Alaska Chronicles: May 9, 2000

Alaska
Chronicles

:North U.S.

Date	City	Miles/Accum.
May 9	Wisconsin Dells to Minneapolis, MN	345/921
Morning Woken by an interesting birdsong. The repeats a two-note falling call, equal value notes. I think the interval is one whole step. Then another bird answers with a call that might be ½ step higher or more. They went back and forth-"Marco" "Polo"-it got sad for a bit because one bird went away and the other just kept singing: "Marco…" "Marco…" "Marco" 4:00pm KOA Kampground, Maple Grove, MN (just outside Minneapolis) Drove to Twin Cities Didn't pay attention and drove 10 miles to campground 2 miles off highway. Got some groceries, gas, ate at Fuddrucker's Went to downtown Minneapolis Bought Indians/Twins tickets Walked to Minneapolis Library-sent email, bought book Drove back to camp for Ted's nap The drive was uneventful. The country looks a lot like NE GA with fewer pines. Approached Twin Cities from East. St. Paul looks like it has some neat old neighborhoods. The AAA guide notes the ethnic diversity of German, Irish, Polish, Italian, and Scandinavian-along with American Indian, Asian, Hispanic. I'm sure this campground was once isolated, but now it is scarcely .1 mile from a major, high-class suburb of Minneapolis. There is nothing to recommend it except a cheap place to sleep (@ $20, cheap is a relative term). In Minneapolis, we stopped in an impressive stone building. Outside it sported rough stonework and a colossal clock tower. Upon entering I was surprised to see it was a municipal building. The inside floor was fashioned out of at least 6 different kinds of rock in geometric patterns-rose, white, black. In the central room stands a large statue of Neptune reclining. Ted stopped at the Information Booth to inquire about buildings of interest. The elderly African-American woman behind the counter stared at him dumbfounded. She could not conceive of what he meant by "interesting" buildings. Ted pointed around and said, "Something like this." She still was astounded/amused that someone would want to know where stuff like this was. Ted asked about observation decks. She didn't know, but surmised that some buildings might have them.

Date

City

Miles/Accum.

May 9

Wisconsin Dells to Minneapolis, MN

345/921

Morning
Woken by an interesting birdsong. The repeats a two-note falling call, equal value notes. I think the interval is one whole step. Then another bird answers with a call that might be ½ step higher or more. They went back and forth-"Marco" "Polo"-it got sad for a bit because one bird went away and the other just kept singing: "Marco…" "Marco…" "Marco"

4:00pm KOA Kampground, Maple Grove, MN (just outside Minneapolis)

Drove to Twin Cities
Didn't pay attention and drove 10 miles to campground 2 miles off highway.
Got some groceries, gas, ate at Fuddrucker's
Went to downtown Minneapolis
Bought Indians/Twins tickets
Walked to Minneapolis Library-sent email, bought book
Drove back to camp for Ted's nap

The drive was uneventful. The country looks a lot like NE GA with fewer pines. Approached Twin Cities from East. St. Paul looks like it has some neat old neighborhoods. The AAA guide notes the ethnic diversity of German, Irish, Polish, Italian, and Scandinavian-along with American Indian, Asian, Hispanic.

I'm sure this campground was once isolated, but now it is scarcely .1 mile from a major, high-class suburb of Minneapolis. There is nothing to recommend it except a cheap place to sleep (@ $20, cheap is a relative term).

In Minneapolis, we stopped in an impressive stone building. Outside it sported rough stonework and a colossal clock tower. Upon entering I was surprised to see it was a municipal building. The inside floor was fashioned out of at least 6 different kinds of rock in geometric patterns-rose, white, black. In the central room stands a large statue of Neptune reclining. Ted stopped at the Information Booth to inquire about buildings of interest. The elderly African-American woman behind the counter stared at him dumbfounded. She could not conceive of what he meant by "interesting" buildings. Ted pointed around and said, "Something like this." She still was astounded/amused that someone would want to know where stuff like this was. Ted asked about observation decks. She didn't know, but surmised that some buildings might have them.