| Each comments entry box in the guest book is limited to approx. 250 characters including spaces. For longer messages please e-mail us at morton@rmortonc.com |
| Each comments entry box in the guest book is limited to approx. 250 characters including spaces. For longer messages please e-mail us at morton@rmortonc.com |
Our Motto: Home is, where our RV is.
Travel Journal October 2009
Area of operation
Travel Journal October 2009 (begins at Moose Lake Provincial Park, Manitoba)
The Northwest Angle (<- - please click) is the only part of the United States (excluding Alaska) that is above the
49th parallel. It is a part of the state of Minnesota but can only be reached by air, by water via the Lake of the
Woods, or by land travelling through Manitoba, Canada. On October 1st we left the RV at Moose Lake, Manitoba
and drove to The Angle (as it is called by the locals). The Angle is 6,303 square miles and has a population of 152.
The majority of the Northwest Angle is an Indian reservation. As we approached the border there were signs
posted along the road that gave the instructions for the most unusual border crossing we have ever experienced.
At the dirt crossroads called Jim’s Corner was a small shack (see photos). Inside was a wall telephone with a small
video screen and two buttons: US Customs for entering and Canadian Custom when departing The Angle. The
customs agent on the other end asked the same list of things normally asked at the border. We then drove to
Prothero’s Post Resort at Angle Inlet where we met Grace Prothero and had a long conversation with her. She and
her husband, Dale have lived there for forty years, running a resort of log cabins they built and a fishing dock
where they rent boats. Most of the visitors are fishermen and their families. The Protheros have a small viewing
platform near the water, with a table and chairs that sit at the northernmost point of the US (except Alaska).
Since it was already early afternoon, we had a picnic lunch there (see photos) before returning to the campground
in Manitoba. Lobo had a very good day and as we arrived back at Moose Lake and the RV, Renée and Lobo took a
walk along Moose Lake while Chuck took a nap.
On the following day we left Canada, stopping in Sprague to spend the last of our Canadian change on apple
turnovers at a grocery store. On the border we were subjected to an unending list of questions, and the young,
female border patrol agent wanted to inspect the inside of the RV without us accompanying her. We gave her the
key and waited for quite a while. She returned with three grapefruits that were confiscated since citrus fruits
can not be brought into the US from Canada. They were terrible anyway and we had bought them at a
supermarket because they were marked down and appeared to be oranges. She gave us the keys and we drove
down the road about ¼ mile when Chuck suggested to Renée that we should stop and check to make sure the
border agent hadn’t left any cabinet doors open, which we always secure with straps. We slowed down to pull off
the side and looked in the mirror on the right side. Just as we slowed down, the door to the RV swung open! Not
only did the “overly efficient” border patrol agent not lock the door, she didn’t even close it all the way!
The first town in Minnesota was Roseau, where we stopped and exchanged our Canadian money. We then drove on
to Lake Bemidji State Park were we spent a week. Michael sent us our mail for the first time in three months and
we caught up on our medical prescriptions which were just about depleted. We didn’t do much at Bemidji, except
for a hike to Big Bog Lake (see photos) where visitors can walk through the bog on a raised platform. Lobo fell off
the platform and Chuck had to jump in the bog to rescue him. Lobo became very panicky and when it was all over
and Lobo was safely back on the platform, Chuck discovered that Lobo had nipped him on the chin, but not bad.
The platform stopped some distance into the lake rather than return to shore so it was a return trip along where
we had just walked. On the way back, we were hit with a sleet storm.
On October 9th we headed further down the road, enjoying the colorful mixed forests of autumn in northern
Minnesota. Driving along countless lakes and through Leech Lake Indian reservation we arrived that evening in
Baxter where we spent the night at a Wal-Mart. It was a very cold night and the following morning we decided to
find a campground where we could get winterized. By this we mean, switch to winter bedding and get out the
suitcases containing warmer clothing. We made a slight detour to Randall, MN where we spent five days at the
Innsbrook Motel and RV Park. On the way we passed through an oak forest. It is quite rare to see an entire
forest of nothing but oak trees.
At the Innsbrook Campground the water was still on but the owner said he might be cutting it off since it was
freezing outside. He had spot lights shining on the spigots to thaw them out. After parking the RV, Chuck pulled
out his winter hose which is an RV hose wrapped in aluminum tape, then a heat tape along the entire hose with about
three feet and the electric plug protruding on the inlet end of the hose. The entire hose is then covered with pipe
insulation and sealed along the full length with electrical tape. He hooked up the hose, wrapped the protruding
length onto the campground water line, and then plugged it in. Within a few minutes the line was thawed out. The
campground owner looked it over and the following morning went to the hardware store and installed the same
thing on all eight camping spots.
