Photography, Wisconsin

Autumn in the North

by Ingrid

With each impending day, winter is inching closer and closer here in northern Wisconsin which is our cue to ready the RV and start our journey to the desert southwest. Although 2020 has presented all of us with a lot of interesting challenges, Al and I are fortunate to have enjoyed a great summer and fall on lakefront property with family.

Challenges

But speaking of challenges, this is my first post using the new WordPress editor. Like anything new, there’s a bit of a learning curve, and it has taken me a tad longer than normal putting a post together, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. Anyway, I’ll keep this post short and sweet.

Also, we’ll be hitting the road bright and early in the morning and need to continue getting the RV ready to roll. After sitting in one location for four months, it’s always a little nerve-racking preparing the RV and ourselves for the 1,900 mile journey.

a cabin and boat docks on a reflective lake in Wisconsin

Time to roll

The weather is certainly changing and getting a little too cold for a couple of desert dwellers. Ok, we haven’t always been desert dwellers. We actually grew up in the Midwest and then lived in Colorado, but after spending the past eight years in the south during the winter months, we’ve become accustomed to more moderate temperatures. Seems we have lost the ability or rather the desire to deal with cold and freezing temperatures.

Additionally, the skies have been gloomy and overcast the past few weeks with intermittent rain. Those depressing skies are one of the reasons I’ve rarely missed living in the Midwest. One gets easily accustomed to climates offering 290 days of sunshine a year.

Funny how a few short months can change our mindset. When we first arrived in Wisconsin in early June, the overcast sky and occasional rain were a welcome change from the continuous sunshine we experience in Phoenix, but now, those grey skies are getting old, and I once again long for that western sunshine.

Ah and those temps … the temperatures around here have been way too cold for tin can RV living. Overnights have been in the 20 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit range and the days have struggled to get into the 50’s F … brrr. So yeah, it’s time to head south. I’m longing to feel warm again. Will I ever feel warm again? 😎

Photo Challenge – Sunday Stills. For today’s photo challenge, Terri asks us to share images of fall colors, particularly ‘ochre’. Fortunately, autumn in northern Wisconsin made this challenge easy for me!

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90 thoughts on “Autumn in the North”

    1. The colors were amazing! The new block editor takes a little adjusting and playing around with, but once I got used to it, I’m liking it. But I sure hated it in the beginning.

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  2. Your photos definitely put me in a fall mood — lovely shots of lovely settings. And I get why you need to come South. Our winters in Tennessee are much milder than those in Wisconsin, but sometimes wet and gloomy. I’d like to see one more good thick snow, but we don’t get those much any more.
    Thanks for following Oh, the Places We See. Wisconsin is on our bucket list, so any hints as to time of year to go would be appreciated!

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    1. I loved being there for fall foliage. The colors were stunning. The winters in the north can be brutal but beautiful at the same time. (Too cold for this gal)
      Upper Michigan, northern Wisconsin and Minnesota are lovely from mid-July to the end of September. The bugs aren’t nearly as bad as they are in June.
      I enjoyed my visits to the little town of Bayfield but another great place to visit in WI is Door County. Then of course, I love the north shore of Lake Superior in MN. So many places, so little time 😊

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      1. We toyed with the idea of a week in Door County this fall, but when we started planning, we found that most of the lovely BnB’s were booked for weekends. We need to start planning earlier, but that locale is on our bucket list!

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        1. I think early planning seems to be key these days regardless of which way we travel. Originally, I wanted to take some short trips into the UP and north shore, but couldn’t get a res and we didn’t want to chance a first come, first serve type of campground. Oh well, spending the entire summer on lakefront property wasn’t the worst place to be stuck 😀 Door County in the fall is lovely!

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  3. Hi Ingrid, It is difficult for me to pick a favourite photo. All stunning! Ha, ha “tin can/RV.). Fall is a gorgeous time of year if you dress warm enough plus hot drinks. Take care. Stay warm! 🙂 Erica

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    1. Yes, dressing for the weather is key to outdoor enjoyment and those fall colors certainly didn’t disappoint. I loved being in that part of the country … until snow was in the forecast. At that point, Al and I started packing 😆

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  4. I know I certainly have delighted in reading about your time spent up north but with the low temps, I do know how you feel about heading back to the warmth. I hope that you enjoyed the journey home.

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    1. I’m sure there are times you miss the autumn foliage in the north east, but like me, not the cold temps. We’re getting settled into our spot back in Phoenix and I finally feel warm again. 😏

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  7. I wish they didn’t make fall so cold. We have found a good spot in Colorado where the temps are 40s at night and 70s during the day. I know it won’t last and we will have to be traveling farther south soon but it’s good for now.

    Love all the leaves and fall colors. Beautiful pictures!

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    1. Glad to hear you found a nice spot to hang for a spell. I really enjoyed sticking around northern Wisconsin for the fall colors even though we endured some overnight temps in the below-freezing range. But when we heard the word ‘flurries’, it was certainly time to head south.🍁

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  8. Do you find that you get out of practise when you’ve been in one spot for a while? We get rusty very quickly and it takes a few days on the road again to get back into the old rhythm. Safe travels.

