MIDSUMMER'S DAY MEMORY IN MINNESOTA

Whoopee - today, Midsummer's Day at 3pm we fulfilled our dream of visiting all the states in the U.S.A.
We drove into Minnesota - our last state - I felt quite emotional, I never dreamed six years ago, when we embarked on this adventure, that my wonderful, special, long suffering husband would plan and take me on  such a mammoth journey. He is one in a million!



MY AMAZING MAN!

PUTTING THE LAST STATE ON OUR MAP

IN THE LOCK

 We travelled the Great River Road in Minnesota along the Mississippi, watched the massive barges and huge locks. We had thunderstorms for three nights with floods but no damage.


THE HUGE BARGES OF THE MISSISSIPPI

So finally we have arrived at our last site in Shakopee near Minneapolis. Tomorrow we pack then we put the rig in storage on Tuesday morning and fly at 3pm, hopefully arriving in Manchester on Wednesday at 11am UK time.
We have had the most amazing time and fingers crossed we return in August to carry on exploring. Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this blog and for your comments.

 

MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI IN IOWA



BARGES ON MISSISSIPPI

TRAINS ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

LITTLE BEAR MOUND

ROY LOOKING IMPRESSED AT THE EFFIGY MOUNDS

 Our penultimate state, Iowa, reached by crossing the mighty Mississippi. This river is one of the greatest rivers in the world. It travels more than 2,300 miles draining land from Maine to Montana and southward. Its drainage encompasses more than 2/3 of the continental US.


We visited Effigy Mounds National Monument, where along the river, some 200 prehistoric earthern mounds are preserved. Built over a span of 1,800 years, the oldest of these mounds date back more than 2,500 years.
 Some are round burial mounds, most are cone shaped and more than two dozen resemble birds and bears.
We woke this morning to a thunderstorm which finally stopped, allowing us to walk the Fire Point trail seeing many round burial mounds and the little bear mound. They are nothing special to see but I think as I walk along of those native Americans and I am sure I can hear their spirits whispering in the trees. Roy thinks I'm crazy!
Archeologists remain puzzled over these mysterious mounds, but I liked the idea they built the animal shapes to celebrate their oneness with Mother Earth.

DEVIL'S LAKE HIKE

Tomorrow we leave here and make our run up to Minnesota - our last state! Just got to go via Iowa.
We had a great hike today all the way round the lake in glorious sunshine and blue skies.


ROY THOUGHT ABOUT USING THE ROPES TO ABSEIL DOWN BUT CHANGED HIS MIND!

NOT ROY!



DEVIL'S LAKE AND A BLUE HERON



A COOL DUDE!

BALANCED ROCK



DEVIL'S DOORWAY AGAIN!

 

WISCONSIN

Sadly we left Michigan but we will be returning in August to drive the northern U.P. Headed through Menominee (I love that name, reminds me of a silly song!) and into a new state for us, Wisconsin, camping at Potawatomi State Park on the Door Peninsula, full of cherry orchards, winerys, cows, cheese, lighthouses, bluffs and bays.


PENINSULA STATE PARK

SUNSET AT FISH CREEK ON DOOR PENINSULA

Little lighthouse!
Further along the peninsula we camped at Peninsula State Park and cycled 8 miles round the park visiting the sights.  Probably the most inefficent site  we have ever stayed on, crazy system but eventually after moving three times we got a lovely electric site for the weekend.
 Spent an afternoon driving to the north of the peninsula, the weather has been glorious for ages, will it last till we return home?
Ticked one off the bucket list - we went to a Drive-In Movie - a fantastic experience, we imagined what it must have been like back in the days of "Grease" days - just loved it, two full features and a sky full of stars as a bonus!

WAITING FOR THE MOVIE TO START

FYR BAL FESTIVAL

FYR BAL FESTIVAL

 Our last day in Peninsula, we drove across from Green Bay to Lake Michigan. Called in at Baileys Harbor where there was a beer festival and for $42 each we could have all the beer we could drink! I dont think so! The band was good and free!
We spent the evening at the Fyr Bal Festival in Ephraim which re-creates traditions of early Norwegians celebrating midsummer. The new Chieftain arrived by boat and lit the first fire followed by about 15 more all along the bay, very pretty. The idea of the fires are to burn away the winter - it didn't actually work as it rained part of the evening, stopping for the firework finale. On the way home Mother Nature gave us a stunning show of lightning  and it poured down!

SOME OF THE FIRES AROUND THE BAY AT EPHRAIM

ASH'S TENT!

RED BIRD CHIEF OF THE WINNEBAGOS

 But guess what? -  the fires worked - next day, beautiful clear blue skies and 28oC/82oF
We are now on the homeward journey to Minneapolis where we are storing the rig. As we left the campsite there was an abandoned tent and flysheet at the dumpster and us, being us, stuffed it in the back of the trailer. We reckon the folks must have got soaked in it and decided to ditch it. Thing is there are no poles so Roy has a new mission to make some, so when Ash comes he has his own place!
We stopped at Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest lake for an evening and did some biking up and down the Niagara Escarpment.



HIGH CLIFF STATE PARK

 Staying for three days at Devil's Lake State Park, part of the 1,200 mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail which wanders across Wisconsin's glacial landscape.
Devil's Lake used to be the summer home of the Ringling Brothers, of circus fame, and circus elephants bathed in the lake. Great hiking trails through rocky bluffs and cool forests.


DEVIL'S LAKE

ROY ABOUT TO FALL OFF INTO DEVIL'S LAKE



ANOTHER LOPSIDED PHOTO AS I SET IT TO TAKE FROM A ROCK!

DEVIL'S DOORWAY

KITCH-ITI-KIPI

 We visited a place recommended by our Michigan friends called "Kitch-iti-kipi" by the Ojibwa Indians or Big Spring located in Palms Book State Park near Manistique.
Michigan's largest spring is 200ft across and 45 feet deep. Over 10,000 gallons a minute gush from fissures in the underlying limestone.
By means of a covered self operated observation raft we propelled ourselves across the spring and saw the fascinating underwater world full of fat trout through the viewing panel in the middle of the raft. Cool or what! Made it more fun as we were the only ones there to play.

PASTIE PIGS!

 Camped at Fayette Historic State Park and spent a sunny afternoon wandering around the historic townsite of Fayette (1867-1891)
Set around the pretty Snail Shell Harbor, Fayette was once one of the Upper Peninsula's most productive iron-smelting operations.

FAYETTE



ROY ON THE MUSIC HALL AT FAYETTE

LIFTING A PIG OF IRON

SNAIL SHELL HARBOR

PASTIES IN THE U.P.

We are now heading west along the southern coast of the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) in Michigan.  More lighthouses, bald eagles, smoked whitefish for tea, Moose mania statues and endless pasties - this is the home of the PASS-TEE. This is how they tell you to pronounce it - as if we didn't know, I was brought up on them! We are finding it impossible to pass a shop without buying two. We'll be rolling home at this rate.



ST. IGNACE LIGHTHOUSE

SEUL CHOIX LIGHTHOUSE



VIEW FROM TOP

MANISTIQUE LIGHTHOUSE