Off to the Midwest, You Betcha! - August 28-30, 2009

It had been months since the Biologist had a waymarking adventure and she was jonesing big time. Combine that with a free Delta frequent flyer ticket with points ready to expire and enough No Hassle credit card miles to cover hotel and rental car costs, what was a girl to do? Well, I had to fly to Minneapolis-St. Paul of course. In addition to a rare waymark in Alexandria, Minnesota, there were four other states within a relatively short driving distance calling to me.

DAY 1: Today, the Marine and I set the alarm for 3:30 (a.m., that is) so he could drive me to the Jacksonville airport for a 5:30 a.m. flight. Ugh! It's at times like these that I really question my sanity. I know I'm already on the edge (some would say I've already leaped way over the edge, the Marine included!), but 3:30 a.m.?!!!! Well, at least the Marine could go back to bed, and waymarking adrenaline and caffeine (from my beloved Diet Pepsi) would keep me going.

After a short layover in Atlanta, I arrived in the Twin Cities at 9:30 a.m. and had my bag and rental car by 10 a.m. With the computer hooked up to the GPSr and En Route on the screen, I routed to my first target, a marker delineating a Great Line of the Earth, a 45th Parallel marker on the western edge of Minneapolis. The 45th Parallel is located midway between the Equator and the North Pole. The marker was on a boulder in a small patch of parkland on the Wirth Parkway and probably not even noticed by most people driving by. Photos and coords taken, I was off to my true target for this trip... the Kensington Runestone!

The Runestone Museum, a History Museum, in Alexandria, Minnesota, is co-located with the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, a Tourist Information Center. The Museum has been home to the Kensington Runestone since 1958. The Runestone was discovered in 1898 on the Olaf Ohman farm near Kensington (15 miles west of Alexandria), and there has been much debate over the years as to how this runic artifact, dated 1362, could show up in North America.

On the grounds of the Runestone Museum is a Replica of Fort Alexandria. Also on the grounds is the former Immanuel Lutheran Church. This Old Church is a Relocated Structure that was originally located in the township of Carlos; it was moved to the grounds of the Runestone Museum in 2007. After wandering around the Museum and the grounds for a bit, it was time to make haste and continue on my journey as I had a LOT of ground to cover this weekend.

But upon leaving the museum, I was quickly distracted as just across the street was a truely Superlative find -- Big Ole, the Largest Viking in the Land. Big Ole is a 25-foot tall statue that was originally built for the 1964 World's Fair in New York City. This big boy is now located in Big Ole Cental Park, a Municipal Park in Alexandria, and he's a point of interest along the Glacial Ridge Trail Scenic Byway. After a few minutes of admiring this proud giant, I bid Big Ole a fond "ha det"and made tracks west toward the Dakotas.

Only 15 miles later, I spotted a sign for the Kensington Runestone Park, the location of the farm where the infamous runestone was found. I really didn't have the time, but I felt compelled to stop and check it out. This Municipal Park is also a point of interest along the Glacial Ridge Trail Scenic Byway and had a Replica of the Kensington Runestone on its grounds as a memorial to the momentous find made here. Also on the grounds of this park was an adorable little Waychapel.

I finally made my way into White Rock, South Dakota, where I immediately spotted an unclaimed South Dakota Historical Marker. Thank goodness as I didn't know where I was going to find one, but had planned to head into Sisseton, the seat of Roberts County, where White Rock is located, hoping to spot one. Finding the White Rock marker cut some time off today's route, thankfully, as I was running a bit behind schedule.

White Rock is the most northeastern community in South Dakota, being along the Minnesota border and one mile south of North Dakota, so it was the perfect place to go in search of a U.S. Tri-State Geodetic Point, a category that was up for approval while I was here, but which was ultimately denied by the waymarking community. I found a stone post marking the Tri-State point and then tracked down the actual location 9 chains east of the post. It was surrounded by fields of corn. A little disappointing, but not really surprising as I was in the Midwest after all! I took some photos and coords for this U.S. Historic Survey Stone and Monument and actually stumbled over a geocache as I was taking the photos!!! I didn't even know it was here, but of course I had to sign the log. Woo hoo!

