Top 10 Tacky Tourist Traps

Sorry, but you'll have to purchase our book to read this post!

Devil's Tower

 

Arkansas - our 30th state

We have now visited three-fifths of the states on our Napkin Dreams trip. Arkansas had the distinction of being number thirty. How many will we get to? Forty, forty-nine, maybe even fifty? Time will tell how far we get!

First year in review

It has been awhile since I, Sunset the Snake gave one of my reports from the road. So since I do not have as much to do I thought I could report on the first year the Martin family has spent on the road. Yes a snake has put together a video, made the map and compiled the stats! If you do not believe this then you're imagination is seriously lacking and I am afraid you may suffer from serpent prejudice! Sorry about the lack of sound on the video, youtube has been having fits accepting the music, but we are trying to replace the sound with an audio swap but youtube is also having fits with that!

So here is the adventure by the numbers:

• We started in Cambridge, IL and ended the year in Pittsburgh, PA.
• We traveled over 35,000 miles between the RV and the vans.
• We visited 22 states
• Over 100 Walmarts and 1 Target
• We replaced eight tires.
• We visited 17 Zoos/Aquariums.
• We lost a total of 7 teeth.
• We explored 49 National Parks.
• We soaked up the sun on 10 different beaches.
• We ate at over 70 unique eateries and 25 different McDonalds and 95 other national or regional restaurant chains! 
• We saw at least 277 different species of animals.
• We toured 27 workplaces.
• We went to 6 different amusement parks.
• We spent time in two different countries.
• We traversed through 42 state parks.
• We stayed at over 120 campgrounds!
• Celebrated 7 birthdays.
• Expanded our horizons in over 40 museums.
• All in 372 days (this is from 9/23/10 - 10/1/11)

more...

Check out the basic path we took on our trip in the first year!

Great River Bluffs State Park

During our stay in Winona we spent part of the day in Great River Bluffs State Park. The park overlooks the nearby Mississippi River and has several nice views and loads of green forest and restored prairie land.

Even though it was a bit of a wet and muddy day we still decided to take a little hike and see the views an enjoy nature. After awhile the sun came out and we got to appreciate the wild flowers in the prairie as well. Very pretty state park!

Campground review - Pla-Mor Campground

We were not overly thrilled at Pla-Mor Campground we stayed at near Winona, Minnesota. Especially for the price!

Nearby attractions - 7 - Close to Winona, La Crosse, several state parks and the Mississippi River.

Staff - 6 - Spoke with guy on the phone who took our reservations, but then the other staff could not find it later. No problem, but the staff was just a bit careless in several things.

Natural surroundings - 6 - Lots of trees, small stream. Part of campground is on Mississippi River. Train goes by quite close several times a day and night.

Value - 2 - We paid $50 a night for a pullt-through grass site with full hook-ups.

Bathrooms - 5 - Need a bit of updating.

Roominess - 7 - Average size. Tight on hook-up side of rig.

Facility fun - 7 - Older playground, some activities (Bingo mostly), game room, unheated pool.

Cleanliness - 6 - Our part of the park was inhabited by summer long campers with some older rigs.

Facility usefulness - 7 - Dump station, picnic tables, laundromat, camp store.

Overall - 5 - Very disappointed by price, it should have been a lot cheaper considering shape of the park.

Campground review - Lebanon Hills Campground

We stayed at a nice little county park near the Mall of America called Lebanon Hills in the town of Apple Valley.

Nearby attractions - 8 - Within minutes of most Twin Cities sites, including Mall of America.

Staff - 8 - Talked to two different staff members who were courteous and professional.

Natural surroundings - 9 - Lots of trees, ponds, wildflowers and birds.

Value - 8 - We paid $26 a night for a back-in blacktop site with full hook-ups.

Bathrooms - 7 - Nice and clean, but only one shower for each sex.

Roominess - 9 - Pretty long sites, and very wide as well.

Facility fun - 8 - Bike paths, playground, lake for fishing and other water sports.

Cleanliness - 9 - Nicely kept up.

Facility usefulness - 7 - Dump station, picnic tables, laundromat.

