Minnesota

Here we embark on my trip to middle America. When I told people I was going to Iowa, they would ask if I had relatives there. When I said I didn't, they would get a puzzled look on their face. Why would I go Iowa? We're about to find out.

I fly in to Minneapolis. My arms are so tired. I rent a car and off we go. This is scheduled to be the least exciting day of the trip. In St. Paul I stop at the former home of F. Scott Fitzgerald, of the Great Gatsby. It's privately owned, so no going in. Next a long drive through Minnesota. I didn't even think about this coming up, but going through Rochester we see the famous Mayo Clinic. A few miles later I see a sign for a Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. I'm glad I stopped. There wasn't much to it. There was a house she used to live in and a small museum/gift shop. She was the basis of the books and the TV show, Little House on the Prairie - The only Western that managed to have no excitement in it. "In this episode Michael Landon goes to town and talks with some folks at the local store, then comes home." Still, I'm glad I stopped.

I cross into Iowa, then across the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, where I spend the night. In spite of my almost total inability to speak French, despite three years of it in high school, I believe that is French for "Prarie Dog". We were in Wisconsin and every place we went into had the radio playing the Green Bay preseason game. Thus ends day one. Not super exciting, but it will pick up.