Friday September 27, 2013-ABC RV Park

This morning, several of the ladies, including Stella all got together to sew blankets for children, to be donated to hospitals in Branson. They seemed to have a good time. Stella doesn't have a sewing machine, so she couldn't do much and she came on back home. We went to Wal Mart and she shopped while I capped lots of Munzees in the huge shopping center. 

We came on back home to prepare to meet a new couple, Ken and Sue, who drove down here from Houston Missouri to meet us and to talk about full timing and asking for help in choosing a new RV. Houston Missouri is in Texas county, which is the largest county in Missouri. Has nothing to do with our meeting with them, but is interesting to me...

We had a very nice three hour visit with them and I believe that they have narrowed down their choices to a Landmark Key Largo or the new Savanna model. They are in the process of selling their "stuff" and when everything is gone, they will put their house on the market and begin their life in their RV. We wish them well in their adventures.

They stayed to eat with us tonight. We had a huge fish fry, furnished by Mike, one of the members from the Missouri chapter. Mike is an avid fisherman and a great cook! 

After supper, Ken and Sue took off for home and we sat outside, visiting. While sitting outside, I signed up two new members for the Heartland Owners club. This was my first time to sign up a newbie and it wasn't too hard. I got 'em all signed up and ready to rally! 

I have been feeling bad with a cold for the last couple of days, so I went in kind of early to take some medication and went to bed early. I felt much better this morning. 

We decided to stay here for one more day and leave Monday with several other couples that are also going to Amana Iowa. It should be a fun trip and we are looking forward to it.

So long.

Thursday September 26, 2013-ABC RV Park

We met Sam and Donna (5th wheel vagabonds), Ron and Allie (Life with the workentins) and Ken and Angela (RV Life is Good) for breakfast at the Grand Country Buffet. This is a huge complex of a hotel, water park, gift shops, entertainment area and game room for the kids.  

We had a very nice meal with our old and new friends. If you've been following, we stayed with Sam and Donna at their house outside of St. Louis in the early spring, on our way to Elkhart IN. I say early spring because it snowed on us while we were loading up to leave. They are on vacation in Branson. Ron and Allie stay and work at the Branson View Campground and Ken and Angela are going to Coffeeville Kansas to work at Amazon. We stayed in the restaurant until the breakfast food was removed and the lunch crowd started to arrive. With hugs and handshakes, we all went on our separate ways.

We came back home and took a break until around 6PM, when the group got together for a Meet and Greet. Jeff and Joy, the new chapter leaders for Missouri, had bought some tickets to a show, so they went with some friends to see that and we ran the Meet and Greet and enjoyed meeting a lot of new folks. We all sat outside in the nice weather, chatting and visiting. Great way to start the rally.

So long.

Wednesday September 25, 2013-ABC RV Park

Today is the last day of pre-rally. Many of the rally-goers have already arrived and the rest will arrive today. Unfortunately, Michael, the Chapter Leader, lost his father over the weekend, so he will not be attending. This was to be his final rally and he has already gotten someone to take his place. I will step up and assist Joy and Jeff, who will handle the rally. It will be good for them to be able to run a rally that most of the details have already been worked out. I will help them with anything they need help with.

Stella washed clothes today, so while she was doing that, I went out and did some Munzeeing. I filled up the Branson Rec Plex (Branson Recreational Complex) with Munzees and then went to the Target store and capped all of them. It was a fun day for me, and when I got home, we  gathered up some of our Heartland friends and went to the Lambert's Restaurant, home of the throwed rolls. There are three Lamberts locations and now, we have been to all three. As usual, the food was outstanding and we all enjoyed our meal.

I believe all of the arrivals have gotten here. Dan and Ann, some more of our Texas friends were just pulling in as we drove out for supper. When we got back, Joy and Jeff had just arrived and they soon came on in and pulled into their site. Now the party can begin!

So long.

