Crossing South Dakota

It seemed that all the turtles in Minneapolis had been quite busy this spring and as we left our campground Renita spotted a snapping turtle laying her clutch of eggs.
It didn't seem like the best spot as it was next to the dump station and terribly exposed but it was her spot and so we stopped the rig and ran over to take pictures,(As if she was going anywhere).
Pulling out of the park we took Interstate 35 south and then Interstate 90 west and it seemed like deju vu as we have been on this particular stretch of road so many times.
Of course as we crossed into South Dakota the wind picked up and I fought gusts all the way to Mitchell, our planned stop. It was with relief that we pulled into the parking lot of Cabelas and I was pretty tired, 330 miles), so we rested before checking out the big Memorial day sale.
The next morning the wind had abated slightly and so leaving early, high winds warnings were in effect for latter in the day, and poorer we headed west. The wind was steady and gaining but we made it across the Missouri River and it actually eased a little so the drive across West River was pretty easy.
Of course South Dakota had to let us know that her winds were only sleeping and by the time we got to Rapid City the winds had switched to the north and had gotten pretty strong. I had to fight the rig to keep it going down the road but with no place to pull over, we didn't have a lot of choice.
Turning south at exit 20 we now had the wind to our backs and the driving became pleasant. It had been another long day but we were at our planned nights stop, near Fairburn, South Dakota and the famed Fairburn Agate beds, more rocks for the fifth wheel! Clear skies.

Loves Labor, A Mother Turtles Tale

Last night Renita and I were treated to a very special sight, that of a turtle preparing a nest and laying her eggs. Its the first time we have ever seen such an event, other than on the internet or tv and so we feel that we hve been treated with a special gift from God.
Now Renita had been telling me to check the rear stabilizers legs as it seemed to feel like there was some movement. Of course I had ignored her for a while as I would never forget to lower the rear stabilizers.....
So I went out last night and saw a dark oval shape next to our campsite. As I looked closer I saw it was a turtle and that she was digging quite a deep hole with her hind legs. Slowly she would reach down the narrow opening and then scoop out a small amount of wet dirt and mud,(it had just rained hard in the afternoon).
Going inside and telling Renita she came out and we both watched her slow movement as she would stretch and dig and then switch legs. I took several pictures and then we left her alone, not wishing to disturb her as it was her time and her place.
Later I went out and saw that she was motionless and covering the hole. Surely she was laying her clutch of eggs, but we couldn't see them and so I took another image and then went back inside.
The next morning she was gone and the hole had been covered over. It was such a good job that we would never suspect that a nest had been made and filled and covered. If not for the slightly damp looking earth it would be almost impossible to find. Her nest was on a south facing slope and about 50 yards/meters from a pond.
We wonder if we should tell the park people or if we should leave well enough alone? All I know is that we have been blessed to see such a sight. Clear skies.

