On the road again, we took the Great River Road along the Mississippi River from Red Wing, MN to La Crosse, WI. It was a gorgeous day with cool temperatures prompting fog to rise from the valleys and warm waters of the river especially where it broadens into Lake Pepin. The river flows through a wide valley formed eons ago when a pre-historic glacier melted and sent water coursing toward the Gulf of Mexico. In the Minnesota section, hills were carved into bluffs facing the river -- which make great vantage points from which to do sight-seeing.
Along the river road are too many points of interest to be seen in one trip. Previously we've looked at the Lock and Dam #5, one of the structures built by the Army Corps of Engineers to make the Mississippi navigable for commerce and leisure. One of the intriguing places I'd like to see next time is the Bunnell House, located just below Winona, MN. Built by a fur-trader named Willard Bunnell on property granted by his friend Chief Wapasha, the house is a pristine example of Rural Gothic Architecture from the 19th century.
From the Mississippi Valley we crossed the fertile farmlands of Wisconsin and entered Illinois. We decided to stay further to the south in Joliet, IL, to avoid the heavy traffic around Chicago. And tomorrow we continue heading to New Jersey.
