DAY 20 - July 1, 2013 - BILLINGS TO SPOKANE -- HOME

The day started out a bit slowly even though I was on the road early. What "big" city allows for a VERY long freight train to cross downtown during rush hour!?! That would be Billings, Montana...twenty minutes later, I finally hit the freeway.

The drive was pretty monotonous but at least some portions were pretty and it really wasn't too hot. I did experience a little problem with my cruise control...at one point it would not set but eventually did...and then...it would not click off even though I hit the brakes. I was doing about 80 and had a car in front of me. That was a little scary but it did turn off manually. So much for using my cruise control the rest of the way home. I must now get it back into the shop to get it checked out.

Arrived in Spokane to see that the place I live HAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE GAS ON THIS ENTIRE TRIP! Yowsers!

My friend met me and helped me unload and then I just chilled...for days. :)

RECAP:

20 Days

9 States (Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota)

4,316 miles -- just the portion I drove. This does not include southern Minnesota, Iowa, or Wisconsin driven by my cousin, Marcia.

29 new cousins

All in all, a very good trip but I probably will not do this again...at least driving. I may need to go to Minneapolis to conduct more research but I am thinking maybe next time to take the train?

DAY 19 – June 30, 2013 – Fargo to Billings

Left fairly early this morning from Fargo and arrived in Billings early enough to go out to dinner. Billings was the first place I stayed on the way to Minnesota and the last place I chose to stay on the way home. I am even staying at the same place. J

The drive across North Dakota and Montana is really boring…I saw a couple of “ugly” accidents in Montana that I am guessing were caused because the driver “fell asleep” while driving. That is just my guess but considering the location of those cars that left the road, I think my guess is pretty accurate .

North Dakota’s gas was the most expensive I have seen on this trip although there was one small town in Montana that was advertising for $3.84 (I did not stop there).

At the Theodore Roosevelt National Park rest area in North Dakota, they had a scenic viewing area overlooking part of the Badlands. Pretty cool.

All in all, a pretty boring day although I am three disks away from finishing my third audio book. I am saving those three disks for the portion of the Montana Rockies that does not receive satellite reception.J

Home tomorrow!

 

DAY 18 – June 29, 2013 – Bemidji to Hillsboro and Fargo North Dakota

Have not slept well the past couple of nights so have been on the road early. Apparently last night’s raucous group was a women’s softball team…I just kept the TV on to drown out the noise. Tonight, in Fargo, it’s a class reunion. OKAY….

I scanned a lot of pages last night from the Nielsville book that Curtis loaned me. He came by this morning to pick it up and then I was on my way to Hillsboro. I travelled the back roads and it did not take as long as I thought it would.  I was also a little surprised that Hillsboro was as small a town as it was. Fred’s sister, Inez and her husband Russell drove down from near the Canadian border to join us for lunch. While we were waiting for Inez, Fred told me about a cousin, Kim, who was looking for information on the Schmidt line. I contacted her and we are now talking about skyping once I return…I have her ancestors and she has the continuing line. A match made in heaven (for genealogists).

I decided to stay in Fargo tonight and give my grandparents one more opportunity to “show themselves”. I checked in early afternoon then headed over to Moorhead and my fourth trip to this cemetery. They must have been listening because I FINALLY found them! I cleaned up the headstones as the grass was quite tall around the edges.

Tomorrow, my plan is to stay in Billings then be back in Spokane sometime on Monday.

DAY 16 – June 27, 2013 – Thief River Falls

Marcia was able to safely leave last night or should I say this morning? The train was late in leaving but we got there early. She arrived safely in Winona only an hour or so late.

The lovely Grand Forks Train Station

What a great day – sunny and warm and an afternoon with two/three/four new family members.

Okay, most of the time it was just Roma and Clayton but Roma’s son, Roger, was there for a short time and Clayton’s wife stopped by for lunch.

Clayton and Roma

It was an easy drive and I found the place with only one “miss” of the turn off. I hate it when the signs are so minimal. I did see the turnoff for Highway 32 but it was directionless so I just kept driving. Turned around about five miles later and only missed one turn after that. J  I did not follow Roma’s directions because I did not really understand them so used my phone’s GPS instead. I got there just fine but she sent me a different direction when I left…it was much easier.

