September 27, 2017 Itasca Lake, Minnesota

We came to Itasca lake because I wanted to see and walk in the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

The mighty Mississippi begins it 2552 miles to the gulf of Mexico. John standing at the exact spot where the Mississippi starts and me standing in the first few feet. 

The river runs north around some glacial moraines before it starts south. A photo of the near the head of the river with lots of wild flowers. 

Itasca State Park,  on the Great River Road in Minnesota and an award for stepping across the Mississippi river. After the headwaters I rode on the bike trail along the edge of the lake for aways. It is very lovely among fall colors.

The swim beach with the historic bathhouse and an exact replica of the Wegmann store built in 1893. It was the original store and post office of the area in it's time. 

Leaves of fall colors and fall colors on the drive there. The log sled used to haul logs for the Wegmann store and the highlighted areas are indian burial mounds.

We are now camped at Camp Itasca RV park, Doorway to the Mississippi headwaters and God's Country.  Tomorrow is John's birthday. He is toasting with a Summer IPA from the Bemidji brewery over his walleye sandwich at his pre birthday dinner. 

The Birthday dinner was at the historic Douglas Lodge in Itasca Lake State park. The lodge has been serving guests for 110 years.

It was rainy in the am. We went on the Wilderness Drive in Itasca State Park. Soon after we got out the sun came out. The trees are lovely. John is in the center of this shot. We hiked all the short scenic hikes along the drive. We ended up with about 4 miles in the end.

John in an old growth red and white pine forest. 200-300 year old trees. The old growth trees have a pleasant aura. Most of the old growth pines in Minnesota were cut down for lumber in the early 1900's. But these were saved by making them a park. The former record red pine was topped by the wind and now the record one is in another park. This one was still 300 years old, just shorter now. The poison ivy here is huge. A single leaf is as big as my hand. Spring evenings find the ponds in the park resounding with the loud calls of the male frogs trying to attract females. Imaging frogs that quack like ducks and snore!

A stand of birch trees. John was happy on his birthday to pose with the record biggest, oldest  white pine that is 300 years old, it makes him feel young.

John walking to the fire look out tower in fall colors. The tower is 100 feet high. Spooky high if you want my opinion.

The view from the top was wonderful. There are two of the 300 lakes that are in this park in the photo. John walking back from the fire tower in a golden tree tunnel.

The chairs at the lodges and visitors centers have a loon, a moon and pine trees on them. A bunch of roots and John in another grove of old growth pines.

John with his birthday piece of peanut butter fudge and an award for stepping over the Mississippi attached.

September 23-26, 2017 Aberdeen- Webster, South Dakota to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

It has been raining, cloudy, windy and cold. Good time to stay inside. 

We are finally far enough east that there are trees. They are starting their fall colors now. Across the lake from the State Park are lake houses. There are tons of little lakes around here and lots of lake houses.

I made this little basket with a blue goldstone center which I beaded around and some glass pony beads.  We are now in Webster, South Dakota. Still rainy and cold. Webster water tower, city hall- art deco concrete and beautiful historic downtown Webster.

We are camped at the Webster municipal RV park. First night is free, $10 after that. There are 50 amp electric hook ups, no water, no sewer. We came here to go to the Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry. The internet says it has the worlds largest hairball. The hairball was not the worlds largest, only 25 inches in circumference. Interesting, but not record breaking. The museum has 28 buildings of various subjects. The South Dakota Fishing museum is there, with Mill Lac lakes spinner company that makes fishing lures and hand mixers, the midwest's largest fishing santa collection and a couple rooms of mounted big game animals.

Across the street from our campground is the Sinner Auto Body- it is for sale, must have sinned too much.  Back to the museum a warthog, lamps from some big game animals feet, an iron lung, and John with two giraffe heads and elephant tusks. I guess Webster had a number of big game hunters in town. John with the small town of historic buildings housing yet more memorabilia, including someone's pen collection. There were two buildings with antique tractors and farm implements. 

The most unique one is the shoe house. The building is shaped like a shoe and inside are mostly china miniature shoes, but also shoe jewelry and a shoe chair.  In the farm building I saw this cow weaner, the calf would wear this collar and when he tried to nurse it would poke the cow, so she would push the calf away. There was a water buffalo hooked up to a plow and a dry well cooler. You put the food in the container then lower it into the ground and it would keep the food cool. 

We headed east past a giant pile of tractor tires, a wind grist mill, on the Yellowstone Trail-which is America's First Coast to Coast Highway to Big Stone City which is on Big Stone Lake that is the lowest spot in South Dakota. Here is John a the lowest spot. He has been trying to go to the lowest spot in each state, he says everyone else goes to the highest spot and the low spots are easier to get to. 

