Wednesday Weekly: May 2 Down to Madison and Up to Duluth

I'm writing this week's Wednesday Weekly from my hotel room in Canada. I'll write about the Thunder Bay portion of my trip next week. I did so many things in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Last Monday, I sat at home all day working on my blog preparing last week's Wednesday Weekly. Most people think travel blogging is all fun and games, but there's a lot of work to it. After working all day, I did go to the Eagles Club for a steak feed. The steak makes a good treat after a long day of work!

Exterior view of Eagles Club building with distinctive eagle logo sign, featuring corrugated metal siding and parking lot in front White plate containing dinner meal with roll, baked potato in foil, coleslaw, and meat with gravy and onions

After eating steak, I visited my grandma. My Cougar is stored in her garage. I did get a chance to visit it and take a quick look. There's still too much salt on the road for me to take it out yet.

Classic white car covered with protective tarp on elevated wooden platform storage in basement or garage White vintage muscle car (appears to be Dodge Challenger) partially covered, stored on raised wooden platform in basement

When I got home, I did some more work on the blog. I went to bed and got up the next morning. My mom and I planned to go to Madison. I needed to continue my grocery shopping. We hit the road, and our first stop was Woodman's. We then hit up Costco followed by Milio's for lunch. Our last stop was Whole Foods. I did a little bit of cruising around Madison to see how much stuff had changed since I last lived there in 2010.

Highway view approaching Exit 67 for Wisconsin Dells with green road sign visible on right side Exterior of Woodman's Market grocery store with parking lot full of vehicles on sunny day Interior aisle view of Woodman's grocery store showing long aisles, prominent Jelly Belly display, and fluorescent lighting Street view at red traffic light intersection showing multiple lanes and overhead signals Small town main street with two-story commercial buildings lining both sides of the road View driving toward Wisconsin State Capitol building dome with traffic and modern buildings flanking the street Urban street scene in Madison showing pedestrians, vehicles, and mixed-use buildings on both sides Whole Foods Market entrance with flower garden planters, parking lot, and apartment buildings in background Interior Whole Foods Market sign reading MADISON WHOLE FOODS MARKET with Wisconsin state outline logo and boxes below Whole Foods dairy section with WHEN YOU SAY WISCONSIN YOU'VE SAID IT ALL signage above refrigerated shelves Downtown Madison street view with State Street visible, showing mix of buildings and pedestrian activity Rural two-lane highway stretching into distance with bare trees lining both sides under overcast sky

Later Tuesday night I visited my other grandma and then got a car wash.

Interior view of dimly lit parking garage tunnel with concrete walls and overhead lighting

On Wednesday, it was time to get ready to head north. To save a little bit of money, I figured I'd stop in Duluth and burn some of my remaining La Quinta Returns points. I got up early to say goodbye to my parents before they went to work. I then did my laundry and packed everything up. Jordy kept me company.

Black and white Shih Tzu dog lying on patterned blanket looking at camera Black and white Shih Tzu dog sitting on patterned blanket in bright room with furniture visible in background Close-up of Electrolux front-loading washing machine control panel showing digital display reading 45 and cycle options Black and white Shih Tzu dog sitting on patterned blanket in sunlit living room with furniture visible in background Black and white Shih Tzu dog standing on patterned blanket looking directly at camera in bright living room Black and white Shih Tzu dog with head down sniffing patterned blanket in living room setting

My laundry was done quick, and it was time to hit the road. The temps were still a bit chilly, but most of the snow that was there when I got to Wisconsin had melted.

Black and white Shih Tzu dog sitting upright on patterned blanket looking at camera in residential living room Weather app screenshot showing Sherwood, Wisconsin at 39°F with sunny conditions and 12 mph wind at 9:20 AM Ten-day weather forecast for April 25 through May 4, 2018 showing mostly sunny conditions with temperatures ranging from 50s to low 60s Residential backyard view with green lawn, bare trees, white monument or structure visible, and patches of melting snow in foreground Spacious backyard with expansive green lawn bordered by bare trees under clear blue sky in early spring Decorative rock landscaping with circular stepping stones leading through gravel and stone pathway alongside wooden deck

I hit the road for Duluth. I stopped at Kwik Trip and got some money and food. I then hit the road.

Free ATM promotional sign in window advertising no service fees and overdraft prevention with Keep More Of It! messaging Packaged snacks including beef stick from Wedzel's Farm and cheese on dark surface, likely in vehicle Highway view with yellow cattle crossing warning sign on right side and truck ahead on rural divided highway Highway driving view approaching exits for Chetek, Barron, and Cameron with green directional signs visible

Soon I was in Minong. I quickly drove past the Jack Link's factory and headed to Henson's Country Foods to pick up some cheap Jack Link's.

Highway view with Route 53 sign and direction signs for Minong, Solon Springs, and Superior visible on right Henson's Country Foods store with red and white exterior, advertising factory direct Wisconsin cheese and Jack Links jerky outlet

I fed my wild side, and Duluth was my next destination.

Highway view approaching industrial area with grain elevators and smokestack visible on right side Elevated highway or bridge crossing flat rural landscape with grain silos visible on left side under clear sky Highway view with green Downtown Waterfront Right Lane sign and hillside with buildings in background Highway view approaching commercial area with hill in background and various businesses visible off roadside Urban highway view approaching Exit 256B for 5th Avenue and Lake Avenue with downtown buildings visible

My first planned stop was Electric Fetus. Electric Fetus is a very quirky music store right downtown. On my way walking to Electric Fetus, I was also able to check out the skywalk.

Modern elevated glass skyway connecting buildings over downtown street with stone-faced buildings on either side Decorative wall art featuring Find it at The fetus text in ornate mandala-style frame with flowing black line design

I then went closer to the water. I ended up spending a bunch of time milling around in Canal Park. There were so many things to explore, and I only scratched the surface. In the time I was there, I hit up the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, Aerial Lift Bridge, the shipping pier, Northern Waters Smokehaus, and the I Love Duluth store.

Downtown street intersection view with bare trees, traffic cone, and buildings lining both sides under overcast sky Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center building with distinctive steel lift bridge structure visible behind it Iconic Aerial Lift Bridge steel truss structure spanning harbor entrance against cloudy sky with waterfront buildings below Lake Superior waterfront view from concrete pier showing white lighthouse on distant breakwall and calm blue water Sandwich cut in half on checkered paper showing meat, lettuce, and vegetables on white bread roll with pickle spear I Love Duluth storefront with turquoise trim and clothing racks displayed outside on sidewalk in brick building

My final destination was the La Quinta. I ended up staying there the night and heading up the Thunder Bay the next day. I filled up my cooler full of the local products I bought. Right now I can only physically consume so many things at once, so my reviews will be on a future Wednesday Weekly. Hopefully, you enjoy this Wednesday Weekly, and there's a lot more good things to come next week including the Canadian portion of my trip.

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