From the Storm to Turtle Lake

Day 4. July 3^rd

Distance travelled 540kms

Wildlife spotted:  either there is a conspiracy afoot, or  there are no critters left on this continent.

We learned our lesson from the previous night and headed straight through Duluth next day and onto Gerry’s Army and Navy Store in Grand Rapids Minnesota.  Along the way we noticed some trees were down.

Ooh, yah, said Sue as she showed us the tarpaulin section of the store.  Down by the guns.  Big storm here last night.  We weren’t expecting it, nooo.  Lotsa trees down alright.

We were tenting, I said modestly.

Ooh my!  My son did that once, just in his dad’s yard, mind, and his tent it was a big pretzel then next day.  Sue just about doubled over in laughter at the thought.

We got two tarps, just to be sure, and some more tent pegs.   And a mallet.

We continued on through the Minnesota lake country.  The Mississippi river rises in Itasca forest and meanders through Cass Lake and Big Winnie before turning south towards St. Paul.  Beautiful country, rolling hills and farmland, with fat lazy cattle and acres of hay and clover.

It was carnage.  Power lines down.  Trees down everywhere.  Cops out in force with chainsaws.

I offered up a prayer to the Great Bear Spirit for keeping us safe.

After a quick stop in Bemidji, nestled in a crook of Old Man River the land started to rise in a serious of long, slow hills.  Huge fields spread out in a patchwork of grass, soy and vegetables.  The trees were pushed to one side, guarding perimeters and farmhouses.  We were almost at the Great Plains ahead of us, and to our north, Ontario has finally given way to Manitoba.

By Fosston, we could see the dark loam that marks the Red River valley.  A few more miles and we drove through Grand Forks and into the West.  The Wild West of our imaginations. 

Although it was after six, it was a stifling 34 degrees, so we pulled into the only wooded area we could see and stayed at the Turtle River State Forest.  This one had no bears, hot showers, and a dozen college kids out for a 4^th July drinkathon in the next site.  I didn’t care. I was safe.  I was clean.  I was asleep in no time.

Provinces travelled:  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario

States visited: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota