Thursday, June 28, 2007 – Calgary

Today was a short hop because we were trying to get close enough to Calgary to be able to drive in but not get too far from the dinosaur digs. So we ended up in Strathmore, Alberta – about 30 miles east of Calgary. We got here shortly after noon, and following a quick bite to eat (and a quick nap for yours truly), we headed to the big city.

And what a big, modern, sophisticated, shiny city it is, this Calgary town. Not too many horses or cattle in the street though there stampede banners on each light pole. As is the case in many larger cities, they have converted many of their downtown streets to one-way. After fighting through the afternoon traffic just to get downtown, we drove up one street and back down the next. I did the driving; Margaret did the rubber necking. Lots of shiny glass high-rises, flowers, indoor gardens, museums, galleries, theatres, etc,

A large portion of towndown houses the financial district. I think every Canadian bank has a large office building there. There was another huge building for the Canadian Stock exchange – Calgary branch?

Because of the winter weather, there is a pedestrian walkway over just about every street and one in almost every block connecting the buildings at the second or third floors. Today though, the folks were out and about, just enjoying the weather. Even though it’s cloudy, it is in the mid-70’s. Attire ranged from shorts to business suits. We even spotted one fellow in a tuxedo, sans bow tie.

One eye-catching structure in downtown is the Calgary Tower. (Photo above.) I believe the elevator announcement (on the way up) said it was 540 feet and the tallest single-structure observation tower in the world – then went to say above sea-level, since we’re about 3,600 feet above sea-level (according to my altimeter).

One of the tower “features” on the observation deck is a glass floor over the street so you look straight down. It goes without saying that yours truly did not try it out. Margaret, however, was brave and walked and stood on the glass. “It was quite a sight, the tiny people below and the cars zipping past.”

There was a group of Japanese tourists, college-age. One young man was afraid of heights and didn’t want to try it out. To his credit, he finally got up nerve to crawl out on the glass on his bum – while clutching the post behind him with one hand and the viewing window support with the other – he succeeded in inching out about a foot, then threw in the towel. His friends tried everything from encouragement to pushing. He was stressed and sweating. (See photo above.)

How does one photograph a scenic from an observation deck when afraid of heights? Point and shoot? Close your eyes and hope for the best? Fortunately, Margaret didn’t have this problem. The problem is trying to capture all the downtown in one photo. The above photo gives you a feel for downtown.

M. We got up and out early this morning, stopping to buy a Medicine Hat newspaper to see if it covered the excitement of yesterday. Nothing there, or on the evening news. Neither did we see the police return to question our neighbor who saw the suspect running through the camp area and down the hill. From the newspaper, we learned they have their fair share of crime, ethnic problems, and gangs. I suppose there are few countries free from that.

While I was getting change (a loonie and four quarters), a lady came up to me and asked if I knew the area, as she was from Nevada. I replied “some”, as I was from Florida. This caused a chuckle. But she was antiquing and wanted to start at the best places. The manager helped her, and me as I couldn’t find the slot for the loonie – neither could she. We had a good laugh.

Another odd observation of something adapted to the cold winters – the car was so dirty we found a do-it-yourself car wash to get the worst off. We have seen many cars that are almost unrecognizable due to the caked-on grime. Well, we pulled into this two-story building to find the interior divided into 8 stalls, four per side, each separated by a blue tarp (and I thought those were only used for hurricane roofing). You insert your money, extract the wand and hose the car in the normal manner. The sign next to the directions requested that we not “dwell” there after the wash was completed. We didn’t.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Medicine Hat, Alberta

M. It is a stellar day, bright sunshine under the clear blue dome of sky, and enough breezes to enjoy without having to be tied down. Even the locals said the wind had been terrible. Such nice people.

Today we drove into the historic area of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The wide and muddy South Saskatchewan River has cut deeply into the earth and the town is located in the river valley. From the plain or mesa above, you’d not know the town was there. The name is derived from an Indian legend.

We visited the historic clay district, the area’s first industry, and we toured the Medalta site and the large beehive kilns that produced everything from sewer pipes and pressed brick, to telephone pole insulators, WWII army mess settings, water coolers, butter churners, umbrella stands, chicken feeders, hotel settings, to crocks and bowls and bed pigs. What is a bed pig? A stoneware water bottle for those cold nights when it is windy and 40 below outside!

The kilns were very interesting; how they channeled the heat from multiple gas heaters along the bottom of the structure to a central chimney; the different sized cones used to determine the heat, etc. I have several friends who are potters and I was glad to have familiarity with many of the terms, but the scale of the production was amazing.

A railroad line ran along side the main building delivering white clay and picking up the finished products for distribution throughout Canada, and indeed the world. Inside there were more rails connecting various points in the production process, gears, pulleys, chutes – all very sophisticated, all designed for mass production. Production utilized natural gas to heat the kilns, a piped-in resource of the area.

Most of the standard pieces like the crocks were made using molds, the root beer bottles were thrown by hand – the gentleman puffed on his pipe while turning out 600 a day. When the owner told him he didn’t approve of smoking, to stop or be fired, the fellow walked out. The owner made an exception to the rule the very next day.

I recognized one of the patterns and the guide said that different pieces of that pattern, available in six colors, were free inside a box of Tide. It was fascinating, and I regretted that my potter friends were not there to enjoy it.

W. Margaret is much more knowledgeable than I about this pottery-making thing, so I asked her to write the first part. I just stood around asking dumb questions! There were only four of us on this particular tour – a couple from San Diego, CA, and us. The lady has been a potter for over 34 years and was in seventh-heaven!

Among the miscellaneous things learned: -40 Celsius is equal to -40 Fahrenheit. I’m sure I knew that once but since it was totally academic (growing up in Florida), I didn’t retain that information. Here, it is not an academic issue! As the tour guide said, in Medicine Hat, the temperature ranges from -40 to +40 degrees Celsius (-40 F to +104 F).

Yesterday morning I was sure I heard thunder, but when I looked outside, it was blue sky from horizon to horizon. Today, our tour guide mentioned that the UK Commonwealth’s largest military training base was only about 18 miles west of us and that they frequently announce when they’ll be having bombing practice. I asked about yesterday’s sound and he confirmed that was what it was!

Another interesting relic of WWII is in regard to the above mentioned training base west of here. The South Saskatchewan River flows through the base and the topography is similar to the Rhine in Germany – thus the desirability of training here, that and the miles of open terrain in which to drill.

We’ve seen lots of fair-haired folks here. I thought maybe they were of Scottish descent (easier to immigrate from one part of the UK to another?), but the tour guide said that a large portion of the local populace were German descendents.

Tomorrow we head towards Calgary. We picked out several possible campgrounds just east of town. With the Calgary stampede scheduled to start on July 6th, we probably won’t be able to find an empty spot anywhere close to Calgary after the middle of next week. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but for the moment, we’re going to try and stay in the vicinity so we can see Calgary and the dinosaur digs northeast of Calgary.

Excitement! Our campsite is on a promontory overlooking the South Saskatchewan river (although we can’t see if from inside the camper). Anyway, about 5 minutes ago, while Suki was out wandering, a red pickup went flying by, stopped and went flying backwards. Followed shortly by two guys with the word POLICE on their shirts headed down the hill, yelling into their radios, “Shots fired.” And we heard the shots – four of them in fact! Finally, as one of the policemen ran by, I asked if we should be worried and said we were good. We’re now watching the local news to see if there are any details.

More details. After learning the coast was clear, we went to the crest to see what we could see (typical lookey-loos!). A policeman came up the hill talking on his radio – “We have the two bodies(?) in custody and we shot the dog.” He asked us and another couple if we’d seen anything. We hadn’t but the others had and said they saw a man running with a pit bull climb over the fence and head down the slope. The policeman said that was what they were after and they’d be back to interview the couple. So, it was a pit bull the police shot and the owners(?) were in custody. At this point it doesn’t appear they shot anyone – just the dog.