We had a nice lunch, exchanged personal information and I promised to send them the “whole enchilada” when I got back to Spokane. Roma is super sweet and Clayton has a great sense of humor so there was plenty of laughter. I am so glad that I was able to have the opportunity to meet them and spend some time getting to know them. Roma showed me her hand-woven rugs and the pile of quilts she has finished for Cora. Then, she brought me back to her “room” where I got to see her loom and the embroidery work she is finishing for a new quilt.

I returned to Crookston for my final night here and actually stopped at the nearest grocery store to buy some lettuce for dinner…that is all I will need after the great and filling lunch I had with the Jacobson/Stigen families.

Tomorrow I get to visit my long-time love, Paul Bunyan and his trusting companion Babe…and of course, Curtis and his wife Bonnie. J Saturday I get to meet Fred before I start my journey west towards home. It has been a great time.

DAY 17 – June 28, 2013 – Bemidji

Today was the first day I encountered rain during a drive. It wasn’t too bad but still annoying.

 I stopped at the Headwater of the Mississippi and because of the rain, the mosquitoes were in full feed mode. I did not stay very long. J

 

Par for the course, I took a wrong turn somewhere and although I found Curtis’ house, it was not with the directions he provided. I met his wife, Bonnie, we spent some time getting acquainted then went out for dinner (actually it was lunch…welcome to Minnesota).

I had asked Curtis if he had ever heard of Aure, Minnesota which was the postmark on a postcard my grandmother had received from her cousin, Nora. WOW, the place really exists and they even had a cemetery. Maybe it was a bigger place “back in the day” but now there is only the cemetery and a telephone building. Nora was not in the cemetery but there were Petersons/Pedersons so I might have a starting point in tracking down this elusive cousin.

After our trip up to Aure, we stopped by to see Paul and Babe, then went back to the Smith house and looked over some old photos.  I have spent the evening scanning pages out of the Nielsville Centennial Book. Curtis is going to stop by in the morning to pick up the books before I leave.

 

Thankfully, I had decided to stay here in Bemidji so did not have to travel far tonight. Tomorrow it is off to Hillsboro, North Dakota and meeting my final cousin on this adventure.

 

 

DAY 15 – JUNE 26, 2013 – Moorhead and Climax

Last night’s storm caused a lot of havoc in the area. The Moorhead/Fargo area had up to nine inches of water…it was not as bad up here but still somewhere around three inches.

We met Art at the Corner where he enjoys coffee each morning with his friends. His son, Dave (the Mayor of Nielsville) dropped off a cake for the afternoon coffee group and then we were off.

Dave and Art

On the drive to Moorhead, many of the fields had flooded over night and crops were probably lost.  My third attempt to find my grandparents was another epic fail. I guess they just do not want to be found. I even left a message for the caretaker and still have not had a return call. I did find most everyone else I was looking for while on this trip so it has not been a total loss. And, the two cousins we were supposed to meet were no longer living in the area.  L

Because it was Art’s birthday today, he wanted to drive us back to Moorhead and take US to lunch. We arrived back to Climax just in time to cut his birthday cake. His friends were all there waiting for him and both of sons brought him a cake. The cake was shared with everyone who was there and the second cake will be eaten tomorrow morning at coffee time. He definitely had a great time.

Behind the bar at the Corner...anyone willing to take a chance?

Unfortunately, I never did connect with the Vigness cousin although I have left a message for him. His wife runs the town library so if I don’t hear from him, I can still send a message. J

We are now back in Crookston and Marcia is getting prepared to leave tonight. The train leaves at 1:00 AM and the station does not even open until midnight. I am hoping I can find my way back in the dark. J

An easy trip tomorrow to Thief River Falls to meet Roma and Clayton.

 

DAY 14 – JUNE 25, 2013 – Crookston Area

We started our day with a trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota in search of the train depot. We found it without much problem only to find its hours of operation to be midnight to 8:00 AM -- So much for Marcia purchasing a ticket for her return to Rochester tonight. As it turns out, a severe thunderstorm has now hit the area so she may have to wait another day anyway.

Today was a research day that started in Ada, Norman County. Their history center is located in a log cabin with an outdoor “museum” area consisting of a number of old buildings that have been relocated to this site. The inside was very well organized, mostly with obituary and old church cemetery information. In addition, they had books of old newspaper clippings with the obituaries that had been published in the local papers. We spent a couple of hours here and then headed back to Crookston for the Polk County records.

The Polk County center was not nearly as well organized and the research portion was in a very cramped back office. I was able to get a copy of the platt map for my g-grandfather’s property and was surprised to see how many of his neighbors were also family (or near family). I also found a list of the St. Petri confirmations, by year…found my ancestors and may have found a connection to my elusive Peterson family. More work and research will be required to prove this lead but it is a beginning.

Stopped for a late lunch and then a nap but the way the weather is currently not cooperating, the nap may not have been needed. There is now a tornado warning for the area so I don’t think I will be driving to the Grand Forks train depot tonight.

Tomorrow is Art’s birthday and he wants to take me to Moorhead to visit a couple of cousins who live down there and a third attempt at finding my grandparents. The storm should have passed through by then. There is a Vigness cousin living in the Climax area who I hope to meet tomorrow night…he is a friend of Art’s son, John. I am pretty sure that many of the unidentified photos from my g-grandmother’s photo album might be Vigness relatives.

I have made contact with a couple more cousins and will be heading to Thief River Falls on Thursday and then Bemidji on Friday to visit them. I still need to contact the last cousin in North Dakota for a Saturday visit and then I will be heading home.

(I left my camera in the car and don’t want to go get it in this storm so will add photos tomorrow.)

DAY 13 – JUNE 24, 2013 – Crookston Area

Sunny day…again out maneuvered the rain.

We met Art around 10:30 and over the course of the day, we found all the remaining cemeteries. Marsh River was the most difficult to find as it was up in the farm land and had no markers indicating where it might be.  Art took us down to my g-grandfather’s old place that is now referred to as “Jacobson’s Woods”.  There are no structures on the land any longer but most of it is now being farmed by Jamie Tronnes (a shirt-tail relative).  Jacob Thorson had the farm next door to my g-grandfather and, according to his granddaughter, Anna Mae Palm (daughter of Annie Thorson Rodal), Jacob received this land with the help of my g-grandfather. We did stop by Jacob’s farm and later met Anna Mae at a nursing home in Fertile, Minnesota.

G-Grandfather's land currently planted

Red River - Property in front, North Dakota across the river



 

We had lunch at a place in Fertile after bypassing Ada and Beltrami and before visiting the nursing home. We tried to meet cousin, Arlene, but she was not having a good day so we moved on and back to Climax to continue our search for the remaining cemeteries. NOTE FOR ROLF: I have enough headstone photos to fill a photo album. J

Anna Mae

It was a very long day of driving through farms…the farms are very large and flat with black soil and primarily grow corn (for ethanol), soybeans, edible beans, sugar beets, and wheat.  At the Jacobson’s Woods, I could actually see the Red River flowing north. It’s one of only a few rivers that flow north. On the one side of the river is Minnesota and the other side is North Dakota.



Red River flowing north

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day ended with dinner at the corner bar and meeting Jerry, another shirt tail relative. I am now up to 18 new cousins!

 

 

 

DAY 12 – June 23, 2013 – Moorhead, Norman County cemeteries, Climax, Minnesota

Woke up this morning to RAIN…the first “real” rain we have encountered. As luck would have it, though, once again the sun came out and the rain disappeared. I have been very fortunate on  this trip to only see rain while I was sleeping or in very short time frames.

We waited for the rain to lighten then set off again in search of my grandparents…still no luck. “Maybe” I will have one more opportunity in a few days. Moorhead is only about an hour south of our next destination…Climax, Minnesota. I did ask for the story behind the naming of this town and was told it was the name of a tobacco that was widely used at the time. As I recall the story, the tobacco was cut off in pieces and each piece was given some type of metal tag with the name CLIMAX. The metal tags were then put on a large wall by the patrons and hence the name. “Meet you at Climax.”

