DAY 21 & 22: JULY 30 & 31 ~ NORTH DAKOTA
Called the Upper Mid-West, North Dakota is in the center of the country. We have reached the half point of our trek across the country. We also entered the Central Time Zone and moved ahead an hour, losing another hour. We are now 2 hours ahead of home time.
Colorful fields of wheat, barley, oats and sunflowers line the highways. It was very level for our drive across the state. No hills or mountains to climb, no twists and turns. We made it to our destination almost two hours less than it took us to drive the same number of miles in the other states.
North Dakota fascinated Lewis & Clark. They spent more time exploring this region than any other (1804 – 1806). The Missouri River acted as their guide.
In 1999, North Dakota becomes the first state to legalize industrial, non-psychoactive hemp to be grown for its fiber content.
In 1999, North Dakota becomes the first state to legalize industrial, non-psychoactive hemp to be grown for its fiber content.
THEODORE RO0SEVELT NATIONAL PARK:
Our first stop as we entered North Dakota was at the visitor center at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
In the badlands of North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park pays tribute to the 26th president’s contributions towards the conservation of the nation’s natural resources. Teddy Roosevelt came to this area as a 24 year old to hunt buffalo, live off the land and learn how to be a ‘cowboy’. We spent about an hour here viewing and taking pictures of the colorful formations that the Little Missouri helped carve.
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| See that small dot at 11:00 in the above picture? It's a dragonfly |
Just before we got into Bismarck, in New Salem, we sighted the World’s Largest Holstein Cow (called Salem Sue) way up on a hill. We could have driven up the hill to get a closer look at it, but with dragging the trailer, it was not practical. So I had to get a picture (as best as I could) from the roadside. Salem sue was built in 1974. She is 38 feet high, 50 feet long and made with 6 tons of reinforced fiberglass. She had to be built in 3 sections in order to get her up the hill.
BISMARCK:
Bismarck with a population of 55,532 and elevation of 1,653 feet has been the capital of North Dakota since statehood. The city grew up around the site of Camp Hancock, an Army post founded in 1872 (known then as Camp Greeley) to help protect railroad crews. Bismarck’s name was chosen in 1973 as a compliment to German’s “Iron Chancellor” and as an inducement for his countrymen to invest in the railroad. We will be spending two nights in this city.
BISMARCK KOA:
This is a nice KOA. The full-hookup sites are spacious and private with lots of trees and shade. There is no cable TV, but you can get the local channels with your antenna. The wireless internet is free. The signal is so, so. It is stronger if you are outside of your trailer. The bathrooms are very old and run down.
This is a nice KOA. The full-hookup sites are spacious and private with lots of trees and shade. There is no cable TV, but you can get the local channels with your antenna. The wireless internet is free. The signal is so, so. It is stronger if you are outside of your trailer. The bathrooms are very old and run down.
Please see our RV PARK REVIEW BLOG under NORTH DAKOTA to see a review and more pictures of this campground. http://charleston-rv-park-review.blogspot.com/
Bismark has a Cracker Barrel. So after we settled in we drove nearby to the Cracker Barrel and had a late lunch.
We had one full day to spend in Bismarck. We spent he morning visiting the Dakota Zoo and in the afternoon we went downtown to see the State Capital. It was Sunday and the downtown area was closed. Not even a restaurant was open. So we returned to Cracker Barrel, had lunch, and then returned to the State Capital. We got there in time to do the last tour.
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| Crystal and Dave reading the Sunday paper. |
DAKOTA ZOO:
This is a very nice zoo. It was founded in 1961 and is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary. It has grown from 15 acres to 90 acres and now houses 600 animals, birds, and reptiles representing 125 species. It has tigers including a white Bengal tiger and a rare color tiger called called a “golden tabby tiger”, or “strawberry tiger”. They are a variety of the Bengal tiger. Records of the golden tabby tiger date back as far as the early 1900’s. Records also indicate there are less than 30 of these tigers in the world. This tiger is on loan from The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.). This is another zoo that has no elephant, lions, zebras, or giraffes.