Finally, the first photo is of the four kilns at the Medalta facility. The second is of some of the clay products made – including the “bed pigs” (the three horizontal vessels at right-center).

That’s enough excitement for one day. I’ll stop and see if I can send this out using my Verizon PC card.

Tuesday - June 26 - Medicine Hat

Getting on the Internet in Medicine Hat, Alberta, has proven to be the most difficult so far on the trip. No WiFi at the campground - I believe it's a city campground (as opposed to private). The one place in town I was told had WiFi, didn't. So here I am at Starbuck's at $7.50 / hour!

We just thought we had seen wind. Even though we are in a grove of trees, the wind still howled all night and rocked the motor-home. We survived. I caught the end of a news item last night on TV that there had been a damaging tornado somewhere in Canada. I could never tell where, but the station was in Calgary - about 150 miles NW of us.

Today it is still windy, but a lot warmer - about 65 degrees. The weather guy on TV last night said the "storm" was moving NE from us and promised a week of warm weather - at one point he said it could be close to 35 degree Celsius (95 degree Farenheit). That's too warm. But at the moment, it's very nice.

We are laying low today; laundry, grocery shopping, etc. As I mentioned earlier, we had planned to stay here for 4 nights and see some of the surrounding sights, but since that won't work, we'll leave here Thursday and try and find something up the road - towards Calgary.

The Calgary Stampede is July 6 - 9th. So we'll see if we can maneuver our schedule so that we could take it in. I think the problem will be finding a campground close enough to Calgary that isn't filled with other folks trying to attend the Stampede.

Today's photo is from the T-Rex Centre. The third shelf form the floor contains the tail bones from T-Rex. It does not include the backbone / spine - these are just the tail bones. Not sure of the length but it's got to be over 10 feet long. Impressive.

Monday, June 25,2007 EastEnd

Monday, June 25, 2007 in Medicine Hat, Alberta

We didn’t get snow this morning but it looked and felt like it -- anyway, quite cool. It rained all night. When I got up at 7:00 I didn’t see any clouds – just blue sky. (Did we mention that it’s quite light at 4:30 a.m. and still light at 10:00 p.m.? A consequence of being so far north during the summer solstice.) We pulled out immediately, afraid of getting stuck in the mud if there was another downpour. An hour later, the sky was dark and ominous; by 9:00 a.m., the bottom dropped out. Never got any serious wind, but the rain did come down in torrents.

We arrived at the T-Rex Discovery Centre shortly after they opened. I’ll let Margaret fill in the details.

The three photos were all taken inside the centre (obviously). All three are of various T-Rex’s. These of course are duplicates, but not necessarily for the reason I would have thought. These particular T-Rex’s are estimated to have weighed in at over 12,000 pounds – and that’s the bone and flesh version. When the bones fossilize – turn to stone – an original skeleton would 2 – 3 times that amount and couldn’t be supported on a display stand.

But the centre did have lots of original fossils to touch and feel. Quite interesting.

After visiting the centre, we drove on – more endless stretches of prairie and straight rough roads – back to Trans Canada Hwy 1 where we turned west and into Medicine Hat. We had intended to stay 4 nights and catch up on chores, shopping, and visiting the local sights, but I could only get a spot for 3 nights. So we’ll move on up the road. It’s supposed to get warmer (and drier?) tomorrow. We’ll see.

Glad we’re not driving at the moment (about 4:00 p.m. on Monday). We’re sitting in the campground rocking from the wind. Can’t tell how hard it’s blowing but it’s got to be over 40mph – the trees are almost bent double, and our 24,000 pound rolling home is a swaying. Doesn’t feel like we’ll flip, but I’m just happy to be sitting still with our stabilizer legs down!

We have written about the sweeping vistas and distances from horizon to horizon. But one thing that continues to amaze are the trains. Coming across the prairie, they look like giant millipedes crawling along. You imagine you can even see the curvature of the earth as the trailing part of the train dips – no longer a “straight” line. Fascinating stuff.

M. The Centre was fabulous and worth the hours of driving on horrible roads. The Centre is built into the hillside; the only clue to its existence is the curve of bronze colored window panels. No structure is visible. Almost as if the Center, itself, was unearthed from an earlier time.

There was a short film which was excellent and a tour, after which the visitor was free to explore the center alone, touch, photograph, and imagine.

The skulls which were on display were casts, and varied greatly. For instance, the color of the skulls was determined by the medium in which they were fossilized. One was called Black Beauty, the bones taking a black hue from manganese in the soil, while Scotty was red from iron. The length of the jaw varied by feet, as did the distance from the lower nostril to the top of the teeth. One skull was narrow and long, another shorter but wider. Very odd. Sex is unknown as there is no determinate. One theory stated the larger specimens were female because of the wider pelvis. As these were egg-laying creatures, who knows; no T-rex eggs have ever been found either. Neither was T-rex a social creature – must have been his disposition – as fossils have always been found singularly.

The teeth were nasty looking, 6” long or more, serrated on the leading and back edges which would allow the creature to slice up his meal, which he swallowed in chunks rather than chew, with his own full set of steak knives. There were several teeth to feel, and they felt sharp. The T-rex also was able to re-grow teeth if he lost one or left a canine in a victim. They ate their weight in meat weekly, 6.6 tons, whether freshly killed or found, they weren’t particular.

There were other specimens on display as well. The best, I though, was a skull of a Triceratops, a vegetarian and probably a dinner favorite of the big T. It had survived an attack losing part of its right mantle. Its three horns had protected it, that time. The horns when cut open showed rings as you would find in a tree trunk. One of its bones showed tiny tracks long its length. The tracks were where blood vessels ran. The entire creature was unearthed after a maintenance worker operating a road scraper hit its jaw bone, and stopped to see what the problem was. Now how many times does one hit a fossil?

There were a number of mammalian and sea creature fossils as well. Some bones were so tiny it was a wonder how they could have been recognized as bones – much less belonging to a creature, much less recovered and reassembled. Sections of Scotty’s tail vertebrae were laid out in order on a shelf in the lab. Another large piece of Scotty weighing several tons, still encased in white plaster, was awaiting its turn to be opened like a long-awaited egg.

There were many things for children, of which I felt like one. A table display allowed the visitor to heft
an actual bone and compare it to a cast one. Know the difference? A real fossilized bone is heavier due to the accumulation of minerals; it has a tone to it when tapped similar to the ring of your grandmother’s favorite tea cup, it is smooth on the outside and porous inside – just like a bone, and it is cold to the touch. Now you know how to tell a fake from the genuine.

Sunday evening, 24 June 2007

We just thought we had found the edge of the world, the end of the world, the nothingness of nothing. But today came close. After our morning dining ala Tim Horton (What; you haven’t heard of Tim Horton?), we left Moose Jaw in a spattering of rain shortly after 10:00 and headed into dark and threatening clouds.

Ok, for those of you that haven’t visited Canada, Tim Horton seems to be a fixture in every larger-than-small Canadian town. In terms of presence, I would rate it slightly above Burger King but below MacDonald’s in the USA. Tim Horton serves breakfast sandwiches (ala MacDonald’s), a wide range of bakery goods, fresh fruit, various deli-style sandwiches, soups, but NOTHING fried! Imagine that, a fast-food restaurant without a French fry in sight! But the parking lots have been full and the drive-thru lines long at every one we’ve seen.

Once out of Moose Jaw and headed west on Canada Hwy 1, we ran into the rain. Never torrential, but intermittently consistent (how’s that for a contradiction in terms?), it rained right up until we stopped around 3:30 in Eastend. Why? Because it is where the very first complete T-Rex bones (named Scotty) were discovered in Canada.

