My first look at Minnesota.

Lunch in Glenwood, MN

The Turkey Industry

Minnesota is the largest Turkey-raising state in the country.

My Paynesville host Joseph and his sister Beth

Beth spotted me from her farm stand looking for a place to crash and invited me over to her brother's house for the night. 

Joseph and Beth are two of twenty siblings.

Minnesota boasts the late Johnny Cochran!!

with my Eden Prarie host, Ulrike

(In the Minneapolis area.)

Crossing the Mississippi!

Mississippi River

with my St. Paul hosts, Luke & Karen

At MayDay Books

Minneapolis, MN

with my native guide, Luke

...who is actually not native to the U.S. at all; he's Australian.

Small discussion in Red Wing, MN

with my Red Wing host, Bill

One of Bill's big claims to fame in Red Wing (beside being a veterinarian) is...

Carving Pumpkins!

But wait...this is real.

Bill carves 100 pumpkins every Halloween drawing THOUSANDS of trick-or-treaters.

Take a look at some of these...

And afterwards, they all get fed to the hogs.

Along Route 35

Lunch at Nelson Creamery

Nelson, WI

COAL

ELECTRICITY

Coal is the principle fuel for electricity in America.

Descent into Viroqua, WI

with my Viroqua host, Cecil

Viroqua friends Marcia and Brian

Radio Interview in Gotham, WI

View from my room in Gotham

Another View

with my Gotham hosts, Linda and Henk

My Escorts into Madison, WI

Return to Hill Country

In Madison

(from left to right) Amy, Mary, Dave, Todd, Susan, Eileen (my Madison host), me, Matt, Kim, and Dale