We arrived in Amana on Thursday afternoon in anticipation of the start of Oktoberfest on Friday., We ate supper at Phat Daddy's pizza cafe. We met another couple from Lenoir, NC who were camped near by. They make musical instruments and were working at another location in IA, so
Did not attend Oktoberfest. We had breakfast at the bakery - YUM! And then went to the Visitor's Center to purchase our Oktoberfest tickets and buy t-shirts. We visited the General Store and the Woolen Mill as well as the Furniture Store and at 2 went to the brewery to walk with the keg of beer to the Festhalle for the traditional tapping of the keg. Stayed to listen to Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen play polkas and waltzes. It was hard to sit still!
Saturday we went into town early (8:00) and had German pancakes at Ronnenburg restaurant. Good thing we went early, as there was a big crowd waiting to be seated for breakfast by the time we left. Found a place to watch the parade on the cement wall by the Ox Yoke Inn. After the parade we visited the leather store.
Sunday we went to Mass at St. Patrick's in Marengo and then came back to Amana and had breakfast at the bakery. Stopped at a clothing store so I could show Jack a hat I liked; and then went to the Grape Vine Antiqu store and then sat our side and listed to Barefoot Becky at noon.
Hope to come to Oktoberfest again next year from October 5-7, 2018.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Red Wing, MN 9/25 - 9/27,2017
On September 23 we left Fairmont for Red Wing, MN. We camped at the Treasure Island Casino outside of Red Wing. It's a huge facility - casino, RV park, hotel and event center run by the Dakota Indians.
Tuesday, September 24 we visited the Goodhue County Historical Museum in the morning. The exhibit I enjoyed the most was the information on the 1980's. We played a music game where we had to name the singer, and enjoyed the agricultural exhibit. After lunch we went to see the Red Wing Pottery Museum. Red Wing has a history of producing clay products dating back to the mid 1800's. Clay was hauled into town by horse-drawn wagons and later by train from the clay pits southwest of Red Wing. The MN Stoneware Co. and the North Star Stoneware Company also opened factoriea and because of fierce competition it was in the best interest for the thee to merge. Stoneware products had to change with the advent of refrigeration and affordable glass. They shifted their focus to art Pottery no dinnerware in the 1920's. A labor dispute, foreign competition, and economics led to Red Wing Potteries ending production and closing in 1967. The museum is free and has extensive exhibits of all the various products produced from clay crocks to beautiful art pieces and sets of dinnerware. We'll worth the trip to the Museum!
On Wednesday we visited the Red Wing Shoe Museum and store and enjoyed the film on the making of Red Wing work boots and had our picture taken by the 20 ft. Tall work boot. Drove to Lake City and had a 1 1/2 hour tour aboard the Pearl of the Lake Riverboat on Lake Pepin. Hope to go back next year later in the season to see the fall leaves along the Mississippi River.
Thursday we drove from Red Wing, MN to Amana, IA for the Oktoberfest.
Tuesday, September 24 we visited the Goodhue County Historical Museum in the morning. The exhibit I enjoyed the most was the information on the 1980's. We played a music game where we had to name the singer, and enjoyed the agricultural exhibit. After lunch we went to see the Red Wing Pottery Museum. Red Wing has a history of producing clay products dating back to the mid 1800's. Clay was hauled into town by horse-drawn wagons and later by train from the clay pits southwest of Red Wing. The MN Stoneware Co. and the North Star Stoneware Company also opened factoriea and because of fierce competition it was in the best interest for the thee to merge. Stoneware products had to change with the advent of refrigeration and affordable glass. They shifted their focus to art Pottery no dinnerware in the 1920's. A labor dispute, foreign competition, and economics led to Red Wing Potteries ending production and closing in 1967. The museum is free and has extensive exhibits of all the various products produced from clay crocks to beautiful art pieces and sets of dinnerware. We'll worth the trip to the Museum!
On Wednesday we visited the Red Wing Shoe Museum and store and enjoyed the film on the making of Red Wing work boots and had our picture taken by the 20 ft. Tall work boot. Drove to Lake City and had a 1 1/2 hour tour aboard the Pearl of the Lake Riverboat on Lake Pepin. Hope to go back next year later in the season to see the fall leaves along the Mississippi River.
Thursday we drove from Red Wing, MN to Amana, IA for the Oktoberfest.
September 22 - 24, 2017
September 22 was our 53rd wedding anniversary and we celebrated all day! We met Betty at Perkins for breakfast and then left Worthington for Fairmont, MN and Helen Kehoe's house. Helen Kehoe, Jack and I went to the Channel Inn for supper - great food, but VERY noisy!