We timed our arrival at a good time. This zoo had been closed for six weeks recovering from some major flooding. They are still cleaning up from that flood and probably got some more water due to the storm that hit two days ago. This latest storm caused lots of flooding in some areas of the city. As we got closer to the zoo we saw several homes surrounded by a wall of sandbags.
There were several paths in the zoo that were under water as well as a lot of water in some of the habitats. In one area it was like a lake and there were some huge pumps, pumping the water out. You can hear the pumps as you walked about the zoo.
An amazing sight we noticed while walking around the zoo was the swarms of dragonflies. They were everywhere. We've noticed these swarms all over town. I tried getting a picture of a swarm or even one but it was impossible. I did get a short video of them.
STATE CAPITAL:
After lunch we returned downtown to visit the State Capital that was open despite it being a Sunday. The first capital building was built in 1883, near the present-day site. Fire destroyed the building on Dec 28, 1930. Spontaneous combustion of oily rags in a janitor’s closet was blamed. Construction of the new building was completed in 1934 and was occupied in Jan 1935. The 19-story Capital Building is the focal point of the 130 acre complex. And it is the tallest Capital in the United States.
First we visited the Dakota Heritage Center on the Capital grounds. This is a museum of exhibits depicting the history of North Dakota from its geologic beginnings to the present. Exhibits also feature the varied American Indian, military and agricultural history of North Dakota.
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| This buffalo is at the entrance to the Heritage Center Zoom in and check out the detail in the iron work |
At the Capital building we got there in time for the last tour. We were the only ones on this tour so we had a personal guide. The interior walls were covered with several different kinds of stone such as Yellowstone travertine marble, Minnesota granite, Wisconsin black granite, etc; and several kinds of wood, such as walnut, chestnut, California oak, and many more names that I can’t remember. It was all very beautiful, The ground floor lobby was the Hall of Fame (Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider’s Award) with portraits of famous North Dakotans who received this award; such as Lawrence Welk, Angie Dickinson, Warren Christopher (Clinton’s Secretary of State), Peggy Lee and many more.
The 1st picture is looking down onto the grounds in front of the Capital building. It was taken from the observation deck on the 19th floor. The 2nd picture was when a world's record was set on February 28, 2008. 8,962 people made SNOW ANGELS in one place, at the same time. Since then many other states and last year, Nova Scoia, Canada has tried to break this record. So farm North Dakota holds the record.
The 1st picture is looking down onto the grounds in front of the Capital building. It was taken from the observation deck on the 19th floor. The 2nd picture was when a world's record was set on February 28, 2008. 8,962 people made SNOW ANGELS in one place, at the same time. Since then many other states and last year, Nova Scoia, Canada has tried to break this record. So farm North Dakota holds the record.
We had some excitement that night. Around 10:00pm a severe thunderstorm rolled in bringing some intense rain and wind with lots of thunder and lightning. A “tornado watch” flashed across the TV screen which put us in a state of panic. We brought out the pet carriers and packed the laptop and waited. By midnight everything had passed without incident. We started breathing again and went to bed.
On day 23 we leave North Dakota and continue east into the state of Minnesota for 11 days.
On day 23 we leave North Dakota and continue east into the state of Minnesota for 11 days.
MINNESOTA FACTS:
Settled in 1805
Entered the Union on May 11, 1858
MINNESOTA has a population of around 4,919,479 and 84,068 square miles.
