Off the road but on the road

We did not hit the road in the motor home but we did put the miles on the van. We first headed north to the town of Blackduck.  A town we visited many years ago, actually in the 50's.  We expected to find the huge concrete black duck standing in the park, but it was not there.  Instead there was a sculptured duck in flight that was quite nice but not what we expected nor remembered. 

We headed south to find the fishing camp, Bill's Camp, that we vacationed at so many years ago.  I think we first traveled to Bill's Camp in 1946 or 47.  It was just that, a fish camp on the banks of Little Moose Lake.  There was the home place with small store and office as well as 5 or 6 cabins, mostly right on the water.  No electricity nor indoor plumbing but a telephone in the store/home.  All of the cabins had kerosene lights and as it began to get dark they would put 1 gallon of gas in the generator and you had electric lights until that gallon of gas was exhausted.

  They had three daughters, Jonette, Ardith and Loris.  Bill and his wife Cora were both Swedes and very hardy people.  They had an ice house that was full of ice cut from the lake in the winter time and covered with saw dust.  That is where we stored our fish until we were ready  to go home.  The ice was about 36 to 40 inches thick when they cut it out of the lake. 

We always rented the same 3 bedroom cabin each year and I remember the year we decided not to go back because they raised the rent from $25.00/week to $35.00 a week and that was just to much to pay.  That was an increase from $75.00 for our 3 week vacation to $105.00. 

Then it was off down sr39 to visit the town of Pennington where sr39 and county road 12 intersect.  When we arrived we did not find the town of Pennington, only a house.  Not sure what happened to the town but we missed it anyway.

On south to US2 and west to the Itasca state park, the home of the origin of the Mississippi river.  A huge park and lots of people were at the headwater portion of the park.  Many were walking across the Mississippi on the rocks while others were wading across in the water that was up to knee deep.

We headed back to Bemidji and the Paul Bunyon statue and his famous Babe the blue Ox.  We found it on the shore of the Bemidji lake in a very nice park and a very nice information center and gift shop.  Bemidji is the first city on the Mississippi.  From there it was a stop for dinner and back to the motor home at Fox Lake. 

A full day and about 150 miles just cruising around the area but, tomorrow it is off to North Dakota.