September 23 I washed 2 loads of clothes at Helen's, made a one-pot spaghetti for supper and after lunch Helen and I went shopping. I got a new travel purse, a spatula for jars, and a small collapseable strainer. Helen bought a apple slicer and a credit card holder and small purse. Sarah called me after supper to answer a lot of questions for her gerontology class.
September 24 we went back to Helen's and went to Bean Town restaurant for lunch, and then Helen and I went to Shopko and then watched Florence Foster Jenkins, a movie on a NYC socialite .
Helen and I had each started African Violets and exchanged them during our visit. WE worked on her 1500 piece puzzle, and played Words with Friends. Had a great time!
September 23 I washed 2 loads of clothes at Helen's, made a one-pot spaghetti for supper and after lunch Helen and I went shopping. I got a new travel purse, a spatula for jars, and a small collapseable strainer. Helen bought a apple slicer and a credit card holder and small purse. Sarah called me after supper to answer a lot of questions for her gerontology class.
September 24 we went back to Helen's and went to Bean Town restaurant for lunch, and then Helen and I went to Shopko and then watched Florence Foster Jenkins, a movie on a NYC socialite .
Helen and I had each started African Violets and exchanged them during our visit. WE worked on her 1500 piece puzzle, and played Words with Friends. Had a great time!
More relatives! September 3-22, 2017
We drove from Sioux Falls to Mankato, MN to spend time with my sister, Sister Mary Dominic at Good Counsel Motherhouse on September 3.
September 4 we were in Chaska visiting with Steve and Corine, Susie and Scott Krych, Ann, Matthew and Abbie Renfro. September 7 we visited with Ralph and Carol Schultz and Frank Siegler in Belle Plaine, MN. September 8 Dominic, Jack and I met our 1st cousin Nancy Espeland at the Amboy Cottage Cafe. September 10 we drove to Tea, SD to the Burkard family reunion.
September 11 Dominic, Jack and I drove to Durand, WI with Brenda and Jim Schoenberg to take a ride on Jim's rebuilt Fairmont Motor Car. It was a blast! (A bit hard on the behind, however, as we were sitting on a bench with no cushion!). September 12 we met Ben and Nancy Espeland at the Amboy Cafe for breakfast and then went to Winnebago to tour their history museum and had lunch at Nancy and Ben's. In the evening we had a great time with Art and Char Schuch. September 13 I drove over to Belle Plaine and had lunch with Jan Raddatz. On Sunday 9/17 Art and Char joined us for the afternoon at Good Counsel.
Many thanks to Dom for all the cribbage games I lost; to Sr. Rose Anthony Krebs and Sr. Rose Marie for joining us for many evenings of Golf (card game), King's Corners, and Bananas.
September 18 - 21 we were in Worthington and the first night we went to Rod and JoAnn's; The 19th , 20th and 21st we spent the afternoons with Betty Burkard, and "supervised" Kelly Brake and Michelle Brunk's garage sale at Betty's. Bought/was given some really neat stuff. On 9/21 evening we enjoyed pizza with Kathy and Duane Burkard, Michelle, and Betty.
September 4 we were in Chaska visiting with Steve and Corine, Susie and Scott Krych, Ann, Matthew and Abbie Renfro. September 7 we visited with Ralph and Carol Schultz and Frank Siegler in Belle Plaine, MN. September 8 Dominic, Jack and I met our 1st cousin Nancy Espeland at the Amboy Cottage Cafe. September 10 we drove to Tea, SD to the Burkard family reunion.
September 11 Dominic, Jack and I drove to Durand, WI with Brenda and Jim Schoenberg to take a ride on Jim's rebuilt Fairmont Motor Car. It was a blast! (A bit hard on the behind, however, as we were sitting on a bench with no cushion!). September 12 we met Ben and Nancy Espeland at the Amboy Cafe for breakfast and then went to Winnebago to tour their history museum and had lunch at Nancy and Ben's. In the evening we had a great time with Art and Char Schuch. September 13 I drove over to Belle Plaine and had lunch with Jan Raddatz. On Sunday 9/17 Art and Char joined us for the afternoon at Good Counsel.
Many thanks to Dom for all the cribbage games I lost; to Sr. Rose Anthony Krebs and Sr. Rose Marie for joining us for many evenings of Golf (card game), King's Corners, and Bananas.