State Capital: St. Paul
State Nickname: Land of 10,000 Lakes
State Motto: “The North Star”
State Motto (funny): “10,000 Lakes And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes”
State Flower: Lady Slipper (1902)
State Bird: Common Loon (1961)
State Animal: --
State Tree: Red Pine (1953
State Gem: Lake Superior Agate (1969)
State Song: “Hail Minnesota” (1945
DAY 23 - 29: AUG 1 - 7 ~ MINNESOTA
Is Minnesota really “the Land of a 10,000 Lakes” as its license plates claim? The answer is NO: the number is actually more than 15,000. The name Minnesota is roughly translated as ‘sky-tinted water,” which explains the state nickname “the Land of sky-Blue Waters.” Minnesota is home to the largest mall in the United States; “Mall of America.” This is a 78 acre mall that opened in 1992 in Bloomington (near Minneapolis).
We passed through Fargo ND. and Detroit Lakes is about 40 miles east of Fargo. We started to see corn fields, along with the wheat, barley and oat fields. After 5 hours and 244 miles, we arrived at Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
DAY 23 – 25, AUG 1 – 3 ~ DETROIT LAKES:
Detroit Lakes is a resort town that is right on the lake. This city has a population of 7,348 and an elevation of 1,353 feet and is home to the WE Fest. Every year on the first weekend of August, country western lovers all over the country come into this small town to watch big star and little star western singers perform out in a country arena and campground. 50,000 people show up for this Western Entertainment Festival.
We had no idea this event was happening this weekend. However, we will miss it by one day. We are here for three nights from Mon thru Wednesday night. The Fest starts on Thursday. So we will miss the masses of people, but we will be here when the crowds start to arrive. The first night was quiet, but the next 3 nights was loud. Hard rock banks were playing all over the area and they sounded really bad to us. The played until around 2am on the 2nd and 3rd night.
COUNTRY CAMPGROUND:
So far this is the best campground we’ve stayed at. The sites are very spacious. The owners live on site and they are very friendly. They greet all the guests and spending time talking to them. They were really enjoying themselves meeting new people. All the guests staying here were very friendly as well. We were out in the country with open fields all around. Unfortunately for this weekend these fields were full of campers and loud people here for the WE Fest.
Please see our RV PARK REVIEW BLOG under MINNESOTA to see a review and more pictures of this campground. http://charleston-rv-park-review.blogspot.com/
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA:
We passed through Fargo on our way into Minnesota. Fargo is about 55 miles west of Detroit Lakes. We made a trip back into Fargo to visit the city. We had a very nice lunch at an Italian place on Broadway Street (their main street) and found some fiberglass buffalo. It was from an art event in 2005 called “Herd About the Prairie – A Virtual Art Stampede”.
We found another buffalo when we visited the RED RIVER ZOO. The Red River Zoo is fairly new, having it’s grand opening in the spring of 1999 and is operated solely through earned revenue, memberships and donations. Over three hundred animals of seventy-five species reside at this Zoo.
There is a 1928 Carrousel with wood and aluminum animals at this zoo. It’s a portable carrousel that can be taken apart and moved to different locations.
The wolf habitate is almost new. The zoo aquired 7 wolf pups in 2008 (two were later sent to other zoos). These pups were born at a wildlife santuary in Ontario, Canada. We got to see 2 of these pups.
The viewing area of the wolf habitate looked like a log cabin. In front of the log cabin was a creek with river rocks lining the creek and lying about. The rocks had donor’s names carved into the rock. A cool idea.
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| Pollas Cat - one of my favorite animals at zoos |
ITASCA STATE PARK; MISSISSIPPI HEADWATERS:
On our last day in Detroit Lakes, we drove north, about 45 miles to Itasca State Park.
Headwaters Caretaker Woman
This is where the Mississippi Headwaters are; where the Mississippi starts. It is the only place where you can “walk” across the Mississippi. The area where Itasca Lake flows into the Mississippi River is about 50 feet wide and less than a foot deep. You can just wade across, or you can use the stepping stones that are laid out across the river, but you still get your feet wet. Or you can walk across a log that lays across the river a few feet above the water. We didn’t want to get our feet wet, so we walked across the log (very carefully). It was quite crowded here, but we waited our turn, took lots of pictures and enjoyed the scenery.