Tuesday September 24, 2013-Moving Day-Peculiar Park Place RV Park to America's Best Campground, Branson Missouri

We slept later this morning because we don't have far to go today. We still pulled out about 9:30 and were soon on the highway and making good time. Most of today's trip was on a freeway and with little traffic, we zipped right along. We stopped in Ozark MO at the Wal Mart for a stretch our legs and pit stop combined. There was SO much traffic in the parking lot, but I did get a chance to cap a couple of Munzees before we left.

We got to the ABC park (America's Best Campground) about 1:30 and were soon checked in and getting set up. The last thing I do is set up the satellite dish because I can take a break after that last chore. I fooled with the dish and had a hard time getting it to lock in. I finally checked the wiring connections and found that the power cord to the antenna had broken. My friend Jon came over and we got it soldered and now it works! Thank goodness...tonight is NCIS night and the start of the new season.

Several people are going out to eat tonight, but we were just too tired. We've been driving a long way, so we begged off. We'll go with them tomorrow. I went out later in the evening and sat outside with Roy and Sally, Ron and Ann, Bette and later Bernie. We had a nice chat before the chilly night sent us inside. A very nice way to start the rally.

So long.

Monday September 23, 2013-Moving day-River View Campground to Peculiar Park Place RV Park, Peculiar Missouri

We were the last to leave River View, but at least the weather has improved. Instead of being in the 40's this morning, it was in the upper 50's, so I was able to wear shorts again for the first time in a week.

I've got to tell you about the 45 foot motor home that came in last night. It was one of those custom painted up rigs with a large matching trailer. We had been at the store getting fuel and when we came home, we saw this huge thing that was jackknifed into a site, trying to get the motor home loose from the trailer. It was right up behind the rear of our trailer and from the street, it looked like he was right up against it. I went and looked and there was plenty of room, but they made a lot of noise and let me tell you, he had to work to get that trailer parked and then get the MH loose and out of the way.

We were up early this morning to have our coffee because we have over 400 miles to go today. We made good time and were hooked up and pulling out before 9. We would have been earlier but I waited on the guy from Nobles RV to get backed out with one of the demo units. 

At any rate, we were soon on the highway and were actually out of Minnesota and into Iowa before 10. We made some good time and made a stop at a Flying J for a pit stop and to pick up some breakfast. I deployed a few Munzees and surprisingly, they were captured this afternoon!

We made a couple more pit stops and one for me to just stretch my legs from the long day's drive but pulled into the Peculiar Park Place RV Park a little after 5. This place is.....peculiar. The streets are named for Monopoly properties. Boardwalk, Marvin Gardens, St. James, Pennsylvania Ave. Our site is on Park Place Parkway. It's not a bad place, just an odd name, but it's also the name of the town it's in.

Here we are, all set up and ready to relax. We've only got a couple hundred miles to go tomorrow, to Branson MO. Should be a much easier day.

So long.

Wednesday September 18, 2013 thru Sunday September 22, 2013-Minnesota Chapter rally, Owatonna Minnesota

The Minnesota Chapter of the HOC (Heartland Owners Club) had their rally at the River View campground in Owatonna MN again this year. This is a great little park with outstanding customer service. 

One of the members in the Wisconsin members had this small sign made for the Minnesota chapter. Very nice....!

We had a small group with six rigs present but we had a great time. Congratulations Tom and Kathy for another successful rally.

We spent a lot of time around the campfire and burned up LOTS of firewood, which was furnished by the park. Just look at the size of that log! It took all night for it to burn up.

When we weren't at the campfire, we sat around the fireplace in the community room. Very nicely appointed and comfortable.

Noble RV furnished a couple of trailers to show. Several people from the park looked at them also and we were grateful for their support.

The Straight river runs beside the park, hence the name, River View Campground. The river doesn't look so straight to me...

Gorgeous blue skies most days. Cool temperatures every night, making that fire pit earn it's keep!

Saturday we went on a tour of the historic National Farmer's Bank of Owatonna. The bank was built in 1908 by a man named Louis Sullivan for the owners of the bank. Sullivan had a young fellow working for him on this project as a draftsman named Frank Lloyd Wright that you may have heard of. The bank has changed hands since the original owners built it and has been remodeled several times since being built, and is still a very nice building.

