An afternoon in Stillwater

Kim and Sosie on a staircase to the upper reaches of Stillwater
The old lift bridge is in the up position, stopping Wisconsin traffic

 We got a first-person tour from a Stillwater resident today, when Virg and his friend, Kim, hosted us for a most enjoyable afternoon in this historic, picturesque village.
We looked over the St. Croix valley, watched the big paddle boats crammed with funseekers go under the iconic raised bridge; glimpsed the new controversial bridge finally under construction downstream.

It was cool today by the river, a welcome
respite from too much hot weather.

Many homeowners were outside this Sunday, using the perfect weather to paint or touch-up their multi-colored Victorian homes, some of them mansion-sized Bed and Breakfasts, all of them trimmed to the nines.
A wedding was underway on the Pine Street courthouse steps with a view of the busy, touristy downtown, with its antiques, ice cream and fudge. We browsed a used book store and almost took home a World War II book on the secret life of FDR. We thumbed through bins at a consignment shop, searching for more classic Cream of Wheat advertisements featuring Kathleen's late brother-in-law modeling for his commercial artist father. Didn't find any this trip.
We looked for Kathleen's father's home at 305 Stillwater Avenue and eventually found it, thanks to a combination of Google, GPS, trial and error, and dead reckoning.

Grilled Scallop Salad
Mixed greens tossed with
grilled asparagas and sundried
tomatoes tossed in a champagne
vinaigrette, topped with two skewers
of grilled scallops -- $16

Sosie sponsored a nice dinner for the five of us at the Dock Cafe; we claimed a riverside table and watched the restaurant's liveried gondoliers paddle by, bearing an assortment of romantics.
Our entrees delighted, the menu may be limited, but we agreed the food was excellent, set off by a nice fruity Zinfandel, nurtured somewhere in Sonoma near Sosie's home base.
It was a great opportunity to get acquainted with a new friend, get chauffeured around town by Virg, and revisit a favorite and memorable place on the river.

Leonard O. Neilson, Kathleen's Dad, grew up here.