Biking the Grand Round, A delighful day on Minneapolis's Bike Trails

Still excited from yesterdays close encounter with the Lake Calhoun Monster, we arrived at our daughters house intent on a bike ride. She asked us how far we thought we could ride, suggesting several routes, and we decided to try to ride to East Cedar Lake Beach and back on the Grand Round. It's a trail that is about 20 miles, which would be a personal record for us.
Leaving her house we rode down the bumpy streets of east Minneapolis and connected with a bike trail that crossed Minnehaha Creek and headed upstream. The bike trails here are by far the best we have seen and it was an easy pedal, compared to the ride around hilly Lebanon Hills Park.
We rode steadily and didn't stop for a break until we reached the southern edge of Lake Harriet. There we connected with the Grand Round and Jenny pointed out the location of the band shell at which we had attended a free concert several years past.
She also pointed out that there was a bike trail and a walking trail and to be sure to avoid the pedestrians. A good warning for us as we are not use to the numbers of people. Everywhere we looked people were riding and walking and jogging! There were also fishermen and lots and lots of sunbathers.
We started our ride along the west shore of the lake but soon stopped to visit the home of the Gnome. Unfortunately a sign on the door said he had moved and that people should stop leaving him gifts. Don't know if it was a winter move to Texas, but it did seem like there were lots of Minnesotans there with us.
Passing the band shell we continued on the trail, crossed Lake Street at the light, and rejoined the trail along Lake Calhoun. I pointed out the location of the monsters lair, and shook my head at all the swimmers, some mothers with small children.
We continued on our ride reaching East Cedar Beach, to see two police cars at the trail entrance. Hoping for some excitement, the beach had been a nude beach several years previously, or at least getting to watch a drug bust, we were somewhat disappointed as a park policeman had actually driven onto the beach and remained there for over an hour.
As we ate our lunch several young women came rushing from the water and told everyone of seeing a huge fish! Of course I jumped up and forced my way through the throng of bikini clad women, as its rare to see a huge fish. Renita even commented on my bravery to help others in need, oh and I got the look from her.
Seeing no fish I waded back to shore and we finished our lunch. Taking our bikes up the beach Jenny asked us if we felt ok as we could take a shorter path home, but we demurred and chose the scenic route. We were soon at it, riding past the monsters lair and heading south towards Lake Harriet. We rode the east shore this time, so we got to see the other side, and again the trails were really busy!
A detour prevented us from seeing one of Jenny's favorite parts of the ride, where the trail rode under a railroad bridge, but it was still a beautiful ride along the creek. It amazes us here in that cars stop for you as you cross a street. Not so in Texas where the car drivers delight in running over bikers and pedestrians.
Arriving at Jenny and Vitos house the gps said that we had rode for 19.63 miles, a personal best for both of us. We were both a little sore but not bad. It was a great day in Minnesota! We both agreed that Minneapolis was our favorite city, in three years of travel, and that it would be a nice city to live in if you had to live in a city. Clear skies.

The Monster of Lake Calhoun, A Day Canoeing in the Twin Cities

Some may doubt our story of a monster, but we have seen it rise from the clear depths and swim alongside our canoe. It paused as if to say, this is my home and I am hungry. Do people here in Minneapolis know such a monster exists? Know now and keep your pets and children from Lake Calhouns waters........
Jenny and Vito were both working so we decided to go canoeing at the Chain of Lakes Park. Its in downtown Minneapolis and consists of three connected lakes, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Lake Calhoun.
We launched the canoe from a dock, near the eastern end of Lake of the Isles and headed west toward Cedar Lake. We quickly passed a mother duck and her ducklings and Renita snapped pictures of bluegills.
Passing under a bridge we entered the narrow waterway that connects Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. Its pretty overgrown with aquatic weeds, from all the lawn fertilizers, but still an easy paddle. We were going without the stabilizers and the canoe sliced through the water. like a racing kayak, or so it seemed to us.
Entering Cedar Lake we headed to Hippie Beach,(East Cedar Lake Beach), for lunch, where a small group of sun worshipers were getting their vitamin a in mega doses. No drums beats echoed across the water, had the drummers been arrested(see last years blog)?
Eating lunch we headed towards the far shore and as we paralleled the edge Renita pointed out a long large fish, a muskie. I kind of wished I had a fishing licensee but the sight of the fish and its tiger stripped sides was enough to make the day. Little did I know!
We neared a pair of loons that were diving and feeding and watched a mother duck swimming across the lake. She had in tow nine newly hatched ducklings, and we wondered if she knew the danger she was exposing them to.
As she neared the loons the male rose in a threat display and then another. She frantically quacked to urge her ducklings to swim faster, when the male loon displayed again and then charged. The mother dropped back to protect her brood and to provide a shield for her little ones.
Seeming to escape the loon's ire they continued to paddle when the loon dove and then reappeared attacking the small babies. The mother duckling turned and fought the much larger loon as the little ducklings seemed to walk on water.
She didn't win the fight, she was so much smaller then the loon,but she did manage to turn his frenzy, allowing the brood to escape. Rejoining it she led them across the lake and into the safe haven of a small beach.
We glided back into the narrow passageway where a muskrat swam past us, dove and then resurfaced. It started to lunch on some of the water vegetation and seemed unconcerned with our canoe passing nearby. It must have been really tasty seaweed!
Entering Lake of the Isles we headed toward the larger islands. One is a wildlife refuge and landing on it is prohibited, so we paralleled its shore and watched the many geese and green headed mallards.
Our next goal was Lake Calhoun and so we rowed through the canal and under the two bridges. Now lake Calhoun is much larger and last year a sailboat class had provided entertainment as we watched them overturn their boats and crash into one another. Only one sailboat was out and we were getting tired so we paused before heading back, when the monster appeared.
Now I have caught shark and bull black and red drum. We both have caught and released large northern,(my best is 43 inches and Renitas is 42 inches long, and so we have seen many large fish under water.
This brown shape appeared alongside the canoe and I know it was over 50 inches long, and that's being conservative. It was the largest fresh water fish we have ever seen, and it lives in the Twin Cities. We talked with a fisherman on the bank and he didn't act surprised as he said he had seen it attack bluegills as fisherman were bringing them in.
The fish swam lazily around us and Renita tried to take its image but it was too deep and all you can see is the brown looking log in the upper part of the image.Believe us if you want to or not, it makes no never mind to us for we both know that a monster lives in Lake Calhoun. We have seen it! Clear skies.

