MC Raven Trip Report 2

Day 2

203.6 Miles Today, 323.9 Miles Total

Minneopa State Park, MN

As I write this a large thunderstorm is rolling through the area. Thunder is so constant and frequent that you can no longer discern an individual peal. The rain while not heavy is steady.

I was able to check off a major item from my bucket list today! Yep, I’ve visited the ‘World’s Largest Ball of Twine’ in Darwin, MN. I’m still shaking! How many times have I driven right by this wonderful monument to man’s never-say-die commitment to excellence? At least 5 times. Today I didn’t have to be somewhere else and was able to bask in its glorious rays.

Here’s a picture of my stead in front of its greatness:

 

Awe inspiring isn’t it?

Yesterday as I was checking into the Big Stone Lake Campground, the Campground Host dropped by for a visit. I asked her if I needed to do any kind of bear prevention: lock my food in a bear box, hang the food bags from a tree well away from the camp, etc. She told me that “the only thing I had to worry about around there was turkeys and, they won’t gobble you up!” “So,” I said, “they’ll just gobble at me instead.” All this is to let you know that I did see turkeys, wild turkeys (not the whiskey kind either). Two worked their way through the campground looking for grass seeds and, today as I was leaving the campground; I saw another along the access road. Never been that close to a wild turkey before. Cool.

I stopped in the small town of Hutchinson, MN for lunch today. Bar-B-Q off a street cart. Brisket sandwich with lots of sauce and coleslaw right on the sandwich. It was great. This was in the park in the center of the downtown. A couple was having a wedding in the park and I spend my lunchtime watching all the brides friends show up in their pretty dresses. There were a couple of those girls that I wanted to take aside and remind them that courtesy demands that guests not pull attention from the bride. It’s her day. That red dress that I saw would have pulled the focus anywhere. Great dress, wrong venue.

Rain and thunder have stopped. I’m going to close now to head to the showers. I checked earlier: there’s hot water here! Great!