This is where we spent much of our time this weekend. Very, very nice... 

I put some copper into the firepit resulting in some pretty colors. 

Our happy group!

We saw some old friends and made some new ones this weekend. We may not come back to this park next year, but you can bet we'll come back in the future.

So long.

Tuesday September 17, 2013-River View Campground

It was cold this morning, about 44 degrees! I got up early as usual and turned the fireplace on, and Stella and the dogs were piled up under the covers in bed, so everyone was nice and warm and we slept in until 8:30. This is very late for us, but I guess we were tired from the trip down yesterday.

It was cloudy and looked like rain all day, so it was a day of laying around in sweats and watching the work go on, on the road in front of the park. At least we had great television to watch!

Tramp and I went exploring up onto the upper levels of the park. There we found several Heartland trailers but they are all seasonal and no one was home. We had a nice walk and found a nice playground that is also used as a animal playground. It is surrounded by dense brush and trees and I thought about letting Tramp off his leash but at the last second, I chickened out. He has never been allowed outside without a leash without a fenced-in area and since I wasn't familiar with the area, I didn't want to start now.

I've got to tell you about Grandson #2 Cameron. He has started playing football again this year and last week was his first game. He plays on both offense and defense but likes defense better. He is proud of his strength and his ability to knock other boys out of the game with his hits. Last week, he knocked another kid out of the game with a possible concussion. I have cautioned him about playing dirty and purposely hurting other boys, but he said they were all legal hits. I remember the day when I played football and had the same attitude. He played tonight but I haven't talked to him yet. I'll let you know how the game went.

So long.

Monday September 16, 2013-Moving Day-Prairie View RV Park to River View Campground

It is cold this morning, 44 degrees! We didn't get in any hurry to leave, but Stella had done a lot of her packing inside and the outside is very fast now. This Landmark seems to pack up easier because of the Level Up, electric cord reel and the televisions don't have to be secured. The furniture slides make it very easy to move the chairs, so over all, we are very happy with this trailer.

We still pulled out about 9:45 but only have 150 miles to go today. There was little traffic on the roads, so we made great time. We made one pit stop along the way, but the whole trip was uneventful until we arrived.

Stella had called ahead and got directions to the park, but she was warned about road work on the road to the park. When we reached the area where the park was, we had to change lanes into the oncoming lane because of gravel that had been dropped on the road in our lane. Right in front of the park, there was a flagperson, a dump truck on the wrong side of the road and a grader that was smoothing out the gravel, and coming toward us! It's no wonder I was distracted and missed the turn! Stella missed it too...

Anyway, we drove another mile or so before realizing that we had missed the park. We made a turn-around and went back and had no trouble finding the turn. When we arrived, we were met by Deb, the owner of the park, who escorted us into our site. She had errands to run and said to come by the office later in the afternoon to get checked in. Talk about an easy-going attitude! We finished getting set up and we later walked down to the office and paid our bill. I remarked to Deb about not being able to get a TV signal but she said that others had been able to use their antennas. I told her that I had tried many other locations in my site but couldn't find a hole in the trees. I made a joking remark about the only place I could "see" the satellites was in the middle of the street. 

We went back home and I took my travel-day nap. I worked on the batwing rooftop antenna and got it tuned in while Stella fixed us some supper, and had just finished eating when we got a knock on the door. It was Steve, Deb's husband and the other owner of park. He said that Deb had told him that we were having trouble with our antenna. I went out with him and even showed him the app on my phone for finding the satellites, and he could see that we couldn't get through the trees. He suggested putting the antenna in the street as I had said, and even went to get some saw horses, orange cones and some yellow tape to secure and protect my antenna. Wow, what customer service!

I can honestly say that I've never had an RV park owner allow any guest to do this. Steve said that there is still plenty of room for cars to go around and that most of the other guests here are seasonal that won't be here this weekend anyway, so I should be fine. Guess who's going to get a great review?

We got a message later in the evening that Grandson #1, Tyler, got his drivers license today. Congratulations Tyler, lookout Texas...