September 18 - 21 we were in Worthington and the first night we went to Rod and JoAnn's; The 19th , 20th and 21st we spent the afternoons with Betty Burkard, and "supervised" Kelly Brake and Michelle Brunk's garage sale at Betty's. Bought/was given some really neat stuff. On 9/21 evening we enjoyed pizza with Kathy and Duane Burkard, Michelle, and Betty.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Bemidji, MN August 25-26
We arrived at Bemidji on a sunny cool afternoon and enjoyed sitting outside among the pine trees reading. The next day was spent on chores - grocery shopping and washing clothes. The weather on Friday was cloudy, cool and windy so after doing our chores we stayed inside until time for dinner and went to Pizza Hut but the wait would have been 45 minutes (beyond the 20 we waited for a waitress), so we went to Applebee's instead.
Saturday we had rain and mist, and the temp was 60 degrees. After breakfast we drove to Itaska State Park to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. I was surprised at the number of people at the site on such a rainy day. Many people were wading in the water at the headwaters (brrr!). Came back to Bemidji and went to the Great Northern train depot museum.
Sunday was still cloudy at Bemidji when we left for Wadena, MN. Luckily Wadena was sunny. We camped at Sunnybrook Park and then drove out to visit Jack's cousin Mary Jane Schmidt and her son Mark. Monday we met Jack's cousins at the Uptown Cafe for a luncheon.
Note for the future: Boondockers has great homemade cinnamon rolls! From Wadena we left for Barb and Rollie's house in Iroquois, SD. The South Dakota State Fair was going on while we were there, so we went over for it. Enjoyed going through the exhibition buildings and eating junk food: corn dogs and funnel cake. We also toured a lot of the RV trailers on site. I bought some lids for containers and also a stick vacuum for the trailer.
On Friday, September 1 we left for Sioux Falls SD and Mike and Connie Burkard's house.
Saturday we had rain and mist, and the temp was 60 degrees. After breakfast we drove to Itaska State Park to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. I was surprised at the number of people at the site on such a rainy day. Many people were wading in the water at the headwaters (brrr!). Came back to Bemidji and went to the Great Northern train depot museum.
Sunday was still cloudy at Bemidji when we left for Wadena, MN. Luckily Wadena was sunny. We camped at Sunnybrook Park and then drove out to visit Jack's cousin Mary Jane Schmidt and her son Mark. Monday we met Jack's cousins at the Uptown Cafe for a luncheon.
Note for the future: Boondockers has great homemade cinnamon rolls! From Wadena we left for Barb and Rollie's house in Iroquois, SD. The South Dakota State Fair was going on while we were there, so we went over for it. Enjoyed going through the exhibition buildings and eating junk food: corn dogs and funnel cake. We also toured a lot of the RV trailers on site. I bought some lids for containers and also a stick vacuum for the trailer.
On Friday, September 1 we left for Sioux Falls SD and Mike and Connie Burkard's house.
August 19-24, 2017
We crossed back into the USA on 8/19 and camped at the Lewis and Clark campground in Shelby, MT. I had left a small African Violet in the care of the managers of the campground when we crossed into Canada, so was happy to see that the violet was doing very well. We only stayed overnight and the next day we drove Hwy 2 east to Glasgow, MT and stayed at the ottonwood Inn and Campground - very nice!
Monday the 21st was the Full Eclipse of the sun, but on Hwy 2 in MT, the effect was only a slight darkening, similar to when a big cloud covers the sun. We left Glasgow and arrived at Rough Riders in Minot, ND about 4:30. We had an hour time change as we moved from mountain time to central time.
On Tuesday we did some shopping and in the afternoon revisited the Scandinavian Heritage Center. We had been here several years prior, but enjoyed talking with the docents at the church and also the museum.
Wednesday we visited the Dakota Territory Air Museum and spent a couple hours enjoying the vintage planes. Thursday we left for Bemidji, MN.
Monday the 21st was the Full Eclipse of the sun, but on Hwy 2 in MT, the effect was only a slight darkening, similar to when a big cloud covers the sun. We left Glasgow and arrived at Rough Riders in Minot, ND about 4:30. We had an hour time change as we moved from mountain time to central time.
On Tuesday we did some shopping and in the afternoon revisited the Scandinavian Heritage Center. We had been here several years prior, but enjoyed talking with the docents at the church and also the museum.
Wednesday we visited the Dakota Territory Air Museum and spent a couple hours enjoying the vintage planes. Thursday we left for Bemidji, MN.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Pictures - Jasper and Hinton AB
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| Highway 93 between Banff and Jasper |
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| Still on the Road! |
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| The Columbia Ice Fields - Athabasca Glacier |
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| More of the Glacier |
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| Still on the road - In Jasper NP |
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| Beaver Boardwalk in Hinton AB |
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| Jean on the Boardwalk |
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| A beaver dam |
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| Definitely a rough road -in search of Brule Sand dunes |
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