2011 Summer Adventure Day 3

Lets start today off with a riddle....What state has more of our money than any other so far, has the worst highway system we've ever seen, a freshly fertilized farm from Sarah and the worst DDD site of our 2011 summer vacation?....Give up?....Well it's Minnesota of course. Don't mean to be negative but today was a day Steve would like to forget...

but at least we have these beauties....

Now on with the story....

So today started off in normal fashion.  We woke up, got ready, had a good breakfast at the Eagan Country Inn and Suites

and set out for the Mall of America. 

Our original plan was to stop by for a few minutes. Maybe take a few pictures. Check out the "awesomeness" of the place then move on but....



There is a giant amusement park, a big Lego store

Store after store after store....Five stories of endless capitalism at work just sucking you in like a dust ball to a Hoover.....

but at least we have these beauties...

Our 10 to 20 minute excursion turned into 3 hours.  We were hungry at this point so we decided to venture off to our third DDD site - a decision we would soon regret.  Plugging the address into the Nuvi took us on more twists and turns of a highway system that must have been created by the inventor of the pretzel.  We missed our exit and wound up in a heavy construction area.  We finally found our 3rd DDD site but it was about the size of a dime, in a lousy section of Minneapolis, with the name "Wienery".  Three strikes and we were out of there....oh well

So we decided to move on to our next destination....The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN.  Again, weaving our way through the highways and byways of Minneapolis, we finally made it out of the city and were on our way.  Just 2 1/2 hours to go.  But first, Steve decided to show you what a speeding ticket from Minnesota looks like....

did we mention we're not big fans of Minnesota?

"Press-On!"  So that we did and finally made it to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museaum before it closed.

But not before this...

The wagon

The jail cell

The Postmaster...

...with beautiful feet

The Piano Player



There's always time for prayer

The School

We finally left Minnesota (Amen to that) and headed to our resting place for the night in Chamberlain, SD.  The speed limit in SD is 75 in most places...nice.  Can't wait to get to the Wall Drug Store

It's time to say goodnight...

...and to put these beauties to bed