North Country 2011--Day 34--Home

Easy driving but not so easy hot weather.

The last two days of this latest adventure was fairly uneventful. We left Winterset, Iowa, around 9:00 yesterday morning and headed south. Traveling on a Sunday makes for good driving because there is not much traffic on the road. Passed through Kansas City just after noon and again found little traffic. We headed across Kansas and pulled into the Emporia RV Park, in Emporia around 3:00 PM. This is a pretty basic RV park that is good for an overnight stay. Full hookups, including cable TV, for a reasonable price. We were glad to have 50 amp service so we could run both air conditioner units. Somewhere between Kansas City and Emporia it started to get warm. We finally had to pull off at a rest stop to start up the generator and turn on the roof A/C unit. After the 70 and 80 temps we had gotten used to these 100 plus degree temps were a little much.

Got out around 8:30 this morning and back on Interstate 35. We had the coach fairly cool from the previous night so to keep it that way we ran the generator and roof air all the way home. We arrived at our house in Warr Acres around 1:30 this afternoon. It was over 100 here again in the Oklahoma City area. (This year Oklahoma City has had the most days with over 100 degree temps in recorded history. Old record was set in 1950.) The TV weather guessers are predicting it to stay over 100 through this week but to drop by Saturday. Plugged in the coach as soon as we got it parked in the drive and left the A/C running. That made it easier to clean out the coach and get everything carried into the house and put away.

We had a great adventure and saw many sights and did many things. We'll settle in at home for awhile, check on family members and try to spend some time with the grand kids. We'll also start preparing for our next adventure on the road which will be in Louisiana.

North Country 2011--Day 32

Balloons, historic buildings and The Duke all in one day.

This morning we set off to explore the area around Winterset, Iowa. When we were here in 2006 we sought out all the bridges of The Bridges of Madison County fame so we did not do that again. We did take a turn around the town square in downtown to see all the potted plants they have out for the summer. This seems to be big up north since the City of Duluth had similar pots hanging from their light poles in both downtown and in Canal Park. Next we took a drive east, about 30 miles, to the town of Indianola where the National Balloon Museum is located. The big annual Balloon Festival, that is now held each fall in Albuquerque, New Mexico, originated in Indianola. The museum has many displays of balloons including gas filled to hot air balloons. Also the many types of gondolas that are associated with ballooning are shown here.

Our next stop was back in Winterset at the Madison County Historical Society Museum Complex. We first visited this in 2006 and enjoyed it enough to return. The main museum is on two floors of a pretty good size building with a large amount of material depicting the history of Madison County. There are several other buildings on the site, including an 1800's mansion that was original to the property. They have also moved in an old train depot, a one-room school house and a small church building. These are all original buildings to the area. A very large barn has been constructed and it is chock full of farm machinery and vehicles. This is definitely a place that museum and history buffs should stop to see when in the area.

Our last stop for the day was to pay homage to an American icon, one Marion Robert Morrison, or as he is better known The Duke, John Wayne. He was born in a four room house in Winterset on May 26, 1907. We took the tour of the house when we were here in 2006. At that time we were told of plans for a large John Wayne Museum to be built on adjacent property. One of our reasons to stop in Winterset on the way home was to see the progress of the museum. Unfortunately the town has had trouble with the fund raising so ground has not been broken on the museum. They do have a very nice statue of The Duke on the site. We'll have to keep track of this over the next few years and plan a stop here again once the museum gets build, if it ever does.

We drove through some light rain showers yesterday that really made a mess of the car. We finished off the day by taking the car to a car wash to get it ready to put the travel cover on for the rest of our trek toward home. That was followed by a good dinner at a local diner.

North Country 2011--Day 31--A special day

Moving day again plus a special celebration.

We headed out of Prior Lake this morning, going south. After an uneventful drive we are now in the City Park in Winterset, Iowa. The park here has full RV hookups for a modest cost so it makes a good stop over place. Winterset is located in Madison County, the home of some bridges made famous in a Clint Eastwood movie: "The Bridges of Madison County". We were here in 2006 and took the time to drive out and take pictures of all six bridges. We won't do that this time. This is also the birthplace of one of my hero's, Marion Morrison. We'll get around tomorrow to go see what has been added about him since we were last here.

This date also marks a special day in our lives. Twenty-three years ago today I stood and watched my bride walk down the aisle. That was the beginning of The Excellent Adventure of Rick and Joanne. Since we were going to be on the road most of today I gave her an anniversary present yesterday evening. While in Duluth I discovered a jewelry store that sold gold charms of the Aerial Lift Bridge. I had them put this on a gold chain to make a necklace for her. Tonight we went into town for a quiet dinner at a local diner. This adventure just continues on as we explore this great country.

North Country 2011--Day 30

A little driving, a little exploring.

A few years ago a good friend turned me onto a website called Roadside America. This is a listing of tourist places that are odd and unusual and that are not listed in the regular guide books. These places are listed by state and then by city. As we have traveled we have often gone out of our way to see some of these sights. Today we went to three of them. First stop was Faribault, Minnesota to see the Tin Man Family. These are in front of a sheet metal fabrication business. While we were in Faribault Joanne wanted to stop at Faribault Wollen Mills. The GPS took us to a former location of one of their outlet stores. Turns out that company had gone out of business. After returning to the coach and looking on the Internet we learned a couple of guys have bought the assets and are in the process of reopening the company but that has not happened yet.

Our next stops were in the town of Owatonna. First I wanted to go to their Cabela's store. This is one of the best outdoor stores in the country but, unfortunately, they do not have a store in Oklahoma. They usually have great prices on ammunition and I have been purchasing from them online/mail order. Was able to pick up several boxes at a really good price. Also had lunch in their restaurant. All the Cabela's stores have neat nature statues in front of their buildings. Inside they have great displays of stuffed wild game posed in their natural habitat. Always enjoy a stop at Cabela's.

While in Owatonna we headed to two more of the sights from Roadside America. First was The Coming King statue. This is located on the grounds of a large church and is a bronze sculpture standing 18 feet tall and weighs 3600 pounds. It depicts Jesus Christ as a mighty warrior King returning in glory to establish the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God on Earth. This is based on the scripture in Revelations 19:11-16. This sculpture was done by Max Greiner, Jr., and is very well done.

Our next stop was at the Owatonna City Airport. Located there is The Three T-38 Jets Statue. These are former U.S. Air Force jet aircraft that were originally displayed in front of a local air museum. After the museum closed the city had the jets moved to the airport. The planes are now painted in the colors of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird demonstration team. They are placed in the "bomb-burst" formation that is done by the Thunderbirds.

We had an enjoyable time here, on our last full day in Minnesota, and got a few more of the Roadside America sights checked off our list.

North Country 2011--Day 29

Some relaxing, some laundry and a chance for Joanne to see old friends.

Not much happening in the Minneapolis area for us so far. We have kind of settled in for the few days we'll be here at Dakotah Meadows. Yesterday was mostly for housekeeping things that need to be taken care of when out on the road for extended periods. A little maintenance on the coach and then it was off to do laundry. The campground has a coin operated laundry but it was being used all morning by folks that got in ahead of us. So, we took off looking for a laundry. After the wash was done we stopped at a local Dairy Queen for a late lunch and then back to the coach for the evening. Not a very exciting day but got the necessary things taken care of.

Today was a bit different, at least for Joanne. She spent most of the day visiting with old friends from her days when she lived in and attended school in Duluth. First, her friend Marcia, picked her up just before noon to go to lunch. Afterward they came back to the coach and enjoyed the beautiful weather to sit out in the lawn chairs catching up on old times. (Marcia came to Oklahoma in 1988 to serve as Jo's Matron of Honor when we got married.) I used this time to make a trip to Best Buy to pick up some stuff to clean up our computer screens.

Later in the day two other friends, Sharon and Merridy, picked her up to go to dinner. Both of these ladies grew up in the same neighborhood as Jo in Duluth. They went down the street to the Little Six Casino to eat in their restaurant. (These casinos are owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community, a part of the Cheyenne Sioux Tribe.) While they were out I wandered over to the bigger Mystic Lake Casino to grab a sandwich and try my luck a little. Didn't have much luck at finding food or on the casino floor. Due to a big outdoor concert by Stevie Nicks the casinos and restaurants were swamped with people. Finally was able to get into the food court and get a burger and returned to the coach after a couple of hours. Jo and her friends must have been having a good time visiting since they did not return until after I was back. Needless to say, a good day all in all.

North Country 2011--Day 27

Moving day.

We wrapped up our time in Duluth this morning. The owners of the Lakehead Boat Basin, Joel and his daughter Jody, stopped by as we were hooking up to leave. Although not the conventional RV park the Boat Basin is a great place to stay, especially with the way Joel and Jody go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome.

As we rolled south on Interstate 35 we experienced plenty of road construction, eight major sections to be exact. Most just caused everyone to slow down some but the last one pretty much brought traffic to a stop. It was backed up for miles and took close to 30 minutes to go 4.5 miles. We did manage to make what has become a traditional stop at Tobies in Hinkley, Minnesota. We needed to stop for fuel so this was as good a place as any. In years past Tobies had a very large clothing and souvenir store along with their restaurant and service station. The store closed some time back but the restaurant is still a great place to eat. We had lunch and purchased some cinnamon rolls from their bakery for tomorrow morning.

After lunch we moved on south to the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Well, we are actually at Dakotah Meadows RV Park, which is a part of the Mystic Lake complex, which also has a championship golf course. We have stayed here several times over the years. It is a very nice park with all the bells and whistles. We'll be here the remainder of this week before we start working our way back to hot Oklahoma.

North Country 2011--Day 26

An Arts Festival, a good lunch and then kicked back for the day.

The city was having an Arts Festival over in Bayfront Festival Park, just a short distance from where we are parked. This festival used to be held over in Canal Park, in one of the parking lots, in the years when we were first coming up here. Since then, 1) the festival out grew the parking lot location and 2) Canal Park has grown to the point they cannot afford to give up parking space for a full weekend. We went over to the festival around 10:00 this morning and walked through all the booths. This was made up mostly of local artist and most items pertained to this area. There were several people displaying their photography and we saw some great pictures of places in Northern Minnesota. Didn't see anything that made us want to shell out the cash to take them home.

After the festival we headed east to find some lunch. The first place we headed for, a Perkins Restaurant, was closed so we had to fall back to plan B. Stopped at a longtime local place, the Pickwick Restaurant and Pub, but found the restaurant side was closed on Sundays. We walked next door to the Fitger's Mall, which is in the old Fitger's Brewery, to one of it's restaurants. It is located right on Lake Superior. We picked the Midi Restaurant on the bottom level and got a table by the windows directly overlooking the lake. This was a bit more upscale than the places we normally seek out but the food was good and not too overly priced.

We had talked about going down to Leif Erikson Park for a concert this afternoon but that did not work out. A U.S. Air Force band was playing there today at 3:00. About 2:00 it clouded up and poured down rain for 30 minutes or so. Since this was going to be an outside concert we decided to stay in. We wound up lounging around the coach all afternoon. Since we are leaving Duluth tomorrow morning I did take the time to start getting the coach ready to move, taking the vinyl wheel protectors off, removing the sunscreen off the windshield, putting our lawn chairs and outdoor light away and emptying our waste holding tanks. That will just make it easier in the morning to get hooked up and on our way.

North Country 2011--Day 25

A boat in the canal, shopping at Canal Park and then out visiting.

In all the years we have been visiting Duluth I have taken many pictures of the "world famous" Duluth Lift Bridge. One thing that has eluded me is to get a good picture of a ship, or "ore boat" as they are called up here, coming through the canal under the bridge. This morning we decided to take a walk over across the bridge to Canal Park. As we were going down the street from the RV we noticed the bridge was all the way in the up position. Usually when the local tour boats or a small craft is going in or out of the harbor the bridge only goes up half way. We looked back into the harbor to see one of the ore boats heading out from it's pier. We hurried down to the canal and I was able to get in a good position to snap some pics as she came under the bridge. This vessel was about 550 feet long. After she passed out of the canal and the bridge came back down we proceeded to go up on the bridge to cross over. We did notice another, even larger, ore boat was out in the lake heading in. About half way across the bridge we heard over the PA system to "hurry off the bridge" since it was going up again. We barely stepped off the end and up it went to allow the next ship to enter the harbor. This ore boat was 736 feet long according to the schedule posted in the daily paper of ship arrivals and departures from the harbor. (Later, as we were returning to the RV, we got caught on the bridge again and had to hurry off before it started up to allow a local fishing charter to enter the harbor.)

While over in Canal Park we took the time to do some shopping for our grand daughters. Funny how when they come to visit, after we have returned from our latest adventure, they head straight for the place where Grandma puts the stuff we brought back for them. We also picked up a couple of other gifts for relatives while there. Canal Park has grown a great deal over the years we've been coming up. Now there as several hotels, both in the converted warehouse buildings and new ones built on the lake side. Most all the former warehouse buildings are occupied with shops or eateries. The city has turned this into a really nice tourist/entertainment district. On our way back I could not resist taking a picture of one of the many fire hydrants in the area. It reminds me why I could never live up here year round. I'm not about to live in a place that has to have extension poles on the fire hydrants so the firemen can find them in the snow in the winter.