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  9. Ingrid, your photos are amazing as always. I love the fall colors. We just spent about 10 days in Tennessee and got to experience some of the leaves changing ourselves. We are looking forward to you and Al returning to Arizona. Hope to see you both soon. Safe travels on your journey back out West.

    Heather and Dave

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    1. So nice to hear from you, Heather. We’ll be back in the valley soon and we’ll need to arrange a long-overdue get-together. Would love to hear all about your trip to Tennessee. Talk soon!

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  10. Ingrid, your photos are amazing as always. I love the fall colors. We just spent about 10 days in Tennessee and got to experience some of the leaves changing ourselves. We are looking forward to you and Al returning to Arizona. Hope to see you both soon. Safe travels on your journey back out West.

    Heather and Dave

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  11. Safe travels, you two! It has been a high of fifty degrees during the day here in New England as well and I dug out my winter coat for the first time, yesterday! Luckily, it isn’t freezing yet at night (or we’d have to winterize our camper!) and we have a climate-controlled room to live in. That being said, we will hit the road within a week’s time as well, direction desert Southwest. Hopefully, all the systems work and nothing breaks once we head out of here!

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    1. In northern WI, we experienced quite a few nights where temps dipped into the 20’s F … brrr. But when the word ‘flurries’ was in the forecast, that’s when we knew we needed to head south. It’s always a tad stressful to start rolling after sitting idle for several months. We always hope (and pray) we don’t encounter any mechanical failures. Safe travels to you as well!

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  12. Hey,

    There is a classic editor plug-in that you can add to your site and continue to use the old style editor. I tried using the block editor when it first came out and hated it. Kevin installed this plug in and according to WordPress.org, it will be supported until at least 2022. You might want to check and see if you have that plug in, or perhaps need to update the plug in? I’m not sure, but it does exist (for folks who are self hosted) and might make your life easier.

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    1. My site is a dot com and not self-hosted, therefore plug-ins aren’t an option. That said, I think I’m getting the hang of the block editor. It’s still not as easy for me as the old editor, but I guess that’s to be expected. 😊

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  14. Sounds & looks like you have had a wonderful summer Ingrid. Fall is my very favourite time of year, although I don’t live in an RV so I can certainly understand why you & Al are looking forward to warmer temperatures.

    I can’t imagine living in a place where we didn’t have the change of seasons & yes, I even look forward to winter!

    Safe journey as you head back to your beloved desert.💕

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    1. Thank you Lynn. There was a time I loved all four seasons when we lived in Colorado, but once the kids grew up and moved away, a snowy winter just wasn’t the same.

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  15. Beautiful fall colors. Thank you for sharing with us. I love the bench surrounded by trees and covered by leaves, like a beautiful painting. Here low 90s in the afternoon. 🙂

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      1. Good. 🙂 We’re leaving next week for Alabama, we could do it in two days but I said, no, we aren’t doing these crazy, long, stressful drives any more. I booked two nights along the way, forcing us to stop, so we will take three days. Peace of mind and less stress! Stay safe and well you two!

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  18. Ingrid, your stunning photos are proof positive that you got your wish to enjoy a colorful fall before heading south. Good for you! And good for Al for fitting in some last minute fishing. The first time I ever tasted walleye was at the Douglas Lodge in Minnesota’s Itasca State Park – it was exquisite!
    Stay well and travel safely . . .

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    1. The walleye was very tasty and Al and his brother-in-law are already making fishing plans for next summer. I loved being here for autumn foliage. The west just doesn’t offer the same kaleidoscope of vibrant color found in the Midwest and East.
      I enjoyed your TP post 🤣 and I’ll try and leave a message now that we’re done driving for the day.

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    1. I totally agree Jim … loved being here for autumn colors. Angler, Al, had a great season and is already talking about the fishing plans for next summer.😏 Have you ever fished Devil’s Lake in ND?

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  20. Hello Ingrid – I had much the same problem getting used to the “new” way to make a Post. It took me a short bit of time, but now I’ve gotten the hang of it. At first, I hated the darn thing. Your Images of Fall Color there are very nice. A copy of what it’s like around here, at places. We are not quite yet into the full color of the season, but it’s getting there. Warm days & cool nights so far. Very soon it will change to cool days, but cold nights. Travel safe.

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    1. Yes, shortly after those leaves reach peak color, the weather turns to cool days and cold nights which is when it’s time for us to head south. I look forward to seeing your fall images!📷🍁

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  21. Ingrid,
    I had the same experience. Went to my editor, and “poof”…no more. After two weeks, I’m getting the hang of it. Actually, I like it. Glad Al got another Walleye trip (jealous). Y’all be safe heading south, but get out of there before it snows. Fabulous pictures. Joe

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    1. Thank you Joe, and yeah, I’m starting to like the block editor too. Fortunately, it poofed 🤣 when I had time to play around with it. The north and south shores of Lake Superior are supposed to get flurries on Friday. So I think we’re leaving at the right time!

