10.04.13 Bye, bye Minnesota – Iowa here we come!

Today we said goodbye to Minnesota.  Since we’ve spent so much time there this summer we probably won’t return anytime soon.  It is such a beautiful state and we are very thankful to have been able to spend time there.  Here’s pictures of our comfy little home spot in the Camping World’s parking lot.  It’s interesting how, after you get use to all this, it doesn’t feel odd to live in a parking lot. 

One of the things that we purchased from Camping World while we were there is cord that allows us to plug into 2-30 amp outlets to get the 50 amps we need to have full power.  Since all parks don’t have 50 amp sites this is a great way around that. 

We stopped at Northfield, MN where we strolled down the  streets of the little town until we came to First National Bank where Jessie James and his brother and 6 other men tried to rob the bank in 1876.  The bank is still set up like it was back then and we got to walk through it, go in the vault, see the paper ledgers they kept back then of people’s accounts.  We watched a video of an annual reenactment they do of the robbery.  The robbers hopes were to get $300,000 but they only came away with $26.  Jessie James and his brother were the only ones that lived through the shoot out surrounding the robbery and the search for them afterwards.   The city is very quaint and historic looking. I loved the sign made out of pieces of license plates outside a shop called MAKESHIFT ACCESSORIES.  We stopped at a garden center on the way and took some pictures since it looked so harvesty.  We also stopped at the Quality Bakery for donuts but they wouldn’t let me take pictures of the inside of their shop.  It was really cool looking on the inside but all we could take pictures of was outside so of course I did. 

Traveling down the backroads in Northfield we came across a wind turbine which I took a picture of.  Later we came across about 20 in one place and couldn’t get my camera out in time.  We also saw a neat Christmas tree farm with hundreds of baby Christmas trees growing.

Our Garmin GPS is turning out to be very handy and helpful.  It alerts us to traffic problems, weather problems and when we’re coming up to a state line.  It also knows when an overpass is too low for us to go under and changes our path accordingly.  Knowing when the state lines are coming up can better prepare me to take pictures of the states welcoming signs.  The picture of our entry into Iowa wasn’t too clear but we’re here now and that’s what matters..

After our visit to Northfield, we headed to Forest City, Iowa where the Winnebago Manufacturing Plant is located for a tour to see how that brand of RVs are made.  Being new at this travel planning I forgot (when we decided to stay an extra day at the luxurious Camping World spot) that they only have tours Monday through Friday at 9 am or 1 pm and we’re going to arrive there betweent 3:30 and 4:00 so we called them and they said it is okay for us to stay there hooked up for the weekend and take the 9 am tour.   

We’re here in Forest City now and settling into our weekend home at the Winnebago factory.  We may decide to skip the Monday tour and leave before then.  We’ll see how we feel as time goes on! 

Ya’ll come back now, ya’ hear!