Day 1 - Tuesday July 13, 2021

Our alarm was set for 2:45 AM.  I got almost 5 hours of good sleep and feel refreshed.  After a quick shower and shave, I dressed and then got my first cep of coffee, having set the machine before retiring.

Carl arrived promptly at 3:45 AM and we were waiting in the garage, having already set the AC, turned off the water and generallyadr ready for our two week absence.

Traffic was light and we arrived at Park and Fly at 4:40AM.  We were immediately picked up by a van and we're at the airport, checked our luggage and through security by 5:30.  Really fast and smooth.  We were slightly apprehensive, this being our first flight post covid.

The only downer was our gate.  E17.  The next to the last gate in the last domestic concourse. Walking it would take 20 minutes to reach the concourse and another 5 to reach the gate.  We decided we needed to save our energy for the long day ahead and took the tram.

We were at the concourse at 5:40, this after taking a bathroom stop.

The boarding begins at 6:51 and should be on time, since the Fly Delta app says the plane spent the night in Atlanta after flying in from Las Vegas.

Wheels hit the tarmac at  MSP at 8:45 Central time. Debording and retrieving our luggage was painless.  Getting the rental vehicle, not so.  Everything was smooth and easy at the counter, but when we reached the garage, we were told it would be a few minutes, it was still being cleaned and serviced.  Long story short, it was almost 10:30 before we were on the road. The vehicle is nice though, a 2020 Chrysler Voyager.  It will suit our needs nicely.

After retrieving our rental vehicle,  we made our way out of Minneapolis and headed toward Itasca State Park in the northwest part of the state.

 

Mississippi Headwaters At Itasca State Park, the mighty Mississippi River begins its slow and steady stream toward the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 1891 to preserve remnant stands of virgin pine and to protect the basin around the Mississippi's source, Itasca is Minnesota's oldest state park. With annual visits totaling nearly half a million each year, it is also one of the busiest. In 1832, Anishinabe guide Ozawindib, led explorer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to the source of the Mississippi River at pristine, blue Lake Itasca. Today, visitors from around the world enjoy walking across the world's third longest river by stepping from rock to rock to reach the opposite shore. Alternatives include walking across a log bridge or wading through the shallow water.

The Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft "discovered" the Mississippi Headwaters in 1832 on July 13, exactly 189 years to the day of our visit.

Kay and Janet waded across the Mississippi..

The lake is beautiful.

This is the first of many signs we will be following for the next two weeks.  The trip requires a lot of navigating.  You can't use Google Maps because you are not going point to point.

We got checked into our Hotel about 5:00 PM.  As I write this we are at Fonzie's BBQ, enjoying a beer while waiting for my meal.

After we walked down to the park on Lake Bemidji.

Bemidji, famous as the first town on the Mississippi and the home of Paul Bunyan and Blue.

Most of my blog has been done on the phone. I am not sure how sustainable this method is. If it gets too difficult, I may just resort to mainly photos with little commentary. We will see...