After our unsuccessful second attempt to find my grandparents amid the mosquitoes and rain, we decided to move north. Our first excursion “off course” was to the Augustana Cemetery in Norman County. My notes indicated only one or two relatives here but I was happy to find many more than that! After taking all the photos, we went into the church (most do not lock the doors) and found a genealogy resource of all the people buried in this church cemetery. At that point, I realized I had forgotten a few old souls and had to go back and find them.  The resource included stories on all the people buried in this small church cemetery. Note to self: these stories were put together by the Norman County Genealogical Society.

We found the Zion Lutheran Cemetery…more pictures from this church cemetery. The church is now on the Historical Register (these doors were locked so we could not go inside). We tried to find the Marsh River Cemetery – found the church, but not the cemetery. Will try that one again tomorrow. On down the road and we find another cemetery…right there on the side of the road ST. PETRI!! This is the cemetery with most of its inhabitants being my ancestors!! I had no idea it would be right there on the side of the road. As I am busily taking photos of almost everyone, this woman walks up to me and says, “I saw you taking pictures of the Paulsruds and was wondering if you were related to them.”  Actually, I am not sure if we are (yet) but thought I would take them “just in case”. This woman just happened to be a Paulsrud but that is her married name. It turns out I WAS related to HER…she was a Smith and I had met her aunt and uncle just a few days ago. Too funny.

Now it was off to meet cousin Art. When I got into town to call him, I noticed that I had missed his call while I was at the last cemetery. No problem, he met us at the gas station and instead of going to his house (which I thought we were), his son and he suggested the Corner Bar where we would have tables and space to spread our stuff around. A few glasses of wine, much chatter, more people to meet, a light dinner, and five hours later, we thought it was time to move on. We did go to Art’s house (he invited us to stay) but the room was a bit small for two of us to share so we are now in Crookston at a very nice hotel. We will drive back down to Climax in the morning and spend the day with Art getting a tour of the places my family used to live.

The Corner Bar



Ivan - Recovering from knee surgery



Art



 

 

Third cousin John (brother David showed up briefly but did not stay for pictures)

It was a great day, although long, and it is now time to sleep.

DAY 11 – JUNE 22, 2013 – Fergus Falls and Moorhead plus a side trip to Fargo

We started out pretty early; the weather was cold and foggy and then we got some rain…but not a lot. So far, I have been able to stay on the right side of the weather.

First stop of the day was Fergus Falls History Center/Museum. They have wonderful exhibits and very nice people working there. They even have a scavenger hunt for kids who visit…it forces them to slow down and look at things. They seemed to love it.

From the museum we headed up the hill to the old State Hospital. Word has it that an investor has been found so the building will be safe for now. Interesting that there was a wedding party up there taking photos…personally I found that a bit creepy but maybe that is just me.

On to Moorhead and Fargo…too much construction EVERYWHERE. Went in search of grandparents and ended up in the Fargo cemetery instead of the Moorhead one. Finally found the correct cemetery but apparently my grandparents did not want to be seen today. L  Maybe they will be more willing tomorrow?

Have a room…ate dinner…it’s been a long day. No photos today because I left my camera in the car and I am too tired to retrieve it.

The next few days are still open-ended…heading north for sure though.

DAY 10 – June 21, 2013 – DULUTH and MOOSE LAKE

After a wild stormy night in the area that resulted in many people not  having power this morning, we made it out of Minneapolis without too much trouble…a couple of missed exits and one wrong way turn-around. I heard they are expecting another stormy night tonight. My timing has been great so far on this trip.

Stopped by the famous TOBIES in Hinckley for their bakery products…a must see experience. I bought a loaf of pumpkin bread…mmm mmm good!

Decided to drive up to Duluth as we were too early to meet the new cousins in Moose Lake. It was COLD and very foggy and they were setting up for Granny’s Marathon tomorrow. I guess this is a BIG deal here and people/runners were everywhere. We saw the “lift bridge”, walked down to the lighthouse, cruised through the Maritime Museum, and then had lunch at Granny’s Saloon. I am assuming this is the same Granny’s that the marathon is named after. For those who do not know, Duluth is on the Lake Superior although, to me, it looks more like the ocean. J

Lake Superior - Duluth

On the drive back down to Moose Lake, we noticed a line of cars heading up to Duluth that must have been at least two miles long. We got out just in time.

Got to Moose Lake around 3:00 and met the new cousins. We looked at pictures and talked about ourselves then got a tour of Cora’s Quilt Room. Cora has been making quilts for years and has a stash of fabric, batting, and quilt tops ready to finish. It was amazing. Cora will be 92 in August and is still actively (although more slowly now) quilting and doing her hand embroidery work.

Another cousin arrived before 5:00 and then the photo albums came out. Sarah is the one who works on the genealogy so we were able to identify some of her photos and she was able to answer some of my questions. Cora’s sister is still living on the other side of the state (my next stop) so I am going to stop by and meet her while I am over there…and maybe her half-brother too.

Marlys invited us to stay for dinner – pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. It was a wonderful unexpected treat. After dinner we took some pictures, were gifted with a set of embroidered pillow cases, said our goodbyes, and then we were off to our reserved hotel.

Cheryl, Connie, Cora, Sarah, Marlys

 

When we arrived at our hotel, they did not have my reservation (on a marathon race weekend?) but fortunately, they had a couple of rooms on “hold” so we were at least given a room…at a substantial amount more than my reservation. I will be contacting the General Manager!

Off to sleep for tomorrow we begin our trek to the other side of the state.

 

 

DAY 9 – June 20, 2013 – MINNEAPOLIS

VERY productive day. I found the remaining paperwork on my g-grandmother and the obit for my g-grandfather (different families). I even got reacquainted with the microfilm machines and how to make copies. I have to keep my brain challenged!

Outside the main doors

After research time, we went to the Civil War Exhibit and also the Dakota War Exhibit and finished with the Greatest Generation Exhibit all at the History Museum (same building).  All the exhibits were very informative and interactive. All in all, a great day!

Spent a lot of time navigating and re-navigating the freeway system here. I swear, the traffic was on par with Los Angeles! I had to keep re-routing my GPS because I kept making wrong turns. lol   On the freeway, off the freeway, and then back on. It was quite the challenge.

I met one of my Minogue cousins for dinner. It was great fun at the Irish Pub and a night our g-grandfather would approve of.

Cheryl and Robert at Kip's Irish Pub

I finally heard back from another cousin who we are meeting tomorrow up in Moose Lake. We decided to stay up there for the night so no time issues. Grandma, mom, and the granddaughter…all looking forward to my visit. This is a first cousin once removed who is currently experiencing some health issues but is up for company.

I has been a GREAT vacation so far…absolutely no complaints.

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Day 8 – June 19, 2013 – Rochester to Minneapolis

On the road again and heading north to Minneapolis and the History Center. This was my first time actually using “actual documents” from books I searched through for information…I have been an Internet researcher prior to today. It seems it took forever to search through the State Hospital records and I had found nothing. I got back to 1892 and the last box of books…I am at the last book for the day and about to end the search for any records and…EUREKA…I FOUND IT!!!  What a feeling. Now, another new process to navigate -- requesting the photocopies. Thankfully, they were not too busy at this time of the day so I got the copies pretty quickly. Will be heading back tomorrow to search for records in the other State Hospital but at least what I found today, has given me the starting point for tomorrow’s search. Still need to go to the newspaper room and search for articles but the time spent today at the History Center was a success.

 It is now time to drive to the other part of town and find the new cousins. Traffic was pretty backed up but we made it within 15 minutes of the time we scheduled. WOW…what great people! Shirley actually lives in town but her brother, Curtis, drove down from Bemidji, just to meet me. We had a great time and Shirley gave me some pictures I did not have of my gg-grandparents, my g-grandfather and his first wife, and a grand uncle and his wife. Shirley’s daughter was also there (for awhile) and we talked about her upcoming book and the use of supplements as well as some health concerns that affect Norwegians.

Marcia, Curtis, Shirley

All in all a very productive and fun day!

