Aitkin MN - a northern gem

Well, it was a beautiful drive up to Aitken. For quite a bit of the drive you have Lake Mille Lacs (enormous!) on your right. It so happened to be thawing out so I was driving through a mysterious fog that added some intrigue to the drive. I felt like it could have been an X-Files episode (without the aliens).

On my way up I stopped in Garrison to look at the lake. I found a big fish.

The lake was beginning to thaw and the air was opaque. Drive a little further, and I arrive in Aitken. Aitken has a really nice library and everyone there was so welcoming. The librarian, Mary Beth made me feel right at home. There was a local group that arranged for refreshments after the show.

The room was full and over 40 people showed up and stayed for the whole show! My accompaniment was Robert Bell on guitar, Tony Baluff on clarinet and Keith Boyles on bass. They were awesome!
There were many lips mouthing the words to the songs and many came up to me and the trio after the show to share their appreciation. Photo courtesy of Cortney Walbridge.

After the show, we were all pretty hungry, and we asked Mary Beth for a suggestion. So we went to the Tuscany Room, and had a nice lunch.

Nothing like a Tuscan oasisi in the north woods!!!

Time to head home. But not before I peek in at the old Depot Museum. I caught them just before closing and had a quick peek. Note to self: return to see the rest.

This was a great trip for me. I really felt like we connected with our audience in a meaning full way. If music conjures up memories, well then there were a lot of memories in the room that day. It was palpable. I look forward to the next...