Travel Days–from Iowa to Minnesota

Leaving Pikes Peak State Park,

discovered by the same Zebulon Pike who discovered

Pike’s Peak in Colorado

In 1673, the first white men to see what is now Iowa, explorer Louis Joliet and Father James Marquette, reached the mouth of the Wisconsin River and beheld the great, unknown river now known as the Mississippi. After the Louisiana Purchase, the government sent Zebulon Pike in 1805 to explore the Mississippi valley and select locations suitable for military posts. Pike recognized the park site as an important, strategic point, and an excellent location for a fort. The government agreed on the vicinity but selected the prairie around Prairie du Chien (now Wisconsin) for the fort. Several years later, Pike was again sent westward by the government and named Pikes Peak in Colorado.

yesterday morning, we traveled the “Great River Road”

for about 46 miles. . .almost to the Minnesota Border.

Now, the idea of traveling the Great River Road

has fascinated me ever since I saw

Alton Brown’s, Feasting on Asphalt, Season 2 Journey

from Louisiana, north along the river. . .


I’m sure traveling it on a motorcycle is much different than

traveling it in a motorhome. . .see that right hand side of the road

just past the shoulder, where the grass is growing?

That drops off about four feet. . .yikes!

but. . .it’s kinda fun to say we’ve been on it. . .

and I would be interested in exploring it further in the Jeep. . .

I mentioned in our last post that Eastern Iowa has been a surprise. . .

it’s difficult to depict the beauty through the windshield. . .

but there’s been something lovely around each curve. . .

even some 7 and 8% grades. . .we had no idea!

When we drove across Southern Iowa in 2010 all we saw was prairie. . .

I guess we were expecting more of the same this trip. . .what a nice surprise!

here’s the only really bad road construction we encountered

for the whole three hour trip. . .

this itty bitty, skinny, teeny, weeny little path. . .

I was just sure we were going to scrape the side any second. . .EEK!

and then on into Minnesota. . .

NO State Line sign. . .

we would not have known we crossed the border

had our Rand McNally GPS not stated it. . .? ? ?

and a lovely overnight stop at Tilley’s American Traveler RV Resort. . .

Rochester Minnesota. . .right off the highway. . .

lovely long level pull through sites. . .

and then up and rolling again this morning for a very nice 1 1/2 hour

drive to Lebanon Hills Campground in the Minneapolis/St Paul area

where will explore the Minnesota State Capitol

and the Mall of America. . .

see you there,

Janice and Dave