Contributed by: Beth Dooley
www.seasonalappetites.com
Come July 4th, the tiny town of La Pointe, Wisconsin, does our nation proud. In the morning, my family awakes on Lake Superior's Madeline Island to a flood of sunlight and to sailboat halyards clanging in the breeze. After grabbing doughnuts at at local restaurant, we hurry downtown to catch the grand parade.
It starts at the yacht club, stretches along Main Street and ends at the Madeline Island ferry dock. We squeeze in for a front-row seat to see the hand-built floats and marching bands. Then en masse, the family fills the museum green for speeches, the awards ceremony (best float, best music, etc.) and a chorus of “This Land Is Your Land.” Everyone joins in singing all four verses whether they know the words or not! Lunch is always a picnic at Town Park beach. The fun activities of Frisbee tag, volleyball and rock-skipping contests last until the sun begins to fade in the west.