2013 Winter Adverture Day 16

Today we started our day with about the worst breakfast we have had this trip.  The only thing worth eating at our Hampton Inn was English Muffins and the paper plates. On the positive note, the coffee was excellent. 

It was cold all day today, the highest temperature reaching 11 degrees but the wind howled all day at over 30 mph. We began the day in Sioux Falls, SD, just south of I-90. We were soon in Minnesota which is flat land that is primarily farmed for corn. There is one magnificent farm after another each with large capacity grain silos.

Long trains carry the grain from the farm to its end destination. One hundred car trains are not unusual. Babs caught this train loading grain hopper cars at a mega silo.

 

The temperature at the time we took this photo was 7 degrees and the wind was blowing strong. How would you like the job these folks have repairing the rails?  

Our first stop of the day was Pipestone National Monument, located in Minnesota. This is where native Americans have quarried a hard red rock known as pipestone for hundreds of years. These magnificent horses were right outside the boundary of the monument.

The Pipestone national Monument visitors center shows a very interesting film which is rather entertaining and educational. It demonstrates how the native Americans consider the places pipestone is quarried ias sacred ground. The stone is located under many layers of hard quartz. Only tribal members can mine the quarries and they do it totally by hand just as their ancestors did.  Inside the visitor’s center are exhibits of both the raw rock and the pipes that have been fashioned from the stone.

Actual working pipestone quarry

Also located within the monument are gigantic boulders that were deposited there by glaciers that once blanketed the land.

Leaving Pipestone, we headed north east to Wisconsin for another National Park site. Like most plains states, southern Minnesota is dominated by massive farms, grain silos, and wind farms.

Those massive silos are probably used to store grain used at Ethanol refineries like this one.

These pink farm buildings caught Bab’s eye. They really stand out in the snow!

Wind and blowing snow sometime made driving difficult. At times the wind caused the blowing snow to appear that it was really falling like a blizzard.

An unexpected treat that Babs somehow missed in her research was the world’s largest ear of corn located in Olivia, MN.

Our route took us through St. Paul, MN the state capital, so Babs wanted to photograph the capital building. These photos are of the downtown and capital.

Capital building

We spotted this car

All along the route to Wisconsin, there were frozen lakes.  All of the larger lakes were dotted with fishing huts on the ice. Some lakes had both cars and trucks on the ice out in the middle of the lake.

When yoou're off the beaten path, you just don't know what treasures you'll find. Our last unanticipated local attraction was this giant teapot welcoming you to Lindstrom, MN.

When we arrived at our hotel, I remarked that the 3 degrees outside was cold. The desk clerk said, “Heck we’re glad it has warmed up. Monday the high was -18”. Tonight the low is forecast -21.

Dinner tonight was at the restaurant across the parking lot from our motel.  It is called the “Tippy Canoe”. The food was great. The place was packed with people all playing bingo while they ate and drank. We also joined in on the game while we ate. Although we didn't win we had an entertaining and enjoyable evening.

Tomorrow, Eastern Iowa and another National Park, of course!

Babs says: Just heard a report on TV regarding outdoor recess for students. Guidelines: Anything 0 degrees and above the children go out. If wind chill is -10 or greater degrees then stay in. Brrr!!