Alberta, Canada - May, 2004 (Re-run)

 After crossing into Canada, our first stop was Waterton Lakes National park, founded in 1895 and sister to Glacier National Park.  In fact, some parts of Glacier are most readily accessible by entering through Waterton.  The two parks are jointly designated an International Peace Park.  One interesting thing about Waterton is that the park actually includes a charming town that occupies a peninsula that juts into Upper Waterton Lake.  The town has a summer population of 105 residents, but only about 30 stay through the winter.  Homes are mostly log cabins that are so appropriate for the location.

Entering the park, one is greeted by the iconic view of the Prince of Wales Hotel, built on a bluff overlooking Upper Waterton Lake.  The hotel was completed in 1927 in hopes the Prince would stay there during his visit to Canada that year.  However, the Prince chose to stay at his own ranch nearby in Alberta.

Like Glacier, Waterton Lakes contains numerous mountains, rivers, waterfalls and lakes, not to mention a similar variety of wildlife.  Cameron Falls is located tight in town.

 

 

Cameron Lake in May still had lots of snow and ice, so was not the playground it is in summer.

Although we saw no bears or moose on this visit, there were lots of deer, and my first ptarmigan sighting.  Along the highway, there were several beaver ponds, but all the furry rodents must have been inside their lodges waiting to come out at night.

Having never been to Edmonton, a stop there was a definite requirement.  As the capital of Alberta, a tour of the Parliament Building was of great interest to me.

 

For many people, the Edmonton Mall might be of greater interest.  At the time, it was said to be the largest in the world.  I've read that Minnesota's Mall of America has since expanded to reclaim that title.  Whatever, this mall was truly huge and had some impressive features, such as its own beach, a   hockey rink and a Chinatown.  I'm not sure how long it might take to see the entire mall, but I certainly didn't do that.

North Dakota & Glacier N P, Montana - May, 2004 (Re-run)

 Its location makes North Dakota one of the least visited states, and its short tourist season doesn't help.  I've made several trips there, usually on the way somewhere else, and have always found it to be an interesting and scenic state.  So, on our way to Alaska, ND once again was in our path.  

In Mandan, I took the time to locate their "Whispering Giant", a statue of an Indian head carved by Peter "Wolf" Toth.  Some may recall the series of carvings he has created all over North America.  I might have photographed it in better light, but didn't want to include the liquor store that has been built next to it.

Another series of statues can be found along a 32 mile stretch of what is now called the "Enchanted Highway".  Seven gigantic sculptures created by resident Gary Greff were designed to promote tourism to the region.  Naturally, Teddy Roosevelt had to be honored in one of the sculptures.

Speaking of Teddy, the cabin he lived in while ranching in ND has been moved to the town of Medora, close to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The park itself has several scenic drives through some very colorful badlands.  Medora has made a great effort to appeal to tourists, most particularly by an outdoor stage presentation of the story of Roosevelt in ND and a fantastic steak dinner at the "Pitchfork Fondue".

After a short stay in Great Falls, Montana to drop off our liquor and firearms with friends (not allowed to enter Canada), we spent a couple days in one of our favorite places, Glacier National Park.  We normally stay longer there, but it was early in the season.  Going To The Sun Road was not open and wildflowers were still fast asleep.  Also, wildlife was not as plentiful as usual, but there is always something to see.  All in all, July and August are much better times to visit this park.

Indiana, Iowa & Minnesota - 2004 (Re-run)

 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.