Trip to Minnesota Summer 2025

We took a while driving to the grandparents house in Minnesota this past summer (2025 if you are reading this in the far future). 

We left on a Sunday morning, driving 1.5 hours to Hancock, Maryland, where we found a geocache and, more importantly, went to Mass at Saint Peter's. We arrived about ten minutes early to church and ran into the priest as he was going in. He immediately recognized that he didn't recognize us and asked us where we were from. I told him we left Laurel and were headed over to Minnesota. We went into the charming little church and sat down. When Mass started, the priest welcomed us and other guests before starting the liturgy. Then he mention traveling and Laurel and Minnesota a bunch of times during his homily! They did have a hospitality table outside after Mass, so we had some donuts and things as we chatted again with the priest. We also met the parish dog and cat.

Then we did a lot of driving, ending the day in Strongsville, Ohio, where my wife had dinner with a college friend. The rest of us ate elsewhere and then we got together again at Escape Room Strongville. My wife's friend's husband and daughter came so we had a group of seven. The room's theme (and name) was Chocolate Factory. It was definitely based on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory though they did enough that they probably didn't violate any copyrights. The room was a lot of fun and we finished with 12:34 left on the clock, so a good run. 

What I ate elsewhere--smashburger from 1928 Public House

Afterward, we went to Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream for a final treat. It was awesome. We ate so fast, no pictures!

The next day, we did a massive amount of driving, going from Ohio to Wisconsin. We stopped off in Michigan briefly for lunch and to snag some geocaches since we have never cached there before. My kids were happy because the parks with the caches had playgrounds too, including a zip line! At Wisconsin, we were wiped out and did some swimming at the hotel's pool and got a pizza for dinner. I bought a local beer from the front desk, New Glarus Brewing Company's Spotted Cow Ale. The flavor is light and summery, with a tiny bit of fruit sweetness to make it refreshing, like a shandy.

Zipline!

Riding down

Helping out

Stalled out

The cow jumped over what now?

The next day, we continued the trip by driving to the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The main draw was the agricultural school, which features its own ice cream! The shop also has a trivia game and an observation deck. Even though it was the middle of the summer, some workers were still working on a flavor.

Quiz time!

I guess he didn't like that answer

Ice cream packing

Enjoying a ice cream sandwich

You may notice that the ice cream in the sandwich above is blue. The flavor was Fruit Loops, which was good since we were eating it around 9 a.m. We went on to the buildings with cows and plants.

With a milk cow at the Dairy Cattle Center

At the green house

Spider-plants!

The Stock Pavilion

We were amazed how many buildings were visitor friendly, even without guides. Wandering the campus was fun.

We drove on to Wisconsin Dells where we went on the Original Wisconsin Ducks, a duck-boat tour of the Wisconsin River and the nearby areas, an experience that got its own blog post. After the tour, we went to Pals, a brew pub in the Dells that offers pretzel bites, a cheese curd burger, and of course beer. I had the Bourbon Bent Barrel-Aged Mexican Imperial Stout that was delightful.

Sign on the road

The delightful beer

Also delightful pretzel sticks

Cheese curds on a burger, a natural for Wisconsin

After lunch we went to Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf, a multi-course on a hillside. We played the Blackbeard course, which had "educational" signs about the career and personality of Blackbeard as we went from hole to hole. It was fun, though we had a lot of staircases and sunlight to deal with.

Prirate's Cove is on a hillside?

By the waterfall

A bit of action

Playing by another waterfall

Looking professional

After that, we drove on to Granny and Grandpa's house for more adventures.

Book Review: The Unbroken Thread by Sohrab Ahmari

The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos by Sohrab Ahmari

Realizing that contemporary American culture is not conducive to moral formation, Sohrab Ahmari has written a book examining several perennial moral questions that are often ignored or dismissed because previous answers have been rejected. He emigrated as a youth from Iran, rejecting the repressive culture he experience there. In the United States, he married another immigrant (she came from China) and they have a child, Max. Ahmari wants what's best for his child (who was two when the book was written), which includes a grounding in human decency and moral excellence. Even though Iran's culture was undesirable, Ahmari sees a lot in American culture that is also unpalatable.

The book is divided into two sets of questions: Things of God and Things of Humankind. He grapples with issues like is God knowable, what is the role of God in politics, and can someone really be spiritual without being religious. For humanity, he considers responsibility to parents, what freedom is for, is sex really a private matter, among other issues. With each question, he introduces a person from history, going from Augustine in the 4th century all the way to modern times with late-1900s feminist Andrea Dworkin. The group represents a large variety of faiths (including people with no faith) and situations (including America, Africa, Asia, Europe at different historical points), showing the universality of these questions across time and the globe.

