We took the Great River Road (US Highway 35), which meanders along beside the Mississippi River. Our first stop was at the Trempeauleau National Wildlife Refuge. We went down to the marshland alongside the River where native grasses and prairie flowers are preserved. There also were some wetland birds, but not close enough for a clear photo. (We didn't have the bird book, but they look like egrets, however their bills were orange, rather than black.)
But this butterfly was very cooperative with me as I took its photo.
From there, we continued northward and, at the suggestion of the man from Twin Cities, stopped at the Nelson Creamery for cheese and ice cream. My husband thought it a tourist trap (true), but when in Wisconsin, one must taste the dairy products! I enjoyed a bing cherry ice cream cone. Very creamy and good. I passed on trying the batter-dipped, deep-fried cheese curds someone at work suggested I try. Just didn't sound too appealing, although it's supposed to be quite a treat.
Surprisingly, there weren't many dairy farms and those we saw all were small family operations. A hard way to make a living. This barn looked as though it had seen better days. It was on County Road CC in Pepin County, on our way to the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
By mid afternoon, we reached the goal for this leg of the journey--visiting the birthplace (more or less) of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The woman at the museum in Pepin said that the replica cabin is located on land where Charles and Caroline Ingalls lived. An Ingalls family member from the Pepin area (some of the Ingalls family stayed in the area--Charles brother and Caroline's sister, who were married to each other) assisted in designing the cabin the way he thought it might have looked in 1867 when she was born.
While no longer in a "big woods," it felt special to be on the land we had read about in "Little House in the Big Woods." And, from the long drive from town (about seven miles), we can fully appreciate why it was such a big deal when they got to go to town, as told in that book.
One surprise was learning "Lake Pepin" actually was just a wide (and long) spot in the Mississippi River, rather than a separate lake. No wonder we couldn't find it on the map! Here's a photo we took before venturing on up the road to Prescott where we crossed over into Minnesota.
Because of warnings about various construction sites, we chose to drive through St. Paul and Minneapolis, rather than take the bypass. Well, that was interesting. Things don't slow down on Sunday afternoons in the Twin Cities. Luckily, we weren't in the several-mile backup inbound on the western side of town. It must have stretched for seven miles at a crawl or standstill.
Spent the night in Albany because I was just too tired to drive any further. Had dinner at the Hillcrest Family Restaurant & Stubby's Tavern. Got a kick out of this sign. (At least we could eat knowing there wouldn't be a shoot-out!) The food was very good and filling--and our server was a delight. When she came to tell us about the special, which was "beef commercial," we had to ask for a definition. Sounds like an open-faced roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes in the middle of the split sandwich and gravy on the works. We decided to go for pork chops, instead.
Today, we set off for North Dakota. Most of our Minnesota sightseeing will be in Southern Minnesota on the way back, so this will mostly be a driving day. Hope to make Bismarck tonight, so we can set off on the Old Red/Old Ten Scenic Byway in the morning. Will spend the day reading up on the little towns we'll visit while my hubby's driving today.
