With the coldness of winter coming soon (yes, I'm bracing for my December return to the Valley!), I'd like to share a few summer memories of Appleton, one of the best places on earth to be in the summer. And still pretty great even in winter.

First up is Appleton's downtown summer concerts and other public events. Lots of free entertainment comes to the streets and parks of Appleton in the warmer parts of the year. Here are two photos from a summer concert at Houdini Square.



Summer also makes me think of the Fox River, known especially for its ability to flow in the summer, while its icy winter form is a lot more sluggish. In the summer, you can still go out on the river, but it's best to be in a boat. 



Summer memories often focus on the Fox Valley's beautiful parks like Appleton's Telulah Park shown here or Plaman Park, both of which offer Frisbee golf, a popular activity in the Valley.



Among Appleton's parks, City Park with it's beautiful Ring Dance sculpture and fountain offers some of my favorite summer memories. Here is a view during an Art in the Park event.



What are your favorite summer memories in the Fox Valley? Care to share a photo or two?

Labels: Appleton, Art in the Park, concerts, Fox River, music, parks, photos, public events, summer

One of the greatest things about Appleton is the Fox River, a source of so much beauty and fun. Not many people have done much on the Fox River, though. Here's a chance to change that and to experience some delightful scenery that you could never see from your car. I've been asked to share the following press release about a weekend of canoeing along the upper regions of the Fox. Looks like a terrific event. 


PRINCETON, Wis. -- One of the most scenic stretches of the Fox River and the convergence of the Wolf River with the Fox will be explored for the next Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle, the weekend of June 22-23.

The weekend of paddling also marks the return of the 28-foot Fox of the River (www.foxoftheriver.weebly.com) voyageur canoe and the addition of the 10-person canoe Nature Current (naturecurrent.com), offering rides to those who feel uncomfortable paddling on there own or don't have a boat. Information is available by emailingpaddle@heritageparkway.org.

The Saturday trip launches from the White River Dam near Princeton at 9:30 a.m. and covers the 12.5-mile route to Berlin. Sunday's 11.5-mile trip starts from Lake Winneconne Park, crosses Lake  Butte des Morts and follows around the wildlife impoundment at Terrell Island, with a lunch break at the Lake Butte des Morts Landing. Paddlers may end the trip there at 6 miles or continue on to Rainbow Park in Oshkosh.

For both trips,  paddlers should arrive between 8 and 9 a.m. to have time to unload and shuttle vehicles. A bus will return drivers to the launch.

Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle 2013 also includes the 12th annual Park-to-Park Paddle out of Neenah July 20, an Aug. 17 paddle among the historic tall ships that will be visiting Green Bay and a tour of the four historic hand-operated locks in Appleton on Sept. 28. Schedule details and contact information are available atwww.wisconsinpaddlers.org.

The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle series is organized by North East Wisconsin Paddlers and the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway. It showcases the beauty, variety and historic and environmental importance of the river corridor that served as the route of exploration for Fr. Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet and inspiration for such notables as naturalists Aldo Leopold and John Muir and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. 

Labels: canoeing, Fox River, water