DAY 7 – June 18, 2013 – Decorah, Iowa and Spring Grove, Minnesota

Was up early and on the road with Marcia and her neighbor and friend, Barb, to Decorah, Iowa and the Vesterheim Museum. We hit a major rain storm on the way and, more than once, had to pull off the road due to the lack of visibility. The Vesterheim is a Norwegian/American museum with four floors filled with history, art, crafts, needlework, and more. We were there over two hours marveling at the work and dedication of our ancestors, including a couple of family members who had works on display.

 

Sculpture Nisse. Concrete. Ca. 1950 by Halvor Landsverk

Kubbestol by Tarkjil Landsverk 1925 

Kubbestol with Viking ship and Viking by Halvor Landsverk 1970

Woman with crown by James Jacobson Ca. 1990

We had lunch at the local co-op and then we were off to Spring Grove, Minnesota and The Giants of the Earth Center. This Center is focused on keeping the Norwegian language and customs alive as well as serving as the history and research center in the area. It was great working with the people here and I really appreciate their time and the help they were able to provide in obtaining information on my family from this area. We were here a few hours pouring over books and talking about the various people who once lived here.

It was a long drive back to Rochester but the sun was shining and the roads dry.

Tomorrow we are off to Minneapolis/St. Paul…more genealogy research and cousins to meet.

DAY 6 – June 17, 2013 – Rochester, Chatfield, Bucksnort, North Prairie Cemetery, Rushford Lutheran Cemetery, Highland Prairie Cemetery, Highland Cemetery, Scheie Cemetery, Rochester

Today was a cemetery day in Fillmore County. These cemeteries were all within a short distance of each other in the part of Minnesota where many Norwegians first came before branching out to other parts of the state. I was able to find many family members but since I had not written down everyone and where they eternally lay, I am sure I probably missed a few along the way. Interesting note about these particular cemeteries is that most were near the local church and were quite small…comparatively speaking.

Chatfield is a small town in both Fillmore and Olmstead counties and is the place where an Iverson cousin was a police officer. Not much to see but it was a nice little place.

Bucksnort is the location where the electrical plant used the waters from the original mill pond to generate electricity for many of the farms around the area. Customers were able to enjoy the convenience of electricity years before most other farms had current. Today, there is a small waterfall and observers can still see the markings of the original dam site.

North Prairie Cemetery is where Marcia’s grandparents are buried: Andrew and Tomine.

Rushford Lutheran Cemetery supposedly had at least ten individuals from the Isberg family but I was unable to find even one of them. L  Nels Jacobson was found as was Elwood Iverson.

Highland Prairie was where things got interesting. Some cousins, who had not been there in decades, met us here and we found my Civil War gg-grandfather along with his wife and brother and some of his children and their descendants. Most of my photos had to be snapped from a crouching position and as I was thinking about how many more of these squats I could do, I fell and rolled slightly down the hill. I was laughing so hard that I could not even get back up. I guess one could say that I brought a little joy to the deceased. J

This cemetery also had a little chapel, a memorial to the original settlers in this area, and a stone crown with a pulpit that was built by one of my ancestors. The cousins pointed out that there was a huge sinkhole down in back so we went to check it out and it now has benches, a stage, and a small building. A place for local theater? Maybe sunrise services? We don’t really know for sure.

Highland Prairie Chapel

Amusing the deceased

Cousins: Geri, Judy, Charlene, Cheryl

Stone Crown with pulpit

Leaving this cemetery and the cousins, we drove down the road about five miles to Highland. Here found the Jenssons, the Glennas, as well as the remaining Olsons among others.

Last stop was Scheie. When we arrived there was a woman leaving the church and she asked us if we were coming in. She wanted us to visit the inside and asked that we just shut the door when we left. This church was a very typical Norwegian church with a typical “church basement”, plenty of tables and a kitchen. The upstairs “church” part had beautiful stained glass windows, Norwegian language everywhere with accompanying paintings. The cemetery was just outside and it was here that I found the Petersons, Hendersons, Hendricksons, Hollands, and Faas. I would guess that at least half of this old cemetery contained family members.

