Minnesota

 9-1-2021 Wednesday

We had a peaceful night at our little campground and packed up this morning. The sites don’t have sewer but the seasonal/permanent residents have installed holding tanks which get pumped when needed. Joe was looking at the one next door, he had not seen anything like it.

 He did a little maintenance on our tow bar. The slide bars are wearing out and getting hard to slide. He tried to get some oil down inside them, so he had me help hold them. I cautioned him to not get oil on himself, but he told me to look at my own pants and I had a big oily/dirty patch on the pant leg.  They are now soaking in the sink.

We got on the road about 9:15 and headed out of Wisconsin. We crossed the Minnesota state line just before 10:00 — not sure exactly when because neither of us saw the sign. I was on the phone making campground reservations for the weekend and spotted a gas station. When we stopped at the gas pump, there was a sign saying we were on Almelund, Minnesta. But at least the gas was cheaper there.

Our intent was to take 95 to 23, but we hit a detour that probably took us 20 miles around whatever we were detouring — we assumed some bridges.  We finally got back on 95, which took us to 23 and through St. Cloud.  St. Cloud is my favorite town in Minnesota so far, this the second time we have been through it, and John and Bridgette have friends who live there.  I just think it is a pretty town, big enough to have most businesses, but not too big, and very clean and well kept. 

As we drove through the countryside, we were surprised to see a field of watermelons.  Didn't know they grew them up here.  And then the next field was pumpkins, a pretty good size field of them.  This is what a pumpkin field looks like from the highway going 60 mph -- a little blurry.

We are staying tonight on the parking lot of Prairie View RV Park and Casino in Granite Fallls, Minnesota.  They do have a pretty nice RV park just down the road, but they also allow RV parking on the casino parking lot, and since the weather has cooled off, we decided we didn't need any hook-ups so that would do.  We drove 210 miles today, had just a bit of a breeze but actually pretty nice driving across country.  We had the windows open most of the day, and the a/c turned off.  We ate dinner at the casino, and I won about $200, so it was a good day!

We found a place in South Dakota to say over the holiday weekend, just south of Pierre.  We have not explored that area, so that should work.  We should arrive there tomorrow.  Rain is predicted, but the windshield needs a good wash, so maybe the rain will take care of that.

Leaving Michigan

 8-31-2021 Tuesday

After much debate last night between the 4 of us, we finally determined that yesterday was Monday, so today must be Tuesday.  It was 55 degrees this morning, I had to turn the a/c off during the night.  And it was lovely outside this morning when we walked down to the Brundiges’ RV say our goodbyes.

Joe talked to a guy yesterday at a propane dealer in town and he told Joe if he brought the RV in by 9:30, he could fill our tank from one of the trucks, so we left the casino parking lot about 8.:45, regretfully turning down Marilyn’s offer to make biscuits and gravy for breakfast. We got the propane tank filled and were officially on the road by 9:10.  The Brundiges got on the road about 10:00, but they were just going to Ishpeming, about 60 miles, to have their electrical problem looked at.  We didn't know where we were going.

Driving through northwest Michigan and into Wisconsin, we mostly saw trees.  I know Minnesota is famous for it's North Woods, but I'm thinking this qualifies too.  Very dense trees, few towns and few houses.  Here's our view from the window.

It was an uneventful drive.  We crossed the Wisconsin state line at 10:55, the temperature got into the mid-70s eventually.   We pulled into one roadside park for a pitstop and walked around a little, these "waysides" are very nice in this part of the country.  We looked for one for our lunch stop but missed it, so we pulled in behind a church and took a break, and had lunch.  At this time, (1:25 p.m.), we had driven 192 miles, so we were making pretty good time.  And then we gained an hour, so it got even better.  Then we continued on.  

One of the sights we saw was Old Smoky, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  It is right beside the highway.

"Steam locomotive 1011 was donated to the City of Ladysmith by the Soo Line Railroad in 1961. The 2-8-2 "Mikado" locomotive was built in May 1920 by the American Locomotive Co. at its Brooks plant in Dunkirk, N.Y. It was the first of 23 Class L-2 and L-20 engines built for the Soo Line. The locomotive and tender are 82.5 feet long and weigh 493,100 pounds. Tender 4003 held 10,000 gallons of water and 17.5 tons of coal. It was hand-fired until a stoker was installed in 1939. It has 63-inch driving wheels and operated under 170 psi of steam pressure. It has its original wooden cab. Used in mainline freight service, it made its last run on Jan. 18, 1955 after traveling 1,496,191 miles. It was named Old Smokey by the school children, who raised money to defray the cost of installation."  We didn't stop to tour it, but we probably should have.

