Old Faithful Winter Expedition

Our fifth visit to Yellowstone National Park took place early this year. "Lodging and Learning" vacations are offered through Yellowstone Forever, the educational arm of the park.  All of our trips to Yellowstone have centered around their lodging and learning offerings.  

We'd originally been scheduled to go on this trip in February of 2024.  We had to cancel that trip due to unforeseen circumstances.  So, we decided try again this year!  This was our first wintertime visit to the park.  The program we attended, Old Faithful Winter Expedition, was held February 12 - 16.  We flew from Madison to Bozeman, MT on Monday, the 10th.  We then traveled to Mammoth Hot Springs on Feb. 11th, via Zanterra’s winter shuttle service.  We purposely arrived early in order to acclimate to Yellowstone’s high altitude.

Our expedition group included 10 participants plus a naturalist guide and a snow coach driver.

Winter is a great time to see Yellowstone.  Only two of the park lodges are open during winter and we stayed in both of them.  While the lodges were full, there were FAR fewer visitors than we've seen on any of our previous trips.  Most of the roads are closed to private vehicles in the winter.  Travel is only by snow coach or snow machine (snowmobiles as we call them in Wisconsin).

I took hundreds of photos on this trip.  I'm posting just a few of them here. Usually we'd drive to Yellowstone, but this was a winter trip, so we traveled via Delta Airlines.  The first photo shows the Bozeman/Yellowstone Airport.  The setting is very pretty.  Other photos show scenery near, or in, Yellowstone.  The last photo (which doesn't want to be centered) features my yarn haul from "STIX" in Bozeman.  I bought the locally produced yarn on the last full day of our trip. I then had it shipped home to Wisconsin. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      

                    All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto

Go Pack Go!

My husband won a pair of tickets to a Green Bay Packers home game at Lambeau Field.  As part owners of the team, we were delighted to attend a game.  We’ve been to a few Packers games, but it had been awhile since we’ve been to Lambeau Field.  The game was the Packers vs. the Ravens on Dec. 27th. Our seats were in a suite (!).  They were donated to a Middleton organization by a generous woman who lives in Beaver Dam.  All of our food and drink was included, as well as a stop by a dessert cart outside the suite during halftime (who knew?).

Not wanting to drive to Green Bay on a winter day, we found chartered bus transportation through a local Packer fans club.  We've DONE the drive to Green Bay in winter.  And it is not pleasant!

While the Packers went down in defeat, the trip was still enjoyable.  We were able to visit parts of Lambeau Field we'd never seen before. 

 

 

All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto

Michigan's Upper Peninsula, August 2025

I had the pleasure of visiting the Upper Pennisula of Michigan in early August.  My husband and I rented an Airbnb for the second time.  "Graystone Cottage" is located near Lake Linden, MI.  The cottage sits on my favorite lake, Lake Superior.

 We spent one night in Eagle River, WI along the way north, from our home in Madison, to the U.P.  Once we reached Houghton, MI, we headed for Portage Quilt House, not far from Michigan Tech.  A considerable amount of fabric was purchased.  In fact, we made a second stop there later in the week!  A large amount of hand dyed yarn was purchased at the Wood 'n Spoon in Mohawk, MI.  They also sell fresh baked, yummy cookies.  Be sure to stop there if you're visiting the Upper Peninsula. 

Heading into Houghton, MI.

Graystone Cottage (Airbnb photo)

Graystone Cottage (Airbnb photo). Lake Superior is in the background.

Beautiful sunrise.

                                                  Another pretty view from the cottage.

                                             

                                                          Pretty road, Upper Peninsula.

 

 

All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto

Urban Sketching Retreat in Racine, WI

What fun it was!  Attending my first urban sketching retreat was a joy.  This retreat was held in late February/early March at Taylor Hall, part of the character-filled DeKoven Center complex in Racine. Fortunately the weather was exceptionally nice for winter travel.  Sponsored by the Racine Urban Sketchers group, the event was open to all enthusiasts of any ability.  I’m a newbie to urban sketching and I still have a lot to learn about it.  I was warmly welcomed and accepted.  The multi-day retreat fee included lodging, 3 classes, and most meals.  There were approx. 30 attendees, with a number of them from other states.  

I stopped at several businesses while enroute from Madison to Racine.  Schoolhouse Antiques, in Sturtevant was my first stop.  Found some buttons, buckles, and other curiosities there.  From there, I headed east, to Sew & Save in Racine.  I bought two pieces of Riley Blake calico. I’m making blouses out of each of those fabrics.  I’m embellishing the bubblegum pink blouse with vintage lace.

If you like to sew and you visit Racine, WI, you must stop at this store!  Friendly owner and staff!

