Brainerd - Nissaw - Grand Rapids

The weather has turned cold here and is just a little better than home! We are back to two duvets but thankfully not so bad as to need socks!

 

We decide to have a look around Brainerd, which turned out to be short in the cold wet weather - really only visiting a few second hand shops - not much else around downtown.

 

Some of our campground neighbours had told us to visit a town called Nissaw, so we head up that way to see what it is all about.  Eventually we found the town in the middle of road works and a bit further than the GPS said......hmmm....technology.

 

Nissaw is a small tourist town full of shops to poke around in on a wet day and it was busy - very busy.  So busy it was hard to find standing room in some shops and we gave up trying to look in them.  It was a nice day out and worth the trip but on a wet Friday everyone had the same idea. 

 

We did find a nice watercolour that we purchased and a good cafe to have a coffee and what they call a scone (a cross between a biscuit and cake) that was yummy.  Lots of shops with nice things but we can only do so much.

Back to camp for dinner and then the neighbours invited us over to their campfire, so we head over there and after a wile the subject of food comes up and Daryl brings out the Marmite...

He gets Tina to taste a bit on a spoon, which she thought was horrible and why would we eat that!  Daryl tells her he will bring over some on toast and crackers for them to try tomorrow.... Tina said they would be out! 

 

Day 2 and it is overcast and cold again but bearable - we head up to Grand Rapids, a couple of hours north as Daryl has found yet another Vintage car show and swap meet, however when we get there we discover this is mostly antique household things of any nature and not specifically car parts, so was not really what we were looking for but we had a nosy around the stalls anyway - some neat things but too big to take home.  Can't belief they just sell guns at swap meets.... plus all the animal heads & feet (yuk).  Overall this really was the biggest collection of junk I have seen.

 

We have been looking for live Moose and deer but no luck although they are supposed to be around and the land looks right for them plus we are very close to Canada now. 

 

Well, we didn't see the neighbours much the next day and Tina definitely avoided Daryl......   I think she will be happy to see us pull out in the morning just so she doesn't have to taste Marmite again.

 

This campground is full of families, and extended families all camping for the weekend, kids playing everywhere, fishing on the lake and having camp fires.  It really is the essence of camping in America.  The neighbour has been coming here since he was 6 years old..... I am guessing there are a lot of people here like that.

 

 

We are heading north tomorrow to Knife River on the edge of Lake Superior, 14 miles above Duluth.  The scene has changed and mostly we have families in caravans up here - no rental tourists etc as we are too far off the main areas, being just below Canada and not on any main routes, but the area is beautiful and we have really enjoyed Wisconsin & Minnesota - closet to home although we don't end up 10 feet under snow in winter!

 

Brainerd

Today our trip took a little longer with a stop at a shop in St Paul and then another trip to Mall of America to replace the sports watch Daryl purchased as it was not working properly...

 

Finally we arrived at Crow Wing Lake Campground at 5.30pm and settle in.  The camp is about 10 miles south of Brainerd situated right on the lake and sunset was very pretty tonight, although Daryl missed this as he is being eaten alive by the mossies - so much for his Marmite theory!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire on the water.

St Paul

Our last day here and we have a slow start, then head out to catch up with Neil again before leaving the area. 

After this, we contact Vicki a friend of Ann Taylor's who we used to work with at AMI in Hamilton.  We arrange to meet Vicki in the Mall of America - how sad, more shopping!

 

 

We have a very nice Italian dinner together and Vicki supplies some more local knowledge and suggestions of things for us to do.  A lovely lady and great to meet her.

 

 

After dinner, I just have to finish doing some more shopping, especially since I found a deal and got 45% off my favourite jeans.....

 

Tomorrow we head north and will be in Brainerd for at least 2 nights. 

Just about time to turn around.....



St Paul

A couple of days rest to catch up on sleep and bits and pieces......

On the first afternoon we drove into Minneapolis and visited Nicollet Island to have a look around.  This is central city with the old flour mills, dams and bridges - a very nice little cafe area where we picked up some fresh baklava and some nice (and expensive) steaks for tea.

Cafes with bright umbrellas line the street 

St Anthony Falls

 The Pillsbury flour mill established in the 1800's - very old stone work.


And below the cycle and walkway track over the stone bridges.

University Amory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home, we call into the Indian dealer and they show us the bike they have just sold to a Kiwi (Shane) with kiwi custom decals.  Very nice.

Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota

We wake to thunder, lightening and heavy rain - beautiful day for an adventure...

Heading over to Neil & Abby's house about 45 minutes drive from our camp, the sun finally peeps thru the clouds and it starts to clear up - thank goodness.

 Daryl meet Neil in Christchurch while working on AMI's new computer program.
 

We arrive and the day is pretty good now - meet the family and head out to brunch at the Bayside in Excelsior, where we meet another couple of Neil & Abby's friends, Paul & Kristin.

 

Brenda, Daryl, Abby, (Georgie - Kristin's daughter in black & white top)
Paul, Kristin (in white) with Abby's & Neil's daugther's Elyzza (10) & Anna (14)

 

We fed the huge carp

 

After breakfast, they took us over to Abby's parents house on the lake and we went out on the pontoon boat (party boat).  By now the sun is out and it is starting to warm up beautifully.

 

 

  

Native Minnesota water fowl

The Minnehaha

 

Some of the expensive houses on the lake front....mansions.

 

Time for a dip....... Daryl is first in of course.

Daryl having just taken an unexpected dunking when we hit some wake.

 

We meet Paul ( a different Paul) and Mark, more of Neil & Abby's friends and Daryl gives them some stick about drinking cocktails out of pink glasses....

 

Then back home and we take the wave ski out for a spin - Neil takes me for a much faster ride and I am only safe in the knowledge that he doesn't want to end up in the drink worse than I do!

 

Abby's parents house on the lake

 A fantastic day out, finished off back at Neil & Abby's home for pizza with the kids. 

 

Hastings / Stillwater

We decide to go for a day trip around the area today and have been told the area around the St. Croix river is nice as well as Hasting where they have a cruise but we are on the off week so miss this one....

Hastings is another small river town and we find they are having a fair by the river, so wonder around the town & stands, then down where the rides, vendors and band a playing.  Again the band is really good with a diverse range of music - all the good old hits, so we stop and have a pina colada and gyro for lunch.

We stopped to watch the "Dockdogs" for a while which was quite fun....of course there had to be one dog which just wouldn't jump in despite her owners efforts, down on hands and knees at the edge encouraging her to jump in but she wasn't having a bone of it!

This is a competition to see which dog can jump the furthest. First time we have seen it.

We cross the river at Prescott and drive up the Wisconsin side, crossing back again on the I94 and cruise down a little way via small riverside towns that are virtually untouched - unusual to us we are so close to Twin Cities.

We turn around and head north finding a marina town and then Stillwater, which we decide to wander around and spend the later afternoon there - pretty river town and obviously the place to go on the weekends - very busy with lots of motorcycles in town.

Dinner at Luna Rossa Italian Restaurant - very nice and good people watching spot.  While here we get a call from Neil, an American friend who who Daryl worked with in Christchurch and we arrange to catch up them tomorrow.

After this we watch the bridge raise for the boats to go thru...

The dinner cruise - there were a number of them and at least two of them were booked for weddings.  Most of the weddings happen in the summer months here - we seem to run into them all over the place but they have some lovely spots to get married in and we have seen some really good photos being taken - great scenes.