It offers more than just beautiful vistas and curving roads, however.  The route passes through or by some of the thriving small towns that make this part of the country special.  Lodi, of course, is the place to start it all–or the place to wrap it up.

Just one mile north of downtown Lodi, the Lodi Valley Suites, Downtown Cafe, and Northern Edge restaurant are nestled into a corner at the edge of town.  With jacuzzi suites, breakfasts, dinners, and a full bar, these three businesses share one roof, making them the perfect place to start your trip.

Reserve a room for Friday night, then head over to the Northern Edge for Friday fish-fry–a Wisconsin tradition.  The Northern Edge serves haddock loins prepared 4 different ways for an all-you-can-eat experience that will leave you filled.  But don’t forget to save room for pie! Made fresh, from scratch, every Friday morning, their pies have become the talk of the town.

Settle down in the lounge for an after-dinner cocktail or cup of coffee and get to know the locals, or get out on the antique dance floor and enjoy the live  music from bands such as  Cherokee or Old Dogs New Trick.

When the night gets late, it’s just a short walk down the hall to your room in the Lodi Valley Suites.  Relax from all the dancing by settling into an in-room jacuzzi and a comfortable bed.

You’ll want to get an early start on your trip.  That’s okay:  Breakfast at the Downtown Cafe starts at 5:30 every morning.   Fresh coffee, home-made waffles and pancakes, and eggs Benedict made with real ham–sliced thin and covered in hollandaise made from scratch.

Then you’re off for the day on a drive along the beautiful Wisconsin River Valley.

Abby Nelson and Her Work

The dynamic duo are at it again.  No.. not the caped crusader and the boy wonder; Lynda Bartholomew and Abby Nelson.

This weekend saw another art show from the two local artists who have taken it upon themselves to create a viable gallery here in Lodi.  This weekend, the two women again filled the space with mixed-media paintings and photography.   Despite the weather–and a somewhat significant football game on national TV–a small but steady stream of guests walked through the door throughout the weekend.

The creation of an art gallery in Lodi–even if it’s currently only open for special weekends–is a bold and welcomed endeavor.  Lodi has a strong history of artists, and a well-deserved reputation for supporting the arts.  Creating a permanent venue in which to showcase local and area artists is the next logical step.

If you’re a local artist, musician, or craftsman, and would like a venue to show your work, you can e-mail webmaster@lodiwisconsin.net, and we’ll pass along the message.

Thanks to the hard work of two wonderful local women, Lodi is on the verge of having a permanent home for local artists.  They should be thanked and supported.

The Photographer

“Truth, Lies, & Beauty”:  That’s the motto of Studio 142.  No, it’s not a spy novel.  It’s a photography studio run by M Blaze Miskulin.

“Beauty is not only skin deep, and the camera always lies. The skill is in finding the lie that reveals the greater truth about a person’s beauty.” explains the photographer.  “That’s why photography is an art, rather than a simple matter of record-keeping.”

Blaze grew up here in Lodi, the youngest child in an artistic family.  His oldest brother, Joey, is a Grammy Award-winning musician; his oldest sister, Therese, is a potter, painter, and art teacher; the next in line, Annette, expresses her creative side through cooking at the Northern Edge.

“Growing up, I was ‘that weird kid’ that wasn’t into sports.  I’ve always been an artist, and I’ve always looked at things differently.”

In one of those strange incidents where a small choice leads to big changes, Blaze took a theatre class in college, and ended up dropping his pre-med major for theatre.  After graduating from UW Green Bay with a BA in technical theatre, Blaze went on to work in several theatres–both large and small–and even spent 2 seasons on national tours.  After 11 years away from Lodi, he packed up his stuff and decided it was time to come home.

Over the years, Blaze kept up with his photography, but in a more documentary style.  “The photos I was taking weren’t my ideas. I was photographing shows, stage sets, costumes, and such for the shows’ producers.  It was all very dry.”

Inspiration for a distinctive style

In 2007, after setting down his camera for a few years, Blaze got to talking with a friend who told him she was getting into modeling.  He put her in contact with a another friend who was a photographer, and ended up sitting in on the shoot.  With only his old point-and-shoot “snapshot” camera, he managed to capture a few shots.  The experience was fun, and the shots turned out better than he had expected.

Having retired from theatre several years before, photography gave Blaze a new outlet for his creativity.  With the help of social networking sites–and several excellent models willing to take a chance on a “newcomer”–Blaze was able to build up both a portfolio and a reputation.

Blaze’s distinctive, dark style was another bit of serendipity.  “I was showing a friend some photos on my PDA, when I noticed that looking at the screen from the side made the background of the image go black.  That really struck me.  Up until then, I’d been using a professional style of lighting–key, fill, back–the way that it’s ’supposed to be done’.  The images were good, but didn’t stand out like I wanted.  Seeing that dark photo tripped something in my brain.  I went back to my theatre roots and started using the harsh lighting I’d become familiar with in dance.  It’s difficult to shoot, and it’s very unforgiving, but the images that do turn out are amazing.”

After two and a half years of shooting for fun, Blaze decided to take the next step and open up his studio to paying customers. Studio 142 was launched in the winter of 2009.  While he doesn’t expect to make a living from his photography (he has 3 other jobs–including his own web-hosting company–to do that) he now has the portfolio and reputation to step up from being just a hobbyist.

In addition to paid sessions, Blaze also sells limited-edition prints of his artistic photos.

Blaze can be hired through his professional site:  Studio142.org
His art photos are available for view and purchase on his art site: fotoaparat.org