with my new friends today by the swimming pool.  We had dates and pistachios that are grown here in California, and also a really sweet nectarine and some mozarella cheese.  Yum!!  It is about 80 degrees F here and very sunny.  From Judy's house we can see a long distance, all the way to the Pacific Ocean!

I'm enjoying the sunny weather in California!!

I travelled with Judy and her family to Sanibel Island.  Sanibel is in the Gulf of Mexico, very close to the coast of southwest Florida.  It is a very small island that is popular for vacations.  You can find many beautiful shells on the beaches.  Most of the island is a national wildlife refuge, so it is very protected and natural.  We stayed in a condo a few feet from the Gulf.
The air temperature is about 90 degrees F (32.2 degrees C) and the water in the Gulf is also the same temperature! [size=3]  [/size]

I went with my friend TV Suny and Judy and her husband to a concert at an outdoor amphitheater at San Diego State University.  There were two groups playing that night.  The first was Rob Thomas, who used to be the leader of the band Matchbox Twenty, as very successful group.  Now he makes albums on his own and writes he own songs.  Judy likes his voice and how much energy he has.  The second band was Counting Crows.  They are also very popular since their first album in 1993.  We liked the concert very much except for the very loud man sitting behind us who had too much beer    .

Suny and I went with Judy one day to Miramar College, where she teaches statistics.  On this day Judy was getting her students prepared for a big exam.   

The whole family got together to watch the Super Bowl game (American football!!).  The game was between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons.  It was a pretty exciting game, but Judy says she knew all along that New England would win    We had lots of yummy snacks for the game.