While in Randall, we visited the Charles Lindbergh House (see photos) in nearby Little Falls. We also ate at a
relatively good Mexican Restaurant, recommended by the hotel/campground owner who is from Portales, NM.
As we left Randall on October 15th, we were still having bad weather (sleet) but after a few miles the weather
improved. In Blaine, MN we found an Aldi, the first one since May 2008. After stocking up and spending the night
at Wal-Mart, we drove across the Mississippi to Prescott, WI and then south. We had to cross back over the
Mississippi at Red Wing, MN to tank up since we could not find a diesel station, and then back across the
Mississippi (see photos) to Onalaska, WI. This stretch reminds one of the Rhein Valley in Germany but without the
castles. Since we couldn’t locate a campground, we spent another night at a Wal-Mart. Right next door was an
Aldi that sold beer so we stocked up on Wernesgrüner.
Our next stop was Pine View Campground at Fort McCoy, WI where we stayed until October 20th. The
campground was almost empty but next to us was an RV with a Milwaukee SWAT Team that was at Fort McCoy for
training. We felt quite secure and Lobo constantly wanted to visit them in the evening because they were cooking
steaks over an open fire.
From Fort McCoy we drove to Middleton, WI where Chuck’s sister lived before moving to South Carolina. She still
lives in Middleton part time but when we passed through she was on her way back to South Carolina from a trip to
Russia and the Ukraine. Therefore we had to spend another night at a Wal-Mart, this time in Whitewater, WI.
Open campgrounds are hard to find in the northern states this late in the year.
On October 21st we arrived at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago, IL (< - - please click)
located on Lake Michigan and has a small campground directly on the lake (see photos). They have no water or
sewer hookups, just electric; but it would suffice for the few days we were to be there. If the weather had been
agreeable, it could have been a very pleasant stay, but a storm coming off the lake made it a very scary time when
you can look out the window and see the waves almost as high as the RV. For someone who lives there, it would
probably have been nothing at all, but it was a new experience for us.
On the 22nd we made a trip to Ikea on the outskirts of Chicago. As Chuck was going out the door of the RV, he
slipped on the wet ramp and landed in the deep mud produced by the rain the night before. This delayed our
departure for a while. It was after noon before we left. Along the way we stopped at Kuhn’s German
Delicatessen. It is also a small restaurant so we had lunch. Renée had the Leberkäse and Chuck had a schnitzel
with a Franziskaner Hefeweizen. Most of the imported German items were so extremely expensive that we
refrained from spending a lot. However, we did buy a fresh Leberkäse to take home and bake.
Great Lakes Naval Training Center has a much larger commissary than Fort McCoy, WI and we had hoped that we
would be able to get those hard-to-find items but we were only partially successful. In the late afternoon the rain
finally stopped but the wind continued and the temperature dropped.
On the 24th we left for Elkhart, IN. The weather improved as we left the Chicago area. We had to take the
interstate around the city and as we passed the Leonardo Nierman sculpture Flame of the Millenium, we realized
that we had left the camera in the RV. However, we found some pictures of it on the Internet. It is something
worth sharing so here is the link (< - - please click).
We had an appointment in Elkhart, IN to have a new refrigerator installed so we stayed at the 4H Fair
campground in nearby Goshen. Renée always sleeps with wax ear plugs and as she took them out the next morning,
she could barely hear in one ear. After two days she managed to get an appointment with a doctor in Goshen. The
doctor could not see anything in the ear but said that it appeared to have a heavy film over the ear drum. She
suggested an over-the-counter ear wax removal system to soak and flush the ear. Renée tried it without success.
But then she decided to use our Water Pik with one of the thin tips on a low pressure setting. This produced a
continual flow of water to flush the ear canal. Suddenly she heard a whoosh sound and the hearing was restored.
Looking down in the sink she found part of a wax ear plug. She now thinks that the ear doctor should make an
appointment with an eye doctor.
As soon as the work on the RV was finished, we wanted to leave for Fort Wayne, but Michael called and alerted us
that the kids had been sent home from school with the flu and perhaps we should consider waiting a few days to
avoid the contagious period. This made a lot of sense and we changed our plans and drove to Fremont, IN where
we spent the next few days. We used the time sorting out what we would be leaving in Fort Wayne. We also made
a short trip to the nearby Prime Outlets but found very little to waste our money on.
