We left Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Saturday knowing we had some miles to make, but no particular stops along the way. We had a service appointment in Elk River MN, just north of Minneapolis on Monday, but planned to arrive there on Sunday evening. The drive across North Dakota was unremarkable and uneventful. We saw lots a hay fields and sunflower farms. Except we did see the biggest cow and the biggest bison I have ever seen. Must be good hay.
We made about 350 miles and spent the night in the Sam's Club in Fargo. There we bought groceries and topped off the tank with diesel. When we woke up on Sunday there was a motor home that had parked beside us that had three Australian shepherds on-board. When I first saw them, two were sitting in the cockpit seats, and the 10-week old puppy was laying on the dash board. Pretty cute. I was excited about being in Fargo because I love the movie “Fargo”. I figured we would visit some locations where scenes were filmed. Well, a little research revealed that not a single scene, neither interior nor exterior, was filmed in Fargo. Bummer!
 |
| Aussies on board |
We left Fargo and drove only about 210 miles before arriving at our destination in Elk River. MN We parked the motor home, at Precision Frame & Alignment. Dick Lornston, the owner, is a friend we have been visiting for about 5 years. Each year we stop at his shop for lubrication, alignment and any other necessary frame and suspension work. Dick specializes in motor homes and is truly an expert in motor home handling issues. His shop has 4 electrical hook-ups for folks waiting for service; we usually arrive the day before our appointment and stay until the day after. This time, in addition to the coach work, he checked and adjusted the alignment on all four wheels on the Element and rotated and re-balanced the tires. Every time we have been there, we have left with noticeable improvements in handling. On the coach he did lubrication, alignment and adjusted the ride height.
Dick was born and raised in northern Minnesota, up on the north shore. A few years ago he came to Winston-Salem for a rally, and we entertained him and introduced him to Lexington style barbecue and sweet tea. It was a real culture shock. On this trip we cooked him country ham biscuits and grits. I think he liked them.
On Tuesday we left Elk River for a 3-hour drive to Duluth. We had a 1-night reservation at Lakehead Boat Basin. Lakehead is a marina in Duluth harbor. In the winter they haul boats out and set them up on the hard before the lake freezes. In the summer they use that space for about 30 RV spaces. It has a beautiful view of the harbor and the Duluth waterfront. When an ore boat comes in, we can watch it pass under the aerial lift bridge and sail by the marina. We walked up the Lake Walk to Fitgers, a shopping mall in an old historic brewery building and ate dinner on a high balcony overlooking Lake Superior.
 |
| Duluth aerial lift bridge |
 | ||
View from Lakehead Boat Basin
|
1 comment:
Wonder how much milk that cow gives a day?
Post a Comment