Spillville to Alma

If you're ever passing through Spillville, Iowa, make sure to stop. It's fascinating. Really. For a town with a population of 370, it boasts quite the culture. The Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak, lived here for a year and wrote his two most famous pieces: New World Symphony and "American" String Quartet. The Inwood Ballroom hosted greats like Louis Armstrong and Glenn Miller. It is home to St. Wenceslaus, the oldest Czech Catholic church in the U.S. And it is home to the Bily Clock museum. Whew! I had no idea I could spend so much time in a little town that has a main street about as long as a football field.

My favorite part? Inside the Bily Clock museum is a display of all the wood samples the Bily brothers used to collect, and from which they would make their selections when carving their next clock. It was beautiful. I stared at it longer than I did at the clocks, which was also for quite some time. I might just have stayed there all day if given the chance. Mosaic wood. Did I tell you that I'm a sucker for natural wood?

To top off my immersion in Spillville, as we drove out of town, we happened upon a sign at the end of long driveway leading to a farmhouse that advertised chairs. With curiosity piqued, we turned in. This was when we met Stephen.

And then saw his chairs.

This man has to be the most passionate person I have ever met when it comes to wood. He has quite the story. He rode around the country for a while as a hobo, jumping from one train to the next. He wound up in Kentucky where he volunteered to sweep a craftsman's shop if he would teach him to woodwork. From there, his talent flourished, and he's now handcrafting these amazing pieces. He uses wooden pegs instead of screws, and he heats the wood to bend it with its natural grain. I sat in one. I didn't want to get up.

He works in the garage of his grandmother's farmhouse. This is the view from his office. I think I should reconsider my career path. (Check out www.sjzchairshop.com to see more)

As I mentioned, I could have explored Spillville for several days. But we had pressing matters to attend to. It involves a hook, line, and sinker ;)

Uncle Bob and Aunt Jeanie have their priorities straight. Coolers full of food, beer, and fishing poles. What more do you really need in life?

First things first. We need to know where we were going. Uncle Bob runs through the map with me. We're heading north through Minnesota and on into Wisconsin where we'll spend the next three days in a cabin and boathouse on the Mississippi River, outside of Alma. Ditch the highways and take the scenic route. Try Route 250 through Lanesboro, MN, to Route 14 to Route 61. Some of the most beautiful countryside I've seen.

The weather didn't cooperate at first. We had to stop to make sure water wasn't leaking in. There's our caravan.

3 vehicles, 2 boats, 35 fishing poles, 17 people. This is going to be fun! We sent brother and sister together. I can only imagine what mischief they dreamed up on their 2 hour trip.

Here's our new digs for the weekend. Not bad, eh?

The ladies striking their "relaxation" pose.

I'm hoping to drive around some more tomorrow to show you the landscape around here. It's breathtaking.

One last excursion for the day. Off to Rochester to pick up Uncle Hector. He flew in from DC. I think he's ready to start his vacation, don't you?

If this is any indication of how the rest of the weekend will go, you all should be worried. Brenda is in the middle. I've known her all of 24 hours. She makes my stomach hurt. At least I know my abs will be getting a great workout by Monday morning.

Off to bed. Early bird gets the....well...fish in this case. Goodnight!