Summertime re-Run: Travel Log #1
Summertime TV is full of re-runs- I now know why- Everyone is out and about- No one is home watching TV- I am re-running last years Travel Logs- I don't get a vacation this year so my weekend excursions are limited-Vacation Travel Log #1
Some of you don't know that I belong to a secret society/club- well. We don't purposely keep it a secret, the WORD hasn't spread just yet. The club is.....Squisshhhed Pennies. Go to pennycollector.com and you'll see what the BUZZ is all NOT about. I recently found myself traveling the lonely backroads of Southern Minnesota on the search for a squished penny at the secretive tourist attraction "Niagara Cave Waterfall". My companion and I drove south on 52 to Harmony, Minnesota. The temperature was a blistering 91 degrees. The scenery was lush green pastures and of course, corn fields. The music was a little Lucinda, Cash, vintage country radio & mostly Sara's mix cd. How many of you love to get out on an open Midwest backroads? (I was often thinking of the backroads of Oregon- but there was NO snow covered mountain looming in the distance) I usually don't stop for the hell of it but today I turned into the small town of Fountain, Minnesota. Population SMALL. To my surprise there was a Wagon Train going through town. The town was merely a bank, a grocer, and a museum for whatever county I was in (can't remember, Oh yeah Fillmore). I guess it was the annual town fair "Trail Days". A good side road attraction. I had to learn more (really, I had to go to the bathroom) so I rolled up to the non-descript brown building with the word MUSEUM on front. As I walked in an OLD lady probably one of the original pioneers greeted me and told me where to start my-self guided tour. I just wanted to use the bathroom (which was very clean and smelled good) The museum was filled with old stuff. (I mean OLD and unusually creeeeeeeeeepy) soon I was back out to my car slathering sunblock on my left arm. The Drivers Arm. Off again, I decided to take a gander at their town and buy myself a bottled water & a Gatorade. Mailed a postcard and then I was off towards Niagara Cave. As I pulled into Preston, Minnesota I came upon a Detour. Summertime detours can be a pain & take you miles out of your way. But I am glad for the detour, because it took you up to a ridge that looked out over the valley. Really Beautiful. I arrived in Harmony, Minnesota and went straight for the Visitor Center (wink-wink-public restrooms) this nice Older Lady greeted me and said I should go over to Slims. "Oh yeah, Slims you said" (is he married? does he have a fat wallet? How's his credit score??) Slim, I guess is a wood carver and his art gallery was not too far. (I never got to Slims') I thanked her and walked through some Amish gift shops, got some postcards and headed south on 139 to the Niagara Cave. Rolling down the road with not a care in the world and my music caring me along, all of a sudden a car is right on my tail. "Jez, back it up" I thought. Then I thought, "Who flippin cares, ride my tail, I'm sightseeing". Soon the gold Oldsmobile Alero was sailing, no FLYING by me. I swear they must have been doing 90mph. As they were passing I noticed the words "Just Married; Just Do It" was painted on their back window. You don't really want to know what I thought next. Fast forward to me arriving at the Niagara Cave...and guess who also just arrived....yep, the fast and furious Just Married couple. Sheeeeet, they will probably be in my tour, and they were :>) Once in the gift shop feeling very woozy from the heat and not eating (but I did drink 2 bottles of water & a Gatorade) I noticed my squished penny machine. I thought driving all this way I better just go down in the damn cave (I wasn't planning on it) I purchased my ticket, $9.00+ tax and headed off with my 20 something year old tour guide who looked and sounded like Jake Gyllenhall. Our tour group was small including me, 9 bodies & a little boy. (I left my traveling companion in the car, No little ceramic dogs wanted) So it was 91 degrees outside and it was 49 degrees inside the cave. As I purchased my ticket I asked how long the tour was....about 1 hour. I enjoyed the first 20 minutes then I got really cold and tired. Maybe there was something in the air, like NOT enough oxygen. To describe the cave in 3 or so words, "Inside Jabba-the-hut's Bowels" It was slimey, wet, and just gross looking. Water dripping from the ceiling. They told you not to touch the walls because it would stop the mineral deposits from developing. Hell NO, don't touch the walls, GROSS! A lot of the cave was only the width of your body (cool, I am not claustrophobic) Soon we were at the end of the tour. My 20something year old tour guide showed us what it would be like if we turned out the lights. Yep, Pitch Black. He said because our eyes had nothing to focus on, if we were in there for 2 weeks we would go permanently blind. Hell if the lights are out NOW we are already blind buddy. Funny Guy. Alright, Done with the cave. I got out of there real fast. My bum knee felt fine too(LOTS OF STAIRS) Up in the gift shop I got my Squisshed penny :>) (humm...No one else got one, see it is a secret club) and I purchased some rocks & fossils. What next? Go back outside to the steamy 91 degrees. I decided to head further south to Decorah, Iowa. I had been there before, about 8 years ago. That's a story for another time- basically went canoeing/camping with a group of friends and the canoe that I was in flipped over & I lost all my camera equipment. (Thanks Nicole) So here I was taking a gander at Decorah, Iowa to give a SHOUT OUT to BATGIRL- Holla!! Stopped for some food and wrote some postcards. Eric, don't think that I wasn't looking for a Thrift shop. I was, and I didn't see one(not that Iowans would sell their Nascar T-Shirts anyways) Back on 52 heading North and back to the big city. I wasn't excited about heading back but a terrific way to end my Scenic Day Trip was to drive through a Good Midwestern Thunderstorm. Nothing beats lightning all around and Bob Seger on the radio. Until Next Time- visit pennycollector.com and keep the air conditioning off and roll down the windows- SAraT
posted by Ms SaraTee @ 8:35 AM
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