Inside of Scheie Church

Back to Rochester, dinner made by Marcia’s son, and The Voice.

DAY 5 --June 16, 2013 -- Rochester, Minnesota and Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Off to Lacrosse today to meet second cousin once removed, Charlene. After a drive through Winona, MN and a bridge over the Mississippi River, we arrived in Lacrosse about 12:30 and spent the next three plus hours scanning documents and photos and hearing stories. She is "young" and spry and very intelligent and laughs a lot.

Outdoor grilled steak for dinner with onion potatoes and brussel sprouts.

Tomorrow we are off to Fillmore County…cemeteries and history centers.

DAY 4 -- June 15, 2013 -- Rochester, Minnesota

Spent the day in Rochester visiting with cousin, Marcia. We went to the Farmer’s Market and I had my first lefse in YEARS. Hmmm.  Maybe I will make some when I get home?  We drove around this city, mostly Mayo owned, and saw the sites, culminating in a tour of the “Mother House”, Assisi Heights, home to the Sisters of Saint Francis. It was a great tour of this lovely place, and Sister (whose name I cannot remember) had a real sense of humor. Much history learned in this short stop over.

Marcia made a great dinner of pork ribs and later that evening, Marcia’s neighbor, Barb, stopped by to talk genealogy and drink wine. She is going to join us on Tuesday when we go to Spring Grove and the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa.

Day 3 - June 14, 2013 -- Rapid City SD to Rochester MN

Got a fairly early start, for me…before 8:00 local time (before 7:00 Washington time).

Only one off-trail-stop today…Wall, South Dakota…the home of the famous Wall Drug Store. It has changed considerably since I last stopped here 42 years ago. Instead of the one huge building, it has now been sectioned off into “stores”…a bookstore, a mineral store, the souvenir store, etc. They have added a “back yard” and the whole area now looks like a small town’s central core – old looking but new at the same time. Across the street from the drug store is the Saloon, Barber, and all other typical small town businesses. I did stop in the bookstore because I was looking to see if they had a book I had seen yesterday at Mt. Rushmore. I could not remember the name or the author but the young woman working there knew what I was looking for; they had only one copy left so I bought it as a “reference” piece for some writing I plan to do. I also received a history of the drug store and its originators from the man working in the mineral store. All in all, a good place to stop off.

Back on the road. It was a long drive today…about 600 miles. It seemed like it took forever to drive across the great state of South Dakota but they have plenty of diversions and advertisements on the road  that help alleviate the monotony of the drive. And, some of the town names made me smile: Winner, South Dakota, Reliance, South Dakota are just two of the many.  I visited many of their rest areas…always clean, always something to read about, and in some cases even a view. 

One of the areas I stopped had a vista point to view the Lewis and Clark Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River. The video clip is the whole of what could be seen atop this vista and if you listen, you can hear the wind. South Dakota has to be the windiest state I have been in. There would be no point in fixing one’s hair here as it would not last even one open car door.

When I finally hit the Minnesota border (and another time zone change), I was within a couple hundred miles of my destination. Southern Minnesota, particularly the west side, has a landscape marked by many wind farms. Not surprising because it was pretty windy here as well but I thought it was kind of a strange site because I saw not one wind farm on the long, extensive, windy drive across South Dakota.

Arrived in Rochester, Minnesota around 8:00 PM…the wine was waiting. J

DAY 2 – June 13, 2013 – BILLINGS, MONTANA to RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

I did not sleep well last night probably because I ate so late then went to bed.  Ready to make my breakfast in the morning and realized that I did not bring a bowl. L That makes two things I forgot…the other was olive oil.

Because I did not sleep well, I was up way too early. Not a problem, I just left earlier than planned. Decided to gas up in Sheridan, Wyoming and because I took a wrong turn leaving the station, I found myself in front of a Safeway…See? There are no mistakes; I just went in and bought some bowls and olive oil!