Itasca State Park is a large park; (32,000 acres) with 157 lakes and tons of hiking trails and lots of scenic roads. A lot of time and care has been put into this park. There are several campgrounds, a couple of lodges and lots of cabins.
DAY 26 – 29, AUG 4 – 7 ~ DULUTH:
Duluth was named after French explorer Sieur de Lhute, who landed here in 1679. Iron was found here in 1865 and by 1869 lumber mills throughout the entire Lake Superior district had added to the town’s economy. With the help of railroad shipping, the population had climbed into the thousands. Today Duluth is one of the largest inland seaports in the world and an important grain center.
We will have three days to explore this area. Duluth has a zoo and an aquarium to visit. We plan to drive along the North Shore (in Western Lake Superior) and visit some lighthouses and check out Gooseberry Falls in Gooseberry State Park.
After 5 hours and 189 miles we arrive in the Duluth area.
CLOQUET /DULUTH KOA:
This KOA is different from the other KOA. Gone is the A-Frame main building that is KOA’s signature. Instead there is a building that looks like a log cabin. It is a nice RV park and campground that is out in the country with open fields, grassy sites and trees surrounding the park giving it some privacy. It is nice and clean and there are no permanent residents. The only drawback to this place is the railroad tracks that are next the park and the train that rolls by a few times a day and also throughout the night. The train blasts its horn as it rolls by. Ever hear a train horn at 2am in the morning. We will not be staying at this place ever again.
Please see our RV PARK REVIEW BLOG under MINNESOTA to see a review and more pictures of this campground. http://charleston-rv-park-review.blogspot.com/
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO:
Lake Superior Zoo dates back to 1923 when a West Duluth businessman, Bert Onsgard, received permission from the City to construct a pen for Billy, his pet deer. Bert shared this vision for a zoo and the community embraced it.
Mr. Magoo was the most-famous zoo resident of all times. Early in 1962, Mr. Magoo, an Indian mongoose was smuggled into the Duluth port by a merchant seaman. The mongoose had been a pet on a ship that sailed from Madras, India to the United States through the Great Lakes to the port of Duluth. the mongoose had created much havoc on the ship and the seaman needed to find a new home for Mr. Magoo, so he donated him to the Duluth Zoo. Unfortunately, because it was not legal to have a mongoose in the United States, the U.S. government ordered that Mr. Magoo be euthanized. The local public outcry about the pending fate of Mr. Magoo sped across the country to the highest levels of our government. President John F. Kennedy granted the Presidential pardon that spared his life. This national celebrity lived at the zoo until his death in 1968.
Today the zoo is under some major improvements and has a lot of new habitats. The Lake Superior Zoo is not a large zoo. There are no longer any elephants, although the original elephant house is still there. There are no giraffes, zebras, hippos or rhinos. It houses mostly animals that thrive in the Northern climates.
GREAT LAKES AQUARIUM:
It was a very humid day and visiting the zoo exhausted us, so we were very glad to get inside someplace cool while visiting the aquarium. Previously known as Lake Superior Center, the Great Lakes Aquarium has been located on the Duluth Waterfront since 2000. A freshwater aquarium, GLA features animals and habitats found within the Great Lakes Basin. The Aquarium also houses animals from other freshwater ecosystems such as the Amazon River. The Aquarium is more of a learning center with lots of educational exhibits.
The waterfront boardwalk is in back of the Aquarium and you get a great view of the Aerial Lift Bridge in the Duluth Harbor Basin. We were lucky enough to be outside taking in the view when the Aerial Lift Bridge lifted to let a very long lake freighter through. The freighter was from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada. It was fascinating to watch the span lift as an alarm was going off, the ship sailed through and then the span lowered.