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    1. It was a pleasure being here for fall colors, but I’m ready for warmer weather. I’m in Iowa right now and the colors haven’t peaked yet. Two more days and my landscape will look totally different.

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  23. I have tried with my last two blogs to use the new format but I just haven’t had the time or patience. I will have to spend some time with it soon.

    Safe travels tomorrow, and I know it will be nice to get back to warmer temps 🙂

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    1. When I went to write a new post, and poof, my usual editor was gone, I knew I didn’t have a choice but to embrace the new block editor. A little time and a little patience and I’m sure you’ll get used to it and may even like it. There’s lots of creative bells and whistles.

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  24. Great photos! Love them all.
    Brrr that sounds cold….you will get warm once you arrive the valley is finally getting the two digits. I think your new adventure will be catching the Spoonbills which are still hanging out at the Riparian Preserve (pond 7 and 5).

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    1. We should get into warmer temps once we get south of Minneapolis. Well, I won’t be chasing down any spoonbills at the Riparian Preserve anytime soon. Too far too drive (at least an hour AND traffic) especially after a week on the road. Besides, I always enjoyed the birding in TX because of the location. We should be back at our ‘home base’ this weekend.

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  25. I used to live in New England and loved the colors in the fall. Now I’m in NJ and its still in the low 70s during the day. I can’t complain but it takes longer for the trees to turn. They are still green here.

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    1. No need to rush the colors as that means winter is that much closer. The Midwest and East are so pretty at this time of year. I’ve loved it, but now it’s time to search for warmer temps. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

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    1. My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed the photos. It’s hard not to like autumn, but once all those leaves have dropped and the skies are gloomy, I’m outta here! 😏

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  27. Love the fall colors and totally understand and share your feelings on the cold. I’ve been going south for over a decade, but due to Covid and other assorted crazinesses I’m staying in Alaska this winter. Although I have spent plenty of winters here in the past it’s been awhile, and I’m terrified of the dark and cold I’m soon to experience, especially driving in winter weather. Safe travels.

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    1. It has been absolutely beautiful, but I’m ready for a daily dose of sunshine. Stay warm this winter in the north. I think it would be the lack of daylight that would bother me the most in that part of the country.😊

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  28. We’re at the same point Ingrid! Getting Beluga ready for her long pilgrimage west, getting US ready after sitting in one place for the past 5 1/2 months. We’re spread out and now we need to pull everything back and stow it away. Cool temps and late fall’s gloomy skies are pushing us away, sun and warmth are calling! Safe travels to you and Al.

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    1. I was ready to hit the road last week but Al had a few more opportunities to fish 🐟. And fortunately, the walleye was worth the delay. Safe travels to you and the boys as you head south yourselves.

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  34. So glad you could join me for Sunday Stills this week, Ingrid, with your lovely fall photos! Those colors are spectacular! 20s and 30s do sound cold and no fun in an RV. We experienced a taste of that cold in Sedona 2 years ago, but it gave us the opportunity to learn more about our trailer. I’m sure you will be happy to get back to AZ. We have another long road trip north next weekend as we take a moving truck to our storage space. Lot’s going in the house as we inch closer to the final repairs and painting projects. Safe travels to you and Al!

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    1. I’ll be joining in next weeks challenge as well. You’ve made the Oct. photo challenges easy for me 😀 And I do remember your unintended winter camping trip! These RV’s aren’t built for extreme weather.
      I don’t envy your move. Remember, we moved all our stuff in storage last year and it was stressful. You’ll be happy to have it all behind you.

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      1. Yay for you joining Sunday Stills more often, Ingrid! I dearly love your photography. I remember your move to storage, blah, I can’t wait. The worst part is getting things ready at home to get it out of the backyard and house and into the moving truck. We plan to hire Pods for the final move.

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  37. Glad you’re getting the hang of the new editor, Ingrid!
    Good luck for your travelling: have a safe trip home.
    Take best of care, and stay healthy,
    Pit

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    1. Thank you Pit and I’m actually starting to like all the functions of the block editor. It takes a little playing around, thus a little extra time pulling a post together, but I know it’ll get easier the more I use.

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  38. So glad you got to see the beautiful autumn colors. Great pictures!! Be safe on the road.. Bill and I are looking forward to having you two back in AZ.

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    1. We were very happy to have stayed into October this year. I loved giving my camera a workout capturing autumn foliage. See you soon 😘

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    1. I hear ya on not living further north than you are. I guess that’s why we still haven’t bought property yet … can’t decide on a location. It has been a lovely season up here and I’m grateful we have family property to stay on … nice place to visit.

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  40. Safe travels, guys! I totally hear you, Ingrid, on the gray and gloomy skies. Being from Michigan, I too know that gloomy feeling. That’s one of many reasons I chose to stay in Vegas. Stay warm!

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