Initially, we decided against it because it was steep terrain; a mile down the hill to see a house isn't in the cards for my mom. But yesterday she wanted to stay home and chill, so we went out for a bite to eat at the Red Hut. I'm so glad for all the suggestions, because I probably never would have gone to the Red Hut as it sounded like a weird place. However, there are at least 3 within a few miles of us, so I was curious what was behind the doors.
We decided on the one with the soda fountain. It was a cute little restaurant with lots of nostalgia. Old pictures hung on the walls and red vinyl covered all the seats. It was very quaint. Aspen and I ordered Tuna Melts; Avery a hamburger and Julie.....pancakes and bacon. Why not, right?
It was all very good.
We asked the locals for a good place to for a hike. They pointed us up the 89. As it turned out, we fell upon Vikingsholm and decided to go for it. It was our last day here and we wanted to take advantage. So we started walking down the hill. I was proud of the kids for going for it, but I realized they weren't realizing we'd have to go back up after all was said and done.
The further I walked down the hill, the more I wondered how the road got there and did the woman actually use it and if so, was it by car or by foot. One mile is a loooonnngggg driveway!!!
As it turned out, she did use it. They had a 1936 Dodge on display in the garage.
The house is visible from the lake, which is where we initially saw it. It's really quite adorable.
But to see it up front, it looks a little less assuming.
The architecture is Norwegian inspired and designed by the lady's nephew (by marriage) who was of norwegian decent. The details in the woodwork are amazing. It goes to show you that good craftsmanship is timeless.
As we walked through the castle, everything (for the most part) was as it was when she died. When the state acquired the home in the 50s they cleared out a few rooms, but the furniture was replaced, eventually with period accurate replacements.
Overall, it was a fascinating place. There isn't another home for miles around. You would wonder what one would do on a day to day basis.
Around the courtyard were servants quarters. The caretakers of the castle were the only ones there all year round. And their quarters (weren't shown) were on the opposite side of the courtyard from the main house.
As it turned out, our tour guide was a previous guest of the home. Mrs. Knight (the owner) owned the home for 15 summers. Our tour guide spent 14 of the summers at the house as a child.
It was a great day and the walk up, though difficult, wasn't as bad as we thought. But maybe we felt just a little lighter after having a nice visit to Vikingsholm.
Happy Friday!
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