Mid-July to Mid-August 2022

From Whitefish, Montana, we headed east into North Dakota. We stopped in Rugby, which is the geographical center of North America.

It seems odd that this small town holds this distinction, but it does. In the 1880s, this was a junction stop on the Great Northern Railway. Today, it’s the Pierce County seat and home to about 2,500 people, but the cairn marking its location may be the biggest attraction.

We camped on Devil’s Lake at Graham’s Island State Park. Devil’s Lake is North Dakota’s largest fresh water lake and the area is popular with fishermen, hunters, and campers.

There’s a 10 mile road leading out to the island. We loved camping here. It was grassy and clean, with camping sites well-spread out.

The hiking trails along the lake were wide, mowed paths. Even though it was hot, it was a good spot to unwind for a few days.

We crossed into Minnesota at Fargo and made our way east to Crosslake and a Corps of Engineers campground. This was also a great find. Often, the COE sites will be way off the beaten track because they’re situated near dam sites managed by the COE. This one is both on a lake and near town.

We were able to ride our bikes around rhe town of Crosslake and along the lake’s edge.

There are stores, shops, and waterside restaurants close by.

Our site was just steps from the water, where we could sit to watch the sunset.

This is the kind of camping we really enjoy. Pleasant surroundings and lots to do nearby.

Duluth,MN

Last year, when we zipped through this area, we promised Duluth a return visit. Duluth’s downtown and historic areas border the waterfront. The lakefront walk is six miles of sparkling water views and historic points of interest. The Leif Erikson Rose Garden is part of this walk. A sunny day, with a breeze off the lake and 3,000 roses to admire and sniff, made for a wonderful afternoon.

We returned on another day to walk by the lake, and got caught in a surprise rain shower. We popped into historic Fitger’s Brewhouse to wait out the rain.

John likes to sample new and local beers. Here he ventured away from a pilsner and tried the Habanero Beer – just a little too spicy for me, but he liked it.

Duluth also has a system of metro parks with trails, and we hiked some of these.

We camped at Spirit Mountain, just outside of town, and made day trips into town and around the area. The campground is just down the road from Spirit Mountain’s ski complex and adventure park.

On our last day at the campground, we rode the ski lift and got a bird’s eye view of the city, including Duluth’s iconic Lift Bridge.

We really liked Duluth. The city has a good vibe. The architecture of the homes is interesting. Many older homes have been repurposed, which gives the neighborhoods personality. The restaurants we tried were good, and had creative fare. People were friendly and helpful. Duluth may become a regular summer stop.

You gotta love a laundromat that names its washers.

Spirit Valley in Duluth is one of the best laundromats, ever! And we’ve seen more than our fair share of laundromats.

We decided to travel a bit further north, to see more of Lake Superior from the Minnesota side.

We went as far as Silver Bay, then retraced our steps to Duluth, and continued south.

Along the way, we stopped at Gooseberry Falls State Park and hiked out to see the falls.

Wyalusing, WI

The Mississippi River separates Minnesota, on the west, from Wisconsin to the east. Following the river further south, it marks the border between Iowa and southern Wisconsin.

We followed the Mississippi to Wyalusing, where it converges with the Wisconsin River.

Trains run alongside the river, and the river itself is greatly used for shipping and transportation. Barges still move 60% of America’s grain crop to market.

As we drove, we were surrounded by dairy and farm land. Fields are planted, mostly with corn and soybeans, as far as the eye can see.

After a while, the planted rows become like an artform, rising and falling on the gentle hillsides. Many of these farms are Amish and, like roads in Lancaster, PA near our former home, the roads show the tracks of buggy travel.

After our stay at Wyalusing State Park, we turned east and headed toward Milwaukee. We spent the night at Steel Tank Brewery, a Harvest Host location in Oconomowoc.

This veteran-owned brewery had a lot of personality. Dave, the owner, and all the staff were welcoming and friendly. We had some beer and pizza, and then retired to our little camping spot in the back lot. All in all, a good, quiet night.

The Wisconsin State Fair: Pig Races and Cream Puffs

We decided that we should see at least one state fair this summer. The Wisconsin State Fair is a big one, and fit into our schedule, so we headed into Milwaukee to join the crowd.

Our first destination of the day was the Pig Race Arena.

Of course it was silly, but isn’t that the point? We watched teams of little pigs charging around the short track for a reward of animal crackers. The crowd was encouraged to root for their favorite racers.

With piggy pun names like Snoop Hoggy Hog, Spamela Anderson, Taylor Swine, and Shaquille O’Squeal – the audience gets into the fun of hollerin’ for their favorite racer.

The fair is gigantic, with free entertainment stages, amusement rides, a homeshow building, crafts and trinkets, exhibition halls, and all the 4H and FFA events you’d expect.

Food is a very big deal. There’s a whole building dedicated to the assembly line baking of mile-high cream puffs. You are expected to eat a cream puff.

We strolled through some of the exhibits and marveled at how many food items could be served on a stick: brats, fried pickles, foot long cheese curds, tots, lamb, corn, and pretzels – all with copious amounts of cheese. This is Wisconsin, after all. There were dozens of food booths.

Top it all off with a “Walking Banana Explosion,” kind of a banana split/nilla wafer/nutty bar combo. I’m not sure whether the dessert explodes or the consumer does. Anyway you munch it, this fair is definitely a major food event.

As the day grew hotter, and the crowds kept pouring in, we decided to take our leave and go see a bit of downtown Milwaukee.

We found easy parking near the Public Market and had fun exploring spices, coffees, and kitchen gadgets. We waited in line for a seat at the St. Paul Fish Market counter and had some fresh oysters.

We also met some interesting folks, who offered sight seeing tips and encouraged us to consider moving to Milwaukee.

Sheboygan, WI

The next day we drove north along Lake Michigan to stay at Kohler-Andrae State Park. This popular park has gotten terrific reviews, and we agreed with what we had read. We rode bikes, hiked, and walked the beach along Lake Michigan.

On a rainy day, we went into Sheboygan to visit the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

What an amazing museum and uplifting experience. I was very impressed with the Art Links Sheboygan: Never What Is Planned exhibit hall. This initiative offers artist-taught classes to individuals age 55 and better, and their projects are displayed in this hall, along with their artist statements.

The classes were empowering for the students. Their works of art were thought provoking, personal, and very creative. We spent a long time studying the art. When we went outside, we found ourselves in a thoughtfully landscaped garden.

The museum, which strives to engage the community at all age levels, is free. A more than perfect drizzly day.

We closed out our Sheboygan visit by finding a small, neighborhood pub for an early dinner, and then prepared to move on.

The next day, we headed toward Chicago.