Taylor Hall, part of the DeKoven Center complex.  Built in the late 1800's, this building housed retreat attendees.  Wonderful meals cooked onsite added to a festive atmosphere.

All of the sleeping rooms have names/labels.  My room was labeled "Abundance".

This room served as a classroom and meeting spot.

Several of the "throwdowns" during our retreat.  This is when everyone displays their sketches.  It's a fun, non-judgemental event!

Beautiful Lake Michigan is a short walk from Taylor Hall.

Pretty view on the DeKoven campus.

Meeting up with my friend, Denise Zingg was enjoyable.  Denise and I attended the same high school here in Madison.  I hadn't seen Denise in 50+ years,when I discovered she founded, and directs, the Spectrum School of the Arts in Racine.  Spectrum is on DeKoven Center property!

All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto

Mindful Mixed Media Art Quilts

I enjoyed my first visit to Woodland Ridge Retreat in Downsville, WI.  This venue, owned by my friend Chris Daly, is in a pretty rural area not far from Menomonie,WI.  I was there to take Deborah Fell’s workshop on art quilts.  Class dates were September 10 - 14.  This was an enjoyable class, with a great teacher, classmates, and retreat owner!  The meals were excellent, as well.  Update: Deborah, our teacher, was quite ill at the time of the workshop.  Sadly, she passed away the following spring.

Below: my workstation and some of the pieces I made in class.

Below: students and teacher (Deborah is in the front row,wearing a green shirt. I'm nearby,wearing a purple quilt show shirt.  Photo by Chris Daly.

All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto

North to Alaska!

Note: after a long absence from updating this blog, I’m now adding a number of new posts. Many have been backdated (I’m adding them months later).  Hope you enjoy them!

We had the great pleasure of visiting Alaska again.  We have been there many times, but never in winter!  Our trip, a Holiday Vacations tour, was scheduled in  mid-March, giving us a chance to see the Northern Lights from the Last Frontier.

The tour started in Anchorage, a beautiful city in a beautiful setting!  It was cold and icy, with record snowfall on the ground.  We were well prepared with down coats, long underwear, and snow boots.  We spent several nights in Anchorage, before being bussed to Talkeetna. Talkeetna has a quilt shop these days!  And, the world’s best pizza at Mountain High Pizza. Oh, and the Mayor is a cat!!  With very limited time, I visited the quilt shop and was unable to meet Mr. Mayor.  Some members of the tour group met him . . . said he was quite friendly.  I purchased some Alaska-themed fat quarters at the quilt shop.

 

 

 

 

Anchorage, as seen from the 14th floor of the Hilton Hotel.  This view is looking east towards the Chugach Mountain.

 

 

 Couldn't pass up a visit to the Musk Ox Producers Co-Operative.  It's a six block walk from the Hilton Hotel.  Record snowfall in Anchorage meant big piles of snow everywhere.

 

 

View from our bus, while traveling north from Anchorage to Talkeetna.  This view is looking westward towards the Alaska Range. 

 

 

Following a bus ride to Talkeetna for lunch, we visited the Dallas Seavey Kennels.  Dallas was racing in the Iditarod at the time, so we did not get to meet him (he later won the race).  Visiting the kennels and being pulled by a dog sled was one of the highlights of our trip.  Jim served as a musher for our sled.

 

 

 

After our sled adventure we cuddled with our lead dog.  

 

 

 

We spent one night at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge.  The lodge is slightly southeast of the town of Talkeetna.  Added note: we saw 3 moose IN Talkeetna as we were leaving to head for the lodge.

Lots of snow in this area!  Really nice hotel! 

Watching the northbound train pull in at the Talkeetna Depot.  The Alaska Railroad calls this train the 'Aurora Train" in winter.  Our destination was Fairbanks.

 

 

 

The train made a brief stop at the Denali Park Depot.  I've been here in the summer when there are hundreds of passengers waiting for the train.  Nobody waiting this time.  Passengers were allowed to get off the train and stretch their legs.  Second photo below: Jim and I, with the train's conductor. He spent some time chopping ice of the stairways to the train during this stop. 

 

 

 

       

Another highlight of the trip: Northern Lights viewing at the Aurora Pointe Activity Center.  This venue is approx. 12 miles northeast of Fairbanks.  Our group had reservations for 3 night in a row.  The center is open from 10 p.m. til 2 a.m.   These first two photos were taken on the first night.  The lights were not seen the next two nights.  The last photo was taken in Fairbanks at the Westmark Hotel just before our tour group was taken to the airport for the overnight flights home.

   

    

  

 

     

 

 

 

 

All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto