Northwoods in November – Part 1

Two weekends ago, I had an opportunity to leave the Twin Cities and get back to the Northwoods of Minnesota and Wisconsin.  We had not gotten a big snow at the time, but a front was approaching from the west.  The weather forecasters were predicting 10 inches of snow over a couple days.  They would prove to be wrong, but what else is new in the Northwoods?

Gathering my gear, I hit the road and ferried my little trailer north for storage.  Given that it was the Northwoods in November, I knew that Mother Nature would display some winter beauty, even though the big snow had not made it yet.

 The Destination

My ultimate destination in the Northwoods was near Danbury, Wisconsin.  Danbury is two hours north of the Twin Cities, and I drove up I-35 and turned east onto Highway 48 in Hinckley, Minnesota.  Eventually Highway 48 turns into Highway 77 at the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.

Once I got into the St. Croix River Valley, I decided to stop at Thayers Landing on the St. Croix River, which is on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border and outside of Danbury.  Thayers Landing is a hotspot in the summer where canoers and kayakers launch and land, but at this time of year, I had it all to myself.

I took out my GoPro Hero4 Silver and walked to the boat launch and along the banks.  I took the pictures below at Thayers Landing and at the Yellow River Landing.  The Yellow River Landing is upstream of Thayers Landing and just outside of Danbury.  It is strategically located where the Yellow River flows into the St. Croix River, and the convergence of the two rivers is just behind the tree in the third picture down.

In retrospect, I should have filmed some video of the ice flows on these rivers.  The ice made fascinating sounds as it pushed passed deadheads, vines, rocks and the bridge piers in the water.  It reminded me that these rivers are powerful, and they can be treacherous in the winter.

Simple Beauty

Sometimes it is the small things that we miss as we run from obligation to obligation in our daily lives.  As I drove from Thayers Landing to the Yellow River Landing in Danbury, Wisconsin, I had to slow down, turn around and stop to catch the simple beauty of the Northwoods: canoes at Parduns Canoe Rental, drying berries in the cold November sun, a solitary oak tree with its dried leaves rustling in the wind, and milkweed seeds ready to take flight with the next gust of wind.

The Open Road

The open road always lies before us and beckons us forward.  We must make the decision and take the time to slow down and stop to notice the details and beauty along the way.  I promise that once you slow down, you will see things you never seen before and really enjoy them.

[tweetthis]Beauty is all around us; you just have to stop long enough to see it – Small Scale Life[/tweetthis]

Learn. Do. Grow.

This is Part 1 of the Northwoods in November Photo Essay.  I will post Part 2 on www.smallscalelife.com