St. Paul was originally called "Pig's Eye" after a French Canadian whiskey trader. A priest came up from Iowa and built the first St. Paul's "cathedral" (a log structure) and convinced the town's fathers that St. Paul was a more fitting name for a growing city.
The current St. Paul's cathedral is an exquisite structure full of wonderful art and magnificent architectural detail.
In the same St. Paul neighborhood is the mansion built by James Hill who was the driving force behind the Great Northern Pacific railroad. The house is situated in a way that makes getting a decent long shot is not easy, but you can get an idea of the scale and elegance from this view from the music room into the great hall.
However, the real reason for being in the area was to visit with Dotti's nephew and his family. We were doubly blessed because Dot's brother, Dave, was visiting at the same time. The picture below was taken outside the restaurant where nephew, Arren, is manager and chef. Next to Arren (in his chef jacket) is his son, Jasper; Arren's wife, Heidi; and Dot's brother, Dave.
While Arren was working, we went to a art show in one of Minneapolis's neighborhoods. While the art was dazzling (and the crowds fascinating), Jasper's smile lit up the day.
It would have been difficult for us to pass by the fellow with these two characters posted on his shoulder. They were quite gentle and well behaved. For those who do not know parrots, these are two Macaws. This species has an expected life span of 70 to 75 years, and they can be very demanding pets. Dotti did entice one to climb on her arm.
After Minneapolis/St.Paul we moved down the road to Madison, Wisconsin. We did stop for a quick lunch in a rest area outside of Menominee, WI where we were joined by Linda Young from UW Stout. Linda has been a friend since the time when Larry was spending one week each month in Oxford, OH working on software at Miami University. We had so much fun eating and visiting, none of us thought to get the camera out for the occasion.
In Madison we attended a gathering of FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association). Imagine having more than 2100 motor homes (most of them bigger than our unit) parked in your town. The picture below is the "street" we were parked in (Lot DD, Third Street). There are 100 coaches on this street alone. There were essentially 21 of these streets spread around fields in a exposition center and an adjoining park.
Those of you who know us best realize that Dotti and I are not much for big crowds, so why on earth would we attend an event like this? The short answer is "resources". A gathering this size is big enough that companies pull out all the stops to have their products shown, and to talk with their customers, and to provide services that will build their customer base. Our coaches are built with component parts. So Cummins engines, Allison transmission, Winegard satellite, Michelin tires, Onan generators, awning manufacturers, etc.... they all want to be there. They hold seminars to tell what's new (can we trust biodiesel yet?), to answer questions, and to read the pulse of their market. They have booths with displays to inform and impress. They send out service people to clean tow bars of their customers, and provide a place to get replacement parts.
But we also go for the entertainment (great shows at night) and to meet dear friends. Art and Mary Kandel are exactly that. We have built several Habitat for Humanity houses with them, and have camped at their home in northern Ohio on several occasions. Resources, entertainment, friends... all we needed was food. Oh yes, did I mention Wisconsin cheese and German sausage shops... Madison has both.
Now we have moved on to the Door Peninsula, one of our favorite places to relax, eat, and tour. This is a terrific place to begin to wind down after a busy trip. A little decompression and we will be ready to really head home.
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