We left Rapid City SD and drove across the state to stay in a Walmart parking lot in Sioux City. Along the way, there was a lot of agriculture, but it seemed to be all grass hay, and pretty dry. They even harvested the hay along the sides of the road in the right-of-ways. Most all of it was in big rolls--not bales. The land was all pretty flat after we got out of the Black Hills. At Walmart, after we came back from walking down the street to eat dinner, there was an RV parked behind us from Clearwater County in Idaho! There were some decals on the towed car and the motorhome stating that the owner was a member of the Idaho Sheriff's Association. I kept hoping that we would see them out and about to visit with them. At one time, I was familiar with quite a few of the County Sheriffs in Idaho. But, we never saw them.
Almost as soon as we crossed the border into Wisconsin, we started seeing fields and fields of corn, and also another crop that we couldn't identify. I looked up Wisconsin on the Internet and it said that more corn, sugar beets, and sweet peas are grown in Wisconsin than any other state. Well, the other crop was not sugar beets, so we thought maybe they were peas. We later found out that they were soy beans. Also, everyone mows the weeds/grass between their fields, along the side of the road, around their barns--everywhere. It was so pretty. Every home seemed to have their grass mowed clear down to the road and around their whole property right up next to their crops, the woods, or whatever is behind or next to them. I guess they had been having a drought, but it started raining a couple of weeks before, and everything was sooo green.
The park we went to, Hidden Bluffs, is about 10 miles from the little town of Harmony, and about 8 miles from Spring Grove, where there was a small grocery store. It was a beautiful park--so green with grass. Again, everyone said that just a couple of weeks ago the grass was almost brown, but it had rained enough to get green. It rained a couple of times the 11 days we were there, but most of it was at night.
We got a really nice spot--right in front of the road everyone came in on. It worked out well because they allowed us to set up a Scentsy Open House twice while we were there, and it was a perfect spot for that. We sold over $600 worth of Scentsy! They used Scentsy warmers in their offices, so even the park bought some!
Out our front window we could see the great little miniature golf course they had, and also the swimming pool. It was pretty quiet during the week, but on the weekends it filled up with lots of families and kids. Part of the time we were there, we were parked right next to a retired couple from Caldwell ID! We couldn't believe it. In fact, they live in Sand Hollow, which is almost closer to Emmett than Caldwell. We met some really nice people there. One couple brought us over a piece of lemon meringue pie one night. Another gave us tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans from their garden. We were invited over to share a campfire one night by some other neighbors! Most people only stayed three or four nights and then left. Because we were there for 11 nights, we had a lot of different neighbors!
The park had some really nice hiking trails--again, they were mowed most of the way and looked like a lawn.
I had to take a little rest. My broken leg from last summer doesn't like walking on un-even ground very well. I do better if I bring my walking stick, but I left it in the Journey this time.
The woods are different from Idaho woods. There were several different kinds of mushrooms/toadstools. None of them looked anything like I had seen in Idaho.
The flowers and berries look different, also.
We made it to the top of the trail, which was only 1.7 miles long, and there was a lookout platform.
We could see the campground from there. I had to zoom in pretty good to see it this well.
This sure doesn't look like an Idaho pine tree--but what a fun climbing tree it would be. We decided there were a lot of oak trees and other hardwood trees in this forest.
The town of Harmony MN was about 10 miles away. In the 1970's, some Amish families settled in the area. Now there are about 100 families that live there. The Amish Buggy Byway is a stretch of Highway 52 with wide shoulders for buggies.
I felt so bad when I took a picture of this Amish woman and she covered her face. I felt like I had done something really rude! We had driven up a road specifically to take a picture, and then we had to turn around and drive past her again!
Earlier, I had taken this picture through the front window of our car, and the young woman actually waved at us. Maybe she couldn't tell I was taking her picture. But, after that, I didn't take any more close face pictures of them. It has something to do with their religion that they don't like their pictures take--I found out later!
I did take a picture of this place where the Amish park their wagons when they come to town. They don't use any modern conveniences. If they move into a house with plumbing and electricity, as soon as it is paid for, they take all of the plumbing out and disconnect the electricity. They put in a windmill for their water. They make wonderful furniture and sew with treadle sewing machines. Of course, they only use horses (and some bicycles) for transportation and to do their farm work. i sometimes think I would like to go back to a more simple life like that.
We splurged and bought this cool Amish wooden container that spins around. It has the date and the name of the person who made it on the bottom. I am going to use it for our silverware, napkins, salt & pepper, etc., on our table.
Some people in the campground had told us about this laundromat in town that has lots of other things in it besides washers and dryers.
The most unusual thing it had in it was over 2700 dolls and stuffed animals hanging on the walls and from the ceiling. They were not for sale, but he had four or five rooms of "stuff" for sale. I think Frank and Mike from American Pickers need to go there. We took at least an hour looking around and I bought a book, The Official Warren Commission Report on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, for $.25. What a hoot!
The first Sunday we were there, we drove 44 miles to Church. We crossed the Mississippi River and went into Onalaska, Wisconsin, to a ward that was there.
I guess the Mississippi is really low because of the draught and they are afraid they may have to close it down from barges if it gets much lower. That will really hurt the corn and soybean farmers. The last Sunday we were at Hidden Bluffs, we went to Church 42 miles away to Winona, Minnesota, which is right on the Mississippi River. The town has a population of 27,000 and only has a small branch of the Church. There were about 50 people in attendance. They were excited to have visitors!
Well, we will say goodbye to Minnesota and head for Wisconsin!
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