Last “weekend” (Thurs-Sat), we all headed up north — not quite as north as we usually go, but right around US Hwy 8, so totally acceptable to any Wisconsinite. The impetus for the trip was to take a ride on the Lumberjack Steam Train in Laona.

Davy is super into trains… and will tell you that it’s a LOCOMOTIVE, not an “engine.” He saw the coal car, the fire, heard the whistle plenty of times, rode in an open car on the way there, and in one of the antique closed cars on the way back.

The train goes back & forth between its “station” and Camp Five Museum from mid-June to mid-August. There’s the museum (forestry & the lumber industry), along with a blacksmith shop, petting zoo, nature center, a cute little general store, and more. I’ll bet we go again and, really, it could easily be a (long-ish) day trip.

I found a nice Airbnb in Athelstane, about 40 minutes from Laona, that had plenty of room for all of us, plus a small no-wake lake with kayaks, pedal boat, and rowboat… and swimming.

I took my new favorite picture of the boys on the dock there.

And just a couple others. The weather was OK, but the mosquitoes & woodticks were awful. We had protection, but still… ick.

It was nice to come back on Saturday and still have a full day at home before returning to work on Monday. This week is a short one, too (ha, all of my weeks are short, it just varies!).

Brian & Hazel arrived on Sunday, Annie & Addie returned yesterday and now the resettling begins for them. Addie’s graduation party is a week from Sunday already!