Trust the Road

We began our week in Savage, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb. Our wandering over the last two years has taken several forms. First, there has been  State and National Park wandering, where we explored primarily rural areas while seeing the sights at the parks themselves. Then there were the small towns. Like the first, we explored a general area within roughly an hour's drive but did not have Park features to enjoy. Then, there was urban wandering, where we stayed in or near a metropolitan area and spent most of our time in the city. This week has been primarily about the last of the three as we explored the Twin Cities and Rochester, MN. It is also our last week in Minnesota for this trip. We will move back to Wisconsin at the end of the week as we continue our Big Zig South.

On Sunday, we drove to downtown Minneapolis to walk through the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. The Garden was beautifully landscaped with native plants and trees. It featured an eclectic mix of art, from classic Henry Moore pieces to more avant-garde works by diverse artists. The history of the Garden reflects a community that wants to protect its public spaces from steel and glass behemoths. When I 94 was rebuilt, the Park Board purposefully integrated this 13-acre sustainable site into the downtown landscape, including a massive cistern under the central feature of the Garden, the Spoon and Cherry, in the heart of the Garden. Today, it houses a place of respite from urban life.

 

"September Room" by Mark Manders

"Level Head" by Tony Cragg

In background is "Land Deeds" by Siah Armajani, a bridge engineer.

"Empire" by Eva Rothschild

"Spoonbridge and Cherry" by Claes Oldenburg

"LOVE" by Robert Indiana (The Original One)

"Hahn/Cock" by Katharina Fritsch (From Sculptor's notes: the absurdity of a cock on a pedestal)

"Dawn Tree" by Louise Nevelson

"Hare on a Bell" by Barry Flanagan

St. Laurence

"Woodrow" by Deborah Butterfield

Detail, each stick was cast in bronze and then reassembled.

"Okciyapi" by Angela Two Stars

"double curve" by Ellsworth Kelly

"Without Words" by Judith Shea

"Reclining Mother and Child" by Henry Moore

"Knife Edge" by Henry Moore

"X" by Liz Larner

The Lake at the Minnesota Zoo

The next day, we went to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. This zoo is in a suburb of the Twin Cities, allowing large enclosures for the larger animals and plenty of room for people spaces within the gates. It, like the Omaha Zoo, requires a lot of walking. Marlene rented a scooter and enjoyed the zoo despite her injured foot. They have even included the Treetop Trail that loops around the zoo for those interested in walking and moving from one part to another without dealing with crowds. The larger animals are housed in large, well-crafted enclosures that allow room for them to roan while still being visible from the paths. Most smaller animals are in pavilions and covered areas with equally large and well-designed visibility. Thank you for a delightful day.

 

Leafy Seadragon

Treetops Trail

Reindeer

Young Moose

Bactrian Camel

American Bison

River Otter

European Crow

Toucan

Maribou Stork

A young falconer with his first bird!

Trumpeter Swan on the Lake

Beaver

Puma

Canadian Lynx

Black Bear

Golden Lion Tamarin

Bolivian Titi Monkey

Sun Bittern

Metallic Starlings

Blue-bellied Roller

A lazy Biturong

White Gibbon

Komodo Dragon on the prowl

Black and White Colobus

Snow Monkey Nursery

Snow Monkey

Penguin

Tuesday was a drive day, but we needed to change the oil in Koko before hitting the road. Unfortunately, Koko is too big for most oil change places, so we needed a place that works on trucks. I called a Truck Service Center late last week to book an appointment for an oil change. However, after arriving on the morning of our drive with a filter in hand, I was told by one of the workers that they only service semi-trucks. They do not even have oil for my rig. Several other employees rolled their eyes when I described the person I had spoken to. I was able to find another place nearby, but they could not get to it until midafternoon. Therefore, we had most of the day to explore the area before starting our 2-hour drive to Rochester.