Lobo’s arthritis had been causing him a lot of trouble lately and the medication he has been on for about a year did
not seem to be enough anymore. Besides that he has lost a lot of weight in the last three or four months and he
does have senior moments now and then so we decided to get him a vet appointment in Fort Wayne. It is scheduled
for November 2nd.
To be continued…
49th parallel. It is a part of the state of Minnesota but can only be reached by air, by water via the Lake of the
Woods, or by land travelling through Manitoba, Canada. On October 1st we left the RV at Moose Lake, Manitoba
and drove to The Angle (as it is called by the locals). The Angle is 6,303 square miles and has a population of 152.
The majority of the Northwest Angle is an Indian reservation. As we approached the border there were signs
posted along the road that gave the instructions for the most unusual border crossing we have ever experienced.
At the dirt crossroads called Jim’s Corner was a small shack (see photos). Inside was a wall telephone with a small
video screen and two buttons: US Customs for entering and Canadian Custom when departing The Angle. The
customs agent on the other end asked the same list of things normally asked at the border. We then drove to
Prothero’s Post Resort at Angle Inlet where we met Grace Prothero and had a long conversation with her. She and
her husband, Dale have lived there for forty years, running a resort of log cabins they built and a fishing dock
where they rent boats. Most of the visitors are fishermen and their families. The Protheros have a small viewing
platform near the water, with a table and chairs that sit at the northernmost point of the US (except Alaska).
Since it was already early afternoon, we had a picnic lunch there (see photos) before returning to the campground
in Manitoba. Lobo had a very good day and as we arrived back at Moose Lake and the RV, Renée and Lobo took a
walk along Moose Lake while Chuck took a nap.
On the following day we left Canada, stopping in Sprague to spend the last of our Canadian change on apple
turnovers at a grocery store. On the border we were subjected to an unending list of questions, and the young,
female border patrol agent wanted to inspect the inside of the RV without us accompanying her. We gave her the
key and waited for quite a while. She returned with three grapefruits that were confiscated since citrus fruits
can not be brought into the US from Canada. They were terrible anyway and we had bought them at a
supermarket because they were marked down and appeared to be oranges. She gave us the keys and we drove
down the road about ¼ mile when Chuck suggested to Renée that we should stop and check to make sure the
border agent hadn’t left any cabinet doors open, which we always secure with straps. We slowed down to pull off
the side and looked in the mirror on the right side. Just as we slowed down, the door to the RV swung open! Not
only did the “overly efficient” border patrol agent not lock the door, she didn’t even close it all the way!
The first town in Minnesota was Roseau, where we stopped and exchanged our Canadian money. We then drove on
to Lake Bemidji State Park were we spent a week. Michael sent us our mail for the first time in three months and
we caught up on our medical prescriptions which were just about depleted. We didn’t do much at Bemidji, except
for a hike to Big Bog Lake (see photos) where visitors can walk through the bog on a raised platform. Lobo fell off
the platform and Chuck had to jump in the bog to rescue him. Lobo became very panicky and when it was all over
and Lobo was safely back on the platform, Chuck discovered that Lobo had nipped him on the chin, but not bad.
The platform stopped some distance into the lake rather than return to shore so it was a return trip along where
we had just walked. On the way back, we were hit with a sleet storm.
On October 9th we headed further down the road, enjoying the colorful mixed forests of autumn in northern
Minnesota. Driving along countless lakes and through Leech Lake Indian reservation we arrived that evening in
Baxter where we spent the night at a Wal-Mart. It was a very cold night and the following morning we decided to
find a campground where we could get winterized. By this we mean, switch to winter bedding and get out the
suitcases containing warmer clothing. We made a slight detour to Randall, MN where we spent five days at the
Innsbrook Motel and RV Park. On the way we passed through an oak forest. It is quite rare to see an entire
forest of nothing but oak trees.
At the Innsbrook Campground the water was still on but the owner said he might be cutting it off since it was
freezing outside. He had spot lights shining on the spigots to thaw them out. After parking the RV, Chuck pulled
out his winter hose which is an RV hose wrapped in aluminum tape, then a heat tape along the entire hose with about
three feet and the electric plug protruding on the inlet end of the hose. The entire hose is then covered with pipe
insulation and sealed along the full length with electrical tape. He hooked up the hose, wrapped the protruding
length onto the campground water line, and then plugged it in. Within a few minutes the line was thawed out. The
campground owner looked it over and the following morning went to the hardware store and installed the same
thing on all eight camping spots.
While in Randall, we visited the Charles Lindbergh House (see photos) in nearby Little Falls. We also ate at a
relatively good Mexican Restaurant, recommended by the hotel/campground owner who is from Portales, NM.