We are less than 50 miles from the USA / Canadian border, but truly in the middle of nowhere. No surprise that T-Rex remained undiscovered for so long!

It is quite chilly this evening. We are camped in the town (Eastend) campground / ballpark. After circling the campground / ballpark twice, we elected to pull into a large space (no pull thru’s). Margaret took a nap while I finished a book and walked over to check on the camping fee - $15 Canadian for water / electricity. We are the only folks in here – guess the summer high season has not arrived.

Tomorrow we will visit the T-Rex discover site and other local attractions. The wind is quite brisk tonight and given all the rain we’ve seen today, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t get snow showers tonight. Even though it was in the high 80’s yesterday, everyone we meet this far north says they’ve seen snow in every month of the year. I’ll let you know if we get snowed in!

M. As we were driving to town, I saw the semicircular wall of glass enclosing the T-rex center. The mass of the building is built into the hillside, in a hobbit-like manner. We are parked against a similar low rise, cut at the bottom by a stream; the ground is yellow clay supporting the prairie grasses and shrubs where small chattering birds swoop. Sitting here as the sun gets low on the horizon, listening to the wind, and looking at the curve of the slope, it is easy to imagine a giant lizard stalking along the rise. If there was one, are there now others? What else have they found? What haven’t they found? Is it still alive? Looking forward to tomorrow.

Looking out the other way, there is a community of prairie dogs discussing their new neighbors in the white container. They have decided to post sentries, just in case. I just noticed that the birds have nests in the yellow clay face, holes into which they dart. Perhaps they are martens.

Today’s photo was taken at Buffalo Pound yesterday. I don’t know what these plants are called but they grow wild in wet areas and when the light is right, they have a bright silver leaf. We’ve seen them in several places in Canada so they have to be some kind of weed, we haven’t seen any under “cultivation”. But they can be pretty in their large masses.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Our last full day in Moose Jaw, we awoke at 5:15 a.m. to the sound of thunder and wind in the surrounding trees. Knowing that freak summer storms can occur with heavy rain, hail, and possibly damaging winds (a neighbor had had their awning ripped off, metal and all), I got up and closed all windows and vents and ran in the slides. Went back to bed and finally arose at 9:00. It had rained, there were dark clouds to the north and frequent lightning, but no local storm.

We had originally planned a long excursion north from here to some large lakes, but after yesterday’s long drive, we elected to lay low with a short jaunt to the Buffalo Pound. According to our sources it is where the Indian tribes used to drive buffalo to corral and kill them – pre-horses. Modern man has dammed the river and created a long lake and a provincial park for campers and hikers to enjoy.

We expected to find details of the Indian’s exploits and history, but no, there was only green grass, hills, and lots of campers. Pretty, but not what we expected. We did see lots of gulls, most hunkered down against the wind, and what we thought was a swan on the lake. It turned out to be a white pelican. It was a lush, green valley thick with trees. No other wildlife however. Because of the heavy lightning, we elected to stay in the car and drive beside the lake. No one was out on the lake because of the danger.

On the way back to town we found the St. Columbia Anglican Church, built in 1898 by early settlers, and cemetery in the middle of the prairie. We could have stayed there all day taking photos as the light changed. The photo will give you a sense of the location. We tried to go inside. It wasn’t locked, but the door was secured so we decided not to enter. Looking in the windows, it was obvious that this is a functioning church with a carved wooden organ, clean painted floor, aisle runner, and wooden pews. The roof had wooden shingles painted a fading red. The grass had been mowed and the steps swept clean, probably for service tomorrow.

One of the things we’ve noticed over and over is the absence of out-of-province auto license plates. While driving through heavy traffic in Regina (a large town), I realized I hadn’t seen any license plates except those from Saskatchewan. Not just none from the USA, but precious few from any other province. Naturally, our Florida Gator plates gets a lot of stares – usually occurring when drivers would roar up on our rear bumper to find out where we were from, then passing to stare in at the “foreigners”!

Tomorrow (Sunday) we head down the road towards Calgary. Not sure where we’ll spend tomorrow night – we’ll find out when we get there! M. Perhaps at Swift Current or a campground west of it about an hour. At Swift Current there is café that serves “the best coffee” and Saskatchewan berry pie. I have no idea what that is, but I am willing to find out.

The reason for stopping in this area is found at Eastend, the T-Rex Discovery Centre. I can’t wait to see it. The building itself is completely buried in the hillside with only the curved, mirrored wall visible. In 1991 a large vertebra was found here. Named Scotty, it is Canada’s most complete T-rex.

Friday - June 22 Moose Jaw and petroglyphs

Moose Jaw and St. Victor petroglyphs

As you have probably surmised by now, we found an Internet access point in Moose Jaw – Coffee Encounters. Free Wi-Fi, good coffee, and free refills. (Our first day in town, we had to pay for a second cup!)

For a change of pace, we decided we would visit some Indian petroglyphs about 75 miles south of Moose Jaw. We set out, after visiting the coffee / Internet café, about 10:30 a.m. I don’t know about you, but 75 miles doesn’t sound very far – particularly after traveling 2,200 miles – but when you’re traveling in flat, flat, flat prairie, 75 miles is a long way! Almost every inch is cultivated, but dotted here and there in this sea of green are the farmhouses, barns, farm equipment, and silos.

In case you’re wondering, the horizon (in a flat / prairie environment is 20+ miles away), proven yesterday when we could see the buildings in Regina and again today when returning and saw a white mound (mining digs) that is north of Moose Jaw.

We stopped for lunch at one of two “restaurants” in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan. Never have figured out how it’s pronounced. Here we are, over a thousand miles from the nearest ocean, and today’s special was fish and chips. When I asked for malt vinegar, the lady brought regular vinegar and asked if there was a difference!

Speaking of the distance from the ocean(s), we continue to be amazed during our trip at the “sea” gulls we see. Our friend Jane (in Redondo Beach) – a certified(?) bird-watcher – continues to correct me when I call them sea-gulls (so what would you call them – Lake-Gulls?). Anyway, the white birds we see at the beach (in Florida and California), are here in the prairies of southern Saskatchewan! The reason, I am told, is that there are many large lakes in the area, which the birds inhabit. But what do they do in the winter when it’s 60 below?

Anyway, we finally reached the petroglyphs. We parked and hiked through the woods and reached a wooden platform with a chain-link fence blocking further progress. We were not amused! After retracing our steps to the parking lot, we noticed two ruts proceeding up the hill. Why not, we decided, and drove up. At the top, we were still blocked by a chain-link fence, but at least we were able to look down on the rocks / petroglyphs, which were carved into the stone rather than painted. The glyphs were of a man, a face, animal (bear, deer, man, etc.) footprints, and symbols.

Even though it was not the best time of the day to view them (late afternoon, with a setting sun is best), we were able to make out many of the carvings. The posted signs said the date of the carvings was unknown, but probably between 500 and 1700 A.D. They’re sure about the later date, because there are no carvings or signs of horses which were introduced to the area in 1700 A.D.

There were reproductions of the petroglyphs at the parking lot, I’m not including the photos taken – mostly because they’re not terribly interesting (realizing they’re reproductions). The first photo was taken from the promontory overlooking the petroglyphs and the valley beyond. You probably can’t see it, but if you look hard (or are there), you actually can see the carvings. A significance of these petroglyphs is that they are in horizontal rock – whereas most USA Southwest petroglyphs are in vertical rock, usually inside caves. These are in the open and are obviously weathered, and home to a growing crop of lichen.

The second photo is something we see frequently in the prairie. Fields of yellow – cultivated, to be sure – which we believe are mustard plants. Whatever they are, they are beautiful, particularly when set against fields of pure green and they occasional brown of plowed fields.

