Post #3 of 7 – 2023 Summer RV Road Trip

We’re in Wisconsin!

And Minnesota, and Iowa, and Missouri, and Illinois…..

We stayed 2 nights at Nelson Landing RV Park in Wisconsin. It still doesn’t seem real that we made it across the Mississippi.

It may seem like we go nonstop. My blog looks like we just drive, drive, drive, hit a National Monument, sleep and get up and do it again. Not so. I just don’t seem to take pictures of the down time. We kick back and relax and enjoy ourselves quite nicely.

We have Dish TV/ Dish Anywhere, and many streaming channels. We finally watched the mid season finally of Outlander! And we were able to catch the ASU Football season opener. (Until the weather delay)

We try to go on a good walk every day. Often it’s just walking the dogs, but most of the National Monuments have walking tours.

We’ve had to get used to trains. They’re everywhere we go. Sleeping isn’t easy.

We crossed river many times and entered multiple states as we worked our way down the Great River Road.

We just got to Wisconsin, but were already headed back across to Minnesota. Only three miles across the river to Wabasha.

Wabasha National Eagle Center.

I’m a sucker for the flowers. Beautiful variety.

I believe there are 27 dams and locks on the upper Mississippi. Not all but some barges can therefore go as far north as Minneapolis. There are no locks on the lower Mississippi after the conflux with the Missouri River.

Iowa was a beautiful surprise. It was rolling farmlands and so green! It was not at all what we expected. As you get further from the Mississippi it flattens out but along the river was stunning.

I wish we would have had bright sun and a blue sky. It was dreary and overcast, but no rain.

This National Monument was in my passport book but I had never heard of these ancient mounds. They are spread all over multiple states.

Effigy Mound National Monument

The construction of effigy mounds was a regional cultural phenomenon. Mounds of earth in the shapes of birds, bear, deer, bison, lynx, turtle, panther or water spirit are the most common images. Like earlier groups, the Effigy Moundbuilders continued to build conical mounds for burial purposes. The Effigy Moundbuilders also built linear or long rectangular mounds that were used for ceremonial purposes that remain a mystery. Some archeologists believe they were built to mark celestial events or seasonal observances.

The animal-shaped mounds remain the symbol of the Effigy Mounds Culture. Along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa and across the river in southwest Wisconsin, two major animal mound shapes seem to prevail: the bear and the bird. Near Lakes Michigan and Winnebago, water spirit earthworks—historically called turtle and panther mounds—are more common.

Dubuque Iowa!

We spent all day driving south in pending mode for acceptance to stay in a Harvest Host winery in Dubuque. With no cell signal, we decided to just go ahead and drop in to see if they had room for us.

The road in was closed and the parking lot was packed due to a big Irish Festival that the winery was hosting. This would have been an amazing stay right on the river. They were very apologetic about not stating they weren’t taking RV guests on their web page. But they did give us the ok to stay at the McGraw Hill parking lot right behind their lot.

Stop!! It’s the Iowa 80!

Birthplace of President Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover gained a reputation as a humanitarian in World War I by leading hunger-relief efforts in Europe as head of the American Relief Administration. From there the Republican moved into the post of U.S. secretary of commerce and spearheaded the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Hoover Dam. In 1928, Hoover was elected president, but eight months later the stock market crash of 1929 occurred, ushering in the Great Depression. Hoover’s policies could not overcome the economic destruction and despair that resulted, and he lost his reelection bid in 1932.

St. Louis Arch

The Gateway Arch stands on the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. Built as a monument to Thomas Jefferson and America’s westward expansion, it’s the tallest arch in the world and the tallest monument in the United States.

It’s never easy to drag these big trailers into a congested city. We try to avoid this but the arch is a national park so we went for it. Downtown streets are so tight, and the public parking we expected wasn’t there. We ended up at the Casino RV Park across the river.

I really DID NOT want to go up there. I’m so claustrophobic……

President Ulysses S Grant

Who knew? Next door was the Anheuser Busch Clydesdale Horse farm.

Another President! Springfield Illinois and Abraham Lincoln.

There are several Abraham Lincoln National Historic sites. This one is where he lived as a young adult raising his family. His Presidential Library is also here.

All of the houses on this street have been renovated and are part of the monument.

Beans and Barley Brews – Harvest Host

We were the only rig at this Harvest Host overnight. The restaurant closed at 2:00, but the owner Dee was there late prepping for the next day. We had a good home style breakfast the next morning and she set us up with quite a few meals to go. We took with us their meatloaf, brisket and pulled pork. We also purchased two big fruit salads. luckily we had plenty of freezer space.

Chicago!

We broke away from the Taylor’s for three days. They went to visit Bruce’s sister in Illinois while we went on to Chicago. Bruce lived in downtown Chicago when he was young and had no reason to go back. We were newbies and figured we’d give it a go.

OMG!! It’s a beautiful city but way too congested for our tastes. We dropped the trailer at the RV park 50 miles east of the city, but our F350 pickup truck was still not ideal for touring. We had easy parking in Lincoln park and at the dog beach park. Otherwise, we just kept driving around and around seeing the sites. It was definitely worth the effort, but very tricky.

This was a whole new spin on the frisbee obsession. She went into the waves over and over till oops, one throw to far and it just kept going out further with each wave. We had to hold her back till it was out of sight. It’s somewhere in Michigan now.

(We have a backup stash of frisbees at the RV.)

Definitely the best way to experience Chicago is to stay in a hotel and walk!

Or take a a river boat cruise. Not us today.Awwwww

Historic Route 66 starts here.

Famous Lou Mitchels diner on Route 66

On November 11, 1926, the Bureau of Public Roads launched Route 66, a 2,400-mile-long federal highway system, the first of its kind, that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. Though largely unpaved initially, the new transcontinental highway connected local state roads and rural Main Streets. It immediately became a popular route because it offered better weather conditions than previous east-west roadways.

Legend says that the so-called Mother Road begins here, on West Jackson Boulevard, at Lou Mitchell’s, a classic American diner, where “the world’s best coffee” has fueled patrons for the road trip of a lifetime — or just another day at the office — since it opened over 100 years ago, in spring 1923. And though the city that surrounds the diner has grown tall with skyscrapers over the years, little has changed inside.

South Chicago, The Pullman Historic Site

Pullman established his company in 1862 and built luxury sleeping cars which featured carpeting, draperies, upholstered chairs, libraries, card tables and an unparalleled level of customer service.

Entirely company-owned, the town provided housing, stores, a library, churches, and entertainment for 6,000 company employees and many dependents.

Remnants of the old factory are here. The old housing and community buildings are also part of this huge complex. Pullman tried to run a utopian city and control every aspect of his employees lives, but it all unraveled due labor issues.

Whew! Back at camp for some rest and relaxation, and laundry.

Indiana!