I’m getting behind in our posts here! I’m going to try and slam out two posts really quick…no promises. And the content may be a little sparse too!
First, an update on Janelle. Thanks to all of you who have inquired about how she and her reconstructed ACL are doing. I’d say pretty well. She has permission to walk short distances without crutches. Yippee!!! She’s now going to physical therapy once a week. Now it’s just a matter of time and doing the exercises to get the knee back into shape and to totally ditch the brace and the crutches.
Janelle and her roommate Chelsea shopping at Wal-Mart…4 days after Janelle’s surgery.
After leaving Michigan, we headed up to Duluth, Minnesota. It is the town at the western tip of Lake Superior. The city is mostly along the lake shore, as the terrain ascends steeply from there. It is also a MAJOR shipping port for iron ore, grain, limestone that need to be moved. Did you know moving something by ship is 1/6 the cost of rail or truck?
Duluth is very famous for it’s Aerial Lift Bridge, which lets boats into the Duluth Harbor from Lake Superior. For those of us who live near the Erie Canal, we have seen lift bridges. It is just that, only on a MUCH BIGGER scale. Ocean going vessels can pass under it.
After hanging out at the bridge, we happened to find the Duluth Trading Store. That’s a company whose catalog we have received for many years. So we had to pay a visit!
And this is what we bought, only we are NOT using it for an electrical cord, we are using it for our water hose for the RV. It seems to work nicely!
Cord reel
The next day, we took a tour of the Duluth Harbor by boat. The ship we saw pull in the previous day (and previous slide show) was being loaded. It was kind of cool to connect the dots. We also discovered a ship we saw go through the Soo Locks the previous week was coming in the next day. But we didn’t have time to hang around.
The next day, it was time to visit the Iron Range. This is a HUGE section of upper Minnesota that has a massive vein of iron ore running through it. During the summer the mines give tours. Alas, we were too late in the season to get a tour. Instead, we visited a Visitor’s Viewing Center where you could have a bird’s eye view of the Hull Rust Mine. There we met a local, Joe (who worked at a competing mine), who offered to lead us around on the roads around the mine, Fortunately, we had left Blue at a parking lot down the hill and were driving around in the Jeep. Lead away Joe! Joe actually offered to break out his 4 wheel ATVs to see if he could get us closer to the mine. Jim was willing, I was VERY reluctant. So we thanked Joe and parted ways.
After all this sight seeing, some down-time was required. We made our way to Bimidji (pronounced Ba-Mid-Je), Minnesota. We found a nice KOA campground there and spent a couple of days paying bills, sorting papers, putting away stuff that hadn’t been stowed since we left, doing laundry, loading up on supplies, etc.
For me, part of loading up on supplies included a trip to Joann Fabrics. Of course, while there, I had to rearrange the pattern rack and put all the QuiltWoman.com patterns on top (it’s a hobby of mine). I’ve yet to see a pattern of mine “in the wild.” But I’m hopeful.
We made some friends while at the KOA Campground. Camped next to us were a couple of guys who were going to peddle their bikes along the Mississippi, starting from the north and heading south. They figured it would take 2 months. The very tolerant wife of one guy was going to follow in their motorhome. They were good neighbors and lent Jim some chain oil as he was cleaning up our bikes.
The next campsite beyond was a couple who came down from Winnipeg for the weekend. Why? The weather is warmer and the prices are cheaper. They told us when they built their house, they would drive to the Menards (think Home Depot for those from Rochester) in Grand Forks, North Dakota to buy their building supplies. They figure they saved $100,000. That’s not pocket change! We shared a couple of campfires with them.
We also met a couple from Brockport, New York!!! That’s only 7 miles or so from where we live. The woman used to own a hair salon on Ridge Road (Mane Tamers or something like that). They were on a cross-country trip with just their car, but staying in camping cabins and the occasional hotel along the way.
So, we made some new friends and got some stuff done. After three nights at the KOA, it was time to move again. On to the next blog post….