As we left Randall on October 15th, we were still having bad weather (sleet) but after a few miles the weather
improved. In Blaine, MN we found an Aldi, the first one since May 2008. After stocking up and spending the night
at Wal-Mart, we drove across the Mississippi to Prescott, WI and then south. We had to cross back over the
Mississippi at Red Wing, MN to tank up since we could not find a diesel station, and then back across the
Mississippi (see photos) to Onalaska, WI. This stretch reminds one of the Rhein Valley in Germany but without the
castles. Since we couldn’t locate a campground, we spent another night at a Wal-Mart. Right next door was an
Aldi that sold beer so we stocked up on Wernesgrüner.
Our next stop was Pine View Campground at Fort McCoy, WI where we stayed until October 20th. The
campground was almost empty but next to us was an RV with a Milwaukee SWAT Team that was at Fort McCoy for
training. We felt quite secure and Lobo constantly wanted to visit them in the evening because they were cooking
steaks over an open fire.
From Fort McCoy we drove to Middleton, WI where Chuck’s sister lived before moving to South Carolina. She still
lives in Middleton part time but when we passed through she was on her way back to South Carolina from a trip to
Russia and the Ukraine. Therefore we had to spend another night at a Wal-Mart, this time in Whitewater, WI.
Open campgrounds are hard to find in the northern states this late in the year.
On October 21st we arrived at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago, IL (< - - please click)
located on Lake Michigan and has a small campground directly on the lake (see photos). They have no water or
sewer hookups, just electric; but it would suffice for the few days we were to be there. If the weather had been
agreeable, it could have been a very pleasant stay, but a storm coming off the lake made it a very scary time when
you can look out the window and see the waves almost as high as the RV. For someone who lives there, it would
probably have been nothing at all, but it was a new experience for us.
On the 22nd we made a trip to Ikea on the outskirts of Chicago. As Chuck was going out the door of the RV, he
slipped on the wet ramp and landed in the deep mud produced by the rain the night before. This delayed our
departure for a while. It was after noon before we left. Along the way we stopped at Kuhn’s German
Delicatessen. It is also a small restaurant so we had lunch. Renée had the Leberkäse and Chuck had a schnitzel
with a Franziskaner Hefeweizen. Most of the imported German items were so extremely expensive that we
refrained from spending a lot. However, we did buy a fresh Leberkäse to take home and bake.
Great Lakes Naval Training Center has a much larger commissary than Fort McCoy, WI and we had hoped that we
would be able to get those hard-to-find items but we were only partially successful. In the late afternoon the rain
finally stopped but the wind continued and the temperature dropped.
On the 24th we left for Elkhart, IN. The weather improved as we left the Chicago area. We had to take the
interstate around the city and as we passed the Leonardo Nierman sculpture Flame of the Millenium, we realized
that we had left the camera in the RV. However, we found some pictures of it on the Internet. It is something
worth sharing so here is the link (< - - please click).
We had an appointment in Elkhart, IN to have a new refrigerator installed so we stayed at the 4H Fair
campground in nearby Goshen. Renée always sleeps with wax ear plugs and as she took them out the next morning,
she could barely hear in one ear. After two days she managed to get an appointment with a doctor in Goshen. The
doctor could not see anything in the ear but said that it appeared to have a heavy film over the ear drum. She
suggested an over-the-counter ear wax removal system to soak and flush the ear. Renée tried it without success.
But then she decided to use our Water Pik with one of the thin tips on a low pressure setting. This produced a
continual flow of water to flush the ear canal. Suddenly she heard a whoosh sound and the hearing was restored.
Looking down in the sink she found part of a wax ear plug. She now thinks that the ear doctor should make an
appointment with an eye doctor.
As soon as the work on the RV was finished, we wanted to leave for Fort Wayne, but Michael called and alerted us
that the kids had been sent home from school with the flu and perhaps we should consider waiting a few days to
avoid the contagious period. This made a lot of sense and we changed our plans and drove to Fremont, IN where
we spent the next few days. We used the time sorting out what we would be leaving in Fort Wayne. We also made
a short trip to the nearby Prime Outlets but found very little to waste our money on.
Lobo’s arthritis had been causing him a lot of trouble lately and the medication he has been on for about a year did
not seem to be enough anymore. Besides that he has lost a lot of weight in the last three or four months and he
does have senior moments now and then so we decided to get him a vet appointment in Fort Wayne. It is scheduled
for November 2nd.
To be continued…
 |  |  |
| | |
