Our 50th Anniversary Trip

Chapter 2

After leaving Ashland; Wisconsin was soon in the rear view mirror and we were in Minnesota, the land of big trees and logging country.  We made our way to Hackensack and met the sweetheart of Paul Bunyan.  Now Paul was a BIG man so he found himself a big woman, named Lucette  Dianna Kensack.  After the proper nuptials, there soon was Paul Jr.  I know all this because we found their life sized statues to honor the legends.  As we drove to the next town of Akeley, there was an honor to Paul himself in full life sized greatness.  If this Paul were standing he would be the tallest one in the world.  But he was kneeling to hold anyone wishing to have their picture taken in his great hand.  

Lucette & Me

Paul Jr

Big Paul Bunyan

Things are big in Minnesota, so we had to find the birthplace of the biggest river in the U.S., namely the Mississippi.  I had always heard that Bemidji was the beginning but it’s a documented fact that the Mississippi flows out of Lake Itasca.  There’s nothing to do but go camp at Lake Itasca and look for the outflow.  Yup, sure as heck, we find the beginning of the Mississippi and I WALK across it. Now I used the stones so as not to get wet. And 15 feet down steam Ellen walks across on a log.  The bucket list gets shorter.  While in Itasca State Park we hunted down some old growth trees. We found a red pine and a white pine tree that were 300 years old and still growing.  However, the red pine had suffered straight wind damage and the top had broken off.

They say it's good luck if you fall in.

Crossing the Mississippi

Next morning, we stop at Moorhead, and visit the Hjemkomst Museum.  Its main attraction is an exact replica of a Viking ship. The man who built most of it dreamed of sailing it to Norway, but he died before it was finished.  His sons and daughter with more help finished it and they with a crew of 12, sailed it from Lake Superior, down the St Lawrence and across the Atlantic to Norway.  It was a hazardous journey and they even sailed through a tropical storm. It was returned to Moorhead and now is on display.  This museum also has an exact full size replica of a 900 year old stave church.  

At the North Dakota visitor’s center in Fargo, we saw the “Walk Of Fame”.  It was started by a banker, who wanted something special for the town, so when anyone famous dropped by, he would have them “autograph” a slab of new cement by putting handprints or footprints and signing the wet cement.  He had signatures from Bill Gates, Paul Harvey, Robert Merrill, Garth Brooks, Alabama, and many country music singers, and about 50 more.  

Viking ship replica, notice wooded rudder.

viking ship with dragon prow and sail

Norwegian stave church 

At Bismack, N.D.  we stopped to visit our grandson, Timothy, who is attending University of Mary.  We toured the campus and sat in on his choir practice and attended a trumpet solo he performed as part of his studies.  We also visited the state capitol, built in 1933, after the original capitol burned.  It is 18 stories tall and in Art-Deco style.  As we travel through the states, we find it very interesting to visit the state capitols and learn about the states and history.  While staying in Bismarck, we drove north to Washburn, and visited the Lewis & Clark Interperative Center.  They also had a replica of Fort Mandan where Lewis & Clark spent the winter on their expedition.  The ranger was very knowledgeable of their journal writings and told us many facts of their winter home on the Missouri river.

Bismarck State Capitol

We were told in Bismarck that we had to take exit 79 at Gladstone off I94 and travel down the Enchanted Highway to see the sculptures.  We were heading for the Badlands but anything for an adventure.  So we go west and at exit 79 there is a large iron sculpture, probably 40 or 50 feet high of 6 foot long flying geese in a circle with spokes radiating out. It’s hard to explain but the picture helps.  As we travel south, there are more sculptures, deer jumping a fence, a fishing mans dream, pheasants on the prairie, giant grasshoppers, and others.  We were told there were three more in Lemmon, S. D. so another detour is made.  

At intersection I94 Exit 72

Enchanted Highway

Four smaller grasshopper in wheat

Fisherman in boat about to get a surprise

One pheasant will feed a family

Typical farmer family in N.D.

Mechanized display - boys jumping - mom scrubbing kids etc

When we got to Lemmon, we soon saw a cowboy riding a stegosaurus made out of all kinds of metal junk.  There was chain, saw blades, car bumpers, and you name it, and it was there.  Not wanting to drag our camper all over town and it was getting late, we went to a little campground just south of town and planned to return in the morning.  After breakfast,  we returned to town and there parked at the intersection were three 18 wheelers hauling these super long cylindrical white things. We had met several others on the road, and curiosity was high so we stopped and asked what they were.  They were sections of the tower of wind turbines.  We said to ourselves, “Dah, why didn’t we think of that?”

Cowboy on stegosaurus

One section of windmill

Back in the town of Lemmon, we stopped at the Petrified Wood Park that we saw advertised at the edge of town.  “WOW” We can’t understand why this isn’t starred in AAA.  It covers a complete city block with huge tree trunks and lots and lots of parts of trees.  Some were laying down and others were cone shaped cement trees covered in petrified wood.  The growth rings could be seen and some had dinosaur claw marks on them.  There was a museum in the shape of a castle all made of petrified wood.  Sadly, it was closed for the season.  This is one of the best displays of petrified wood you will ever see and all free.

Fantastic view

Amazing 

Very unusual 

Solid stone but looks like real wood

One of three buildings

  

After an horror so, we headed farther down the street and found the sculpture of a cowboy on a horse, all made of really unique metal junk.  I took a bunch of pictures and we saw a older lady and a younger man and thought they looked like locals and we wanted to know where to find the other sculptures.  He turned out to be the artist “John Lopez” and his mother “Elizabeth.”  He has his work in several places in the U.S. as well as Amsterdam.  We plan to see the ones he has made that are located in N.H. and Vt. when we get home.  His other work in Lemmon was a cowboy on a horse by the high school.  At the next town south called Faith, S. D. is a dinosaur named “Sue” after the lady who found a 90% complete skeleton for which she sold to a museum in Chicago for 8.4 Million dollars.

Excellent mural with sculpture

John Lopez with his mother - Google "John Lopez" to see more of his works

A close-up of the man and horse

I believe this to be his first work for his high school

It sure looks real in here too.

The Iron Cowboy - zoom in to see the details.

 

Well, I’ll try to get a few pictures in here and will let you know what else is going on in our lives later.  Till then I wish the angel of good health be with you on one shoulder and lady luck be on the other. 

Cheers,   Steve