Thursday June 21 Moose Jaw Jaunt to Regina

M. Wayne is buried in a book, so I’ll take the first crack at the daily post.

We had coffee and a bun at the local cyber café where we quickly caught up on news, e-mail, and e-chores. Coffee was good, the reception excellent.

Then off to Regina, 45 minutes east along Canadian Hwy. 1. All was flat prairie in every direction, green with cultivation, and dotted with groups of metal silos. What a beautiful city, the province capital, with a lovely park complete with geese and their broods, formal garden, civic buildings, schools, and people out enjoying life. One thing we have noticed is that everyone gets out on a sunny day! And if it is cloudy, there is always the tanning salon of which there are many.

The goal for today was to see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police parade drill and museum. Wayne sagely thought that being a school day there would be fewer people. Wrong. Buses of school children and seniors arrived in addition to the usual tour buses. But everyone was cheerfully accommodated. Our guide was from Quebec on summer work assignment in between semesters.

The parade grounds were painted with a blue and a yellow stripe which was never crossed unless during drill or ceremony. Everyone just went around the edge, in respect. The parade ground was where they laid the fallen. There was also a monument to their memory, two cannon, and an eternal flame (since 1995).

In the drill there were six units of 32 each, some cadets and others nearing graduation. A new cadet corps arrives every Monday to replace the unit which is graduating. There are 17,000 RCMP stationed in all the provinces and territories, and they are working steadily to grow that number. This rotation is to continue another two years until their goal is reached.

Time in training was six months and how an individual was dressed was indicated by his attire. Cadets wore blue with gym shoes, then black shoes, then brown riding boots and jodhpurs and weapons – hats changed as well as insignias, men and women. They were a smart looking group, though not perfect. Afterwards we watched four squads drill inside – a few had to do pushups, or maybe they were showing off.

The tour included the chapel which was the first building in Regina (built in 1893), and originally a bar and mess area for the RCMP. Now it is pristine, very dark wood like the hull of an upside-down ship, stunning stained glass. Service is held each Sunday, weddings, funerals, and baptisms.

W. Out of the book!
The first photo was inside the museum-to-be with Margaret and one of the moose RCMP – cute.

The cadets on parade were not wearing the traditional red coats of the RCMP – that is saved for graduation and later for ceremonial events. I had never thought about police cadets (that’s really what the RCMP is – police – having to march / drill, but there they were. Looking at some of our photos this evening we noticed that two guys were completely out of “step” – that is, they have their left arm up when everyone else has their right arm up.

More about the arm swing. When we were leaving the RCMP Heritage center (a future museum), there were several school children classes ahead of us. Their teacher was showing them how to march: extend your arm; close your fist; put your thumb up, then lower it onto your fist. When you march, the arm is to come to the horizontal. The next photo is of the children learning how to march with their arms / hands in the correct position. The next photo is of the parade – officially called the Sergeant Majors Parade – held every weekday at 12:30 p.m. (it’s outside in the summer; in winter, it’s inside). Fascinating.

In front of the parade ground, there is a memorial to the RCMP fallen in various conflicts, including WWI and WWII. The polished cannon shown here was one of two at the memorial.

Following our visit to the RCMP training “depot” (as it’s officially called), we went through Regina. What a nice city. Everywhere we went, folks were chatting and having a great time. Guess when it’s winter and 60 below, you welcome Summer.

Another photo is the Legislative Building with Queen Elizabeth on Burmese (her horse) – Regina is the capital of the province of Saskatchewan. We were going to take a tour of the building, but a bus-load of noisy children filed in so we took a pass on the tour. The bronze statue of the queen (and horse) was presented in 2005 to the city of Regina. Although it may be hard to tell from the photo, the statue is exquisite in detail from the Queen’s cuffs down to the bridle.

In front of the Legislative Building / Gardens, is a lake facing the city. There were many geese and young goslings crossing the road (stopping traffic), but we have enough photos for the day!

One interesting side-note to yours truly. My limited experience says the tax(?) on wine is very steep – maybe it’s just the cost of making it? Anyway, we have seen numerous make-it-yourself wine shops. I guess selling the grape juice and yeast is relatively cheap while the end product is expensive. As a result, very few wine stores and lots of do-it-yourself boutiques! For beer as well.

Wednesday - June 20

I always believed that Florida had a changing climate, but after a few days in the mid-West, I think they must take the prize. Yesterday, Tuesday (19th), driving in from Minot, ND, there were lots of puffy clouds (picture perfect had we taken the time to photo), but the wind kicked in again and it was a tough drive. Today (Wednesday, the 20th), there is a gentle breeze and not a cloud to be seen. Temps in the low 70’s – beautiful.

We got our first surprise of the day when we drove into downtown Moose Jaw. Thought we’d grab some coffee at a local emporium, take in “the tunnels of Moose Jaw,” and see if there was an Internet Café where we might get Internet access later. We quickly found that every street in the downtown had parking meters. Unfortunately, we had zero Canadian currency!

No problem, we thought, just find a bank and change some of our USA currency with enough change to feed the meters. Couldn’t find a bank open, and the “tunnels” office was closed as well even though the signs on the doors said they opened at 10:00 a.m., nothing was open. Neither were any of the local stores. Finally I asked someone what time it was. Turns out we had crossed into Mountain time zone – never did see a sign – so we were an hour early for everything. Felt like a twilight zone where the town was there, but no people, everyone having been spirited away by some unknown force!

So we did the only thing left, after getting coffee, we went to the local supermarket (a Safeway), bought milk and two potatoes, and came back to the motor-home where we did chores! We will try again this evening when the reportedly superb Chinese restaurant will be open (it was closed last night when we tried).

I didn’t think I’d really need Canadian currency since almost everything can be charged these days, but I was wrong. We couldn’t find anywhere to park in town that didn’t have a meter – and we still had no change. We tried going to the bank; they were closed in the a.m. because of our “timing” and in the evening at 4:00 before we could get back into town. We “solved” the problem of conversion by visiting the local casino – they were happy to get our USA Dollars so we could play their slots. Boy, did we fool them, we ended up doubling our “investment” in just a few minutes. It paid for dinner!

And speaking of dinner, the Chinese restaurant recommended so highly by the Visitor Center at the border in Portal, Saskatchewan, was terrific. We had fried dumplings, Singapore noodles, and a new dish called Asham Curry Shrimp Hot Pot. Since we were eating early in the evening (5:30 p.m.), there was no one else in the restaurant so the owner and his wife talked with us while we ate. They were surprised at our mode of travel and the length of time we would be gone from “home”. They plan to retire in 10 years and are going to think about RV-ing as a possibility.

The wife was the one that filled us in on the long, cold winters in Moose Jaw. She had moved here from New York City and thought she was used to the cold, but nothing like this. But she’s been here for 11 years and has no plan to leave (until retirement).

Today’s photo is one of the many wall paintings found throughout town. This one was close to the casino. We have found several references to a Scottish heritage throughout the area – including the painting of the Scottish pipe and drum (?) parade. It is a mixed area though. While in a coffee shop this p.m., there was a group at the next table speaking in what sounded like a Scandanavian language (I don’t claim to recognize the various tongues of the Scandanavian region but it sounded like Norwegian.)

M. Life goes on around us. Wayne has a new cousin, Zachary Connor, and we lost an old friend, Mike, to heart disease. We will miss our friend as we celebrate new life.

Tuesday - June 19

Tuesday, June 19 – Minot or Why Not My Knot to Moose Jaw

Monday was a day filled with wind and rain. We managed to go a short distance – Devil’s Lake, ND to Minot, ND. Today we awoke to blue skies, warm sun, and calm breezes. We were able to accomplish a lot in Minot: prescription run; laundry; sewer dump; fresh water refill; and lots of sleep.

