Minnesota on the Mississippi

We left our quiet North Dakota meadow in the early morning while the mist was still floating above the streams.  We drove down the gravel road out of the state forest and turned right and followed the straight road.  Then we came to an intersection of gravel roads.  We turned and went for a ways.  Then we came to an intersection of gravel roads.  We turned and went for a ways.  Then we came to an intersection of gravel roads . . . . .   All the roads were in between corn fields and all of the roads were straight.  Luckily we have a compass in our rearview mirror or we would still be driving on a straight gravel road in the corn fields.

If you would like to see this cabin, take a straight road in a corn field in North Dakota somewhere . ..    We do know that it was build in 1879 by a norwegian immigrant and that he and his wife raised nine children in it.

We entered Minnesota shortly after leaving the gravel roads and I swear, the minute we entered this land of 10,000 lakes, there were lakes everywhere.  Big ones, small ones, ponds and puddles.  This of course led to the questions, when does a pond become a lake and when does a puddle become a pond.   We drove all day across Minnesota, through Minneapolis and over to the Mississippi River where we camped at the Frontenac State Park close to Red Wing, MN.  (Yes, they do make the shoes in Red Wing.)  Driving across Minnesota is flat.  A gopher mound would stand out as a big hill.  Driving through Minneapolis reminded me of Seattle only deflated.  Again, flat.  But green, relatively clean and friendly.  While driving, I only had to turn on my blinker and all traffic in the lane I was aiming for would back up and let me in.  (Or maybe I am just scarier than I thought.)  We again saw lots of fields of sunflowers, but the farther east we went, the more corn we saw.  We have seen so much corn growing in the Dakotas and Minnesota that I am left wondering, are we Americans addicted to corn?  What do we do with so much corn?  I know that there is corn on the cob, corn off the cob, corn meal, corn oil, corn flakes and corn starch, but even after making those products, I am sure that mountains of corn remain.  How much corn do cows eat?  Is our government stockpiling corn for some secret purpose?  We have a right to know you know!

Sunflower processing plant.

Another observation while driving across the northern rural states is that about half of the rural housing in these states is manufactured housing.  I may need to buy stock in these companies because I think the extent of their market is an unknown reality and I could get rich!  Maybe even quickly!

The campground that we are camped in is quite large and on the banks of the Mississippi.  This section of the Mississippi is also called Lake Pepin.  While now it is damed, the lake name predates the dams and comes from the river being naturally wide in this section.  This area caters to tourists with lots of motels/hotels, B&Bs, campgounds, golf courses, etc.  It also seems to have a fairly large retired population much like Whidbey Island.  Many of the streets along the river are lined with large old houses fronted with screened porches.  The landscape is as green as Washington so must get much rain, but we have had tempuratures in the upper 80s and it has been pretty humid. 

The woods we are in are largly oak, with some other deciduous trees mixed in.  The ground is littered with acorns and wherever you walk, you feel and hear the crunch of the acorns you step on.  The smell is very different from the woods I am used to.  Rather than the sweet smell of  pine and fir trees, the air has an almost savory smell.  The racoons are a much deeper brown than Whidbey racoons and the bugs are loud.  There are crickets at night, some cicada-type sounding bug in the days.  And BIG dragonflies everywhere.  The pamphlet provided by the park warns of rattlesnakes, but states that the chances of encounters are low.  The pamphlet also states that the fishing is excellent forWalleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill and channel catfish.  It also warns that the fish contain PCBs and says that consumption guidelines can be obtained in the park office.  What do you suppose is a safe level of PCBs to eat? 

America - beauty and BurgerKing

Huge kiln left by Red Wing Pottery

Farmer's market

Red Wing station

Beautiful old barn

We backed the trailer into our campsite, unhooked the truck and parked it alongside the trailer.  Last night a ranger informed us that we had to repark the trailer or move the truck because we were not "lined up" in the site.  We chose to park in the overflow area.  This is my first ever camping experience where the vehicles are to be lined up!   What happens if they are not?

We have also noticed many ice fishing shelters standing on the sides of many people's property.  I can't look at them without thinking of the movie, Grumpy Old Men.  I have seen many fishermen in boats on the river, but the huts we have seen far outnumber the boats.  It would almost be worth returning in the frozen times to see the ice fishing take place. Do PCBs freeze?

Many fishing shelters lined up on the edge of someone's property

We visited Red Wing, and went through an old Red Wing Pottery museum.  We tried to go through the Red Wing Shoe Museum, but it is closed on Saturdays.  Oh well.  We settled for an enticing farmer's market and a wonderful art gallery showing the results of a plein air open, instead.   We had a nice relaxing stroll down the river.  I have actually stuck my toes in the Mississppi just because;  just because I can, just because I have made it this far, and just because I know that Tom Sawyer was a real boy and  I want the traces of his DNA left in the river to wash over my toes.