In the afternoon we drove out to far West Duluth to visit an old friend of Joanne's moms, Vivian Hanson. We have visited Vivian previously when in Duluth. She is soon to be 94 years old and still living at home and still driving. She told us she still has a cabin on one of the local lakes but has turned over the maintenance of it to her sons. Hopefully, we all can be so active and independent when we reach this age. We finished off our day with a fine dinner at the home of Aunt Pat and Uncle Dennis, followed by a game of cards.

North Country 2011--Day 24

A drive up the shore and then dinner with the relatives.

After relaxing around the coach this morning we decided to take a drive up the North Shore of Lake Superior. We took the scenic route right along the lake edge to the town of Two Harbors. This is about 30 miles north of Duluth. This was a really beautiful drive this time of year. On the way back we stopped at a popular local fish market, Kendall's, to pick up some White Fish to take home to Joanne's mother. Personally I really don't care for it but her mother enjoys it. I guess it is an acquired taste. Anyway, we had a really nice leisurely drive. We did stop at a new small protected harbor that has been built for the launching of small boats. This gave us an opportunity to take some pictures of the lake and the shore along the road. After returning to Duluth we met up with Joanne's brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Marilyn, for dinner at Applebee's in the big mall here in town. All in all a relaxing and fun day.

North Country 2011--Day 23

A couple of days trekking through cemeteries and then a day of sightseeing.

After getting settled in at the Lakehead Boat Basin here in Duluth on Monday afternoon we called Joanne's Aunt Pat and Uncle Dennis to let them know we were here. We wound up going over to their place after dinner to visit and to meet their three youngest grand kids. In the days before we started this RV thing we would stay at their house when we came up to Duluth for our visits. Even after we purchased our first RV we parked in their yard twice, for a couple of weeks each time. After trading for a coach with slide outs their yard could no longer accommodate us so we started staying down here at the Boat Basin. We met up with them again on Wednesday evening for dinner at the Duluth Grill. (This is one of the places we saw on the Food Channel's show "Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives".)

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent trekking through cemeteries. For the genealogy research we've been doing we've learned that only so much can be accomplished through online searches. Eventually there comes a time that you just have to go to the source. Additionally, thanks to my brother Chester, I have gotten interested in a website called "Find A Grave". This is a place where a person can set up a memorial page for those who have passed on. In addition to the information on the individual this site will also list where the person is buried. One of the entries that is normally posted is a picture of the gravestone, in addition to a photo of the person if available. To get pictures and information on members of Joanne's family up here we went to four different cemeteries and got the information on 18 of her relatives. We took two days because these cemeteries are spread out all over St. Louis County. Now we have been able to update our information in our genealogy pages at Ancestry.com but were also able to set up 18 memorial pages on Find A Grave.

With our cemetery stuff taken care of we decided to do some sightseeing today. We wanted to check out some of the other RV parks in the area. We were sure that we'd not find any we liked as well as the Boat Basin and we were correct. The Boat Basin is a very popular place and we cannot always get reservations for the dates we want so we were looking for a backup. So far I have not found one I'd take my coach into. We've found they are pretty old and run down without the services we get here at Lakehead. We also drove up to the top of the hill to Enger Park to see Enger Tower. We've been to Enger Tower many times but we had learned that some major renovations have been done up there. It is also a great place to take pictures of the harbor down below, especially pictures of the "world famous" Aerial Lift Bridge. This morning, before we left the coach, a large ore boat (ship) came through and moved to the piers in the harbor. Would like to be up at Enger Park to get pictures as one of the ships was entering through the canal. We have to cross this bridge to get from town out to Park Point and the Boat Basin. So far the brige has only been up once while we were traveling through.

After Enger Park we drove back down to Canal Park for lunch. We went to a little place we like, right on the water, called Crabby Bill's. This is an old fishing boat that has been drug up on dry ground and converted to an outdoor seafood vendor. This was a change from the past two days. There are two Coney Island hot dog places in downtown, just a few blocks apart. One, the Original Coney Island, has been in continuous business since 1921. The other, Deluxe Coney Island, is relative new, brighter and cleaner. Can't say either one has any better food than the other. (Joanne's Uncle Dennis thinks that the Deluxe is better than the Original.) We ended the day with another sunset over Duluth Harbor.