Fortunately, I had already found a couple of North Dakota Historical Markers on a waymarking journey home from GeoWoodstock VI in northern California to Jacksonville, so I turned the rental car around and made my way back to just north of Minneapolis where I grabbed a bite of dinner, posted a couple of waymarks, and dropped off to sleep.

DAY 2: Bright and early this morning, I made my way to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. I passed the Franconia Sculpture Park on the way and stopped to check out some of the abstract sculptures and take some photos and coords, then onto the Badger State.

In St. Croix Falls, I spotted the St. Croix Falls Dam, a Water Dam on the St. Croix River, then made my way to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway where I spotted a Wisconsin Historical Marker about Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day. It turns out when plans were announced in 1964 for the St. Croix Falls Dam, Nelson, then a U.S. Senator, believed the riverway deserved federal protection and tried to halt its construction. Although the power plant was constructed, the controversy about it stimulated the passage of the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

I next visited the portion of the Interstate State Park on the Wisconsin side of the border and took a walk (or should I say a climb) on the Ladder Tank Trail to find our first geocache in this State. It was a letterbox cache located amidst some old terrace trout pond tanks along an Outdoor Stairway that had 88 steps! What a beautiful area! I next made my way to the official entrance to Interstate State Park where I spotted an Ice Age Trail sign. I knew the Ice Age Trail ran through here -- this park is actually its western terminus -- but had to search a little to find a marker for it. Very, very cool... no pun intended.

By this time, it was about 10 a.m. and it was time to make tracks for Iowa. Yes, I said Iowa. Somehow, I don't think the rental car company had any idea the number of miles I would be putting on the little Kia sedan they gave me for the weekend! After a long drive past one farm field after another, I finally arrived in Iowa where I was kindly Welcomed to this Field of Opportunities. Well, I can't speak for the opportunities, but there sure were LOTS of fields here!

I made my way to the cute little town of Northwood, where I found an Iowa Historical Marker next to the Worth County Courthouse Cannon. After taking photos and coords for the cannon and its historical marker, I walked over to check out the Courthouse and discovered a plaque about its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and another plaque commemorating the Works Progress Administration. Wow, lots of history here! And just across the street was the original County Courthouse, which was also a Former Schoolhouse, and now the home of the Worth County History Museum. A plaque near its entrance identified its National Register of Historic Places status as well. A couple of Amish women were selling their wares in front of this historic building, and it gave the entire place such a nice, warm homey feeling. I took a spin around the town and found another Iowa Historical Marker about the first settlers of Worth County, then had to head back to Minneapolis as it was getting late.

On the same route back, I was Welcomed back into Minnesota, a state of 10,000 Lakes. After a short distance, I decided to deviate from the route and take some back roads, where I spotted a Dinosaur Statue at a BP gas station. It was a Sinclair Oil Corporation dinosaur and a Giant of Commerce. Upon arriving back in Minneapolis, I headed to the downtown area and found a couple of historic Arch Bridges, one that was also a Stone Bridge. One was on the National Register of Historic Places and the other was a Contributing Structure in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. After visiting the Gold Medal Park, a beautiful little Municipal Park, and taking a photo of the Gold Medal Flour sign, a Neon Sign that's an icon of Minneapolis, I made my way to a hotel near the airport. After posting a few waymarks, I crashed for the night as I had an early flight home the next morning.
Day 3: I wish I could have taken a later flight so I could have spent more time waymaking in Minneapolis today, but the frequent flyer ticket only had early morning options. Oh well, it was free after all! Got to the Airport bright and early, turned in my rental car, and headed back home where the Marine was waiting for me. What a guy!