In 2004, we spent the winter in Florida. From there to Alaska is a long trip to be sure, with plenty to see along the way. Allowing about six weeks for travel time, there was a risk of arriving too early in some locations along the way. Our first major stop was in South Bend, Indiana to tour the campus of the University of Notre Dame. While I was never a fan of its football team, one has to respect the history and tradition of this great university. It was early Spring when we arrived, so the campus was in bloom. The grounds and buildings were impressive to say the least.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is considered by many to be the most beautiful campus church in America.
One of the most popular spots on campus is The Grotto, a one-seventh scale reproduction of The Grotto of Lourdes in France. Known as a Place of Hope, The Grotto is highly visited by students, especially during finals week.
There are many statues and memorials on campus, including one of Father William Corby, a chaplain during the Civil War and later president of Notre Dame. Then, with a view of the Golden Dome, a life size statue of Edwin F. Sorin, who founded Notre Dame in 1842.
When a new library was built in 1963, a $200,000 mural was commissioned as a tribute to learning. However, the upper part of the mural is visible from the football stadium, where it appears that Jesus is signaling "Touchdown". It quickly became known by Notre Dame fans as "Touchdown Jesus".
Next stop, Dubuque, Iowa, where riverboat pilots impressed me by pushing a raft three barges wide into a lock with barely a foot of clearance on either side.
A unique attraction in Dubuque is known locally as the "4th Street Elevator", which claims to be the world's shortest and steepest railroad at less than 300 feet long. The cable cars share one rail except at the midway point where the two cars pass. A clever bypass design prevents collisions.
In Bloomington, Minnesota, we visited Mall of America, then the largest mall in America. Subsequent expansion made it the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The mall is located where Metropolitan Stadium, the original home of the Twins and Vikings, was demolished. I won't even get into the size of this place. Suffice to say it is a shopper's paradise with multiple theme parks to entertain husbands and kids.
In St. Paul, we enjoyed a visit to the capitol building and the iconic Mickey's Diner.
I had only been to Minneapolis on business trips, so this was my first opportunity to actually tour this lovely city. For me, seeing the "inflated roof" Metrodome was a requirement. Notice how the air pressure inside made it difficult for the kids to enter through one open door.
St. Anthony Falls, the only major waterfall in the Mississippi River, has been modified to prevent its progression upstream, to provide power for milling operations and to allow for navigation upstream through locks and dams. The falls first stimulated development of saw mills along the river that later gave way to flour mills. Minneapolis became known as "Mill City" and the "Flour Milling Capital of the World". For various reasons, the mills are now gone, leaving only abandoned buildings and memories of the milling boom days.
Walnut Grove was once home to Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House On The Prairie" series. The Little Red Schoolhouse is preserved there in her memory.
Pipestone is a small town in western MN where a quarry is located that provides the stone used by Indians for thousands of years to make pipes. The stone has also been used in construction, such as the courthouse in Pipestone.
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