Minneapolis, Our First Week

Our reservations for Lebanon Hills Regional Park didn't start until the fourteenth, so we arrived in Prior Lake and stayed two days at Mystic Lake Casino Rv Park. Its about as nice an rv park as you will find anywhere and not bad for 26 bucks a night.
Jenny came over and visited us the first day and we pretty much spent it resting and visiting about family and friends and her new job,(She is an LPN at a cardiac unit in Burnsville and will finish her RN this fall).
The next day we moved to Lebanon Hills Regional Park, in Apple Valley. Its really a nice place but very pricey, 31 bucks a night. There are not a lot of options, however, as some of the other parks ban dogs but allow horses,(The drive was all of 19 miles).
After setting up our house we drove to Jenny's. She lives in Minneaoplis, in a downstairs apartment house. She's got a huge deck, and Vito and her have already filled it with plants and deck chairs and a barbecue grill. She proudly told us that her lawn furniture were all rescued items.
Inside, the living room is dominated by the Christmas Cactus. This was the plant that had been passed down to us as a cutting from my Gramdma Brackins plant. We actually have a picture of it in the window of the Brackin Family Farm near Elgin, Iowa. As you can see the plant is huge, and I am sure my brother and sister are both amazed at how large it has become.
The next few days were spent at Jenny's and Vito's, barbecuing and resupplying. Its been awhile since we have been in a big city and we won't see one again as we head to Wyoming so we have been stockpiling stuff from Trader Joes.
We also attended our first Art Crawl. This is an event in which many of the artists in Minneaoplis and St Paul open their studios and allow everyone to see and buy their work. We were really interested is seeing other peoples jewelry and we realized that our work was as good as any we had seen. So the next day we opened a store on Etsy,(our stores name is markandrenita). Now if I can just figure out how to take better pictures of our work!
Yesterday we finally took a bike ride around one part of the Park. It was on the bike trails that are all throughout the Cities. As we rode we passed joggers and other bikers. The people here are so fit, compared to down south.
It was so nice to ride again and our bodies both protested a little from the inaction and lack of riding. We both have a long way to go if we are going to enter the Senior Olympics, but that is our goal. We don't really care if we win. we just want to participate, and so we must commit to getting in better shape. Clear skies.