So long.

Friday September 13, 2013-Prairie View RV Park

Friday we got up early to see Warren and Judy off. Wow, I'm impressed- they left about 6:30! We stayed in today and relaxed and I did a little cleaning up outside. Rain was forecast but it never did rain until later in the afternoon and then all night. It was a cold and rainy night and a good night to stay inside.

Saturday morning, bright and early, Carl called and asked us to go out for breakfast and then to go for a ride with them. Of course we accepted and they came by and picked us up. We went to a place called Valentino's Restaurant in nearby Montevideo. There we met a delightful waitress named Jacky. She knew Carl and Faye and met them with hugs, but she immediately made us feel welcome and continued to give outstanding service. She made some excellent suggestions on our meal selections and was the high point of our meal. If you're ever in the area, be sure to go by Valentino's and ask for Jacky. You won't be disappointed.

After breakfast, even though it was still raining, we went to the Swensson's Farm and museum. The Historical Society opens the farm once a month and offers demonstrations of the farm equipment and members bring in livestock to actually operate farm machinery. The rain wasn't too bad and we had a great time walking around the property. The house was built in the 1840's and much of the furnishings, tools and equipment remain on display. Carl took us for a drive out into the countryside showing us some of the local resident's houses and yards. He and Faye are originally from this area, so it was a very interesting drive.

It was a great way to end our time with them. They will be hosting a rally that starts tomorrow and we will be leaving on Monday, so I will have chores to do to get ready to move. 

So long.

Thursday September 12, 2013-Prairie View RV Park

We toured Carl's "shed" where he keeps his new motor home. It's about as much a shed as a Cadillac is just another car. It was owned by a builder and custom built for his office and warehouse. It is heavily insulated and heated but of course, Carl and Faye are not here in the winter. There is plenty of room for the motor home, with a drain located in the floor under the MH. Plenty of storage for anything imaginable and a small office where Carl can relax while working. I didn't bring my camera so didn't get any photos.

This afternoon we went to the Grandview Winery. This is a small family-owned winery just outside Granite Falls, out in the country. We tasted several of their wines, but none of them struck Stella's fancy and we didn't buy anything. This place is also known for their pizza, and we all had a great time while we enjoyed a pizza. 

It was another very nice day with our friends. Sadly, Warren and Judy must leave tomorrow and we plan to leave on Monday. Perhaps we'll have some more adventures and fun before we leave.

So long

Wednesday September 11, 2013-Prairie View RV Park

I want to begin today's entry by remembering the events that happened on this date. No one will ever forget the attack on the United States at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the failure of an attack on the White House in 2001. Let us also remember those that died in the attack on our consulate in Benghazi and the fact that no one has been brought to justice.

Carl took us to the Fagen Flying Museum that is located on the outskirts of Granite Falls. The airport is dedicated to the Second World War. Ron Fagen and his family have built a very nice museum of both aircraft, equipment and vehicles from the "big war". The airport is actually a working airport and the airplanes are in flying condition. It's a pretty amazing place, especially when you realize that it is all privately owned.

                                      

Here is our little group, Carl, Faye, Stella, Judy and Warren. The soldier demonstrates what a commander of an air group would look like as he talked to his men, preparing for a mission. Notice the map of Europe and a small part of England on the wall behind. Carl was stationed at several locations in Germany during his time in the Air Force. Thank you Carl and all the other veterans for your service to the country. 

                                      

The first aircraft that I will show you is a glider that was used to carry both troops and equipment behind enemy lines. This airplane is probably the only one that is not ready to fly because it has been cut away to show the construction of the craft. the left wing has been mounted on the wall beside it to show how large the wings were.

A BT-13A Valiant

A P51D Mustang

A Curtis Wright P40 Flying Tiger

A P38 Lightning

A P40 Warhawk

This is a demonstration of the invasion of Normandy beach. It is hard to imagine the bravery of those men, who ran ashore into a withering gunfire from the enemy. Ron Fagen's father went in on D-Day and this is in his memory. The sand in this demonstration actually came from Utah beach in France.