 

 

Fort Snelling State Park

We enjoyed walking a nearby mall and then had lunch at Fort Snelling State Park. While there, we saw that they had a trail-capable scooter that Marlene could have used to "walk" the trails, but we did not have the time. This was one of those days on the road when, despite planning, everything was out of sync, and we had to ride it out as best we could. We returned to the Truck Service and had to wait for their employee, who was late that day, to show up and change the oil. We finally hit the road around 4:00 PM and arrived in Rochester just after 6:00 PM. Some days, all we can do is go with the flow and allow the day to unfold as it will. Thank goodness we wander rather than live by a tight, carefully planned schedule. Otherwise, It would have been much more frustrating than it was.

 

After arriving at Rochester/Marion KOA, we got set up and started looking at our opportunities for the four nights we were here. The main point of this stop was to see the Mayo Clinic museum. A quick glance at the literature revealed that the hospital only allowed patients, their families, and staff to view the museum due to HIPAA regulations. Further, Mayowood, the home of one of Dr. Charlie Mayo, would not be open while we were here. Again, wandering allows flexibility. We explored other options and then accepted that we needed a break from the busy touristing, Marlene’s fall, and our recent illness, upper respiratory infections. These next few days would allow that. Also, rain was in the picture for several days, so we settled in for a nice break.

 

On our last full day of this stop, we drove through Rochester. We walked through a small county museum. It was sparse but had lots of corporate sponsorships. We then went downtown to see a couple of the Mayo Clinic buildings. This picture is of the St. Mary’s Campus, the original building of the Mayo Clinic. This building was the idea of the Mother Alfred Moes of the Sisters of St. Francis in Rochester. When a tornado destroyed much of the city in 1883, Mother Alfred approached Dr. W.W. Mayo about staffing a hospital if they built it. The first building was finished within six years, and the partnership began. Dr. Mayo retired a few years later but left the Mayo Clinic at St. Mary's Hospital in the hands of his sons, Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie, who managed the hospital for the next 40 years. Their patient-centered care and commitment to innovation have made this small town a global center for quality healthcare.

 

Here are a few pictures from the day, including some kitschy landmarks. 

 

Double Rocker where Drs Will and Charlie Discussed the Mayo Clinic

The Plummer Bldg was the first Multidisiplinary Medical Practice Building in the world.

A Giant Ear of Corn Water Tower

An Oversized Scooter

 

The Mississippi River

Our drive to The Wisconsin Dells the next day was relatively uneventful. The Jeep braking assist decided to give us a rocky start, but Marlene stepped in, took care of the problem, and we were back on the road. The drive through Southeastern Minnesota was charming, but the scenery changed dramatically when we started down into the Mississippi River Valley. This bluff was the extent of the last glacial reach. When we reached the river, erosion had crafted a beautiful landscape of something other than rolling hills. Here are a few shots of the scenery along the way from Marlene's phone.

 

Heading into the Mississippi Valley

Leaving Minnesota

The Mighty Mississippi

Non-glacial Landforms

After a leisurely drive, we arrived at Country Roads Motorhome & RV Park in the Dells in good time. We will be here for a week before moving on to Southeastern Wisconsin, within an hour's drive of Milwaukee and the northern outskirts of Chicago. But for now, there is lots and lots to explore here in the Wisconsin Dells.

Strangely, we have been fighting rain, cold temps, high winds, and thunderstorms since we left the Rio Grande Valley back in March. But with this stop in Rochester, we were grateful for the rain break, though the temps are considerably warmer. We finally caught up with the 70-degree weather we have been chasing. On arriving in Wisconsin, we were told they had been enjoying Camelot weather, which would be OK with us! This week, another truth about wandering has been confirmed. Give the road a chance. Eventually, it will offer you what you need in ways you could have never anticipated.

 

Travel well, my friends. The road goes on and on! And sometimes we just have to trust the road!

 

Bob

 

What us a nice break with out a little beer and bread?