Lake Phalen

Where had the time went? It seemed like we had arrived in Minnesota only yesterday and it was almost time to leave. As we still had a few days left in our St Paul visit, we decided to take a bike ride to Lake Phalen and to drive to Maple Grove to visit Phil and Brenda.
Loading our bikes we drove to Jenny and Vito's place at the Northern Artist Coop. There we met Jenny and discussed the days ride. We had a couple choices, either ride along both sides of the river or ride to Lake Phalen. Since we had already rode the river we decided to do the Lake Phalen loop.
The first couple of blocks were down St Pauls streets. We rode past the deserted Farmers Market,(it was a Saturday afternoon), before turning east and meeting the bike trail. Riding past a custom bike building shop, (we heard the sound of a bike being tested from gear changes), we next turned south and coasted along and then over railroad tracks.
From there the ride was along a greenway with the occasional empty factory building. Soon it merged with other trails with the one we wanted paralleling a street that led us to the Lake Phalen.
Arriving at the lake we decided to ride around it. The park there was quite busy and the trails were full of bikers, runners,and families strolling their kids.
It was an easy ride as the bike trail is one way and parallels the pedestrian path.
The total ride was about twelve miles and a nice distance for us. Minneapolis and St Paul should be commended for their bike trails. They are by far the best we have seen in our travels!
On Sunday we picked up Vito and Jenny,(actually Jenny drove), and we headed to Maple Grove. There we managed to miss the turn before retracing our steps and finding Phil and Brendas house.
They have such a pretty house, bordering a park, and it was so nice to sit and visit about our travels. Phil and Brenda have a pretty hefty list themselves and they told us about Jamaica and Cabo and the Florida Keys.
We bored the kids with stories of old times and genealogical dead ends. We have been stuck on the Chandler side for quite a while, maybe this visit is the push I need to make a serious attempt at ending this genealogy mystery? The time passed too quickly and we said our goodbyes, before heading back home,(our rv).
Our last day was spent in packing the house. I grumbled, as usual, about all the stuff, even though Jenny and Vito had gladly taken some of our discards. That night they came over for a barbecue, and we had time for last visits before tearfully saying goodbye, but the road beckons and the mountains call.
We have been truly blessed. Clear skies.

MInneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park

The drums beat louder as we neared the Hidden Beach. The tempo increased and it seemed that the air vibrated with the pounding. Our guide Jenny, sensing my fear flexed her biceps to reaaaure me. Queen Renita rode on her throne seat quiet but firmly in control. We beached the canoe and somewhat nervous, allthough never hearing of canniblism in Minnesota, I approached the drummers with my camera held at the ready.
Pointing at the camera and then at them I used universal sign languge to ask their permisson for a photo. The lead drummer looked at me and asked, "Are you the police?, to which I answered no and he gave his permission. We had passed the test!
Strolling through tattooed covered bodies we found a place to eat lunch and rested from the morning paddling.
We had wanted to canoe for weeks but the weather had been cold and rainy and windy so today was the first day when conditions were right. We called our daughter and she agreed to accompny us on a day of adventure at Chain of Lakes Regional park.
We ran into construction but eventually found a place to launch at Lake of the Isles, a middle lake in the chain.
Not putting on the stabilizers, we paddled uncertain and tenatitve until we found a rythum. Jenny and Renita pointed out bluegills and a good sized largemouth bass. We paddled into open, and deep water, heading uplake.
Gliding under a small bridge a narrow and heavily shaded waterway led us to Cedar Lake. As we reached the lake a boat clearing vegetation worked near the far shore, Jenny pointed out Hidden Beach, our lunch spot, and as we headed there the drums sounded louder. I explained to Renita my thoughts but she simply smirked, I had seen that look before!
Jenny explained that the beach was called Hidden Beach beacuse it used to have trees down to the waters edge, but the authorities had removed them after complaints of 'goings on". There were quite a few people there and one was completely covered with tatoos! Interesting.
After lunch we reimbarked and headed back to Lake of the Isles. A northern pike swirled away as we neared the middle isle. A blue winged teal led her ducklings to an isle and I wondered how many she would lose to the pikes. Signs warned against landing and so we skirted the edge and watched the ducklings follow their mom.
Another bridge opening presented itself and we paseed under, where another short and narrow waterway led us to Lake Calhoun.
There, a flotilla of sailboats were engaged in a melee of sails and tilted hulls. As we watched one overturned. It turned out to be a sailing class for beginners and we rowed away wanting no part of being an unintended target.
Deciding we had had enough adventure for the day we headed back to Lake of the Isles. We were tired and sore from all the paddling, but the day on the water had been exactly what we had needed, and we decided that this was a place to return again. Clear skies.

