Mall of America

Lego Model

7 September - went to the Mall of America - the biggest shopping area in the USA and some say the World!!! Very impressive. There is a huge amusement park in there and gianormous Lego models and at least 5 million shops - or close lol, When we left and started the drive to Iowa we listened to a radio program that was coincidentally talking about this Mall saying that it was a terrorist target and that they have anti terrorist Police working there and there is a jail and interrogation rooms in the basement. Was glad we left. Drove 260.2 miles (418 kms) to Des Moines Iowa. My comment the other day about the worst drivers - definitely the Twin Cities of St Paul & Minneapolis. An example - we were within the city limits doing 70 mph (113 kph) which was the speed limit on this freeway and we were overtaken by 3 semi trailers - amongst which there were  cars and a motor cyclist (no helmet) - weaving in and out and changing lanes. Very scary. This was one of many incidents we experienced and absolutely no one will let you change lanes. If the speed limit is 60 they all seem to do 75....crazy!!

Amusement Park In Mall

For the boys :)

8 September - had a sleep in this morning and just after we woke there was a major domestic going on outside our room in the car park. Woman screaming...man yelling...two puzzled kids. Jerry Springer was on the TV...and also, it seems, in the car park. He tore off in the car then came back...then she took off with screaming tyres and then she came back. Police came. Very exciting...better than the TV.

We drove to Pella because that's where Paul used to go when he was working for Vermeer...that's their home base. They make trenchers and wood chippers and the like. Very pretty Dutch town...windmills and clogs. Returned to Des Moines and looked around. Lots of beautiful buildings and War Memorials. There were loads of flags and they are obviously readying for a 9/11 service on the weekend. Had another Walmart visit...why are Revlon products $6-7 here and $30 to 35 in Australia. Bugs# 560

In Pella

Des Moines 9/11 preparations

Capitol Building Des Moines

♫♫Take me out to the Ball Game♫♫

32.7 miles (52 kms) - quiet day in St Paul Minnesota, catching up on laundry and photos. In the evening we went to Target Field to watch a baseball match between the Minnesota Twins & the Chicago White Sox - White Sox won 3-0. The Twins had 2 Aussie players  - Luke Hughes and Liam Hendriks. The Americans really make the audience participate by given shout prompts and getting the audience up dancing and singing - even to Men at Work's I Come from a Land Down Under :)  Won't even discuss the traffic and the drive there and back - I think St Paul may take over from Vancouver as the worst drivers. :(   Bugs# 553

Ate hot dogs and beer (non alcoholic) and soaked up the atmosphere. The stadium was amazing - brand new

Close shave :(

4th September - Left Cherub land and travelled through St Cloud - pretty town - then on to Duluth which is on the banks of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Seems to be a working town but very nice down along the water edge.  I found the answer to the age old question of why we have an  Easter Bunny and why he brings eggs -  just outside Ogilvie in Minnesota.

We headed over a bridge from Duluth and then we were in Wisconsin (our 11th state) land of cheese...yummy. We stayed in a beautiful little place called Bayfield which is on the banks of Lake Superior.   Nice camp site but no showers and only a very smelly "long drop". At least we were close to the loo's as we are in bear country again. Bugs#  549

5th September - Was leaving the camping grounds this morning through a very closed in and bumpy winding lane and turned left onto the road. Now through the whole 10,000 kms I have driven here I have been 200% aware because I know that things are different here and a mistake can be fatal. I use mental rhymes for turning  - "right is tight" and "left is long". Well this morning I just reverted to being in Australia and turned left...tight..just as another car came over the hill. We had a very near miss......we were lucky because the driver had just left the speed zone from the town and was going quite slowly - speed limit in town is 25 mph (40 kmh).  I felt absolutely devastated. Although I have got more confident with the driving I have worked hard not to get complacent and then this happened.  Will concentrate even more and go back to saying the rhymes out loud instead of in my head. :(

Had brunch in  Bayfield...a town that has had some famous visitors...John Kennedy Jr...Brad and Jennifer..Billy Bob Thornton...Bridget Fonda. Bayfield looks like a scene from a movie...beautiful.

The cherub room from the other night needs to be updated ...24.....I forgot the cherub figurine on the desk lol...shudder!!!!

Everywhere we go....RV Parks and Hotels...people have their dogs with them. Some time they have 2 or 3 dogs.   The tourist industry is very dog friendly in USA and I think Australia should follow suit.  It's really weird seeing deer running across the road.......in Australia we're used to seeing the Kangaroos doing it. One ran across in front of us today and as we got closer another one toddled across. I managed to slow in time....(no....I wasn't going to swerve Paul)........but it was a close thing. Lots of road kill around all of a sudden.....possums and racoons and other things we don't really recognise.

One thing I'll never get used to are the toilets that automatically flush when you stand up. Scares the $%^&* out of me every damn time. I look around fast cos you feel like there's someone else in there with you :(    ....and if you dropped your phone or purse in there you would be too frightened to stand up. Suppose you would have to call 911....a toilet emergency!!!

To celebrate our non collision I took Lee to the Red Lobster and we ate everything in sight...including the chocolate chip cake desert with ice cream that had no calories in it :)  Bugs# 552

Worst hotel room

Alexandria Minnesota - there are 23 cherubs on the walls and one cuckoo lock. The bed is a shocker from the 50's and there is an endless supply of flies. NO WAY will I get in the shower :(