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!