wonderland l wunderland

The Photo Center Northwest in Seattle opened the 16th Annual Competition Exhibition, curated by Karen Irvine of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago – and one of the „wunderland“ images is part of the show …

We came through Old Forge, NY – and while it seemed like a nice little town at first sight, at second it was a bit of a tourist trap and so were the motels. So we decided to go for a cabin at the local camp ground even though we were not equipped with sleeping bags and such – it’s summer and it’s warm. Sure enough, while the cabins had no more interior equipment than beds and mattresses – there was the holy book on the bench. So what was there to be afraid of …

Katie Powderly is a folk singer/songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin – and she needs your help. She sold all her belongings and will move into an RV („Wohnmobil“ in German), her plans are to tour the US in this RV to support the release of her new album Slips of the Tongue. We’ve been introduced to her music via a friend – and now want to introduce her to you all: Check out her music on her Web site and then help spread the word, like her on facebook, subscribe to her tweets, forward her videos on vimeo or youtube, or even go on kickstarter and help her make the tour happen. Support independent music …

Photo: Mick Mckiernan

Everyone has a right to bear arms – not welcome in this parking lot. I wonder why …

As seen in Sandusky, Ohio.

One night in a historical place – we were once again lucky, because we were invited by Charlotte and J. Christoph Lichtenfeld to camp out in the Armco-Ferro House, which is part of the Century of Progress Architectural District in the eastern unit of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Five houses, originally part of the 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago – now they’re being restored by private owners and once finished, they will be open to the public at least once a year.

The Armco-Ferro House is the one on the right, in the background – still under construction …

Today we got thrown out of the Barnes & Nobles bookstore in Naperville, Illinois, near Chicago – because of our dog Dumpty. Makes you wonder: not five minutes go by without  people coming up commenting on our dog „oh what a cute puppie“, or „oh he’s adorable“. There are shops selling all sorts of necessary and unnecessary things for dogs and other pets. But when you try to do normal life things, such as going into a bookstore – no pets. Coffee shop, restaurant, mall, any official building – no pets. There was even a rest stop on the I-90, just after crossing the Missouri in Chamberlain, South Dakota, where you had to tie you pet to a pole before you could access the picnic areas.

OK, I could understand the restaurant restrictions, even though that seems odd for us regular Europeans. But bookstores? Strange …

Did you know that there’s an Oktoberfest in La Crosse, Wisconsin? They’ve already been celebrating it for 50 years and in 2011 they will get out their lederhosen and dirndls from Sept. 23rd until Oct. 1st. Anyway, La Crosse is where we crossed the Mississippi …

Stop over in Murdo, South Dakota, population 488 …

Corbin Conroy is a Lakota working in the White River Visitor Center, one of the visitor centers of the Badlands in South Dakota. This center is located on the Pine Ridge Reservation and is operated by the Oglala Sioux Parks and Recreation Authority and is staffed by Tribal members. Corbin told us a lot about Lakota culture, their relationship with earth and the buffalo.

If you ever get the chance to see the Badlands, be sure to pay a visit to the White River Visitor Center and talk to the people to hear their story.

Through Wyoming and the north-western part of Nebraska we came into South-Dakota – Wounded Knee memorial on the Pine Ridge Reservation was our destination. When we arrived we met Cathy and her friends who taught us a lot about the situation on the reservation and the story behind the Wounded Knee massacre. But Cathy also managed to set us up for the night, at the The Singing Horse Trading Post. Funnily enough this is managed by a German, Rosie (or Roswitha Freier), who came to the reservation 15 years ago – and stayed. And now Cathy calls her „one of us“ … – anyway, the Singing Horse Trading Post is also a bed & breakfast offering in addition to accommodation horse back riding, workshops, sight seeing. Check out their offer – it is really beautiful there. Oh and BTW – pets are of course welcome …

Rosie & two of her dogs