Day 32 & 33 Yankton, SD to Albert Lea, MN to Chicago, IL

June 20

Yankton, SD to Albert Lea, MN

Sad to leave Yankton!  We could easily stay here another week.  On the way north to see the falls at Sioux Falls!  Rolling hills and planted fields of corn, oats and sunflower, miles of it is between the two cities about 2 hours apart.  Sioux Falls, we found Falls Park easily off the interstate.  The visitor information centre has a five storey tower which offers 360 degree view of the park.  The Sioux Falls Trolley arrived as we got down from the tower so we hopped on and got a ½ hour tour of the downtown area, FREE.  The park is the original site of the Queen Bee Mill built in 1878 so farmers could avoid the cost of shipping wheat and was a 7 storey building. 

 

The Sioux Falls Light & Power Company (now Falls Overlook Cafe) completed in 1908.  The millrace and dam originally constructed to provide power for the Queen Bee Mill in the 1880’s.  Today the millrace is a viewing platform.  The park also has permanent sculptures that were winners in previous years downtown city walks that the city purchased after they won.  A very nice park!  Today the park covers 123 acres and each second, an average of 7,400 gallons of water drop 100 feet.

 Light & Power Co in front & Queen Bee Mill in back, what's left!

 Sioux Falls is also home to John Morrell & Co, a massive pig slaughter house.  While we were there we saw 3 semis pull in full of pigs.  Poor pigs, being made into Bacon!!  The airport is just north of the city and two fighter jets flew over our heads when we arrived.  What a thunder!!  After heading out it wasn’t long and we were crossing into Minnesota. 

Info centre with tower

 

We found Minnesota very flat, farm country and without a lot of livestock.  Oh yea and it was stinky!!  But it was very, very windy coming up from the south (Iowa).  There were miles and miles of wind mill farms.  I can see why.  Stopped in Albert Lea KOA just off the I90 for the night; windy here but still 30 degrees.   

Daily Stats: 
Today’s distance: 444 km 
Weather:  Sunshine; High: 30 degrees; Lo: 20 degrees
Diesel Price:  $3.71 and gas $3.54
Wildlife:  A deer and lots of road kill
Campsite:  Albert Lea/Austin KOA
Walking:  5 km                   

Minnesota Stats:
Flower:  Pink & White Ladys Slipper
Bird:  Common Loon
Insect:  Honey Bees ( we noticed bee hives throughout South Dakota as well)

 

June 21

Albert Lea, MN to Chicago, IL

Hello Summer!! What a night!!  Thunderstorm hit with pounding rain and wind.  The wind was so strong it was rocking the RV.  I was just glad we didn’t get hit with hail.  Not too far south in Iowa they had hail with their thunderstorm.  A few trees lost branches in the campsite but no damage to RV’s.  In Austin we were going to stop and visit the SPAM museum.  In 1887, George Hormel opened a small butcher shop.  Today Hormel Foods Corp is one of the largest food producers in the world.  Austin is also known as SPAM Town.  It was still raining so we carried on. 

More wind mill farms along the highway for miles.  Still windy but clearing up.  Looking south we could see the occasional lightning.  We drove past Rochester, MN known for the Mayo Clinic.  More rolling hills and farmland.  Then the landscape changed as we got close to the Wisconsin border and the Mississippi River with limestone bluffs.  Stopped for lunch at the Welcome to Wisconsin rest area. 

 Mississippi River

 

We drove around Madison which is the state capital of Wisconsin.  The city is split by an isthmus between two lakes.  It would have been nice to stay here but we wanted to get to Chicago.  Madison to Chicago’s outskirts is about 120 miles.  Nearing Chicago there was lots of road construction.  Plus we had to go thru tolls and pay. 

 

Daily Stats: 
Today's distance: 559 km 
Weather:  Thunderstorm – Winds, rain then Sunshine; High: 22 degrees; Lo: 18 degrees
Diesel Price:  $3.85 @ exit 267 Truck Stop Nodine, MN
Wildlife:  Hawk, Red Wing Blackbirds, Cranes??
Campsite:  Chicago Northwest KOA
News:  Mark got discharged from hospital

Wisconsin Stats:  Known as Badger State
Flower:  Wood Violet
Bird:  Robin