The Duluth waterfront on Lake Superior, Minnesota was a flurry of activity during our visit on July 3rd, the day before American Independence Day. Everything was getting set up for the big event (fireworks, bands etc) the next day. The Aerial Lift Bridge in this photo is the major landmark in Duluth. The bridge can be raised to its full height of 135 feet in about a minute, and is raised approximately five thousand times per year. We watched it lift up (counterweights on either side) to allow boats to pass under, and then minutes later be back to allowing cars and pedestrians to cross over it. We chose to walk under it instead. The photo on top right is us after walking under it to the other side. The photo on the bottom right shows people out and about at dusk - taking horse carriage rides, riding dual-pedal cycles, walking dogs and with the backdrop of the downtown buildings on Lake Superior. 
The Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior is considered to be one of the prettiest in the US. It was a grey day when we visited, so the photos weren't fabulous. Unlike our visit to a Christmas Shop nearby - always a fun visit! But for a taste sensation, on the recommendation of my friend Andrea, we visited Betty's Pie - what a popular place that was! The pies were amazing - although a tad rich for our Aussie palates. Murray took a photo of Jen, Peter and I climbing on these huge Adirondack chairs. I still laugh when I see this photo - reminds me of how silly we must have looked up there!
On our last day in Duluth, we took a drive up to visit the Enger tower built to honour a Norwegian immigrant who left a huge part of his estate to the city of Duluth - including the beautiful golf course that Murray and Peter played on one day. It gave a nice view over Lake Superior (pity about the fog) and it had a pretty Japanese garden. We thought of you Chris and Mandy.
During their trip we had several campfires - some a bit smokey, but worth it! We toasted marshmallows, threw our peanut shells into the fire and generally enjoyed the ambiance. Sometimes we ate out, and other times we ate at the RV site. The weather was obliging.
After we left Duluth, we drove to check out the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Nowhere near as majestic as how she looks at St Louis, Vicksburg, or Memphis, or where she meets the Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans, but special just the same! 
After 2.5 weeks of RVing we arrived in North Dakota - Jenny and Peter's final destination before flying back home to Australia. Our visit to the Badlands was fantastic. Such an impressive landscape - my photos just do not do it justice. Peter and Murray played golf on the picturesque Bully Pulpit Golf Course in the Badlands, while Jen and I drove the 60 km (36 mile) loop of the Theodore Roosevelt NP - we stopped along the way to watch the prairie dogs, check out the bison and wild horses, and just absorb the view. It took us 2 hours to drive the loop, and we could have spent a lot longer, but we knew we needed time to check out the shops in town before the guys rang us to pick them up after golf!  |
| Albino bison, stag, yellow finches and a prairie dog |
We had an opportunity to introduce them to some of our North Dakota friends at a steakhouse at nearby Mandan, just over the Missouri River from Bismarck where we were staying.
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| Roy Rogers, Irene, Wes, Avalyn, Milt, Kathy, Jenny, Peter, John Wayne, Trish, Murray |
On Jenny and Peter's last night, we drove out to Clint and Amanda's ranch, about an hour NE of Bismarck. Amanda had marinated some beef from one of their own steers, and she also marinated some chicken. Clint cooked them on skewers on the BBQ. It was very hot when we arrived, but it soon cooled down enough to sit outside, but still too hot for a campfire. It was great to see their four daughters, Taylor, Hayley, Emilie and Macey, and meet Amanda's mum Cheryl who was visiting fro Tasmania. Hayley took Jen and I for a ride on the four wheeler to get some sunset photos, while Clint drove Peter and Murray to a nearby field to take dinner to two neighbours cutting hay. The neighbours had to keep working to get the hay baled before it rained - we left the ranch about 10 pm, and the neighbours were still out in the fields working under lights. We got Jenny and Peter back to their hotel just before 11pm. A late night for all!
It may not look like much of a distance on the map, but during this RV trip Jenny and Peter passed through 10 US States including Washington DC, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and travelled over 3218 km (2000 miles). Not bad for a 20 day road trip! We thoroughly enjoyed showing them the USA through our eyes.
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