Stillwater, Minnesota

We've been in space 44 at the St Paul East RV Park since Thursday. We scooted out of Kabetogama on Thursday morning and slid south on MN 53 until we encountered I35, which runs from Duluth all the way to somewhere in Oklahoma! We bailed off near the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, after 276 miles, and set up shop at a park where we have stayed before. This park is soon to become a victim of progress. Surrounded by housing developments and senior citizen housing blocks, The park and the adjacent farmland are in their last year of existence. Sad.

We were given a site that is perfect for our needs being near the dog walk, which opens up onto a beautiful large field that Sasha loves to run in!

Stillwater is the "Birthplace of Minnesota", in that a fellow named Joseph Brown opened a small warehouse on the St. Croix river in 1837, just after the Ojibwe and Dakota Indians ceded more than three million acres of land to the US government. Wisconsin became a state in 1848, with its western boundary set at the St Croix river. This left the people who lived west of this river in limbo, so they petitioned Congress to create a new territory with Stillwater as the county seat of Washington County.

Lumber and goods passed up and down the wide St Croix to points south, and Stillwater prospered. As the timber played out, Stillwater has re-invented itself as a tourist destination; becoming an historical site with many shops and restaurants, along with river cruises and boating activities.

Stillwater is, more importantly, the home of Donna's brother Bill and sister-in-law Linda, whose company we thoroughly enjoy. Their extended family lives in the area and we've come to the area to spend a bit of time with all of them! Our nephew Chuck is an accomplished photographer and his wife Jill is a red-head whose infectious laughter and buoyant personality raises the spirits of everyone she meets! Niece Cara and her husband Bruce are balancing the needs of teenaged kids with demanding careers, and doing a beautiful job of it, I might add!

After spending Friday catching up with the fam, we took a short trip today into Wisconsin, just a few miles across the St Croix river to check on a state park that we might stay at the next time we're in the area, since St Paul East won't be here any longer. Willow River State Park has a few sites that are suitable for an rv of Nessie's size, and we will try to stay there even though the only amenity is power at the site. After the trip, we returned to Stillwater over the just-opened bridge over the St Croix river. This bridge is just a few days old, but required more than four years to complete, in part because of the brutal winter weather in these parts.

The new bridge connects MN 36 with WI35 and bypasses the 1930's lift bridge that is no longer safe for the heavy interstate traffic that has developed over the years. The old bridge will be kept as a pedestrian bridge which will complete an area walking trail that spans about five miles of both states along both sides of the river.

We will be in Minnesota for several days yet, until we head south for more adventures. I won't post everyday, but will hit the highlights as time progresses. Hang in there!