This is what a radioman and his gear looked like. 

An army ambulance, used in the war. When I worked for the Dickinson Police Dept. we acquired one of these vehicles through the surplus vehicle plan from the government. I actually drove it and we used it extensively during Hurricane Alicia.

This is a fifty caliber machine gun in the wing of a P-51 Mustang. Have you heard the term "the whole nine yards"? Do you know where it came from? When a fighter pilot shot up all of his ammunition, he shot "the whole nine yards". His ammunition belt held twenty seven feet of ammo, or nine yards. 

We returned home for a short break and to let Warren and Judy get some fish together for our supper. We brought it over to C & F's house where we cooked the fish with them making the side dishes, and we had a wonderful meal. We spent the rest of the evening visiting before returning home. Warren drove this afternoon, so there wasn't near the drama in getting home as yesterday.

So long.

Tuesday September 10, 2013-Prairie View RV Park

It has been warm here, almost like back in Texas, just not quite as hot. Everyone has been complaining about the unseasonable heat and it did get up to about 90 degrees today. 

Our friends Warren and Judy arrived today, so the party officially began. Carl and Faye invited us over to eat at their house. They fixed us a delicious meal of chicken and mashed potatoes and we had a great time with out friends, catching up on their travels as well as ours. We miss our times at Rayford Crossing. Maybe someday we'll go back.

I drove over to Carl and Faye's house since Warren and Judy had just arrived and were tired. The trip across town was short and uneventful, but the trip back home was a different story! I seldom drive at night and there is a good reason for that. I made one little wrong turn and you should have heard it! No one was ever in danger and we weren't really lost, but you'd have thought I took us out into the desert. We all had a good laugh at my expense and we were soon home, safe and sound.

So long

Monday September 9, 2013-Moving Day-St Paul east RV Park to Prairie View RV Park, Granite Falls MN

We woke at 6 when the alarm clock went off, although I personally thought it was too early to get up. Today is moving day but we've only got about 140 miles to go today, but I went ahead and got up and started checking the news and events online. Stella stayed in bed until after 7 and after a cup of coffee, she was warming up some breakfast for me. I was soon in the shower and before we knew it, we were ready to go. Not bad, a little after 9, with no prior preparation.

The route we chose was easy to follow, and with almost no traffic, we made excellent time. We made one pit stop in Glencoe MN for a potty stop and for Stella to pick up a sandwich, which we split. We pulled into the RV park right about noon and were soon set up. 
`

Here we are all set up and ready to have fun with our friends that will be arriving tomorrow.

I spoke with one of our friends that live here in Granite Falls and he offered to come pick us up to go to is house for a visit before going to eat. He took us on a drive around town and then to his house where we stayed for a couple of hours. We decided to come back out here to the casino next door to the RV park and eat supper there. Although we had to wait a long time to get served, the meal was very good and we enjoyed our time with our friends. Our friends Warren and Judy will be here tomorrow from their home. We can't wait to see them.

So long.

Saturday September 8, 2013-St Paul east RV Park

Friday we drove over to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to take a tour there. When we arrived, we learned that the Refuge covers over 11,000 acres, divided into eight units strung along 34 miles of the Minnesota river. The Refuge is one of four that is set in an urban area, and the visitor center is only a few blocks from the Mall of America. We walked around and looked at the displays of plants and animals found on the refuge. We took a walk on a couple of the paved walkways, observing many birds but no wildlife. It was hot, and I am sure that the animals are smart enough to stay in their dens or bedding areas where it is nice and cool. I capped a couple of Munzees before leaving.

We came on back home and stayed inside, out of the heat! It cooled off later in the afternoon and we sat outside and visited with our neighbors, Jim and Elaine who are from Rockwall TX and some other guests here in the park, Keith and Ann who are from the Conroe TX area. There is another Texas couple in the park but we haven't seen them. They have a very cool satellite dish that is painted like the Texas flag. 