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR:
It was cloudy the morning we explored Western Lake Superior. And it did rain. This section of Lake Superior runs from Duluth to the Canadian border. We got off of the highway and drove on North Shore Road which hugged the shores of Lake Superior. We were passing a lot of antique and gift shops. We would have liked to stop at some of them, but we had a lot to do today. We passed a charming place that was a café called New Scenic Café. Everyone driving in front of us was turning into this place. It was noon and time for lunch so we pulled in too. This is a small place and we had to wait a while as it was crowded, but it was worth the wait. The food was excellent!
We entered the town of Two Harbors and our first stop was TWO HARBORS LIGHTHOUSE. This lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the state of Minnesota. It has been running since 1892. It overlooks Agate Bay in Lake Superior. Two Harbors was the major shipping point for iron ore. The 49.6-foot tower is made of red brick and the head keeper's residence is attached, it towers 78 feet from the lake level to the top. Today the head keeper’s residence is a Bed & Breakfast and the rest of the lighthouse and other buildings on the grounds are a museum. The lighthouse is a working lighthouse with rotating electric light in the tower instead of the original mirrored prism that rotated around a fixed flame supplied by oil.
Further up the road is SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE and State Park. This lighthouse had an impressive Visitor Center with a film and tours of the lighthouse and grounds. Shipwrecks (29 ships) from a severe November 1905 storm with 30 foot waves and snow and strong winds prompted the construction of Split Rock Lighthouse. The lighthouse was completed in 1910. The lighthouse is perched on a high cliff. In those days there was no access from the land to this perch so construction supplies had to be hoisted 110 feet up the cliff to the site. The station closed in 1969 when modern navigational equipment made it obsolete. Today this lighthouse has been restored to its original condition, including the light fixture. It is operational and is only used for special events.
Our last stop was GOOSEBERRY FALLS STATE PARK. We passed this area to get to Split Rock Lighthouse and then stopped at these falls when we headed south to return ‘home’. The falls are huge and there are three sections of these falls; Upper, Middle, and Lower. Right now the falls are not running at their full strength. In fact, it is more like a trickle compared to the pictures when they are raging at full force. But even at a trickle, the falls are very impressive. We did a lot of hiking to get views of all of the levels. It was crowded and people were right up there getting personal with the falls. I was exhausted by the time we got back to the car.
Our very last stop on North Shore Drive was at Betty’s Pies where we had a delicious piece of pie with ice cream and a cup of coffee. Betty's Pie started in 1956 when Betty's father Aleck built a fish shack by the Stewart River on Highway 61. Betty thought it would be a good idea to have some goodies for the fishermen when they stopped in, so she started making donuts and coffee for them to enjoy. Then she started making pies. Betty no longer owns or runs the place. But she occasionally drops in. We sat next to a window that had a humming bird feeder stuck on the outside of the window. We sat there enjoying our pie and watching a humming bird hover at the feeder. Got a great picture. A nice ending to a wonderful day.
THE DEPOT:
We spent our last afternoon in downtown Duluth. We visited The Depot. Built in 1892, the Union Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today The Depot is a place for visitors and residents to enjoy Arts, Culture and History. Admission includes the galleries of the St. Louis County Historical Society and Duluth Art Institute, the Duluth Children’s Museum and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. The Depot also still functions as a train depot. The North Shore Scenic Railroad trains depart from here daily. The Duluth Playhouse is also at The Depot. The Minnesota Ballet, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and Matinee Musical perform at the Playhouse.
We spent our last afternoon in downtown Duluth. We visited The Depot. Built in 1892, the Union Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today The Depot is a place for visitors and residents to enjoy Arts, Culture and History. Admission includes the galleries of the St. Louis County Historical Society and Duluth Art Institute, the Duluth Children’s Museum and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. The Depot also still functions as a train depot. The North Shore Scenic Railroad trains depart from here daily. The Duluth Playhouse is also at The Depot. The Minnesota Ballet, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and Matinee Musical perform at the Playhouse.
Our last stop in Minnesota will be the Twin Cities: Minneapolis (the home of the Mall of America) and St. Paul (capital city of Minnesota). See the next posting (Post 04) to follow that adventure.
