Fly like an Eagle or Where's Waldo?

 

Eagles of Waldo Pond

Day 11 (9/15/25) 

We decided our goal for fall was try to get out kayaking at least once a week. This morning we got up and were going to head up to Gerber Lake, one of our favorite spots. One thing led to another and suddenly it was later than we had planned so we decided to go to Waldo which is about half the distance. Waldo Pond is an interesting place. The boat landing is very mucky and a little smelly but once you are on the water it is not bad. Depending on the season it can have a lot of muck floating on the surface.  Another thing about Waldo is that no matter how little wind there is elsewhere it is usually windy on the pond and blowing in your face on your way back. That being said, it also has many reasons to paddle it. Although every year it seems to get a little more developed, it is still fairly private and scenic especially up river. But the best part of Waldo is the Eagles. In the past we have usually seen one or two that would follow us around in case we might scare up a fish. They would literally fly from tree to tree in front of us, waiting for us to pass, and then flying ahead of us again. At first we joked that they just liked having their picture taken until we realized they were probably waiting for us to scare up fish. When we first started out today a mature eagle flew across the lake in front of us and disappeared. We were left wondering if we would see anymore. At first we didn’t but as we got closer to the river we scared up a few immature ones. They were very shy and hard to get any pictures of. The further we went the more young ones we saw. Finally at one point there were around a dozen immature eagles flying around. Our favorites were two young males, I think, practicing their in air combat. They would fly together almost touch talons and then pull away. We were never really able to get very close like other times with the adults but were impressed with the sheer number. Once we got to the river there were trees down across it so we were not able to go as far up as we used to. As I mentioned before, the trip back was of course against the wind. We did see a few immatures but with the wind it was hard to stop and photograph them. When we finally got back to the park we noticed a heron that was posing down river. It was a great way to end another day on Waldo Pond.   

Start of Fall Color

Our Favorite Tree

First Eagle

A few of the Immatures.

Young One

Up River

Poser

The Dam

Day 10 (9/2/25) It is not how far you go but what you see.

Floating on Clouds

Just about every time we kayak up the Milwaukee River at Mauthe Lake on our way back down the river we always meet somebody who inevitably asks, “how far did you make it?” We always laugh because how do you answer that? There are no road signs or mile markers. Beyond that the banks are pretty much all the same and although there are a few landmarks it is questionable if they would know what we were talking about. I realize that the reason some ask is that it gets quite weedy as you get further upstream and they want to know if it is passable. That being said, they should be asking “what did you see?” The river is full of surprises and that is what has kept us going back for over thirteen years. Today was a perfect example. We started out watching an Egret fishing along the shore who didn’t seem to mind. It was a beautiful day with little wind and a sky full of fluffy white clouds. It was a perfect day to mosey upstream. Occasionally we find little inlet streams that with a little work you can make your way up stream. Today we found a new one that had opened up. Although shallow we were able to go probably a half mile upstream until we got to the source which was a shallow pool with burbling springs lining the bottom. We have found these pools before but are always fascinated by the little percolating springs. Unfortunately we hadn’t brought our underwater cameras so had to settle for capturing them with phones. We were amazed by how many of the plants and trees were changing color. After our adventure in the inlet we did continue a little further up the river but decided we should probably head back. Being the middle of the day we didn’t see a lot of wildlife except birds of all types. It was then that we met the only other person on the river coming upstream. “How far did you make it?”

Getting Started

Relaxation

Egret

The Watcher

The Watched

Going upstream

Making our way up the inlet

A burbling spring

Castles of the Rhine

 

Marksburg Castle

Day 9 (4/25/25) 

So far we hadn’t done a lot of cruising on the boat during the day. Today was going to be the exception. We were going to cruise the section of the Rhine that is dotted with castles, over twenty in all. Besides the castles there are many other scenic sites along the way from cathedrals to vineyards. The day was quite cool with occasional rain. We were prepared for the weather however and were not going to let a little rain stand in our way. In many ways it may have been a bonus. Many people decided to just watch from indoors. At first we went up on top to the viewing deck and found that most of the best places were taken so we got creative. On the next deck down we found an alcove that was covered and out of the weather but had a great view of the cliffs along the river. Across the lobby there was another such alcove so all we had to do was watch the map and cross to the other side when needed. The best part was that we had it mostly to ourselves. Later a family that we had met earlier in the trip joined us. The weather actually added a bit of an otherworldly atmosphere for viewing castles. It turned out to be a great cruise up to Koblenz.

Ehrenfels Castle

Nollig Castle

Stahleck Castle

Sooneck Castle

Pfalzgrafenstein & Gutenfels Castles

Schonburg Castle

Schonburg 

Schonburg Castle & Cathedral

Lorelei

Cliffs of Lorelei

Katz Castle

Maus Castle

Rheinfels Castle

Sterrenberg Castle

Sterrenberg & Liebenstein Castle

Marksburg Castle

Marksburg Castle

Speyer to Rudesheim

Speyer Cathedral

Day 8 (4/24/25) 

On a tour such as this, often events start to fuse together and it isn’t until you start looking back at pictures that you start to remember the details. Speyer was one of these instances. After I started going through the pictures I couldn’t believe we packed so much in one day. Speyer Cathedral was one of the only fully Romanesque churches we visited. It is one of the largest and most significant of the churches of the Romanesque style. Unlike the Gothic Cathedrals it is very stoic and plain on the outside with its shear massiveness lending to its awe inspiring quality. Unfortunately it is under renovation so the approach is somewhat obscured. On the approach you pass a grouping of sculptures which commemorate the royal couple who financed much of the construction. As you come around to the front of the Cathedral it opens up into a large cobblestone courtyard. During medieval times they believe that the Romanesque church should represent the ideal Christian plain on the outside and glowing from within. You enter from the west, the dark end, and go into the light. Although not as light filled as the Gothic with all their stained glass windows, Romanesque interiors are covered with paintings and carving and have their own glow. Much of the art both in and out of the cathedral is aimed at instructing an uneducated populace and scaring them into church. Speyer Cathedral is along a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. In front of a smaller Lutheran church down the street from the Cathedral there is a statue of Jakob Spilger honoring al who made the journey. As you walk the cobblestone walkway keep your eyes open for the brass stumble stones which honor the Jews who lived in that location and lost their lives during WWII. Our guide was very passionate about our tour through the Jewish section of the city.

After our tour we headed back to our bout which was now docked at Worms, Germany. The gate bridge was the highlight of the city and looked like something out of Harry Potter. Then it was down the river on a very picturesque stretch of the Rhine to Rudesheim and a taste of their signature brandy. It would have been hard to pack anymore into one day.

Approaching Speyer Cathedral

Patron King buried in Cathedral

Patron

Under Renovation

More Sculptures of the Patron King

Massive Romanesque Walls

Above the Main Portal

Government Building

Lutheran Church with Pilgrim

Gate Tower

Jakob Spilger

Bridge Gate at Worms

Sculpture at Worms

On the way to Rudesheim