..Yes, I’m talking about Wisconsin & MinnesoTAH…& a little bit of South DakoTAH!!
Before leaving Michigan, we got a jumpstart on some tall tale audiobooks & had a ball listening & singing along to goofy songs about Paul Bunyan. In true Ringhaver style, we made sure we got in all the lumberjack-like adventures to bring life to the tales. Jack Pine’s Lumberjack Show was a highlight for sure!
By the way, did you know that Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes came about one night when Babe the Blue Ox was nervous from a thunder storm, ran all over the state & then her footprints filled up with rain water? Who’d a thunk??!!
Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty, Wisconsin Dells…& to my surprise, the food was delicious!!
More exciting & strange roadside attractions…
OK, so what is Wisconsin Dells known for…WATERPARKS!! We hit Kalahari hard & spent a full day sliding & floating at the indoor AND outdoor waterpark…SO MUCH FUN & it totally felt like a summer vacation! The kids welcomed this break from all the outdoor adventures!
Finally, before heading out of the cheese state, we had to hit a cheese factory to see just how cheese is made. We got an up close look at the Carr Valley Cheese Factory. It was a small building & we were able to stand right behind a pair of glass doors watching the process. Since it takes more than 4 hours before the cheese is put into the molds for pressing, we only saw a bit, but we now understand the process. Fun Fact…did you know that all yellow cheese is DYED? Milk is white, so cheese would also be white in it’s natural state. Duh, right?! How in the world did this never occur to me until I watched cheddar being made from fresh milk?! The dye used is all natural, of course.
In the last few states, we’ve driven through what looks like snow in the summer. It’s actually been dandelions floating everywhere. We don’t see many at home, but up north, they are huge & they are everywhere. The kids found some on the Riverwalk in Wisconsin Dells. Make a wish….
Continuing on our westward explorations, we headed into Minnesota, bound for Walnut Grove, humming the Little House theme song as we approached. I watched Little House ALL THE TIME growing up with my sisters & cousins. We loved it!! Rylie also happens to be part pioneer at heart. We actually had to tell her it was time to give up her nightgown with matching kerchief a few years ago & reluctantly, she did. She has read all the books & watched about every episode made, so we can safely say she’s a huge fan. Driving the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Hwy was a fun experience as we approached Walnut Grove! The museum was cool, but the room that stole most of our attention was the room with all the TV set paraphernalia. It was awesome!
Driving through Minnesota & then entering into South Dakota, we were pretty awe struck by the vastness of corn fields and wheat fields as far as the eye could see. This will be a memory I treasure forever!! Texting my family while snapping shots from the car window, my dad replied telling us to sing “America the Beautiful”. We did & it really hit home just how beautiful & abundantly BLESSED we are to live in this country…like tears in my eyes! The line “amber WAVES of grain” was a perfect description. While the grain we saw was still green, as the wind blew, it was like looking into an ocean of green rolling waves sweeping for miles & miles. Breathtaking!!
Concluding our Roadside Attraction Extravaganza, we had our finale in South Dakota! It was unexpected & PERFECT! Driving west on I-90, we saw the shadow of a huge (really HUGE) set of horns. WHAT?? It was easy to spot in the midst of flat grassland. Curiosity killing us, we pulled onto the exit, drove down the dirt road & discovered one of Time Magazine’s Top 50 Roadside Attactions…how cool!!!! It was a sculpture garden in the middle of nowhere. What a way to end a long day of travel!!
Ring Tales...our great RV adventure! 