Saturday was a chore day. Stella washed our dirty clothes while I straightened up inside the trailer. It was very hot again, so we stayed inside out of the heat. We decided to go eat some oriental food and found the Grand Buffet. The food was pretty good and we enjoyed our meal out. We have been trying to eat at home as much as we can because it is cheaper and healthier. I think we've both felt better since doing this.

We got together with the other Texans again this evening and had some delightful conversations with them, comparing our travels and all giving tips to the others for places to go and things to see. This is just one of the reasons that we love our lifestyle.

A small note of caution. I got the new a couple of days ago that my brother Phil accidentally amputated the end of his little finger. He was on vacation with his family and had just gotten into the car. They were in Bandera TX where it is very hot and had left the windows down slightly for keep the car a little cooler. His son was driving the car and after starting the car, he raised the windows. Phil had his fingers between the window glass and the frame when the window started to go up and the very tip of his little finger was cut off. After surgery he lost the end of his finger to the first joint. I'm very hopeful that everything will work out for Phil and just want to warn readers about something that we've all probably done. I know I have done it and never even thought about a window glass causing this type of injury. 

Please be safe my friends.

So long.

Thursday September 5, 2013-St Paul east RV Park

We had a nice relaxing day around here today. We just stayed home and relaxed all day, but spent a lot of time sitting outside enjoying the cool weather. We visited with some of our neighbors that were leaving today, and it's kind of funny that almost everyone we meet has some kind of ties to Texas. They are either former residents or intend to be. Some spend the winter along the coast of Texas and many have grown children that live in Texas. 

I walked around the park this morning and realized that this is a much larger park than I had first thought. There is another area behind us that will hold about 10-15 additional trailers and behind that is a huge dog walking area that is probably 10 acres. This park was a KOA at one time but is privately owned now. It has been here for awhile because there are corn fields on one side and new apartments going up on the other side. The area is growing rapidly and I'm sure that the park's days are numbered until some developer comes along and buys it and turns it into a subdivision or shopping center.

We just lazed around today but tonight I noticed that both dogs were very relaxed.  

How can this be comfortable? 

I woke both of them up with the first picture.

At least the dogs are able to relax and enjoy their time here.

So long.

Wednesday September 4, 2013-St Paul east RV Park

We made the 20 mile trip over to Bloomington to visit the Mall of America. This place is a MONSTER! and major tourist attraction, with an estimated 40 million visitors each year. We covered about 1/3 of the mall in about 2 1/2 hours and even though it's the largest mall in the United States, there was nothing unusual about it except the sheer size.

 The main entrance on the south side.

 There are four floors, packed with stores selling anything you can imagine.

 The huge amusement park is a kid's dream come true.

 The fourth floor is mostly a set of fourteen theaters.

 Two roller coasters that zoom around overhead. What surprised us was the number of kids in the mall on a Wednesday.

 Another shot of the fast-moving cars on the roller coaster.

 Sorry for the blurred picture, but those things are FAST!

 A sort-of teeter totter coaster. This things twirls around while it rocks side-to-side. Makes me nauseous just watching it. 

 Even an old-time merry-go-round.

 Bumper cars.

 The entrance to one of the rides.

 An odd shaped house. Anyone for a pineapple cottage?

 Ninja Turtles

 Lego-Land

 A Lego Transformer and a Lego helicopter

 Back side of the Transformer

 Front side of the helicopter. 

 More Lego figures. Pretty cool stuff isn't it?

This globe travels around on a track while twirling around. 

After leaving the mall, I tried to find some Munzees that were in the area but there was simply too much traffic. There are lots of Munzees in the area but I haven't found very many of them. Most of the ones have been in parks, and specifically in trees and bushes, which I hate! They are tiny and very difficult to see in foliage so I pretty much ignore them. I haven't found any in shopping centers or parking lots where I prefer to look. I'll probably search some more before we leave.

So long.

Monday September 2, 2013-Moving Day-Country Village RV Park to St. Paul East RV Park

We finally pulled out of Ishpeming MI this morning after a three week stay. We enjoyed our time here, even though it's a bit high priced but we attended the Michigan HOC rally and had a great time with them. We made some new friends and saw several old ones.