Another interesting tidbit today was we passed a large Jennie-O turkey processing plant in Barron, Wisconsin (also right beside our highway).  There was a sign posted on the building offering $5,000 in sign-on bonus.  Hope some people get off their behinds and go get a job!  Thanksgiving is coming.

We got to our campground about 4:00 (5:00 eastern time).  Our roads today have varied between excellent and needs improvement.  We drove 288 miles, and are about 20 miles from the Minnesota state line.  Our campground, called D  N Campground for Do Nothin, is nothing special, a lot of seasonal or permanent units in here, but the price and location were right.

The bridge is out just past the driveway to the campground, which had me worried.  But we are parked right on the Apple River, which is nice.

We have seen several "bigfoots" this summer, but none have been dressed as nicely as this one in the campground.

Joe was pretty tired today so we went for an early dinner and hopefully an early evening.  We drove over to the town of Amery, had a nice dinner, but that little town is also torn up from road construction.  On our way back, we continued out on the main road past our turn-off on to the little town of Balsam Lake, maybe 10 more miles.  It is a very nice little lake town, right on Balsam Lake, well kept.   The lake is pretty, and pretty clear.

And there were some interesting sights here too.  The local landscaping company had an old truck parked out front, the bed full of flowers, but a cool fountain pouring out of the grill in the front. (I missed the fountain, so Joe had to turn around and take me back to see it.)

The truck was parked on a bed of river rocks, and there were more rocks along the outside edge, which I could have spent some time sorting through, but Joe wouldn't let me.  He told me he was sure they would sell me some.

Another sight we had passed on the way into town is this "Moose Theatre" where apparently at some point in time they had some kind of musical performance here.  With a band.  Not sure what the critters have to do with it, but it was eye-catching.  And probably the only moose we will see this trip.

Just a few feet down the road was this "mosquito" work of art.

and this, which I guess is just to get our attention.  (It worked.)

We finally ended our drive, and our day.  We did see some wildlife today:  Joe saw a baby turtle in the road (I missed it); a big rat or mole started to cross the road and Joe honked at it and scared it back into the bushes, 4 deer, 2 sandhill cranes, and a chipmunk.  Things are looking up again.

We hope to get across Minnesota tomorrow, then maybe have a "down day."  We are now planning one day at a time.  Might be time to think about heading for home.

Day of Rest

 8-30-2021 - Monday

Today was a visiting day -- and a much needed day of rest.  Joe went with Collins over to a sawmill here in town to get some lumber -- that was the reason Collins had come to this town.  He had gotten some wood here a couple years ago, and wanted to see if it was still available.  The sawmill was no longer giving it away like they had been, but they did give Collins some.  He had brought a battery-operated 7 1/4" skill saw to cut the boards down so they would fit in the back of his pick-up, and mission accomplished.

While they were gone, Marilyn and I got to catch up.  We needed that.  When the guys got back, Joe and Collins started working on the cord that goes from the motor home to the tow vehicle on Collins' RV.  The lights have suddenly stopped working on the tow vehicle, and they were trying to track down the source of the problem, but they had no luck.  Collins will probably head to Camping World in Ishpeming in the morning to see if they can look at it.

Joe noticed yesterday that there is a bear trap right behind this camping area -- must be bears in the area!!!  I've been watching.

Eventually we headed into town for some lunch, and found a great little restaurant.  We got there just before they closed at 2:00, so it was a late lunch.  The restaurant had raffle tickets available to win this beautiful coffee table -- Collins bought some and is fully expecting to win.  

They had a few gift items.  I took a picture of these bookends as a model for the big rock Joe carried to the Jeep Saturday.

When we left the campground, there was a big truck hauling logs going past on the highway.  I didn't get a picture of that one, but we saw another one in town -- Joe said these trucks are called "doubles" with multiple axles. 

When we got back to camp, the guys opted to take naps, so Marilyn and I walked over to the casino to redeem our free money and drink coupons.  When we came back to the RVs, we started our card game.  After the girls won, we went over to the casino and played for a while, while the guys got their free drinks.  Then we came back and played one more game of Hand & Foot.  (The girls won again.)

We quit about 10:00.  It was a good day, fun times to be with our friends again.  The day was beautiful all day, cool, cloudy in the morning but cleared off in the afternoon, about 72 degrees.  We will head our separate ways tomorrow, but it was great fun while it lasted.

Meeting Up with the Brundiges

 8-29-2021 - Sunday

Today was our day to move on, to meet Collins and Marilyn in Baraga, Michigan.  I got up fairly early and did the laundry, then when Joe got up we went into town for breakfast and a grocery stop.  While I was waiting for the laundry to finish, I shopped the office/gift shop a little.  I didn't buy anything but there were some pretty neat items that I liked.

