Up North: Blue Ridge - Yes! Dollyworld

‎63 Years of Memories....

‎63 Years of Memories....
that's what I have now. The photo below shows the chair on the point which for so many years was my father's favorite after-supper place to contemplate and cast for walleye. As much as I feel guilty about what's happened, I know he would understand and even say there's nothing to forgive. He lived life fully and moved on many times. I'm the one with the unique experience of being attached to a beautiful place for my whole life. And despite all my best efforts, yesterday the 'cabin' was sold. I signed the papers and, truth be told, a weight was lifted. A new life lies ahead without the obligations, but with all of the wonderful memories. My unrelentingly positive attitude says this is truly how it is, but my heart is still sad.

There are some things in life for which the balance between the obligation and the joy of ownership often cannot be sustained forever. It became clear that I was no longer up to the task of taking care of the place quite a while back. However, knowing what needs to be done and doing it are often far apart. Finally, no choice was left. It had to be sold.

Now it's gone. No more worrying about how long the grass or how deep the snow is up there. No more sublimely pleasurable early morning cups of coffee sitting on the dock when the color of the lake is like pale blue glass and the air is completely still. No more endless repairs, high taxes, and utility bills. No more late nights around the fire pit with friends and family - warm from both fire and friendship. No more frozen pipes or emergency calls to the furnace guys. No more saunas and midnight skinny dipping that make you feel like you'll live forever while your connection with nature is confirmed by the gazillion stars of the milky way and the loons calling out in the dark. No more concerns with low well water levels or water so hard and full of iron the clothes turn yellow and your newly washed hair feels like brillo. No more finding the way home by boat in the dark after a long day on the lake feeling like this is the only place you really, really belong. No more praying that the boathouse will make it another year without collapsing. And ultimately, no more making new memories with friends, family and loved ones. No new memories, that is, at Half Bay, Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN. New life... here we come!

How do you thank a place for memories?

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Blue Ridge - Yes! Dollyworld - Never!

We drove endless tight curves up and down endless mountains - beautiful views, trees, trees and more trees. When you come out of the long mountain road on the western end of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, you descend directly into Gatlinburg - the Wisconsin Dells of Tennessee - Home of Dollyworld and 1,000 cheap thrills! Talk about sensory shock!

We stayed overnight outside Knoxville and visited the Appalachia Museum the next morning.

This building was a 'fake' (in my book). It was the 'original' Daniel Boone family home used in the TV series. But the rest of the buildings like the huge barn below were really cool.

Then we had a very shocking experience! We visited the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, TN. You know, it's where they invented the atomic bomb - the secret city. 100,000 volts of electricity really play havoc with your hair! I'm still tingling! The really funny thing is that I did this the first time when I was about 7 years old - and they still use the same machine! Cool!

And this next picture is Ruby Falls when the light changed. It was really hard to get a good photo of this but let me tell you, it was really impressive! 145 feet tall and over 1,100 ft underground.