We left in the late a.m. Margaret drove first and found a smooth, beautiful highway (US 52 North to the Canadian border). And boy, did she fly! We now know that, given a smooth surface, ye olde motor-home can do a sustained 65+ mph!

We arrived at the border around noon and spent the first 30 minutes shopping in the duty free shop. After several purchases, we proceeded to the customs / border crossing. I sometimes think I should lie about everything; when I tell the truth, I get searched / detained while everyone else flows easily through the border crossing! Another 30 minutes – sitting in beautiful sunlight, green grass, and gentle breezes – the Canadian guard decided we weren’t smuggling contraband (or worse) and sent us on our way. I say this because we were directed to pull over to the side, run out the slides in the motor-home, and wait outside while he searched diligently. I really wanted to ask what he was looking for, but Margaret made me promise I wouldn’t antagonize the guards! (He spent all of his time inside – never did look underneath)

The two 5th wheel trailers behind us flowed smoothly through. Where did I go wrong? Do I look like a drug / arms smuggler – or worse? I definitely don’t meet ethnic profiling!

Anyway, after another day of bone-jarring, rough roads (the USA doesn’t have a monopoly) and fearsome crosswinds, we arrived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. And, yes, there is a big, brown, concrete moose called Mike at the exit to attract visitors. We have decided to stay for several days while we explore the area. Finding the RV park and getting a spot that would fit our rig took several hours. But we’re in, set up, and not moving (for which we are thankful).

At Canadian visitor’s center, we were given the name of a great restaurant in town, but after getting Miss Pris programmed, we arrived to find it was closed on Tuesday. (For those of you that aren’t familiar with our GPS – we nicknamed it Miss Pris for “her” attitude! Watch the movie “RV” if you don’t understand what I’m talking about. I do talk to it when it tells me to make a U-turn in the middle of nowhere when I know I’m right - at least I think I’m right!). As we hear her say all too often, “Recalculating, dear.” -- in that icy, superior tone of voice.

M. The sky today was something to behold, a brilliant blue dome with an armada of flat-bottomed, puffy white clouds -- none large, but so many stretching from horizon to horizon -- and each a different shape being pushed along by the wind. It did look like a navy in full sail in search of a beach to storm, and what an odd assortment of vessels and sailors. Later in the day the clouds merged into more threatening, gray shapes outlined with silver and we could see sheets of rain on the horizon.

For a long time we drove along the confused meanderings of the Mouse River. The fields were lushly green, most newly planted. But the wheat in many areas was dense and several feet tall and rippled with the wind. They are growing wheat, barley, lentils, hops, field peas, canola and others. We went through an area of strip coal mining.

Daytime lasts a long time. At 9:00 pm (actually 8:00, as we were to learn), it looked like 4, maybe 5:00.
The sun was setting after ten. Long days.

The photo of today is downtown Moose Jaw. Look at the photo and then imagine it at 60 degrees below zero (centigrade) and it stayed that way for a week according our local source. Although the roads in town were closed, the restaurants did a booming business – folks walked (in 60 below) to the restaurant just to get out of the house.

Besides the weather, Moose Jaws other claim to fame is this was the hideout / getaway for Al Capone during his heydays – a place not within reach of the US Feds and Eliot Ness! We will try to visit his (Capone’s) hidey hole while in town.

Monday a.m. in Minot, ND

This a.m. we departed Devil’s Lake, or more accurately, the Spirit Lake Casino and Resort at Devil’s Lake, ND. Although the casino’s thermometer said it was 60 degrees, with the strong wind, it felt more like 50 degrees. But we persevered and after a hot breakfast buffet at the casino, and Margaret winning $5 at the slots, we were on our way.

Funny thing was, when we left, it was a clear day, with bright blue skies. But after a short time, it became overcast and, boy, did the wind pick up. So for nearly 4 hours we drove into 25 – 35 mile/hour winds, gusting to over 40 mph. Not to be outdone, we also ran into scattered showers – none heavy, but enough to run the windshield wipers.

We decided this a.m. before leaving that we would stay overnight at Minot, ND. We had laundry to do, plus it was our last chance for USA phone / internet connections, and top off our fresh water (and dump “used” water/effluent). We don’t know if we will find any “full hook-up” campgrounds in Canada before reaching the Calgary region. On the map, it looks pretty “empty” between here and there.

Our photo of the day was taken in Rugby, ND. It advertises itself as the geographical center of North America. Researching this claim on the Internet, there is no consensus on how one measures the “geographical center” of a body of land as large and diverse as North America. But everyone seems to agree, it’s pretty close to here. So they erected a large stone cairn back in 1931 denoting the spot – and there it stands today. The gentleman at the base of the cairn was taking a breather from the relentless wind – he and his wife were on a bicycle-built-for-two traveling across the USA. People wonder at our adventure in a motor-home, but I assure you we had a much more comfortable afternoon and evening than pedaling against the wind.

M. Lots of Canadian geese and mallards nesting in the lakes, ponds, and puddles. If you can imagine a mail box on a stake in the middle of a pond, make it a circular tube, insert bird, and out come ducklings of some variety. Remember the old joke about the ducks floating on a lake, freezing in place, then flying away with the “lake” attached. Well, we’ve seen the puddles that would make it all possible, all claimed by a feathered brood.

The grasses run like water across the fields, brilliantly emerald, ever moving as if going somewhere.
The farmers are busy.

We are rocking with the wind. Should be a cradle tonight.

Sunday - Devil's Lake, ND

What a difference a day makes! When we retired last night, we intended to head north from Fergus Falls, ND, directly to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Tonight (Sunday), we find ourselves sitting in a “RV parking lot” of the Spirit Lake Casino, in Devil’s Lake, ND. More on how we got here in a moment. But first, yesterday.

As mentioned in the last blog, Margaret managed to connect up via e-mail with a friend from Los Angeles, Marcella, in Fergus Falls, MN (about 60 miles SE from Fargo, ND). The photo above was taken of the two friends in of Marcella’s lovely home in Fergus Falls. We had a wonderful visit, revisiting old times in LA, and catching up on current events and the doings of mutual friends. Since Marcella had no idea we were in the neighborhood – much less at the off-ramp on I-94 at Fergus Falls – it was a great surprise. We never knew where FF was, much less that our journey would take us there.

Our over-night resting place – at a county park near Fergus Falls – was peaceful and beautiful. We had some wind (typical in the mid-West) and sprinkles. Suki and Margaret lay on the grassy hillside and enjoyed the sun. The next photo is of the lake and our view (literally) out the window the motor-home. We pulled away shortly before 11:00 a.m. Sunday, and lake waves were breaking on the shore.

Our plan had been to head due north to Winnipeg and then west towards Calgary. After looking at the map (and the calendar), we decided to take a “short-cut” across North Dakota and take a few days off our travel time to the west. Not that we didn’t want to see Winnipeg, but rather that we wanted to ensure we had time in western Canada to see Lake Louise (again), the fossil digs around Calgary, and more time in the Seattle with friends et.al.

Having examined the map this a.m., we decided to turn due-west at Grand Forks, ND. What a great decision! Having never been in North Dakota before (this was the last of the 50 states as yet unvisited by yours truly), it was a revelation. I say that because I believed that North Dakota would be an extension of South Dakota, that is to say, brown prairies with bison and prairie dogs.

Wow, what a surprise! Heading west on US-2, we have been surrounded by green meadows and marshland studded with ponds, streams and lakes. We had decided that the farmers must have written off their crop as their fields were sodden, when we realized it might be wild rice they were cultivating, not corn. But what do we know? Lots of geese and ducks with their broods.

We even saw a pond with a flock of WHITE Pelicans! Who would have suspected pelicans – much less white ones – this far from the ocean? We bantered back forth with pelican adjectives beginning with “p.” The game was won with the “pneumatic pelican.”