Ahmari is quite persuasive in his arguments. He also presents a very human face to his assertions, adopting ideas and answers from the people he presents (though not everything). He implicitly acknowledges that we all share the same human condition. Often, cultures try to fix or improve upon that condition with very mixed results. Advances in medicine and technology are amazing and useful, but unlimited freedom comes at a great cost, especially when corporations and media monetize that freedom and go further and further from a grounded truth. Or when government oversteps its boundaries in trying to "fix" the nation.

Another big theme in the book is COVID-19 and how the reaction to the pandemic has exacerbated many tendencies that are already dubious if not harmful in modern American culture. He provides an interesting analysis of that as well, though how well that discussion will age remains to be seen.

Recommended--this is a very thought-provoking book.

Sample quote, from the introduction:

A radically assimilated immigrant isn't supposed to complain about his freedom. Yet as I grow into my faith and my role as a father, I tremble over the prospect of my son's growing up in an order that doesn't erect any barriers against individual appetites and, if anything, goes out of its way to demolish existing barriers. [p. 12]

TV Review: X-Men '97 (2024)

X-Men '97 (2024) created by Beau DeMayo based on the 1990s series based on the Marvel Comics

This series, a continuation of a popular cartoon from the 1990s, starts with the X-Men in crisis. Professor Charles Xavier has died, leaving a leadership gap for the team. Cyclops/Scott Summers naturally thinks he has to step up as leader, though he is reluctant since his wife, Jean Grey, is pregnant and soon to give birth. He was hoping they could live a more normal family life. The problem gets worse when Magneto shows up at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters with Charles's will. Xavier has bequeathed the leadership of the school and the team to Magneto. None of the X-Men are happy about the situation (except maybe Rogue). Scott feels he has to stay to make sure Magneto behaves. The narrative plays out from there.

This ten-episode arc covers a lot of ground. Scott and Jean have their baby though the infant is kidnapped and infected with a cyber-disease and has to travel to the future with the time-traveling mutant Bishop to get cured. Storm loses her powers in a fight and winds up on a journey of self-discovery. Jean discovers that she is a clone of the actual Jean Grey created by Mister Sinister, leading to lots of complications. The island country Genosha, set up as a mutant refuge, is trying to join the United Nations but is under attack both politically and literally. The stories move at a breakneck pace. If I hadn't read some of these story arcs in the comics, I think I would have been a little lost (seeing the movies helps a bit too). The series leans on nostalgia and prior knowledge too much, with a lot of characters lacking any development or depth. 

The animation does a good job looking like something from thirty years ago without looking cheap or rushed. The action sequences are creative, hewing to the X-Men's random set of abilities and applying them as best they can in given situations. Rogue is an exception--she never using her absorbing power, she just flies around and punches a lot of stuff.

Mildly recommended--this needs a bit of context to be appreciated. Of course, the series ends on a cliffhanger implying another season to come.

Book Review: X-Men Marvel Epic Collection Vol. 12 by C. Claremont et al.

X-Men Marvel Epic Collection Volume 12: The Gift written by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, pencilled by John Romita, Jr., Steve Leialoha, Paul Smith, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Dave Cockrum

This omnibus edition covers X-Men publications mostly from 1985, including Uncanny X-Men 189 to 198, X-Men Annual 8, X-Men and Alpha Flight 1-2, and Nightcrawler 1-4. 

A lot of these are episodic one-offs, showcasing two or three of the X-Men on an adventure. Claremont is a good writer but has a lot of dialogue in his stories. Even Wolverine talks a lot. The highlight of the collection are a two-parter called "The Gift" featuring most of the X-Men and the Canadian superhero group Alpha Flight. They all wind up in a wintery, isolated Canadian location where an amazing city has sprung up in a bubble of warm weather. Unbelievable healing has happened in the city--Cyclops can control his eye-blasts without any tech, Rogue is free from her absorbing powers (so she can touch people), Wolverine no longer has berserker rage, etc. Loki has given this "gift" to them in hopes of appeasing some even higher-up gods, though things do not work out for him. The very promising cover image of Doctor Doom fighting the X-Men is a later story and a bit of a disappointment to me. 

Woven through the stories is Storm's tragic situation--she has lost her power and returns to Africa to find out what to do. Another ongoing plot is Colossus and Kitty having relationship problems. And 1985 was the year the Beyonder showed up and had an epic story line that involved all of the Marvel universe, so he shows up in a few stories.