Welcome to Minnesota. It looks pretty much like eastern South Dakota, miles of cornfields. We did get to see some blue skies. We haven't in at least a week, it has been raining everyday.

Downtown Ortonville, Minnesota which is also on Big Stone Lake across from Big Stone City.  A couple more either eastern South Dakota or Minnesota sights, every little town has a large farm machinery store and a huge row of silos. The artwork is on a wall in Pelican Rapids. This is the first time I have seen a fish cleaning and RV dump station together. Makes sense I guess,they are both smelly. The world's largest duck is in Wheaton, Minn.  It was constructed in 1960 to proclaim the 'Land O' Ducks' theme of the Wheaton area.  A maple with some fall color and in Pelican Rapids we found this WWI howitzer with a plow attached. There is a plaque with a bible quotation " They shall beat their swords into plowshares" and may we see war no more. The plow was attached by the ladies auxiliary. 

Welcome to Breckenridge, Minn-Home of the Cowboys and Cowgirls. When I see Breckenridge I think of the ski town in Colorado. Beautiful downtown Breckenridge with the name on the water tower and drugstore. Downtown Pelican Rapids, Minn where we are currently staying. We did not see any restaurants in town, until we came to McDonalds and there are three flower shops in this tiny town. John thinks the men must always be in trouble with their wives.

The big sight to see in Pelican Rapids is the World's Largest Pelican. It is 15 feet tall and was built 60 years ago.  John with Pete-that is it's name. There is a flock of painted pelicans downtown. I particularly liked the fire station one painted like a dalmation with a fire helmet on. I don't know if these leaves are poison ivy or not, but I am not getting close enough to find out. 

We are camped in Pelican Rapids city park RV park-Sharin Park. In case of severe weather or  tornadoes we are supposed to take cover in the bathhouse. We are parked right next to it just in case. If you look closely behind this suspension bridge over the mill pond you can see the bus. Lovely park. 

Another shot of Pelican Pete in Pelican Rapids. 

September 20, 2017 Pierre to Aberdeen, North Dakota

Our museum today was the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center. It shares the cultural history of South Dakota, beginning with the stories of Native Americans following the states history into the 21st century. It was very well done.  A bull boat, a sod home (soddy), the section about the native americans and a Sioux prayer rock.  We were again the only customers in the museum. After the museum we visited the Oahe dam, downriver recreation site and the  Bill of Right's brewery. John is enjoying an brown ale with Brian the owner/brewer.

We are now in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Here we are camped at Mina Lake state recreation area. We have a whole loop to ourselves so far. The South Dakota Film festival is  happening this weekend. They are showing the documentary Floating Horses, which is about the life of Casey Tibbs- whose museum we went to in Pierre. So we stood in line at the box office at the historic capital theater and snagged tickets. We saw a few very good shorts, then the Floating Horses, that was really good. Here are the to MC's talking to  Justin Koehler who produced the film  and Larry Lafevre who is a famous stunt guy from hollywood and he was in the movie.

While were were waiting for tickets John took a photo of me leaning on a lamppost. View from our site in the campground this morning.  It is beautifully sunny with fall colors starting to show. It has been in the high 80's to low 90's with very high humidity and too many flies. This evening the temps will drop into the 60's for the next 4 or 5 days with rain everyday.

We went to Storybook land and the Land of Oz. It is free to get in, you just have to pay for the rides and things. All the rides and concessions are now closed for the season, but the park itself is still open. John on the Yellow Brick road at the entrance and as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You can see Jack's beanstalk behind the rainbow.

The Story book land  castle with the prince climbing up Rapunzel's hair on the left tower. The crew from the Wizard of Oz. I am standing by the wicked witch and a little girl who was playing on them with me. 

L. Frank Baum who wrote the Wizard of Oz lived and raised a family in Aberdeen.  Mother Goose,  Humpty Dumpty, and some fall foliage. John is entering Munchkin Land, with the Lolly Pop boy by the gate.

John skipping down the Yellow Brick road with Glinda the good witch and Dorothy. The Scarecrow is pointing the direction down the road.

Me with the Cowardly lion and when I came out of the lions Lair John was still trotting down the Yellow Brick road. The wicked witch in her castle on the mountain. You could hear the flying monkey's flapping around inside. 

The dish ran away with the spoon and the cow jumped over the moon, sika deer in the wild animal section, monarch and painted lady butterflies.  I finished the basket part of the basket, just need to finish refinishing the handle and  Masher will be done.