Minnesota Nice -- A Home Town Visit

   The locals will tell you that the Twin Cities have only two seasons -- winter and road construction.  We prefer construction, especially when we are traveling by motor home.  And, as much as big city traffic can present challenges, I feel comfortable knowing that George, having lived and worked here most of his adult life, can quickly regain his bearings when an unexpected detour or GPS throws us off course.

Downtown Minneapolis during the Aquatennial Celebration

   The drive up from Sioux Falls through Mancato to Prior Lake was uneventful.  It's incredible how much greener green seems after spending a lot of time in the desert.  I had the brilliant idea to turn the sound up on our rear back-up camera so George could actually hear the engine noise about which I had been complaining, and that helped to confirm it was not some figment of my imagination.

Dakotah Meadows RV Park

   We have stayed at several RV parks/campgrounds during our regular visits with family here, but have settled into a routine of staying at our preferred campground, the Dakotah Meadows RV Park south of the cities at the Mystic Lake Casino, although it is a distance to most of our planned activities.   For starters, we are on the southern edge of town, and since we are usually traveling north to get here, we avoid most of the big city traffic.  This park is open all year, although they shut the water off in late October (you have to fill from a central site), that's pretty amazing considering the severity of the winters.  The sites are ample and concrete and it is generally quiet unless there's a concert or large event on the weekend, when it can get a little noisy.

All American Car Show at Mystic Lake Casino

   This past weekend I heard Oldies from the 50's and 60's blaring across the loud speakers and walked up to the casino to find a "Made in America" Car Show in progress.  I went back for George, as I knew he would enjoy it, and returned just in time for the highlight -- the Flying Elvi dropping in from an airplane to entertain the crowd.  The cars were also phenomenal!

The Flying Elvi have left the aircraft!

   We have eaten at two of several  restaurants and found the food and the buffet excellent.  The compound has greatly expanded since we began coming here, having added a golf course, fitness center, and ice arena, among other things.  We make reservations well in advance and still rarely get the preferred sites we so enjoyed in the past.  The casino offers free shuttle service and bus services, upon which I ventured out to the Mall of America to pick up a gift.  We are not gamblers, so don't ask us about the slots, et cetera.  I thought I might enjoy a session of BINGO at the casino, but after picking up an informational sheet, the only words I understood were "postage stamp" and "four corners".  The older I get, the more complicated these things seem to get!  Hey, at least I've tried my hand at Facebook and Tweets. 

The buffet at Mystic Lake Casino

   We feel so VERY blessed!  Three of George's four kids live here, and one of my two -- my daughter recently moved to Boulder, Colorado, but she happened to be here taking care of some business for a few days.  George's two sisters and their families live here, and his brother and his wife also happened to be here for a visit.  Then there are George's four awesome grandkids who call the Twin Cities home.  Our Minnesota family does NOT disappoint!  And since we cannot point out a potential "black sheep" of the family, one tends to wonder if one needs look only to one's self.

Mall of America

   The annual Aquatennial -- a celebration of the City of Minneapolis, coincided with a family get-together downtown with George's kids.  The evening was perfect, with food, great poolside conversation next to a fire, and followed by a spectacular view of the fireworks finale.


   In the midst of a flurry of important family events -- a business move, a high school graduation, a baseball tournament, a theatrical milestone, we drove our ailing coach all the way across town to Cummins NPower in White Bear Lake.  They confirmed what we were told in Sioux Falls, that we had a leaking gasket on the exhaust manifold.  The facility had nice accommodations, complete with 50 amp electric, a covered picnic table with a propane grill and some shaded benches.  We drove up and stayed on Monday evening for our Tuesday morning appointment.  Repairs took most of the day and we returned to our campground without the engine whistle.

Coach Care parking at Cummins NPower in White Bear Lake, MN

 
   We are finding lots of time to catch up on personal business as we don't feel the need to sightsee, since we both lived here for some time.  Although, it seems as often happens when busy working and raising a family, one fails to see the tourist attractions closest to home.

Fireworks following the Aquatennial celebration downtown, Minneapolis

 
   Minnesota stirs up lots of memories -- some of which are quite dear to us and others we would prefer to forget.  I know for me it represents the first enormous leap of faith I made in leaving my home and family of 50 years.  The mosquitoes are numerous and impressively large and the summer days are long.  The winters are brutal, but even they fail to spoil the spirits of the real Minnesotans.  I still refuse to ride onto the ice-covered lakes in cars.  And when George informed me that there was actually a "polka channel" on local television, I was in absolute disbelief, but only until I met his good friends who happened to be the star dancers of the show.

Confetti following the performance of the Flying Elvi

   Well, you betcha we have a few more important events and people to see the next couple of weeks before hitting the road to our next destination.  Uff da!