LAST DAY ON THE ROAD TOGETHER July 24th

We were up and out (we’re getting very efficient!) by 8 a.m. in North Dakota headed for home! Rod and I especially felt we had seen so much and were ready to finish up. We stopped for a McDonald’s breakfast to eat on the road and continued past the capital Bismarck (named after Kaiser Wilhelm!) through Jamestown and on to Fargo.

We found a visitor’s center there, the Fargo-Moorhead (it’s right before you cross into Minnesota) center. It had footprints outside of famous people who had stopped by like Myron Florin (Lawrence Welk show), Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Roy Clark, etc.  We wondered where the wet cement for US to leave our hand and footprints!! 

Inside the staff was very gracious and when I mentioned this was now my 50^th state, they got all excited!! Apparently this had happened before! I got a special magnet! A certificate! Had my photo op in front of the Welcome to ND sign! and with a hat-with-the-flaps like in the Fargo movie and my photo with the woodchipper!!! They even had a copy of the script from the movie!! AND free popcorn! I bought a t-shirt (that I didn’t need!) saying Woodchipper? On the front and the back – Ya, sure, you betcha!!   Such fun!

I still stopped when we crossed the border and had my picture taken at the Welcome to Minnesota and to Wisconsin signs later in the day. We continuted down 94 through Minnesota headed to St. Paul. We stopped at a little town and tried to find a lake for a lunch stop with what was left in the cooler. We found a lake, and no park/picnic area. Then we found the park in town, no lake!! Oh, well! Betty and I shared my leftover chicken and salad from the Murphy’s pub dinner and other fruit, nuts, crackers, chips. On we forged to St. Paul around 6 p.m. at the end of rush hour.

Minneapolis, MN

Rod and Betty

Traveled off and on since 1965!

We took a few more last photos with Betty, refreshed our waters, and headed for Neenah! I knew it would be a long haul and it was! We didn’t fall into bed until about 12:30 a.m. Rod was still wired from driving so he actually went out and bought some breakfast things (Susan’s got to have her egg, veggie, etc. sandwich in the a.m.!!) and didn’t get to bed until even later. He’s still not completely acclimated to a regular schedule, after having worked 3^rd shift at the foundry for so many years! His sleepy time is 8 a.m. in the morning, when he’s usually going to bed!! But he did great on the trip and adjusted to our up and out every morning pretty well! At least there wasn’t too much complaining!!