6/7 - So, I quickly crossed over into Minnesota once I left the campground. First thing I noticed was all the wind turbines. They have over 2000 of them spread around. I find them to be really majestic. I wonder if I had a home and a bunch of them were put in my line of view if I would feel the same way. I think so, but I'm not sure.
I drove to Pipestone National Monument, which was about 1.5 hours total out of my way. I had thought it was somewhere I would want to go. It was fine and interesting to learn more about the ancestral ways, but it wasn't worth the trip for me. Oh, well - you win some, lose some. Basically, this area is sacred because there is some special stone here, that they call Pipestone because it's perfect for making pipes. The smoking of the pipes is not recreational, but instead it's for prayers. I wonder who decided smoking from these pipes was a way to reach the creator. And how this has continued for generations.
They continue to dig out the stone in the quarries by hand. They won't bring in big equipment because they want to keep with the traditions even though it can take years to get down to this small layer of Pipestone.
Zoe enjoyed exploring the house and was happy to have the extra space and came by when done with her snooping for a butt scratch and belly rub. Once again, showing how she enjoys having the space to move around.
 |
| Really nice out buildings and gardens |
6/8 - Yay! Signs that indicate how merge lanes are to be used! Use both lanes, then alternate at the actual merge spot. There are so many discussions online about the "jerks" who zip past the backed up lane to get in front. That's how it is supposed to work, people! You can tell I have an issue with this...
Went to Austin, MN to go to the SPAM museum. I've not eaten much (any?) SPAM in my life, but it was still very interesting and I did have a couple of samples and it really is pretty good. And I learned that there are only 6 ingredients (in the original).
 |
| Just salt, water, potato starch, pork/ham, sugar, and sodium nitrite (that's in all cured ham I believe) |
 |
| Can you imagine? |
 |
| Good lunch spot. It's been around forever. First time I've had a burger where the burger meat wasn't in a patty, but loose ground beef. And then I had a caramel/vanilla milk shake. Decadent! |
 |
| I was going to stay at another BW, but it didn't work out and found this great campground with sites right on a small muddy creek. It wasn't much to look at, but the sound was nice and the grounds were beautiful. |
 |
| This load of wood was $5. Good deal at a campground! |
 |
| I rarely have fires, but figured why not? It was nice to enjoy it and I still have plenty of wood for another night. |
 |
| My turn to use Zoe's blanket. |
 |
| Reflection off the hood. When I looked back at this photo I couldn't figure out what water this would be... 😂 |
6/9 - It was super windy so I didn't want to drive, and I was so enjoying this spot, that I decided to stay another night. It was Sunday, so the few people that were at the campground on Saturday night left and I had the whole space to myself!
 |
| Plenty of lawn for the Kong Wobbler! |
 |
| Lovely green view |
 |
| back scratches and belly rubs |
 |
| EMPTY!!! |
 |
| I really like that this campground didn't have rules posted everywhere, especially about dogs. So many campgrounds say no dogs on beach, no dogs in bathrooms, no dogs in any buildings, clean up after your dog (seems like common sense, but so many do not!), keep your dog on leash. Now, these are reasonable rules, but it gets old seeing the signs. I do take Zoe into bathrooms with me because I don't have anyone to hold her. This list of rules make sense - basically be respectful and kind to others (and ourselves). |
6/10 - I left the campground and drove through Lanesboro, which I really liked. Very cute town and there was a city campground there. I was thinking it was too bad I spent the 2nd night at the last spot, but not really. It would have been fun to be camped near town to walk to a restaurant or something. But I definitely preferred the place I had stayed. I really enjoy eating out, but I don't want to do it too often. If Zoe is really tired, she will just lie down and go to sleep, but if not she can be a bit of a begging pest.
 |
| I like how these falls are varied, like this was done intentionally. Much prettier. |
 |
| Good use for this old building |
 |
| Is that comfortable, Zoe??? |
I had been told that Winona and Trempealeau MN were cute towns worth a visit. I found Winona to be too big, but we did take a short walk (hot and sunny) along the Mississippi and then we went onto Trempealeau, which was really small with not much going on on a Monday.
 |
| Mississippi River in Winona |
 |
| Trempealeau |
My next destination, which had been recommended by someone who grew up there as well as others, was La Crosse, WI. I stayed at a BW there. The people were really nice, but their driveway was a little more sloped than ideal (I dealt with it without leveling) and the road was fairly busy, so it was a bit noisy. It was fine otherwise though and in a good location. Due to the heat, we couldn't walk to town, but if it was just me then I would have since it was only about 1 mile.
 |
| Dinner spot at the Pettibone Boat Club. It was beautiful and I was able to toss Zoe's dinner on the lawn for some snuffling. |
 |
| a little sparrow thinking they should get my left over fries |
 |
| Downtown La Crosse |
June 11 - We went to Wisconsin Dells (Google maps took me to a wrong location, but it was probably my fault). It was another recommendation, but it was super touristy and not my scene. But since we were there I decided to do a boat tour since dogs are allowed. The top was full, so we sat downstairs with huge open windows and not crowded. It was probably the better option.
 |
| Zoe had no qualms about hopping aboard |
 |
| I find the layers of rocks so interesting where some are angled and then on top they are level. |
 |
| 1st stop at Witches Gulch |
 |
| Witches bathtub |
 |
| 2nd stop at Stand Rock |
 |
| If you look closely you can see a dog jumping the gap. It doesn't look like much effort, but they do have a net underneath so maybe some have missed? I think it's about 5.5 feet, which I guess it a pretty big jump. |
 |
| kinda eerie |
 |
| That slab looks like it was placed there. |
 |
| This is the Wisconsin river and the guide said it is one of the cleanest rivers and the brown you see if just tannin. I'm not sure I believe that it's clean, but maybe. The guide was new and provided some inaccurate info when asked... He needs a geology lesson. 😀 |
 |
| You can really see the angle at the bottom and horizontal above in this shot |
 |
| Two bald eagles. Not really worth the photo |
I considered staying in Wisconsin Dells as there were a couple of places noted on iOverlander, but I really didn't like the touristiness (new word) of the town so I went to a Harvest Host and I'm so glad I did. Tumbled Rock Brewery had a great parking lot with some grass. It was not far from an intersection, so not quiet, but it was fine. The really enjoyed the beer, food, and music here and had a great time hanging out outside with Zoe and chatting with some other folks.
We stayed at the Starved Rock campground and I found a nice site with lots of shade. I was looking forward to a nice shower here, but after looking at them I decided against it and showered in my van. Since there were trees around I could hang out my shower curtain to dry. I actually enjoy showering in the van!
6/13 - Woke up and noticed the right side of Zoe's snout was swollen. Bee sting? Not sure. Hopefully that's all it is. It's hard and doesn't seem to hurt her when I probe around.
 |
| comfy? Stinky? |
 |
| The wind blew the sand out of this area and it filled with water. Mother nature is amazing |
 |
| A walk on West Beach, but the biting flies were all over Zoe. She must have had at least 50 on her back. She didn't seem too irritated, but enough for us to call it quits. |
 |
| Ahhh. |
After watching the sunset at Lake View Beach, we headed to the Indiana Dune NP visitor center where they allow people to boondock and it was quite nice for a parking lot. I had seen a review about the train going close by and blowing the horn a lot in the night, but I think they must have been reviewing the wrong spot. I could hear a train in the distance, but certainly not as described, so I was happy I didn't believe that review. There were a few other campers there, but I didn't see any of them.
6/14 - We drove up the coast of Lake Michigan a bit and looked for a beach that allows dogs. I ended up going to Indiana Dunes State Park which had a section of beach at the very end for the dog beach. It was fine except it was a bit of a walk in the sand to get to the beach and guess what - it was sunny and hot and Zoe was overheating. I think I worry too much about her, because she gets so slow, but is the slowness more of a problem for me? She probably is better off than I realize. I had hoped to swim, but the water didn't look so clean close to shore, though it looked lovely further out. I just would have to go through the dirty stuff to get out. Plus, I don't know what I'd do with Zoe since she doesn't swim. She'd probably just watch me and wait, but I'd worry (there's that word again!) that she'd try to come out.
After that we went to another Harvest Host with a big lot. It was a brewery, but wasn't nearly as good or fun as the last place. It was right next to a golf course that had a trail that went around the course that is used by the golfers, but also is a trail for people to walk on, so it was nice to have that right there.
6/15 - After chatting with two couples that were also staying with HH for quite a while, we headed to Ekhart, IN to go to the RV/MH Hall of Fame museum (dog friendly!). I must have put in Ekhart instead of the museum because I ended up downtown. This was a bonus because I thought it was a cute town, though we didn't really stick around. I should have stayed and toured around and then headed to the museum. Sometimes I just want to get where I was going, but I wish I were more flexible at times like this. Again, it was hot out, so difficult to walk around with Zoe (and for me!).
I was shocked by how few people were at the museum.
 |
| Not one of my best campsite views 😆 |
6/16 - Kelleys Island, OH
I stopped at the parking area where the ferry is and the lady told me that she'd have to charge me $30 (for two spots) for my van. I said I usually park in a regular spot, but hang out a bit, and the lot was far from full, so she let me park for $15. We walked onto the ferry and enjoyed the ride. Another hot day, so it was nice to be on the water.
 |
| on the ferry |
When we got to the island, we rented a golf cart (not sure I've ever driven one before) as it was really the only way to get around. I had thought we could walk, but we wouldn't have seen much of the island and it was too warm and sunny for walking. So we toured the island. Zoe was a champ as always. We went to the Glacial Grooves and stopped for lunch before returning the cart and ferrying back to the van.
The Glacial Grooves are the most popular natural destination on Kelleys Island. Our grooves are the largest and best accessible example of this geological phenomenon anywhere in the world! The glacial grooves are 400 feet long, 35 feet wide, and up to 15 feet deep. They were created by the slow movement of the massive glacier that created the Great Lakes and Lake Erie Islands. When glaciers move across the earth, they pick up rocks, soil, and other debris, and drag them along. As the ice crept over the soft limestone bedrock of Kelleys Island, these harder bits of rock gouged the grooves that we see today. Originally, the grooves were filled with soil, debris, and quarry waste. In 1972, excavation to uncover the full extent of the grooves began, and they have been a popular tourist attraction ever since. The grooves are also important to historians, scientists and students. They give us valuable information about the direction and movement of the glaciers that shaped our entire landscape.
Off to Cleveland!
No comments:
Post a Comment