DAY 1 - Waterloo to Bemidji, MN
The day started out with sunshine and temps in the 50's as I headed north on Hiway 63... its been awhile since I drove this route, and was surprised to find more 4 lane sections... Nice!
Rather than take the normal I-35 route thru Minneapolis, I took Hiway 52 from Rochester up thru St. Paul, and around the northern side of the Cities to St. Cloud, turning north on Hiway 64.
My 1st "photo op" came came as I passed the south shores of Mille Lacs Lake... By now the clouds were rolling in, along with some winds, so scenic shots were hard to come by. But I came upon this little resort along the shoreline, and noted the "die-hard" fisherman getting in some last casts of the season. The brightly colored resort definitely caught my eye....
Moving along, I next came upon the famous Walleye Statue in Garrison (Sue and I visited this last year on our trip to Leech Lake). Garrison has been designed as "The Walleye Capital of the World"..... of course this is one of many "Walleye Capitals of the World"... Read more about this "important" landmark....
Just up the road I came upon the Grand Casino Mille Lacs... and with the gloomy weather building, I decided to see if I could improve my luck... But as usual, the Smith luck reigned, and I left with less than I came with...
Moving on to Bemidji, I found Paul Bunyan Land just outside Brainerd, MN. Paul Bunyan Land unfortunately was closed so I was only able to see Babe the Blue Ox out in the parking lot.... Check out the link to see the renovation of "Babe".
The road to Bemidji took me close to Walker, MN on Leech Lake, so I took a short detour. Those of you have been there probably have seen the sights in the next couple photos taken in Downtown Walker. The Map in front of the Courthouse shows the Leech Lake area, and the 2nd photo shows Downtown Leech Lake in late October... not many tourists there with me!
Of course, I passed ANOTHER casino in Walker, and thought, maybe I can turn my luck around.... Northern Lights Casino and Hotel had previously taken money from Sue and I last year so I was out for revenge... and an hour later, I came out ahead by $50 for the day! Even though the sun was no longer shining, the day was coming out pretty good! (and no, I DON'T HAVE A GAMBLING ADDICTION!) :-)
Winning money can wear you out, so I was ready to head to Bemidji, and my 1st nite's accommodations. On the way to Bemidji, the sun popped out while I was crossing a marsh area, and couldn't resist taking some photos. I know, only a crazed photographer can see pleasure in shots like these, but hey, maybe one day I'll take some that make me "millions"!
As I entered Bemidji, thoughts of traveling here back in 1969 with my brother to attend a hockey camp entered my mind.. and yes, I could actually remember some of the places... like the famous Paul Bunyan and Babe Statues. The statues are located on the shores of Lake Bemidji, and adjacent to the Downtown area.
One final stop before hitting the hotel was Bemidji State University to see the campus... its has definitely changed... for the bigger, and for the better. Saw the dorm where we stayed years ago, and the latest sports facilities... a very nice campus!
I ended the day at the Americinn in Bemidji. If you are ever looking for good overnite accommodations, especially in the upper Midwest, try the Americinn chain.. have yet to have anything but good experiences at their hotels.
That's it for Day One... Day Two will be posted soon!
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