Twin City Bike Trails

It seems like every city has something special, a place where you can escape from the busy city life, relax and slow down. A place in which the city, or town or village for that matter, puts its heart. A place in which the city takes pride. The bike trails, walking paths, connected parks along the lakes and Mississippi River of the Twin Cities are the heart we found.
Of course it rained and was cold for days. The temperature was 22 degrees below normal and so we bided our time until it finally warmed up and we could enjoy the cities places. Two such places were the bike trails along Lake Nokomis and the new trail along the Mississippi river in St Paul.
The trails around Lake Nokomis are an easy ride. While they combine in places most of the bike and walking trails are separate. Starting near Minnehaha Falls we rode by Lake Hiawatha and then around Lake Nokomis. A boat launch on Lake Nokomis seemed to say, "Bring the canoe", but we continued on hoping it would warm up more so we could enjoy some water sports.
Well traveled and enjoyed, the trails were busy but not crowded, it was a weekday. We planned on riding further but it started to rain and so we rode back to the truck before seeing Minnehaha Falls. As we drove home Jenny, our daughter, pointed out the new section of trails along the Mississippi river and we definitely wanted to ride it!
The next day Renita and I loaded the bikes and headed to a parking lot along the river, where we unloaded the bikes and rode upstream. Our goal was to ride to Crosby Farms Regional Park.
Along the way we passed new condos and apartments. Statues and fountains graced part of the trail, as did flowers on a balcony, which Renita pointed out to me. I did notice the Schmidt Brewery, a landmark place. A barge moved up river as did a replica paddel wheel steam boat.
We reached Crosby Farms and rode into the park. Huge cottonwoods lined the trail but stinging nettles kept us on the asphalt. The forest here was dark and had a smell of deep woods and earthy loam that reminded me of childhood morel mushroom hunts in Iowa.
While there were several hills they were pretty easy and we rode and stopped and pointed out sights. Returning to the truck we checked our gps and saw we had rode 12.25 miles. We were both surprised as it didn't seem so far. We have been blessed to retire early and visit such a beautiful place and blessed to be able to hike and ride in such a place. Thank you Twin Cities! Clear skies.

An Anniverary Day Bike Ride, Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Wanting to do some canoeing and biking we decided to drive down to Lebanon Hills Regional Park. There we could also check out the campground, for future visits and for a picnic. As it was our 38th anniversary. Jenny, our daughter, accompanied us, both to share the day with us and to keep us from getting lost.
Now it's a good idea to know where you are going so I did some research and wrote down the highway numbers....hm...is that a 35 or a 36? Maybe I should have worn my bifocals when I was sitting at the computer? Anyway, after a few wrong turns and a few extra miles we finally found the park.
Stopping at the visitor center we talked with the rangers and got directions to the bike trails and campground. It turns out the bike trails are extreme mountain bike trails, not what we were looking for. However the campground sounded like a great place for a future visit.
As soon as we turned into the campground, we liked the place. The host told us about the full hook up and electric only sites and so we drove around and looked at both loops. Everything was so dry, this part of Minnesota is in a drought, but the sites were large and the parks campground is the kind of setting we prefer! An easy and paved bike trail parallels the road so we decided this is the place for our next visit.
Leaving there we drove to a small lake and had our picnic. We sat along the lake and watched the bluegills, fighting for spawning beds. We walked onto a small dock where we got a much closer look at the fish. Each bed was claimed by a larger fish and it seemed like it was a never ending battle as the female would chase fish after fish away from her nest.
Returning to the truck we drove to Oak Park, where we unloaded the bikes and set off for the Highline Bike Trail. The trail started with a severe downhill and then traveled north along the road. At first it wasn't really what we had hoped for but after crossing a busy street it turned and we rode through a corridor of trees and small lakes. A much more relaxed and peaceful setting.
That last hill punished us when we returned and we were both tired but happy for the ride as we loaded the bikes to return home. It felt good to finally get some exercise. On the way home Jenny pointed out a new trail along the Mississippi River. A good day. Clear skies.

