Membership to the Polar Bear Club

The morning began by standing under our sun shower with water cooled to 45 degrees - membership accepted. Brrrr.

Choosing the Alternate Route

At the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota we had 15 miles to decide between the northern or the southern route toward Fargo North Dakota. By chance we chose the Southern and that has made all the difference.

Cromwell MN - Being There

If the definition of having been somewhere is more than just passing through, then John and I can safely say that we have been to Cromwell Minnesota. Forty miles past the Wisconsin border our alternator gave out.

I pulled my head from the engine compartment and looked out past Conoco gas and laundromat where we had stopped. I wanted to see the waving flags of a VW dealership with a giant sign directing Vanagon owners "That-a-way". But at the corner of Highways 210 and 75, any such image would have been a mirage. What I did see, however, was not. Shykes Automotive was directly across the street.

Paul Shykes diagnosed our problem instantly, dropped everything and was on the phone within minutes trying to locate a replacement. Nothing compares to small town service. Paul located an alternator 40 miles back East in Duluth. He took the old one with him when he drove off. Two hours later we were back in working order. If you're out there Paul, thank you.

Night Three

Past Cromwell we entered the sweeping hills of Minnesota farm country. With a lake at every turn reflecting the deep blue of the sky and the sky as smooth as pudding we forgot our car troubles. We camped at the edge of Grass Lake inside Maplewood State Park, one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen.