June 26, 2021      Greetings from Houston (Minnesota, that is!)

It is a rainy afternoon and we find ourselves in a public library in Houston, MN after visiting the International Owl Center across the street.  Very cool place, indeed.

Since we departed from Door County, Wisconsin, and headed to the south shore of Lake Superior, we have completed our geocaching goal of finding caches in every county in both Wisconsin and the few we had left in Minnesota.  We discovered some "oddities" and visited some national park service sites.  We experienced some cold nights with temps in the 40s while camping at Copper Falls State Park near Ashland, WI, and a cold, windy boat cruise around Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.  Because of the Summer Solstice, I have been waking up before 5:00 when the sky begins to lighten as I usually do.  Then twilight in the evening until after 9:00 make for longer adventurous days.

We followed the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and found some rugged landscapes along the river across from Minnesota.  One night at a state park in southeastern Minnesota after visiting the SPAM Museum in Austin (again Minnesota, not Texas).   Our visit to Effigy Mounds National Monument in NE Iowa found us hiking the Fire Point Trail in warm, muggy weather.  We have had a few rainy days lately so have explored LaCrosse, WI and crossed the Missisippi a few times.   Our current campground is on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Now for the pictures:

We saw four bald eagles in this tree.

sea caves on Devil's Island

Raspberry Island

Waterfalls along the Doughboy Trail, Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin

Looking upstream of the St. Croix River

St. Croix River, Interstate State Park

SPAM Museum in Austin, MN

view from Eagle Rock,  Fire Point Trail

Prayer cloths - Effigy Mounds is a sacred place for some Native Americans

A row of small mounds going through the trees

It is hard to make out the shape from ground level.

Mississippi River from Riverfront Park in La Crosse, WI

Seabrook, TX has pelicans.

Arcola, IL has brooms.

La Crosse has herons.

We drove up to Grandad Bluff above La Crosse but the view in the rain was

disappointing.

Houston, MN - International Owl Center and some owl-themed sights around town:

This is a live owl at the center.

"Hooston"

Seen while geocaching:

Appleton, WI  airport

We love art in public spaces.

A portion of the Great Wall of China

Chainsaw totem poles

Wisconsin Concrete Park

Mosiac inside the structure housing an artesian well in Ashland, WI

 

We are seeing increasing numbers of Little Free Libraries wherever we go.

La Crosse, WI