Minnesota - Day 24 - more meandering around central MN

Father Hennepin State Park, Isle

Saturday, 24 September 2022

today's route

Luckily, it stopped raining during the night, so we didn't have to deal with it when we went out for walks this morning.  

On the way out of the campground, I stopped to take a photo of the historical marker that explains more about the significance of Crow Wing.

From the campground, I decided to go back to Baxter to the StoneHouse coffee shop where, sure enough, they not only had scones but had 2 strawberry-rhubarb, which I bought.

From there, we headed south, then east, where I discovered Google had, yet again, given me directions that were far more complex than reality called for.  So I followed reality.

I passed fields of some green crop, fields of dead corn plants, herds of cows, several deer blinds, scattered houses and farmsteads.  Two deer grazing in a field (where there was no deer blind), a pot-bellied pig grazing in a small pasture, more herds of cows, 4 turkeys (I'm sure these were turkeys).

A sign told me I was entering Mille Lacs Reservation, and that it was established by an 1855 treaty.  This was a treaty signed by the Chippewa and the US that ceded tribal land to the US and established this reservation and the Leech Lake Reservation.

Another sign told me I was on the Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway.

I crossed the Rum River quite a few times - I lost count at 6.

Minnesota has a town named Princeton, pop. 4,726, and a town named Cambridge, pop. 8,111.  Oddly, it was at Cambridge that I lost reception for public radio - well, it seemed odd to me, considering the connection other places named Cambridge have with education.  It was there that I saw a pair of swans on a pond.

Those were the 2 largest towns I saw today.  Most were smaller than 3,000 residents, with Brook Park, pop. 132, and Grasston, pop. 158, bringing up the rear.  

I saw pines and maples and aspen everywhere.  In fact, I saw those trees all over the state.  I imagine it is truly spectacular here at the height of autumn.

Mora, pop. 3,571, calls itself "A City For All Seasons" and touts its cross-country ski race each February.

I saw 6 more turkeys in a field - for sure turkeys.

Then I was back to the Mille Lacs Reservation and the town of Isle, pop. 803.  And only a mile from the center of town was tonight's campground, where I realized it was a Saturday when I saw all the families, including several crying babies.  

This campground sits right on Mille Lacs Lake, so it was very attractive and very popular.  I got one of the few remaining reservations when I made it a week or so ago, and I'm sure we'd enjoy it very much if there were about half the people here.  These Minnesotans are a hardy bunch - out in full force for a late September camping trip.  Most license plates were from in-state.