Friday, June 22, 2012

Wisconsin - Where the state dance is the Polka!


Delayed post for Thursday June 21st

Deluge in Duluth!  We didn’t realize it at the time, but the big rains we griped about yesterday caused HUGE rain – nearly 10 inches in two days – in the area of Duluth, MN.  Tonight we’re camping at Pattison State Park near Superior, Wisconsin, which is right across the bridge from Duluth.  You have probably heard on the news about the zoo that flooded, killing many animals and temporarily losing a polar bear and a seal – both recovered.  Big flooding in the area, houses destroyed, huge sink holes, roads torn up.  We went over to see Big Manitou Falls near the campground and it was amazing.  So our challenge tomorrow is to figure out whether US-2 is open through the area so we can continue west as planned.

Today I drove all the way – imagine that!  In Superior we took the time to a) get the oil changed in the Ford – 3600 miles driven so far; and b) go to the laundry mat.  Tonight, we’re camping at Pattison State Park which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. It is a really nice park with swimming, camping (of course), picnicking, hiking, and cool old buildings.  Downside?  flies and mosquitoes.  We had the same problem at Gogebic State Park last night -- You would think that since we arrived in a POURING rain, they would have taken a break from trying to eat the tourists, but no.

One neat sight – the mailboxes along the roads in the area are built, usually with metal poles, such that they will pivot when struck by a snow plow.  Don’t you just love Yankee ingenuity?

1 comment:

  1. Gorgeous pic of the falls with the rainbow. I did hear about the flooding and hope that does not impede your progress. :

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