We elected to spend the night at Spirit Lake casino – on the shores of Devil’s Lake. When I first examined the map of North Dakota, I was surprised at the size of Devil’s Lake – about 90 miles West of Grand Forks. After we arrived, I looked at the map again – there is another lake – Lake Saskawea to our west that appears to be more than twice as big. And I though North Dakota was all dry prairie! There is even a maritime museum at Devil’s Lake! It is probably the only casino in the country that has fish cleaning service.

In retrospect, there is much more to North Dakota than I expected. Although our time here will be short, it appears to be a fascinating place, with lots of history as well as beautiful scenery to be explored. One of the benefits of wide-ranging travel is one learns about unexpected locations. The bad news, one doesn’t expect these surprises and one’s schedule doesn’t allow enough time.

An example of surprises: driving along I-29 today, there was a lot of water beside the highway. We attributed this to the recent, heavy rains. But we couldn’t decide if the crops we saw (under water) were corn – in which case, the crops were probably ruined – or something else. Then as we approached a rather large grain silo complex, we read the logo – RAHR Malting complex – and decided that the crops were probably malt – for beer. This, after seeing a large BUDWEISER silo complex (probably for hops / malt). A different world than Florida (or California).

So this evening (Sunday), we are parked in a casino parking lot (our first) overlooking Devil’s Lake, listening to the rain, wondering if the evening news – forecasting a tornado watch – include the county we’re in. Why do they forecast “bad news” by county, rather by town? It is difficult sometimes to figure out what county you’re in! Guess we’ll just sit it out – and hope? Tomorrow we’ll head northwest – probably won’t make it into Canada tomorrow – but surely by Tuesday?

Yours-on-the-road,
Wayne

Saturday - Fergus Falls, MN

We left Minneapolis this a.m. and traveled more rough roads enroute to Fergus Falls, MN, where Margaret’s friend from Los Angeles days lives. After some swapping of voice mails, we were able to connect with her. She led us to a campground by a large lake. I’m not sure what kind of campground this is – we have electricity and water – but it’s not very big. My guess is it’s a city or county park designed for overnighters that wish to boat, fish, hike, or just kick back.

Margaret is visiting with her as I write this, so I’ll be brief.

We should be into Canada either tomorrow night or Monday at the latest. I spoke with Verizon and they said I probably shouldn’t use my PC card to access the Internet in Canada. It will work, but the rates are prohibitive. Time to locate a “cyber café”. Our Sprint cell phones may or may not work – they didn’t last year in western Canada. I do have my Verizon cell which may (or may not) work. Won’t know til we get there.

The weather is warm and partly cloudy. Western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota have had a lot of rain so there is some local flooding but it shouldn’t be a problem traveling.

Today was all travel, so although the passing scenery was pretty, rolling (lumpy?) hills of corn and alfalfa / clover / cow feed!, there weren’t many photo ops. I use the term lumpy because the terrain is just that - little bumps / berms, interspersed with marshes and ponds. Probably the remnants of the last ice age which got about as far south as this neck of the woods.

Wayne

Minneapolis - last day

Margaret says I should write a synopsis of our Minneapolis visit rather than try to detail each day. I will try, if for no other reason than to catch up. It is Saturday a.m. (16th) as I write this. We had rain last night but no wind or storminess – thank you. We will be pulling out today and starting up the road towards Fargo, ND, on the way stopping to see a friend of Margaret's from California days.

Thursday (14th), Mimi and Terry Stewart gave us the tour of Lake Minnetonka. Talk about grand homes! We were all oohing and ahhing as we drove around the lake. The roads were narrow, the traffic heavy, and no place to stop so I wasn’t able to get any photos. But it is clear that this area is where the Minneapolis / St. Paul money goes to rest and recreate! Lots of boats on the lake – mostly large runabouts. Huge lake ringed with trees and punctuated with inlets and islands and peninsulas populated with ducks and geese.

We were told that the winter had been so mild many of the avid ice fishermen couldn't resist going out on the lake -- only to fall through the thin ice. And this happened more than once.

We stopped at a community art center where Mimi weaves. There were individual rooms devoted to various art forms, a gallery, and a gift shop and dining area. Kids filled several rooms. They were working with clay or painting, and loving it. We heard only happy sounds. In one section, several people were exploring sculpture – the above photo was a lady finishing up her stone head. Another was inviting a voluptuous woman to emerge from a hunk of granit. Chip, chip, chip, she was revealed. A few fellows were welding sculpture. Quite a large, well-suppoted, and well-equipped facility. In addition to the sculpture area, there was a photo lab (the old fashioned kind with darkroom and chemicals! We know that kind of endeavor very well).

A highlight of the visit to the community art center was in the parking lot; a VW painted in rainbow colors with a very appropriate license plate: ROYGBIV. Clever, this artist. Why? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, the colors of the rainbow.

The third photo is inside the Gold Medal flour milling plant ruins. I meant to include this one earlier. Even though the destructive fire occurred fairly recently (1991), it reminds me of a much earlier archeological dig -- a "series of small walls" (not so small) as Eddy Izzard would say. It’s difficult to see in the photo, but many of the iron beams are warped and twisted from the intense heat of the fire.

As I had mentioned yesterday, we decided to stick around for another day and catch up some house-keeping chores. Plus we didn’t have a chance earlier to visit one of our favorite stores – IKEA. Margaret went into sensory overload when we walked in; she just stood in the aisle trying to figure out where to begin. If you have never been in an IKEA, it is an experience. Because their furnishing are primarily Scandinavian in nature, it won’t be appropriate in every home, but if you have a need for simplicity, beauty, and good value, it is a great place. As an example, they had one display – 409 square feet – that was a furnished home – bath, kitchen, bedroom, living room, and study/work station! Maybe not be grand, but very, very functional, comfortable and beautiful to look at.

We also stopped at a CUB foods store. According to Mimi and Terry, this is the local equivalent of a Sam’s club or Costco in pricing but without the large quantities that tend to dominate the other warehouse-style stores. It was a large store with an incredible (to me) variety of foods. Margaret spent the rest of yesterday, organizing the refrigerator and storing things. Then mid-west angus beef burgers and fresh asparagus for dinner. Time well spent.

Minneapolis - Friday, 15 June

Being in proximity to a large city has advantages and disadvantages. There is so much to see and do that the days slide by quickly. The disadvantage is that the days slide by quickly and I don’t get around to telling folks what we’re doing. As a result, you begin to wonder if we fell off a cliff (or into a hole or whatever). But we’re alive and well and about ready to restart our travel.

I’m writing this on Friday night (the 15th). It was our intention to be on the road today, but we have had (past tense fortunately) problems with the City of Fernandina Beach regarding our desire to replace our windows. That situation was not resolved as of last night (Thursday), so we elected to stay put in Minneapolis in the event that one (or both) of us needed to fly back to battle with city hall. As I say, that situation resolved itself this a.m. (Friday), so tomorrow we’re off.

I will relate events of the week (with photos) in separate blogs so I can keep it straight.

The Minneapolis area is amazing to behold. Being so far north, I envisioned a small town, hunkered down for the long cold winters. Au contraire, mon ami, the Minneapolis area is vibrant and alive. We continue to wonder at the wide variety of community activities, cultural attractions, and simply, things to-do. And we thought the Mall of America was fascinating!

Tuesday, we met with our friends from Amelia Island – Mimi and Terry Stewart – and visited the ruins (really!) of the Gold Medal flour mill along the banks of the Mississippi. I did not know (another reason that travel is educational) that Minneapolis was a major focus of the flour milling business with wheat coming in from the plains, ground into flour, and shipped down the Mississippi and via rail lines to the rest of the USA.

With Mimi and Terry as our tour guides, we visited the ruins of the Gold Medal flour mill. The Gold Medal flour mill had a explosion in the late 1800’s – flour dust combine with a spark is a very explosive combination. The explosion destroyed this mill and four others in the neighborhood.

They rebuilt the mill, but in 1991, a fire destroyed it (again) and it was never rebuilt. The city has fashioned a museum / tour of the ruins including a floor by floor of the way-it-was. Fascinating! The Mississippi St. Anthony falls supplied the water power to run the various flour mills until electricity replaced water power.

Minneapolis / St. Paul is considered to be the northern terminus of the Mississippi river traffic – although there is a lock – visible in the photo – that allows boat traffic to continue north. Our tour guide at the Gold Medal flour mill said that the Mississippi river continues for another 1,000 miles north. But I don’t believe that there is much commercial traffic north of here.

Mimi and Terry Stewart have a beautiful home in Hopkins, MN, just to the southwest of Minneapolis. Terry is heavily involved in the local amateur theatre productions, helping to make many of the sets / props. Mimi is getting back into her loom weaving.

Mall of America - Minneapolis, MN

We have arrived at shopping Nirvana: Mall of America. Simply reading about it doesn’t do it justice. Our waiter at Napa Valley Grille told us that each of the three levels is one mile in circumference. He recommended sitting down with a map to identify the stores we wished to visit and crossing off the stuff that we should avoid. That way we could shorten our hike. But we needed the exercise! Plus, it is the stores that I don’t know about I’d like to see. The ones I know, I can visit / shop at home.

It was an experience. We saw lots of “mall-walkers”, folks out for their daily constitutional. At one mile per level, you can get in a pretty good walk while seeing American consumerism at its best.

With few exceptions, every brand name store in the USA is here. Missing are the big box stores: Costco, Sam’s Club, Lowe’s, and Home Depot, and Wal-Mart weren’t there, but they're in the shopping neighborhood. Ikea, a large home furnishing store has a huge venue across the street from the Mall. We may visit them tomorrow.

You can see from the photos that Mall of America is a destination in itself for the kids. Lots of amusement park rides including a couple that would definitely make me toss my cookies! Plus water sluice rides and a LEGO pavilion that was pretty cool. The amusement park occupies the entire central atrium and certainly keeps the young folks occupied. And when they’re thru riding, there are the “teen” stores: Quicksilver, WetSeal, Aerospatiale, and lots of names I didn’t recognize.

And then there were the restaurants. Beside the usual fast-food (but no MacDonalds, Burger King, or Wendys), there were lots of coffee shops, smoothies, taco, oriental, and their ilk, there was a Wolfgang Puck express, Napa Valley Grille (wonderful food and atmosphere), California Café, plus several other high-end-looking establishments that we didn’t have time to try. If they had a hotel in the complex, one could truly spend an entire vacation there and never go outside! But no ice-skating rink? Maybe in the winter.

M. Neither Wayne nor I are "shoppers" but we had a great time! We walked miles. Many of the stores were the size of our malls! There was no end. Lego-Land was amazing with everything, including the clear store walls /dispay space made of large Lego's. Atlantis and the space station hung from the rafters along with a flying saucer and planets; a nest with four very large, hungry-looking chicks; a full-size motorcycle rider on his cycle (with helmet); a multi-story clock tower -- you just wanted to sit down and make something! They had gears and connections, anything you'd need or want.

Our lunch was fantastic, what a delightful oasis in retail land. I had cucumber vichyssoise, crab cake with and Caesar salad -- small perfect portions of each, garnished or dressed deliciously and beautifully. Wayne ordered Hass Select chardonay which was delicious. We intended to return for a chocolate snack but the feet gave out and we returned to marinate a steak for dinner.

It is surprisingly hot. Why should we think "hot" is restricted to the south? Everything is so very green and lush. We could see the corn grow by the day. We even saw cranberry bogs driving up. Lots of cows, calfs, horses and foals. Silos and barns dot the hillsides. Everyone couldn't be nicer.

Went to an Indian casino down the road last night for dinner and to try our luck. I played five dollars on the nickle slots and won thirty, Wayne won as well. So we took our loot and headed for the door! We may try that again as it is a fun diversion. We are both cheap so there is no change of incurring large loses.

Sunday evening, Minneapolis - day 0

We have arrived in southwest Minneapolis, MN, after a full day, driving through some of the most beautiful and intense green trees and fields that I have seen in a long time. Central Wisconsin (where we spent most of today) is much more than I imagined. There are hills and rivers, dairy farms with bright red barns and white homes, and lots of forests. I never thought about Wisconsin having forests, but where no one has built a farm, there are lots and lots of trees. Being late spring for most of this area, the color green takes on a new meaning.

Although we had a few miles of bad road today, mostly it was pretty smooth sailing. A relief after some of the rough stuff we’ve encountered.

Today’s photos are from a small wayside park off I-94 in central Wisconsin. The primary stone outcropping is labeled Castle Rock and was once the bottom of a glacial lake in which Castle Rock was an island. Thousands of years of erosion by water, ice, and wind created the surface features you see in this area. It is adjacent to the Wisconsin State Military Reservation, birthplace of the 32nd “Red Arrow” Division and comprised of national guardsmen from Wisconsin and Michigan.

As is often the case, you can’t really get a good look at the rock formation from up close. The best view was from the Interstate. The photo with motor-home in foreground is what Castle Rock looks like except it (Castle Rock) is a single spire, isolated between highway and roadside. The second photo (in black and white – how quaint!) is of three pine trees clawing their way to exist on the side of Castle Rock. Another surprise was when I was walking around the base, the ground was soft white sand, something you might find along the beaches in Florida – not what I’d expect around a rocky outcropping.

Tonight we are going to find the local casino (advertised along the road) and let Margaret satisfy her new found gambling urge(!). Tomorrow is laundry day and then off to the Mall of the Americas!!! Excitement reigns supreme. We actually saw it today from the Interstate while driving in – not too far away. Oh, joy of joy!

So we are ensconced for a few days. We plan to meet up with our friends, the Stewarts, on Tuesday. But first, on to the MALL!

Saturday, Madison, Wisconsin

Guess which state we’re in? Yep, it’s Wisconsin – the home of milk and cheese. This is the view from our KOA campsite in Madison, WI.

We got away late this a.m. and stopped early. The Interstate road(s) in Illinois and later in Wisconsin are in terrible condition. Margaret drove the last two hours and was literally beat to a frazzle and ready to stop. Actually, it wasn’t any better riding. Between the patches and expansion joints, it was and is a rough ride.

We will be staying one night. Tomorrow we move into the twin cities – Minneapolis / St. Paul – and visit with our friends, Mimi and Terry Stewart. Margaret and Mimi worked together on the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival for several years. Terry was the blacksmith at Fort Clinch State Park. They relocated to Minneapolis last year to be close to their children and grandchildren. (Surprise!)

Margaret was just looking at the Minneapolis city map and found – Mall of the Americas. At one time, it was reported to be the largest shopping mall in the USA. Naturally we’ll have to spend some time there!

Today’s drive was interesting. We started out in the relatively flat farmlands of Illinois with fields of corn and arrived in the hills of south central Wisconsin. While driving through Illinois earlier, I was reminded of the similarity to the desert southwest. There you have miles of desert with an occasional grove of trees surrounding a ranch, house, small town, or park. In Illinois it is similar except instead of sandy desert, you have green fields of corn or soy-beans. But the towns, farms, and houses are surrounded by a grove of trees to break the wind.

Margaret observed that driving through Illinois was like being on a ship at sea, surrounded by endless expanse of rolling waves of ocean. Here, you look at the horizon, surrounded by rolling waves of green. Fascinating.

Friday - Bloomington, IL - p.s.s.

Margaret took me to task for not including her musings last night. Mea Culpa - I forgot.

