Today was a travel day. We didn't visit any attractions and I have little to report except that it was a long day. We left Mitchell, SD at 8:30 AM and 63 degrees and aimed for Oshkosh, WI. There was a high ceiling, so we had gray skies all day. It reminded me of my many years living in Maine, when days upon days could go by without a visit from the sun.

We traveled across South Dakota, Minnesota and into Wisconsin. For the first 250 miles all we saw was corn fields and little else. The crops are young, having just been planted. Many of the fields are flooded with water in low areas and we assumed that they had a lot of rain the day before. The corn fields in SD are so immense, with little sign of life…no farm houses or barns…Steve decided that farming corn in this state must be big business. Minnesota was different, however. In various places across the fields, breaking the monotony, are stands of mature shade trees, and hidden within are traditional white farm houses with red barns and silos. Big business turned into the typical family farm, it appears.

In Minnesota we saw more wind farms than in any other state where we traveled this year. With a gentle breeze, they were all turning gracefully like an orchestra, all in tune and working together in an elegant performance. I have had mixed feelings about the wind turbines cluttering the horizon, but they are growing on me and I find myself watching them and enjoying their dance.

I know that Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. And we looked for some, but didn’t see any, all the way across the state. Just before we crossed into Wisconsin, I snapped a photo from the road of what I thought was a lake, finally, but it turned out to be the Mississippi River, which forms the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. It doesn’t look nearly as muddy up here as it does further south. When we crossed it, that put us back on the east side of the United States once again.

Wisconsin reminds me a lot of Maine…white birch and maple trees, small towns with neat little houses set back in the trees, and one area that had a long stretch of well kept Victorian homes. We settled in Oshkosh for the night. And one thing I have to say about this town is that the new road construction has made it a nightmare to get around. Every corner…well there are no corners…each has been replaced with a rotary. The GPS had no clue how to get us to our hotel. And every rotary just got us into more trouble. It took us about 10 minutes to get from point A to point B, even though they were only across the street from each other. Shovel-ready project, perhaps? Maybe they should have done more planning before digging.

Tomorrow, we drive over the top of Lake Michigan and take in the sights. Minnesota…check. Wisconsin…check. One more to go!!!