FINALLY found my way to Mt. Rushmore. I got a little confused and did not really realize that I was still in Wyoming when I was looking for my exit (number 57). No wonder the woman at the information center thought I was a little cuckoo and seemed a little condescending in giving me directions. Okay, I was looking for highway 16…Highway 16 runs right outside this building…This is Exit 58…. So, I get back on I-90 when I have a thought…. Ah, duh, Mt. Rushmore is in SOUTH DAKOTA!  EXIT 57 in SOUTH DAKOTA! Mt. Rushmore was not overly crowded…people yes, but not huge numbers. There were some tour buses and about 100 bikers (maybe I exaggerate a little). They were all the” Vets Helping Vets” bikers and they were seriously enjoying themselves (although their girlfriends seemed to be making sure no other girls were looking at their men; I do not mess with Biker Chicks.). Mt. Rushmore is much more “touristy” then the last time I was there (a hundred years ago) – flags, short hikes, lots of concrete and marble. Impressive.

Off to Crazy Horse Monument. The sculpture is still a work-in-progress. This monument is a tribute for ALL tribes and the original sculptor (who has since died) refused to take any government funding. His children have taken up the mission and the center relies on entrance fees and donations to continue the work. When finished, this will be the nation’s Indian Center complete with educational/cultural area, the original log cabin, Natives selling their crafts, a museum. They show a 20-minute film of the area and the sculptor and his family, as well as Crazy Horse history. Their vision is more than impressive. The first photo is the unfinished version; face and arm visible. The bottom photo is the model...if you look under the model's arm you can see the unfinished sculpture.

On the drive back to my hotel, I see signs for a couple of different tasting rooms: Red Ass Rhubarb Wine and Naked Wine. The names surprise me; I didn't think they would be names for South Dakota but I COULD see them in Seattle, LA, or even San Francisco. I am slightly curious about how they taste but did not stop because I am a bit directionally challenged and was afraid I would get lost. J

My night ends with dinner. I walk into the diner and my server is the TWIN to one of my Navajo students from several years ago; the server is Sioux. Unbelievable resemblance! As I am leaving, a family walks in and the mother is a TWIN to my friend in Florida. What’s up with that? Two within thirty minutes?

Except for the wind, the weather has been good so far.

JUNE 12, 2013 - DAY 1--Spokane to Billings, Montana

I left Spokane around 9 AM...it took three trips to the car (maybe I should have packed a second suitcase instead of all these little bags? One day I will learn this.) A little smudge action started this trip and I was safe all the way (thanks Ben)! The internet said it would take 8 hours to drive from Spokane to Billings, Montana but apparently that did not take into consideration all the road work in Montana as it took over ten.  I think they must have received a large sum of Federal money for all the work that was in progress. A cloud dumped its load just west of Butte but cleaned those bugs right off my windshield!  Stopped in Butte to check out a store I follow on FB. She has some great items to purchase and yes, I did buy a couple of gifts (maybe for myself, maybe for someone else). If you care to follow her on FB...Twisted Designs. I like her because she does A LOT of different types of crafts AND she soon will be offering sewing classes for teens.

Dinner just arrived...more later.

Dinner was DELICIOUS...Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Italian vegetables (and, oh yeah, angel hair pasta and garlic bread). If you are in Billings, I recommend Johnny Carino's...they deliver.

I know I should not go to bed with a full stomach but it is now 9:45 local time and I have to be up early tomorrow...Mt. Rushmore and Custer's battlefield and, whatever else awaits. The Internet said it was a 6 hour drive...really? In case that is wrong, I don't want to miss the sites. :)

BTW gas is 20 cents less a gallon in Montana than in Spokane.

I almost forgot to mention the huge billboards advertising the Testicle Festival...it must be something because they have the schedule posted through 2017.  Here is the description from the Internet:
Booze and balls are the name of the game at the Montana Testicle Festival, held annually at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, Montana, USA. People come from all over to eat a few Rocky Mountain Oysters--deep-fried bull testicles--and take part in the beer-soaked, anything-goes 4-day festival. Personally, it is not worth the drive for me. :)

Almost there!
I know it's a little small. The map begins in South Dakota...the circled areas indicate "known" stops.

COMING SOON...BACK ON THE ROAD
This adventure will be a genealogy road trip to Minnesota. I will meet heretofore unknown cousins, discover burial sites, stop at tourist attractions, dip my toes in the Mississippi River...