Apples

Last year we had driven through Minnesota just before the peak fall colors. This year we hit it at the peak. Most amazing to us were the orange maples, along with the bright red sumacs. Driving around the Twin Cities made us want to pull over for pictures, but of course we couldn't.
Jenny suggested another way to enjoy the colors, a visit to an apple orchard, so we loaded up and headed to Apple Valley and the Afton Apple Orchard. It turned out to be quite a treat!
As we got there we pulled into a huge parking area filled with other fall frolickers! The first stop was to the booth for apple tasting, where they had all of the apple varieties. Walking down the apple line we tasted eah variety and decided what type of apples we wanted to pick. Our favorites were Honey Gold and Harelson. Next you picked up some apple bags, which looked kind of small. but held a lot of apples!
Paying two dollars to enter we had our hands stamped and then got on the hay wagon, which took the "apple pickers", around the orchard, stopping as you shouted out halt to the driver. We first picked the Harelsons and then walked to the raspberry patches to taste their sweetness. Everywhere people were tasting and picking the fall harvest. High electric fences warned the deer to keep out!
Walking down the road we passed Connel Reds, Honey Crisps, to name a few. The apple trees were interspered with pumpkin patches filled with children picking out their Halloween decoration. Tired of walking, and carrying our harvest, we waited for the hay wagon, then reembarked and continued until we got to the Honey Golds.
Tree after tree was filled with golden apples. We tasted one as we strolled and picked until our bag was bursting with sweetness. We felt like children again and thanked God for such goodness.
Returning to the start point we went to the apple press, where the pressers told us 200 apples were needed for one gallon of juice! Walking into the store we got some pumpkin butter and apple butter, before paying for our apples and heading home.
All in all a day of color and sweetness and fall foliage. A treat for all the senses.
Clear skies

Dance Jen Brackin, Dance!

We left Rapid City and drove across South Dakota, boondocking at the Mitchel Cabelas. High winds, of over 40 mph, caused our mileage to plummet and nearly forced us to stop, but we were able to slowly make our way across the prairie. The second day the winds abated, as we traveled east, and we drove to Shakopee, Minnesota, where we stayed at the Dakotah Meadows Rv Park, (The park is really an extension of the Mystic Casino).
Calling Jenny, we discovered that she had two performances, one was at the Varsity Theater, in Dinkeytown, and the other was at Valley Scare! Yeah, Jenny dancing!
The first performance was at the launch of a new performing company, Fair Trade. Jen's Friend Colleen, an outstanding singer, was celebrating the start of her new performance company and Jen choreographed and danced a solo during the festivities.
The show was at the Varsity Theater in Dinkeytown, and included Rap Artists, A Shakesperian soliloquy, solo singers, and of course Jen's solo.
The next night we were treated to a performance of a much different type as we went to Valley Scare, at Valley Fair, and got to see Illumination. Illumination is a fire dance company which is working with a magican during the pre-Halloween festivities. Jen not only danced but also coregraophed the dancers and the magician;
It was our first time to see her spin fire, and it was amazing to see how the dancers worked with the flames in a safe and controlled environment. Well done!
Afterwards we went behind the stage to talk with Jen and meet her friends and fellow company dancers.
We were able to see a second performance, after I rode the Power Tower, a ride which features a vertical drop of 200 feet. The ride takes you slowly up and then drops you like a stone before yoyoing to a final stop,( The reason I had to ride it is because it's as close to free fall as you can get, without riding in outer space)!
The ride to the pre-drop position was acrophobic, to say the least. How I wished for my seat harness and climbing rope! The drop itself was pure pleasure! Much more fun than a leader fall. (of which I had done several while rock climbing at Devils Tower).
All in all two nights of enjoyment! Clear skies.

The North Shore of Lake Superior

Decided to give Jenny and Vito a break from us and headed up the North Shore of Lake Superior for a couple of Days. Stayed at an overpriced inn at Silver Bay and went to Terragouche State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and Gooseberry Falls State Park the next day. Very busy and fun! I loved Split Rock State Park and Renita's favorite was the waterfall at Gooseberry.

The leaves were close to peak but not quite there yet as there were still some green trees. It was still a very good day with incredible scenery. Went to agate beach at Gooseberry State park and found a crowd of agae hunters, and one tiny agate!

We returned to Jenny's for the night. Definetly want to return with the camper!

Back in St Paul

We are starting to feel like yo yos as we are back in St Paul and still waiting for our new home to be finished. The new pick up date is next Saturday soooooooo we are going to take a break and go up to Duluth to see the leaves.

This is our second night here and I feel so disruptive to Jenny and Vito. We did get to see Jenny and the fire dance troop rehearse for Valley Fair. I knew but had forgotten how good a dancer Mel is.

Other stuff...... we ate at a Tibetan/Indian resturant the first night here, took a nice walk along the river, got to see a black squirrel in the park with the neat gazebo. Even read the TS Elliot poetry with the gazebo. Oh and we road a bus, 94b, across town.

Jenny and Vito and us at Pizza Galactia