Lefse Hall of Fame

 

The folks of Starbuck, Minnesota have a fierce loyalty to their Norwegian heritage.  Starbuck lies on the shores of Lake Minnewaska, down the lake from us.  Starbuck, Benson, and Alexandria were the big names in the early Norwegian settlements known as the Park Area Settlements of Minnesota. 

Today was a big day in Starbuck.  There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Lefse Hall of Fame.  I went over to take a look. 

Lefse (Lef-sa) is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is often made with potatoes, flour, butter, and milk, cream. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to prepare lefse, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep groves.

 

There are many ways of flavoring lefse. The most common is adding butter to the lefse and rolling it up. In Norway, this is known as "lefse-klenning". Other options include adding cinnamon and/or sugar. Some add jelly on it. I prefer butter and sugar.

Starbuck holds the worlds record for largest Lefsa every made, cooked in 1983, at 9' 8" by 7' 1".

Two women who were at that 1983 event were the ribbon-cutters for the Lefse Hall of Fame dedication today.

My ancestors left the shores of Lake Tinn in the Telemark region of Norway in 1851 and 1860.

Vestfjorddalen (West Fjord Valley)

My Great-great-grandfather, Tov Østensen, dictated the history of his family in Norwegian and I have a written copy in both Norwegian and English. He described eating Lefsa on the journey to "Amerika” while in the steerage area of the ship as they shared cooking facilities with their fellow emigrants.


Blaine Peterson (right) led the ceremony to dedicate the Lefse Hall of Fame.

That is the news from Starbuck, on the shore of Lake Minnewaska, on the great American Prairie, and just a short distance from Lake Wobegon.

Gene

 

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"Histories have been written and more will be written of the Norwegians in America, but no man can tell adequately of the tearing asunder of tender ties, the hardships and dangers crossing the deep, the work and worry, the hopes and fears, the laughter and tears, of men and women who with bare hands carved out of a wilderness a new kingdom". Rønning, N. N., Fifty Years in America, p. 19.

 

"We of Norse blood, but American birth, if we are true to the best that is in us, cannot fail to have an interest in the trials and the achievements of the pioneer fathers. We must recognize the true heroism of the men and women who braved the hardships and suffered the privations of frontier life in the thirties, forties, and fifties". Flom, George, Norwegian Immigration to the United States, p. 17.

 

 

 

Golf from the Island of Maui

 Sentry Tournament of Champions

We are here at the Kapalua Resort on Maui to enjoy great golf at one of the world's most beautiful courses.

First, add some Hawaiian music to the background as you review this post by clicking here:

The Plantation Course at Kapalua is special.  Great views, pleasant temperatures, and world-class golfers all come together here the first week of January each year.

The 18th hole, shown above, is a delight to experience.  At 677 yards, it poses a real challenge for the golfers.  Indeed the tournament winner was determined here on the last putt of the day (Sunday).

We could see the Plantation Course from our Villa and the resort shuttle ran us up to the course each day.

Chuck and Mary Widlowski joined us on Maui.  They came over from our winter home community, Heritage Pines, in Florida.  We saw some tremendous golf shots over the days.  Many of world's top golfers were here.

It is a one mile hike to the top of the course.  Thus, it is a one mile jaunt for the golfers for just two holes, numbers 17 and 18.  Needless to say, the views up top are spectacular.

There are some homes on the course and a local realtor told us they start at $12 million.  A bit steep for most.

See if you can identify any of your favorite golfers.

Love this place.

 Good morning from Kapalua Resort on Maui.  Here is a cute little love story (music) to brighten your day.

A New Year, 2022, Begins on the Island of Maui, Hawaii

 Happy New Year to each of you followers of my TRAVEL WITH GENE blog.

Dianne and I kicked off the new year on the island of Maui, Hawaii at the Kapalua Resort.  I will have three reports from here:

1.  The Beauty of Maui from the Kapalua Resort,

2.  The Sentry Tournament of Champions (Golf) at the Kapalua Plantation Course.

3.  Whale Watching off Maui.

Let's get started..........

THE BEAUTY OF MAUI

Do you enjoy Hawaiian music.  Here is one of my favorites:

Welcome to the Kapalua Resort:

The Ritz Carlton anchors the resort:

Then there are three sets of villas, the Bay (where we are), the Ridge, and the Golf.  All three have unique features and views.  This is our 3rd stay at Kapalua Resort.

Here is our villa, and the views from our Bay Villa.

We are just off the beach and spend a great deal of time hiking the seaside trails.  Here are a few pics:

The landscaping here is unbelievable.  Flowers and ground cover everywhere.  

The sounds of crashing waves throughout the night lead to good sleeping.

Speaking of sleep, it is sundown now.  Enjoy these scenes at sunset:

We are here on Maui to attend the Sentry Tournament of Champions.  There are two golf courses here at Kapalua, the Bay Course which surrounds us here at the Bay Villas.  Then there is the Plantation Course, one of the most beautiful in the world.  Take a look at the course by viewing the tournament on the Golf Channel the next three days.

Next report will be from the tournament.