The collection ends with a four-part adventure for Nightcrawler, who gets sucked into other dimensions where he encounters a lot of whimsical situations and action. He fights a shark-man who is also a magician bent on gaining Nightcrawler's teleportation powers. It is very silly but also very fun.

This set is a mixed bag. Some stories I liked, some I didn't. The cover promises more than the content delivers which was disappointing for me. Otherwise this is a fine if less famous bit of the Chris Claremont X-Men era.

Mildly recommended.

Movie Review: Legally Blonde (2001)

Legally Blonde (2001) directed by Robert Luketic

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a California sorority girl who is so excited that her boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) is going to propose. When they go out to dinner, he drops the bomb on her--he breaks up because he has political ambitions and needs a woman "more like Jackie and not like Marilyn." She is devastated and hunkers down with a box of chocolates and her tiny dog in her dorm room. Her friends come to cheer her up by taking her to get manicured and pedicured. At the salon, she sees a picture of Warner's older brother who is marrying a Vanderbilt. She realizes she needs to be that kind of woman and decides to apply to Harvard Law School (where Warner is going). Even though she has the valley girl look and personality, she is also smart and determined. Her hard work (and support from her sorority sisters) pays off when she is accepted. At Harvard, she has new challenges academically and socially as everyone takes her at face value. Can she rise to the occasion, get the guy, and still maintain her golden-hearted attitude toward life?

The movie is a star vehicle for Witherspoon who gives a great performance. She has the charm and exterior of a valley girl but she struggles with her own self worth, sometimes caving in to how other people see her. While the movie starts off as a romantic comedy, the real focus is on her finding her own place and earning self-respect and the respect of others. The movie throws in plenty of school comedy and legal comedy along with a delightful subplot of a Boston manicurist (Jennifer Coolidge) who provides emotional support to Elle and gets support from Elle too. The movie is an all-around delight.

Highly recommended.

TV Review: Andor Season 2 (2025)

Andor Season 2 (2025) created by Tony Gilroy based on Star Wars by George Lucas 

In this follow-up to the first season, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is still running missions for Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard), a well-connected conniver who opposes the expanding power of Imperial forces in the Galactic Republic. Rael has a lot of schemes going on which is eerily matched by the schemes of the Imperial forces. The season plays out over several years (a surprising number of episodes start with a "One Year Later" title card), with Cassian and Rael getting closer and closer to discovering the big secret of the Imperials while Imperial Lieutenant Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) hunts Rael and his conspiracy. 

The show distinguishes itself from other Star Wars content by its stark realism and maturity. The political intrigue and espionage are much more John Le Carre than Ian Fleming. These people get caught in tough situations, sometimes with no clear path to resolve conflicts or solve problems. Finding and keeping allies is hard; maintaining connections to family and friends is even harder. While Cassian and his side are clearly the heroes of the show, the Imperial characters also have complicated situations and difficult personal interactions. The show's lack of two-dimensional characters across the narrative is refreshing.

The show ends nicely with Cassian flying off to his role in Rogue One and a coda showing why what they do is so important. 

Recommended, highly for Star Wars fans.

As I publish this, the show is only available on the Disney+ streaming service.

The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy by Etienne Gilson

The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy by Etienne Gilson

Most historians of thought have a tendency to skip over what they refer to as "The Dark Ages," going straight from ancient Greece and Rome to the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. Sure, there was some literature and art in this Christian-dominated period, but philosophy did not develop at all (so the historians claim) until people like Descartes arrived. Gilson examines if there was a mediaeval philosophy. Clearly, European thought was dominated by Christianity but it did not develop in a vacuum and plenty of authors in Jewish and Muslim traditions commented and expanded upon classical philosophers like Plato and Aristotle.

Gilson has a lot of issues to grapple with. Theological reflection was the primary interest in the middle ages, but that did not exclude the application and adaptation of philosophical ideas to their Biblical understanding of the world. "Faith Seeking Understanding" is the motivation and inspiration of thinkers from Saint Augustine to Saint Thomas Aquinas (held as the exemplar of Christian philosophy). Syncing up philosophical insights with theological insights creates a new system, built on the shoulders of what came before, but clearly going higher and in different directions from what came before.

After affirming the existence of mediaeval philosophy, Gilson runs through many other issues, showing the mediaeval Christian anthropology, including epistemological and moral concepts unknown or underdeveloped in the classical period. The meaning and purpose of human life has a tremendous shift with the revelation of a personal God who becomes man and shares in our life. The age did have a distinctive philosophy (often imbedded in the theology).

The book is a very technical and detailed discussion of these issues. Gilson is a persuasive writer but the text is dry and aimed at an audience that has a lot of familiarity with mediaeval Christianity and classical issues in philosophy. I found it tough going in spots, even with a lot of prior knowledge of the issues involved.