After posting my earlier blog, Margaret and I sat out under the trees and watched the rabbits gamboling; the robins bobbing, and the sun setting. Later we dined on sumptous foodstuffs picked up today at World Market - Bloomington. Included were: Mezzarata Porcini and Portobello mushroom spaghetti sauce and Casa Vecchio Mulino pasta; Echelon Pinot Noir. All wonderful.

What will tomorrow bring?

M. The odd thoughts: Amish butter is divine; Peoria is the home of the Federal Relocation Program (coming or going?); robins do bob and I don’t think I ever knew their song until now. When we sit outside we see a field of lush green grass and blowing trees. The field is dotted with hopping bunnies, fat robins, and fireflies sparkling as the sun sets in ribbons of color. Have finished another book. life is good.

Friday - Bloomington, IL - last night

We have found over the years that our guardian angels are looking out for us. Night before last, when we were debating whether to travel on Thursday or not, all the weather forecasts for any potential route were forecasting bad weather, so we stayed put. When I looked at the news this a.m., many of the areas we might have been yesterday had large hail and/or tornados! By staying put, we avoided going in harm’s way (at least). Thanks.

Yesterday we watched a couple of movies, read, played on the computer, and napped. Although we had some strong breezes, our campsite is located in a grove of trees behind a hedge-row of large bushes (planted along the Interstate). So while the tops of the trees around us were blowing, it was actually quite calm at ground level.

Today, it is cool and still breezy but with a blue sky and a few puffy clouds. Tomorrow, the pundits are forecasting for the breeziness to abate. So we’ll back on the road north.

Today was another cleaning / maintenance day. Without boring you to much, we had the power inverter replaced (takes 120 VAC and converts it to 12 Volt DC – to run lights and REFRIGERATOR). Talking with the service guy (he came to campground to do the repair!), he said when the refrigerator “quit” last week, it was probably the inverter dying. Also in the process, I learned that the two 6 volt batteries (wired in series to get 12 volts for the RV lights, et.al.) needed WATER! How quaint! I thought filling batteries with water disappeared 30 years ago. Turns out almost all 12 volt batteries are sealed these days, but the deep-discharge 6 volt batteries still need topping off. Who knew? This also could have been some of our problem. That’s all fixed now.

Next on the maintenance agenda was to get some new windshield wiper blades. I took the old ones to Advance Auto parts store. The old blades were 27 inches long; they didn’t have 27 inch blades so they sold me 28 inch blades. These were way too long, so back they went. Their next size down was 22 inch. So now what? They recommended a truck store around the corner. It was closed due to a death in the family (small town). A friendly truck driver (also at the store) recommended a place across town. So I got to see some more of Bloomington, IL. The next place had 26 inch blades which I bought and installed. So now I can drive in rain (maybe slumped down in the seat to see through the smaller arc?).

Today’s two photos are representative of the middle Illinois country-side. In addition to the “BIG” businesses, like Caterpillar, Mitsubishi, and State Farm, there is also the agriculture business. We came across this row of grain elevators in Congerville, IL, just down the road from us. There were also workers out building new grain elevators next to these. Most of the houses in town were new or extremely well cared for. The town was only about 3 blocks wide and maybe 6 blocks long. But as Margaret noted as we drove through, here was an obviously prosperous town with not one single retail store – no gas station, no grocery, no Wal-Mart!

The other photo is another picturesque small(?) farm down the road.

We like the feel of the area. Folks we have met are friendly. The rolling hills covered with corn and other crops are colorful. Even the back roads through woods are verdant and healthy. But they do have their weather to contend with – four seasons of the year!

Regards to all
Wayne

Hunkering down in Bloomington IL

A drawback to traveling in the mid-West in Spring-time is the unpredictable and sometimes hazardous weather. Today (Thursday), we were planning to be on the road again, heading north towards Madison, WI. But the wind started howling this a.m. When we looked at the weather reports for everywhere we might drive in one day, there was a forecast for wind, rain, hail, and possibly tornados. So while we might not be totally “safe” sitting here in this little campground, it is easier than being on the road fighting the elements.

Another potential hazard of life on the road is the quality of water and electricity. When I went to sign up for two more nights, I noticed a sign in the window not to drink the local water, it could be contaminated with E-Coli. Fortunately we learned years ago not to drink the local water unless we learned it was ok. Instead, we buy large quantities of bottled water (usually from Sam Walton!) and use that for drinking, coffee, etc.

Yesterday, our lights seemed dim. Then we noticed our refrigerator telling us that the electric power source was marginal. I have switched the refrigerator over to LP gas until we can get to a new site.

Yesterday (Wednesday) we toured down-town Bloomington and Normal, IL. Bloomington is the home of State Farm Insurance. There are two colleges in town – Illinois State Univ. and Illinois Wesleyan Univ. Bloomington is also the home of Adlai Stevenson (Vice Pres under Grover Cleveland) and his son Adlai Stevenson II, presidential contender in the 50’s, losing twice to Eisenhower.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, this area is mostly farms, raising mostly corn. When you drive around, that’s pretty much what you see – rolling hills and young corn plants blowing in the brisk breeze. Then you cross an overpass – and what do you see but acres and acres of automobiles (home of Mitsubishi Motors North America).

Then to the west is Peoria, home of Caterpillar, Inc. and the Illinois River taking American industrial products from Lake Michigan and point’s north down-stream to the Mississippi and on to the Gulf. This area truly feels like the heart-land of America. I see why people live here. But the weather, that’s something else – and it’s not even the cold of winter nor the heat of summer!

Good thing we're not in a big hurry. I think we'll sit this one out and see how things are in a couple of days! Margaret will post some thoughts later today.

Peoria, IL - Tuesday

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Today we explored a portion of west-central Illinois. We drove from our RV spot in Kamp Komfort(!) – in Carlock, IL, west to Peoria, IL. Peoria, for those of you (like me) that aren’t familiar with Illinois geography, is on the Illinois River, about 100 miles down-stream from Chicago. The town is headquarters for Caterpillar, Inc. In addition to their world headquarters, they have several manufacturing plants scattered around the area.

The first photo is Peoria’s down-town “river front” complex – similar to what Jacksonville, FL has tried to accomplish. After seeing both, I’m not sure either one has really succeeded. But Peoria’s was very pleasant on this sunny, cool day. It’s hard to believe that our temperature today (5 June) was in the low 70’s with a strong breeze. Thursday, they are forecasting highs in the low 90’s! Time to drive north!

The second photo is an old grain storage unit close to the rail line and close to our RV site.

In a way, this area is a dichotomy. You drive for miles in rolling lands, dotted with corn and other farm crops – the ubiquitous silo and barn – then, all of a sudden; there is this huge manufacturing complex. I don’t have a photo (yet) but about 7 miles from our RV spot is Mitsubishi Motors North America with oceans of new cars built; to be delivered.

Today, in trying to find large shopping center (for needed gifts), we crossed and re-crossed the Illinois River. Just south of Peoria is a small dam with shipping locks on both sides of the river. What was fascinating was the large number of barges lined up to pass through the locks. I was driving so I couldn’t count the number, but there were at least 8 or 10 waiting to go both up and down-stream.

Our RV campground is located very close to I-74 with the sound of interstate traffic in our ears 24 / 7. I was awake last night for a short time and there was no sound – eerie! Then, after a few minutes, a truck flew by.

Our routine so far on this adventure is to have a leisurely morning; go out for exploration for about 5 hours; return around 4:00 p.m. for a nap; then an adult beverage outside while the sun sets; then a fine, sumptuous dinner of Margaret’s!

Tomorrow, we will investigate Bloomington, IL, to see what adventures are in store for us there.

Thanks to all of you have responded to our blog(s). Now we know someone is actually reading and enjoying these missives.