A loft, Dianne, how fun! I haven't spent any time around Lake Calhoun but have been there - it is a beautiful lake and you will be able to sit on the dock and fish there although I think I'd be look'n for a friend with a sail boat!

I've always wanted to turn an unusual building into a home. There are so many country churches closed due to dwindling rural population so I think around here, that is what I would end up in. We built my dream house in '89 but it lost its charm when my daughter died. Now, I am just waiting until our finances allow so we can move our son and his family into this house and we can get a smaller place or find an old church to renovate.

I thought of another must-see summer destination for you. Just east of you on the MN/WI border there is a little town called Stillwater on the St. Croix River. Here is the city web site... http://www.ci.stillwater.mn.us/
Check out the 'community information/tourism links.

Just north of there is Taylors Falls, http://www.saintcroixriver.com/html_docs/towns_scvrta/taylorsfalls.html ...another beautiful place to check out. You can easily do the two in a day trip.

Have fun exploring and eating those fresh walleye!