Mildly recommended--this requires some pre-requisites to appreciate fully.

Sample quote, the key shift that distinguished medieval thought:

"There is but one God and this God is Being, that is the corner-stone of all Christian philosophy, and it was not Plato, it was not even Aristotle, it was Moses who put it into position." p. 51

Original Wisconsin Ducks Boat Tour, Wisconsin Dells

We took a ride on the Original Wisconsin Ducks tour in Wisconsin Dells. A generous and well-connected uncle hooked us up with tickets. We arrived on a weekday, so the line was very short to get on.

Ready to ride!

The "ducks" are amphibious trucks, the kind used in World War II to land troops and supplies in places without ports. It drives along the land and can switch to cruising on a body of water. In this case, we would be floating down the Wisconsin River along with visiting Lake Delton. But all that was after we headed out on the trail, which had plenty of signs warning stray drivers that they were on the wrong path.

Private roads!

Our driver was a college student who had been working for the company for seven years, starting in other jobs before getting to be a tour guide and duck pilot.

Our first view was of statues from the demolished Chicago Board of Trade Building. Local businessman W. J. Newman bought the statues and brought them to Wisconsin Dells to decorate a home by Lake Delton. They eventually wound as part of the tour property. 

Holding up a corner in a previous life?

The drive took us into the forests flanking the river, with many little valleys, gorges, and dells. Fern Dell provides shade and cooler temperatures. The difference was noticeable, maybe as much as ten degrees.

Ferns in the valley

A bit of the rock formations in our future

The area has a lot of layered rock known as sandstone. The formations make dramatic (though not tall) cliffs. At the bottom of the dell, our driver switched gears and drove into the Wisconsin River for a look at the river.

Shifting to aquatic mode

Some of the cliffs

The small cliffs' porous rock allows plants and trees to grow easily from them. Sometimes those provide stability, sometimes more erosion. The opposite shore showed a lot of tree-lined beaches without sandstone.

Not cliffs

Growth on the cliff side

The guide told a story about one of the formations. A preacher would come in the 1800s to speak to the natives as they sailed by. The natives didn't pay a lot of attention to him until he had a piano brought in. Then he would play piano and preach, gaining more interest even if he did not gain more adherents. Eventually, the cliff gave way and the piano crashed. You can see the rock formation that looks like a piano on the right side of the picture below. So it was a shaggy dog story. 

"Piano Falls" probably wouldn't have been a good name

Another formation is called "Hawk's Bill," just at the end of Black Hawk Gorge. The driver told us it was named after a native chief--Chief Gorge. The chief had a son he named Boy Gorge. The boy had a pet monkey he called Curious Gorge. And there were a lot of other jokes spun out from there. I loved it while my children groaned.

The Hawk's Bill formation

Better view of the hawk-like top

I was surprised to see other boaters on the water. Some were water skiing, some just cruising leisurely. The river is open to everyone.

Kayakers

A turtle sunning itself

Ready to fish? Or just sightseeing?

We saw some wildlife, but only rarely. This bird below looked like a hawk but photographed like a smudge.

Bird on the wing

Are those supposed to stop ducks from landing?

As we approached an overpass, our driver turned right into Dell Creek, driving up over a small bit of land and into Lake Delton.

Looking to turn

Dell Creek

Lake Delton Dam (with a sign in case you didn't know it was a dam)

Driving into the lake

Dam viewed from the other side

The dam was built in the 1920s by W. J. Newman (the same guy who brought the statues) to create a leisure lake in the Dells. The lake became a center for local tourism, with many resorts opening along the shores along with the larger homes. In 2008, excessive rain overfilled the lake and, while workers shored up the dam, the water went over a county highway next to the dam. It washed away the ground under the road and cleared out a channel 400 feet wide. The lake drained in two hours and Dell Creek had a new course. In about a year, locals, with the help of state and federal aid, were able to repair the road and rechannel the creek. The dam was refurbished so that it could release excess water. The lake filled again and things went back to normal.

Resort "tree houses" being built to open in 2026

Crossing over the road, we went back into the forest and took a drive through a very tight gorge, with only a few inches of clearance for the duck.

Some pleasant forest (and our last view of the river)

About to run through the rocks

At the tightest point

The area was part of an estate. A fire cleared one field of trees so the owner planted new ones, in perfectly aligned rows!

Such order and precision!

We finally made it back to the Duck dock, where we saw some of the other ducks waiting to have their turn.

More ducks

The trip was a lot of fun with some jokes and some history thrown in with the beautiful natural (and artificial) landscapes.