Bemidji, Minnesota 8/27/2010

While staying at Fox Lake Campground, we decided to drive into Bemidji, Minnesota to check out the town.

We stopped at Diamond Point Park located across the street from Bemidji State University.

Diamond Point Park is on Lake Bemidji
Lake Bemidji  was formed by a glacier and is 6420 acres. The max depth is 76 feet. Located less than 50 miles downstream from the source of the Mississippi River, it both receives and is drained by the Mississippi.

We drove down the street to Paul Bunyan Park.

While waiting for our turn to take some pictures, we wondered out to the lake.

After being out west, the water in Lake Bemidji, look brown. But the water clarity is 6 feet.

You can't come to Bemidji and not get your picture in front of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox..

The statues have been hailed by the Kodak Company as the "second most photographed statues in the United States", behind only Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Now we can say we have be paragraphed at both! Aren't we special!

The first city on the Mississippi.

"In order to get some idea of the labor and materials which went into Paul's construction, Mr. Dickinson furnished the following statistics:
Concrete footings to water level: 5 1/2 tons
Weight of statue above footings: 2 1/2 tons
Height of statue:  18 feet
Built in the winter of 1937, 737 man-hours were used in the construction of Paul Bunyan". Quote from, Visit Bemidji The First City on the Mississippi.

On the way back to Fox Campground we saw an osprey nest on a utility pole.

8/28/2010

The next day we hook up and headed south east through Minnesota.

This looks like bales of grass instead of bales of hay. Any way, what ever it is, the medium and side ditches had bales harvested here.
We took Hwy 2 from Bemidji, MN to Hwy 371, and headed south. At Sauk Rapids, we turned southeast on Hwy. 10 toward Minneapolis. Just before Big Lake, on 10, we turned west on Hwy. 25 to Buffalo, MN, and spent the night at Wal-Mart. Good roads all the way. 

8/29/2010


The next morning we took Hwy. 55 to Minneapolis, and jumped on 494 around the city while the traffic was mild. South of the city we took 35W

Iowa just down the road.

 Alliant Energy has wind power in northern Iowa. Joe work his entire life for Alliant Energy. They  own the Crandic Railroad, the company Joe worked at.

The true picture of  Iowa, as I remember, outside of  Iowa city life.

I had called my friend Barb,a few days earlier, who lives in Charles City, Iowa. Our route back to Cedar Rapid, goes through her town. It had been over a year since I had seen her, so it was a must stop. We parked the Nest in a church parking lot, behind her new home, Her boyfriend Steve had got permission for us from the church. Barb was gracious, and had made dinner for the weary wondering gypsies. We had a wonderful evening catching up on each others lives. Thanks Steve and Barb, A bit late, but better late than than never!

Fox Lake Campground in Minnesota 8/26/2010

After 3 days on the road, traveling across Hwy 2, and 3 nights at Wal-Marts, we needed to find a campground. We left the Grand Forks, North Dakota Wal- Mart, and crossed over the Minnesota border.

The scenery was kind of boring, and blah. but maybe that is because I am from Iowa and it is what I am use to!

More prairie potholes.

Corn fields

And many, many more trees.

We found our next stomping grounds, for the next few days.

After checking in, we were led to our site, by a young guy on a bicycle. This was a first. Usually it is a golf cart.

We had a nice spot that gave us a view of Fox Lake.

  A view of part of the campground from the boat dock.

The campground was filled with a lot of RV's, that looked like they were set up for the entire summer season. A good place to come on summer weekends to fish and hang out with your camping buddies.

A retaining wall had been put in, to raise part of the campground, so more sites had great views.

A ground squirrel also enjoyed the view.

After getting permission from the campground owners, we spent the day washing the RV. After our hard work, we enjoyed the sun setting on the lake.

This is a family run RV park that has been well maintained, and is a very nice place to stay.

"On the Road Again"

7/25/09

It is good to be on the road again. We enjoyed our stay in northwest Wisconsin in the Hayward lakes area, but it is time to see new things we've never seen, and probably won't see again. Good Bye Hayward. We enjoyed your quiet beauty!

We traveled on Hwy 70 West to cross western Wisconsin to the Minnesota state line. We saw cows, farms, forests, lakes and some rain ahead.

In Minnesota we traveled Hwy 23 West. As soon as we crossed into Minnesota, it was bump t bump t bump t bump all the way to our next stop, 235 miles, 6 hours, and 3 detours due to bridges closed. All I can say is, "Minnesota, get with it, and spend some money on your roads." We were glad to reach Willmar, Minnesota's Wal-Mart for the night. On a high note. This Wal-Mart rated number 1 of all Wal-Marts, because it had a walking trail running right next to it. We walked to Target and Home Depo with Mallery for exercise on the trail. Mallery is such a city girl. She loves places that have cement. I felt like I also was in a city again. This town had a population of 18,000. This is the largest town we have been in for a month and a half. The last largest was 4,000.

7/26/09

I saw many fields like this, and not sure what was growing in them.( beyond the corn) I don't remember seeing fields like this in Iowa, unless it was in the fall. I think it maybe hay or rye.


Some Minnesota and South Dakota farmers, farmed the gully with hay. Now that is using your resources!



On the road again!

Before we left Minnesota we hit an elevation of 1850 ft., with hundreds of wind mills at the top of the hill. We need more God given and reusable energy like this, to be produced in our homeland.
We arrived at Sioux Falls, South Dakota's Wal-Mart, after a 3 hours, 159 miles and 2 detours. The drive across Minnesota mostly reminded me of good old Iowa. When we arrived at 4PM it was 84 degrees. With no trees or electricity, the Nest got warm. For the 1st time ever, Joe and I sat outside of our Nest on a Wal-Mart curb to enjoy the breeze. It was a hot and noisy night at Wal-Mart,


5/27/09




Today was a breeze, with a 68 mile jaunt to Michell, South Dakota. Another 84 degree day with no shade at Rondee"s Campground. On goes the air. Thank goodness for electricity. Yeah



Only thing of interest to Mitchell, South Dakota- a steer on the hill