It was cold with a misting rain this morning. My friend Dan told me to expect cooler temperatures after Labor Day, and he was right! My thermometer showed 50 which agreed with the Internet temp for Ishpeming. When I got in the truck, the truck temp was 48 and stayed there for most of the way through Michigan. The misting rain came and went, so it was messy outside. At least there was very little traffic this morning. Labor day you know...

We were up early this morning and began working just after 7 AM. We made good time, even though I had a low tire on the truck that I had to fix before leaving. As soon as I took my air hose out, two of our neighbors came by. One was a man that we met who has Texas tags on his motor home and car (toad) but he said he is an Escapee with a Livingston address. To those of you that don't know about the Escapees, they are probably the largest group of full timers and their main home base is in Livingston TX. The other was a neighbor across the street. I tell you, working on either the truck or trailer is like a bug light for men. As soon as you drag out a tool or open the hood of a vehicle, there they are.

Anyway, we drove out of the park before 9 and were on the road again... I made a couple if cautionary stops to check the low tire, but everything was fine. We saw some deer about five miles from the park, but they were on the side of the road and the train horn kept them off the road.

We made our customary pit stops and still made good time through Michigan, into Wisconsin and into Minnesota. The odd thing is, none of the borders were marked with signs. I saw a state line road when leaving Michigan and entering Wisconsin, but there were no signs of a border crossing. 

We stopped for a quick lunch and doggie break in a little town in Wisconsin. We had been looking for a truck stop or a store with a large parking lot so we wouldn't have trouble getting out. It seemed like every time we saw one, we were past the entrance and didn't want to turn around to try to maneuver in. We finally found one and got an easy place to park in. Stella and I split a ham and cheese sandwich and of course, two coffees. Keeps me awake, because Stella yells at me when I nap when driving. 

We entered Minnesota in Duluth. Other than being a very cold place in the winter, I didn't know too much about it. I noticed that it has a huge harbor with many ships in port. I did a little research and learned that it is the 4th largest city in Minnesota and sits on the westernmost end of Lake Superior. I wish I'd thought of it as a stopover for a couple of days, but we've got reservations in St. Paul.

We ran into some pretty bad traffic as we approached Minneapolis/St Paul but it wasn't too bad. The only puzzling thing was that for some reason, traffic would slow for no apparent reason. After Houston traffic, this was a breeze. We are traffic warriors!

We are back on Central time now, and it's good to be back! At least all of our television shows will be back to normal and I won't have to stay up past ten if I don't want to. 

We're glad to be here for a week and will soon see our friends Carl and Faye and Warren and Judy in Granite Falls. Fair warning, there are lots of Munzees in Minnesota, so be prepared....

So long.

Saturday August 31, 2013-Country Village RV Park

This is the Teal Lake Lodge area near Marquette Michigan. I found it while capturing some Munzees. It's a beautiful little park with a ski lift that isn't open yet. I'll bet it is really pretty when covered with snow!

I can just imagine sitting at the table with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate while watching the skiing. Notice I did NOT say I want to ski!

The small ski lift is inside the fence, and is currently closed. I'm sure it gets a lot of action when the snow flies. Incidentally, I was told by one of the workers here at the park, that the month of August is the only month that has not had snow since he's been working here. He said that one year, they had a big celebration planned for the 4th of July and got some big ol' snowflakes instead.

I'm not a skier, either snow or water, but I can't imagine flying down this hill with the lake in front of you. Of course, the lake is probably frozen up, so you just go out on the ice. Can you tell that I'm a south Texas boy that has never been in a lot of snow? Or NEVER snow skied?

The lake as viewed from water level. Glassy smooth! 

I've made it a point to have someone photograph me standing in the various Great Lakes that we've visited. Since there is no one with me, here I am standing in Teal Lake

This is the ski lift that is closed for the summer. I'm sure that they will cut the grass inside the fence before the season begins. It will surely look different with a few feet of snow on top.

Breathtaking view!

So long.