Weekend in Wisconsin

This past weekend, I went up to southeastern Wisconsin with Bill to visit his family and hometown. We usually end up in the Midwest in the dead of winter or late fall, so it was nice to explore Manitowoc with the sun shining and no coat on.

We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the Farmers Market, as well as the number of public murals that dot the downtown.

Lake Michigan is a huge part of Manitowoc's history and industry.

On a bridge going over the river.

This one is my favorite.

The classic, historic Budweiser mural. There are way better shots of this beauty. I was dancing in and out of traffic.

On the street side of the Maritime Museum.

Saw this gem a the Farmers Market and had to share it.

We walked around the marina for a while and ended up being right in time to see the SS Badger come in from across the lake.

This ferry crosses Lake Michigan twice a day between Manitowoc, WI and Ludington, MI.

The SS Badger is the last coal-burning ship in the US.

Seeing one coal-burning ship is novel, and quite enough.

I opted out of walking down to the lighthouse. I wasn't wearing the right shoes.

It's a lovely view.

I love looking out over Lake Michigan. Nashville is my home, but I miss living near such a large body of water.

This was at the beginning of the trip in Milwaukee. Wisconsin does have some great delis with clever names!

This trip was the last of four in six weeks, and, though it was another road warrior whirlwind, Bill and I had a great time exploring his old stomping grounds.

Kicking off the New Year at Fall Creek Falls

2017 is well under way, and I've been staying busy with clients, photo shoots, in-depth social marketing management, and new projects. It is really exciting to be this busy, especially as I'm entering my second year of being fully self-employed. 

Of course, I have all sorts of plans for the New Year, and am focusing heavily on marketing and expanding my music business network. Today, though, I want to share some images from our New Year's weekend. 

My best friend and her husband came to Tennessee to spend the holiday with us, which was so much fun. We had the opportunity to attend Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns, as well as the Underground Countdown at Fall Creek Falls State Park for New Year's Eve. 

The suspension bridges over the rushing waters are always a hit!

We love showing off the beauty of our adopted homeland, and either of these two destinations are a sure-fire way to get people to fall in love with Tennessee. Both of them, though, were the perfect combination to make a fun weekend awesome. 

We attended the Friday night Bluegrass Underground show, and were lucky enough to get a private tour of a part of the cave used for tours and educational purposes. I took one photo in the cave, but this is the first time I've ever seen the stage from this angle, and, though it's not my best work, the iPhone photo works just fine to show the view.

The crowd looks so small, but it was a packed house!

On New Year's Eve, we spent plenty of time lounging about the cabin and eating a delicious soup Bill made, but we did make it out to get some air and take in the sights.

One of the deer we saw every day outside of the cabin.

It's hard to really get the scope of the terrain, but this view of Bill, a few boulders below me, gives you a little idea.

Overlooking Buzzard's Roost. Photo by Bill Davis.

Buzzard's Roost

If you've ever seen Fall Creek Falls, whether in a photo or in person, you know they are usually a "bridal veil" falls; the New Year's weekend was rainy, so the falls were rushing like mad, and so huge!

Piney Falls

View from a suspension bridge.

For the Underground Countdown, we dressed up and had a ball! The music was a Bluegrass tribute to The Grateful Dead, so we were certainly the most dressed up people there, but we loved the compliments and the chill, welcoming vibe of the crowd.

It was a perfect evening to dress up and ring in the New Year!

New Year's Day was another great day for exploring the last falls in the park, Cane Creek Cascades. The suspension bridge was a little bit of a challenge between the drinks from the night before and the dizzying rush of the water below, but we all made it to the other side!

Cane Creek Cascades

Bill looking over the Cane Creek Cascades

The view over the cascades.

The opposite view from the suspension bridge.

A view of the cascades from the other side of the suspension bridge.

All in all, it was a perfect weekend with wonderful friends. As the year continues, I hope everyone is feeling the excitement of the possibilities of new beginnings.