International Falls City Loop

I was at the Coffee Landing coffee shop in my new hometown of International Falls, when I noticed a stack of neatly folded, glossy brochures on staying active in International Falls. Among the suggestions it contained was a walking route around town called the City Loop. At 5 miles long, I thought a walk of it might serve a dual purpose: get me some exercise and help acquaint me with my new home. Today, I finally had the chance to walk the City Loop.

I brought my handy map

and began my walk at the Chamber of Commerce. I crossed US-53, the road that led a short distance across a bridge and into Canada, and made my way to the main drag. I walked past some interesting murals painted at Millennium Park

and through the small downtown business district on 3rd Street. Then, I headed over to Smokey Bear Park
and the Bronko Nigurski Museum.

I had not planned to stop at the museum, but I wanted to learn a little bit more about International Falls and its most famous resident and so I paid the small admission fee and checked it out.

After checking out the interesting little museum I moved further along the route, passing through some nice neighborhoods and past the very interesting football stadium.

I saw a nice looking park that I thought might offer a view of the Rainy River and so I detoured off the official route of the City Loop for a bit. The park was indeed along the river and I admired the views across it to Canada.

Then I saw a faint path leading down to a small stream where water cascaded over some rocks.

After my detour I continued on past the Falls High School and Rainy River Community College on a paved bike trail.

Soon I made a left onto Keenan Drive and passed a large wooded area with some mysterious paths leading into the woods.

When the City Loop crossed 11th Avenue there was no longer any type of footpath or sidewalk. I found it curious that whoever planned the route would have it follow roads without any protected area for pedestrians to walk on. Perhaps there are future plans to pave a footpath? Anyway, I ended up back on US-53 which I followed north back to the Chamber of Commerce and the start of my walk.

Photo of the Day: The Ruffed Grouse

I spied this ruffed grouse while exploring the Oberholtzer Trail at my new place of employment.

Photo of the Day: Sunset Over a Frozen Rainy Lake

The view from our new home, just outside of International Falls, Minnesota.

Hanging Out with Colonel Sanders in Corbin, Kentucky

We have officially left Greeneville, Tennessee. It still hasn't sunk in that this place where we witnessed so many of Sierra's firsts is no longer our home. Today the movers loaded all our stuff onto the truck, we cleaned the house one last time, and then hit the road headed north. Along the way we stopped for dinner at Sander's Cafe, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken.

It's a true Kentucky experience and one that Noelle and I had experienced before, but a first for Sierra. We are staying in Berea, Kentucky for the night and headed to Illinois tomorrow.

Backyard Bioblitz for March and April

Our backyard bioblitz has come to an early end. We are headed north to Minnesota for my new job at Voyageurs National Park. We've known about the move for a while,

but now it's all too real.

The movers have come to pack up our stuff and tomorrow they load it into a van and move it north. We have not closed on our home yet, but I hope the next owner enjoys the backyard and all the organisms that call it home as much as we do. I know that I especially love our backyard this time of the year, when the dogwoods are in bloom.

Birds:

• Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
• American robin Turdus migratorious
• European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
• red bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
• blue jay Cyanocitta cristata
• mourning dove Zenaida macroura
• house finch Caprodacus mexicanus
• American goldfinch Carduelis tristis
• yellow-rumped warbler Setophaga coronata
• downy woodpecker Picoides pubescens
• Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
• Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus 
• song sparrow Melospiza melodia
• Carolina chickadee Parus carolinensis
• tufted titmouse Parus bicolor
• brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater
• cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
• American crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
• Eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
• Northern flicker Colaptes auratus
• red-tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis
• brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum
• white throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
• Canada goose Branta canadensis
• turkey vulture Cathartes aura
• great horned owl Bubo virginianus
• chipping sparrow Spizella passerina

Mammals: 

• Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus 
  
• gray squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

 Plants: 

• dandelion Taraxacum officinale
  
• common blue violet Viola sororia
  
• moss phlox Phlox subulata
  
• flowering dogwood Cornus florida
  
• spotted wintergreen Chimaphila maculata
  
• azalea Ericaceae sp.
  
• Chinese holly Ilex cornuta
  
• yellow wood sorrel Oxalis stricta
  
• jonquil Narcissus jonquilla
  
• barren strawberry Waldsteinia fragarioides
  
• lilac Syringa vulgaris 
  
• fleabane  Erigeron sp.
  

Dogfish Head Brewery

Today was our last day with the family. We decided to take the ferry over to Delaware and visit the Dogfish Head Brewery.

Noelle, Sierra and I had been to the Dogfish Head Brewpub in Rehoboth Beach 2 years ago, but never to the brewery in Milton. We saw lots of Northern gannets flying behind the ferry, but it was a somewhat rough ride as we reached the deep water on the Delaware side of the bay.

We made it to shore without any major problems and got some lunch in Lewes before heading over to Milton and the brewery.

We arrived and were greeted by the steampunk treehouse.

We opted not to take the brewery tour since Mom, Dad, and Katie had to be on the ferry at 4:15. We all got our four free samples at the tasting room.

Sierra and I had our photo taken at a photo booth set up there.

Then we shopped for a pint glass and some some stickers. After leaving we said our sad goodbyes and hit the road. We reached Washington, DC just in time for rush hour traffic. Eventually we made it out of the DC area and are stopped for the night in Front Royal, Virginia.