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.