First was a clock, which I had heard chiming.

This is a kitchen towel - I love the saying on it.

This little picture of a camper is made out of rocks.

I loved this blanket, and the saying.  It is probably too warm for Arizona, though.  I know Brenda would like it.

We like this campground and area so much that Joe went over and got information for monthly rentals, in case we would decide to come this way next year and spend a month or so.  Something to think about.

Check-out time was 12:00 and we barely made it.  We only had to drive 58 miles today, and we arrived at our casino campground in Baraga about 1:20.  There was a little process for checking in, which was pretty mickey-mouse.  We drove by the row of campsites, pulled into a parking spot and picked out number 10 for us, and 11 for Brundiges.  We went in to get registered.  The clerk said we had to go get parked in the campsite, then come tell her which one.  Joe said, "number 10."  She repeated that we had to go actually get parked in the campsite first, because otherwise, someone else might come and park in it while we were registering, then we would have to change everything.  Joe got pretty aggravated with her, but we drove back around to the RV, and I dropped him to "park" while I went back in to register.  She had also mentioned that check-in time wasn't until 3:00 and she had rooms to go check.  So when I got back, she was out checking rooms, so I just waited.  When she got back, I started the registration process and told her number 10.  She said someone was in number 10.  I said, no one was there, we were in it.  She looked again at her cards and said someone was registered there.  I repeated that no one was there and we were parked in number 10.  She walked over to the door and looked out to verify that we were the ones in number 10.  So she finally registered me and gave me a tag to put on the post.  

We barely got set up when I looked up to see Collins' RV out my front window.  I had parked the Jeep in their spot so no one else took it before they got here.  We hadn't expected them for 2-3 hours because they had a lot further to drive than we did, but here they were.  Marilyn ran into the same situation as far as registering.  She told the clerk number 11, and the clerk told her they had to go get parked, then come back to register.  Marilyn said, "if I told you our friends parked their Jeep in number 11 so no one else would park there, would that make a difference?"  The clerk grumbled a bit, said they don't usually do that, but finally agreed to let Marilyn register.  So they got situated, we visited, I fixed dinner for all of us, and we started playing cards.  

Suddenly, someone banged on our door.  I got up and went to the door, and this man said we were in his spot.  I told him no one was in this spot, so it was our spot.  He said he had been here for several days, and this is the second time that someone had taken his spot while he was gone.  He had left nothing in the spot, and there was no tag on the post.  But the clerk had said there was someone registered in number 10, so I wasn't sure what was going on.  So I told him we would move, then I headed over to the registration desk to sort the problem out.  Meanwhile, the guy parked on the other side of us suggested we ask him where his tag was because sometimes squatters come in and just take up a spot.   So Joe and Collins walked over to his pick-up (all he had was a pick-up with a camper shell on the back, no camper) and asked to see his tag.  Well, it must have gotten ugly because he marched into the registration desk and told the clerk someone was in his spot, that he had been there several days, that he was registered but someone had stolen his tag and the person at the registration desk would not give him another one.  The poor clerk told him to calm down, she was trying to figure out what was going on, she told him she had looked out and there was nothing in that spot.  He told her there was no rule that said he had to leave something in his spot.  He said these two guys had "jumped him."  It went on for a little while, finally I spoke up and said the guys had just asked for his tag.  Finally, the clerk called for a security guard and we all went out to the campground (which is just the back row of the parking lot, but has posts with electricity).  We ended up moving, and the guy walked off, then eventually came back and moved his pick-up into number 10.  So now we are in number 6, no longer next door to the Brundiges.  It was all a big mess.

We restarted our card game, and went on to visit and play cards for the remainder of the evening.  It was fun to be with Collins and Marilyn again, even if it is only for 2 nights.  They are heading east, to Indiana, and we are heading west.

Our drive today was very windy, for us and for the Brundiges.  It stayed pretty cool all day, but no rain.  I did take a couple pictures of Lake Superior just before we got into town.  

After all that excitement today, we were ready to go to bed!!

GREAT GRANDPARENTS

 8-27-2021 - Saturday

Well, today's big news is the announcement by Cody (grandson) and his girlfriend Christina that they are going to make us great grandparents next February.  Not sure we are ready for that!!!  They just bought a house, so I guess they are going to start filling it.

We really like this campground, and surprisingly, it is not full even though it's the weekend.  I took some pictures so we can remember this is a good choice if we are ever this way again.

Today was another rockhounding day. As we drove by the park by the harbor, we could see tents set up and something going on.  We don't know if this is where the march is ending up, or a 5K, or something else.  But just past that area, they had an old car show going on.  

