The National Eagle Center, Larks (world famous) Toy Store, Corn Palace, Bible Land and The Badlands.

What a long strange list for this editions title!  What a strange week it's been!  Who knew the Eagle Center would be so amazing?  Who knew it even existed?  I was advised by the lady at check-in at our Wabasha, MN site to head over to it.  She was also the one who suggested the toy store.  So, a site that we planned on doing a whole lot of nothing at became quite an adventure.  Minnesota left a great impression on me.  It was a very clean state.  The farms were well maintained, the fields looked perfect, the homes were adorable and the RV park we were in was immaculate!  Then we hit the road, bound for SD.  What a thoroughly different drive.  This is the state I have been waiting for.  Finally some landscapes that are totally foreign to me.  Our first night in SD was at an okay place.  Glad it was only one night...but oh, what we saw.  The Amazing, world famous CORN PALACE!  Yes, it is what it sounds like...sort of.  The town hall's facade is decorated annually with nothing but corn.  This years theme was Willie Nelson (yup, made entirely of corn).  Across the street (a very dead street) was Bible Land.  Of course we had to investigate.  I do not recommend anyone else every doing this.  It was dark, and creepy inside.  Lots of mannequins and fake plants.  We are now at a far better campground in Wall, SD.  If curious...google "Wall Drug"  it is what the town is famous for.  But what we are loving is its proximity to "The Badlands".  We have hiked in there the past two days, and the wild landscape is something one can not possibly get used to.  We have seen prairie dogs, mountain sheep, little mouse things with long upright tails...  No bison yet, but hopefully at our next stop.  The pictures may give you a taste of this national park, but it's like the Grand Canyon...you have to stand in it to get the full effect, and it is awe inspiring.

This was the border to the Wabasha campground.

How regal?  

Fiona communing with eagle. (All captive eagles had been injured and depended on humans to survive.)

"Larks" toy store had the best cut out!

Before the carousel ride in the toy store!

All animals are hand carved.

As far as the eye can see!!!!! I love this!

Sunflower seeds are a big crop here in SD.  The fields are amazing.

Many of these along the drive.

All the decor behind us is corn!  

Playground?  Did someone say playground?

Ummm...I'll pass.

Make new friends, and keep the old.

These signs were plentiful in "The Badlands".  YIKES!

Sharp edged cliffs.

Close up of the harder stone.  Some parts of the hike were like walking on kitty litter...

Like we landed on Mars.

This is my kind of road.

We were so thrilled to see wildlife!

These guys were way up high!

Fiona is getting some close up shots of the prairie dogs.  See them?  All those holes?

Whose idea was it to hike at noon, in a desert, in the middle of August?  Oh yeah, Dad's.

So unreal.

This guy came out of the trail to say goodbye as we were leaving.

Pictographs and Battle Reenactments, and lots of little things in between!

Whoa!  It's getting hard to keep track of where we have been, and what we have been up to.  Not enough WIFI coverage the past few stays, so events and pictures have been adding up.  Currently we are still on Lake Superior, however, now we are back on US ground!
Canada did not disappoint and there are things we will miss.  A few of which are 3.25% milk and a delicious brand of mac and cheese that is not in the states.  The people were incredibly kind and curious.  The Provincial Parks were comfortable, clean and we had some of our favorite sites over the past few nights.  While staying at Lake Superior Prov. Park we enjoyed a lovely "plein air" sketching class presented by the park guides.  We also drove a few minutes to see the famous pictographs.  The weather was ideal.  Warm air, sunny skies and calm water.  This is important because you need to walk out on some slanted rocks on the waters edge to see these ancient paintings.  BUT once there you can touch them and really get a feel for the magnitude of the space.  Another great take was Fort William Historical Park.  This is a recreated trading post from the early 1800's full of people in period dress and locked into characters of the time.  All the participants were so knowledgeable about their craft and very anxious to talk and guide us through their particular area.  We were even there for a small battle reenactment!   Oh, I almost forgot!  We also went and visited Kakabeka Falls "The Niagara of the North".  Alas, our ten days out of the country are over.  Scott and the kids have again taken a dip in this great lake, and say it is actually colder than when we were in Canada!

The beach at our site in Lake Superior Prov. Park.

Walking out for our sketching class.

Sketching...

Sketching...

Sketchy...(just kidding)

"Death and injury have occured..."

This is the animal depicted in the paintings.

O.K.  How amazing?!  These are mystical sea serpent creatures.

These represent canoes with about 5 people in each.  Tells of a war party riding across the lake.

See canoes above Ethan?

Here is a moose and a single person in a canoe. (my favorite)

This was the teepee at Fort William.  We were all amazed.

Check out the paws on this wolf pelt.

Some little reinforcements on the fort walls.

These fern forests are amazing, and plentiful.

Animals were loose throughout the fort.  So much fun.

Uh, Oh!  Something's brewing!

Cannons and everything!

One of the guides even went and got us a baby chick to pat!

Baby goats!  Yes please.

Birch bark canoes...all hand made.

Inside the settlement.

View from a lookout tower.

The glassy waters of the lake.

Scott and the kids have been in Lake Superior at least 4 times.

"Niagara of the North"

Oh...looks like alien abductions are a problem here.

Fiona is representing her home town.

Check out this enchanting hike we went on along the South Old Woman River.

Fiona sewing and Ethan daydreaming.

Shirley's new dress, thanks to her seamstress mother Fiona.

Scott's plotting again...

Fiona sculpted this fellow to leave behind at our last campsite.

Minnesota!  

Skipping rocks in a small coastal town.

And sipping cappuccino.  Nice to be out of the woods.

Can you tell by his face that it's cold?

Team work.

Solo.