We were headed to Presque Isle park.  we had driven this with Dave and Mazie -- we walked out to some of the lookout points and Dave followed us with the car.  Fond memories of those times with them.  Dave is very ill now, and I know we won't be doing any of these kinds of trips with them again, so the memories are bittersweet.   Anyway, the water was pretty rough pounding into shore, had a little surf going.

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This is right beside the ore dock that is still in use, but we didn't see any ships in today.  They used to bring coal in to the power plant  and haul ore pellets out.  But that power plant is now being demolished, so it’s probably just a haul out.  Later on today, we actually stopped at the railroad track outside of the plant and gathered a cup full of the ore pellets.

This park is a pretty drive, lots of people use it, and they shut it down to traffic between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays for runners and bikers.

We never really knew where to rockhound here, but we talked to a lady (fellow rockhounder) in Leland and she told us where to go, to the beach at the far end of this drive.   We stopped at the first parking area and could see rocks on the shore, but the steps down to them were way past safety. 

We also stopped by the lighthouse pier and could see there were good rocks there, so I told Joe I wanted to come back here.  I remember Mazie and I picking up a few rocks here, but that was before I was seriously into this hobby.  

Our next pullout was this pretty view.  There were serious boulders there, and no safe path down.

I did pick out a boulder in the water that I suggested Joe get for our yard.

But this was another cliff, and there weren't even good, little rocks here -- mostly big boulders.  

Here, a tree had apparently been uprooted, and the hole went clear through to an opening on the outside.

Joe walked down in one area to check things out, and ran into a couple people who told him where to find rocks here at that beach we are headed to.  It was good to get confirmation.

 We could see islands out in the distance.  I thought this might be a ship, but it was just a more distant island.

We found our beach, right at the end of this drive.  I thought it was Sunset Beach, but I never found a sign.  We got a good parking spot (which later became a big deal) but had to walk over a few boulders on the way to the rocks.  Joe started working on a little pile and then just sat down in them.

I dug one out (bigger) that I liked and told Joe we were taking it home.  He said it didn't fit in his scoop.

We stayed here about 1 1/2 hours, collected a goodly amount.  So when we got ready to leave, I went ahead and got the jeep and drove it to a closer parking lot (a guy eagerly took my parking spot) so Joe didn't have to carry my big rock so far.  As he was walking up this path, he ran into a guy working on a dinasauer1  so, of course, Joe struck up a conversation with him, then called me down to take pictures.  It turned out, the guy had built this dinosaur to be taken apart -- it was made out of wood.  each part was numbered, and he would hide the pieces in the nearby sandpile for kids to find.  Then it could be rebuilt.  He was now putting iron on the pieces so if they didn't get located, they could be found with a metal detector.  He said this was his pandemic project.

this is where the pieces get hidden.

Here, he is demonstrating how the head comes apart.

He said if there is another pandemic, he will make another one -- a different dinosaur.  He talked about one mother of 4 who had two autistic kids and how much they enjoyed this.

We left, got some lunch, then came back to the lighthouse pier to gather some rocks there.  They were getting ready for a wedding here by the water.  We started to park there but it looked like they were trying to save places for the wedding guests, so we made another loop and gave up our parking space.  After we finished collecting rocks here, about an hour, it looked like the wedding was either just starting or just finishing.

Joe took the scenic way home, down another road leading to Big Bay, but our gas tank was getting low and it didn't look like the road came out anywhere (it was beside "moose country) so we had to turn around.  When he stopped for gas, there was a sign there -- a sign of our times, I guess.

Who says we aren't an adaptable society!!!!  No more green stamps.

After we rested for a little, I suggested we go get in the pool -- something we haven't done all summer.  so we walked over to it (not very far).  We had forgotten there was also a hot tub.  so I wanted to get in it first.  I usually don't like hot tubs -- but I was aching all over so it sounded like a good idea.  we walked through the little gate, and Joe said, "there isn't even a handrail."   A lady in the pool beside this one responded, "that is the kid's pool.  the hot tub is over here."  Ooops.  We told her the kitty pool is probably where we belong.  LOL.

We got in the hot tub, which felt wooonderful to our aching muscles, and especially my back.  Then we went over to the swimming pool for a little while, then back to the hot tub.  But then it started thundering so we got out and went back to the rv.  It wasn't very long before it started raining, and it continued off and on all night, sometimes hard, sometimes with lightning and thunder.  

It was a full day and we were tired.  Fortunately we had leftovers from Mama Mia’s  so we didn't have to go out to dinner.  We were ready to take our ibuprofen and call it a night by then.