Overall - 9 - Great Twin Cities option, close to the metro area but totally close to nature.

Mall of America

You can now read this post and much more in our new book Napkin Dreams! Click here http://www.amazon.com/Napkin-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00AZR24LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358194928&sr=8-1&keywords=napkin+dreams

 

Be sure to check this post and others of Patsy's at her blog!

Campground review -Autumn Woods Campground

While Tanner and I had our big day, we stayed at Autumn Woods Campground in Rochester. It has such a nice name!

Nearby attractions - 7 - Very close to Rochester. Within 90 minutes of most Twin Cities sites.

Staff - 9 - Talked to two different staff members who were courteous and professional.

Natural surroundings - 7 - Our area was newer with small trees. The older part of the campground has more mature trees. There is a pond at the campground.

Value - 6 - We paid $36 a night for a pull-through gravel site with full hook-ups.

Bathrooms - 9 - Nice and clean. Tanner's only complaint was he could not reach the shower nozzle.

Roominess - 8 - Pretty long sites, average in width.

Facility fun - 2 - Not much extra to do here other than to walk around the small pond.

Cleanliness - 9 - Nicely kept up.

Facility usefulness - 8 - Dump station, a few picnic tables, laundromat, exchange library, propane.

Overall - 7 - Very quiet, nice campground, but no ameneties.

Tanner turns 12

You can now read this post and much more in our new book Napkin Dreams! Click here http://www.amazon.com/Napkin-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00AZR24LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358194928&sr=8-1&keywords=napkin+dreams.

 

 

Campground review -Checkers Welcome Campground

Had a quiet and nice stay at Checkers Welcome Campground in a tiny little town called Welcome, Minnesota.

Nearby attractions - 7 - Right off of I90, but nothing major to do nearby other than fishing.

Staff - 7 - Lady who took my reservation and checked us in was real nice. Another guy we met was a bit creepy.

Natural surroundings - 8 - Nice mature trees, corn fields nearby. About a mile from the interstate.

Value - 8 - We paid $16 using Passport America a night for a pull-through grass site with full hook-ups.

Bathrooms - 5 - Older, they need a little updating.

Roominess - 7 - Pretty long sites, average in width.

Facility fun - 6 - Small Playground, fire pits at campsite. Big field to play in.

Cleanliness - 7 - Average.

Facility usefulness - 8 - Dump station, picnic tables at each site, laundromat, exchange library.

Overall - 6 - Very quiet, nice play to stay overnight but not a destination campground.

50 McDonalds - Minnesota

After our trip to Walnut Grove we were feeling a bit peckish and stopped on the way back to Howard at a McDonalds in Windrom, Minnesota for some shakes and slushies. I was quite healthy and got a strawberry and banana slushie! Yum yum! Hard to believe this is the 19th state with a golden arch stop. I took this picture of David outside because if you look closely you can see the Windrom water tower in the background.

Walnut Grove

Patsy is not the only one who shares stories of growing up with our kids. I do too! Our recent stop in Walnut Grove, Minnesota was a great opportunity for me to share some childhood memories. My mother was a huge fan of the TV show Little House on the Prairie, and we watched it every week plus reruns! As I got older I called it Little Tears on the Prairie because someone was always crying on the show.

As we toured through the first part of the museum where they focus on the real Laura Ingalls Wilder and the one played on television. I told my boys stories of Carrie falling into a well, Nellie being very spiteful until she got married and Mary going blind. They had a brail Bible at the museum for the boys to touch as we explained this part of the Ingalls family history.

It is hard to believe, but my boys have never seen an episode or read one of the Little House books, but now we might have to change that! The museum has an old church, a very cool sod house, a room with old games to play with, two working pump organs which you are allowed to play (see the video), a jail, a recreation of their first wooden plank house and a doll collection.

My kids’ favorite part of the museum, however, was a full-sized working edition of an old mercantile and bank with fake money and goods to purchase. They all played at this for quite some time with Blake and Tanner doing a great job and playing with their brothers! It did our hearts good to see the older boys patiently playing this game with their younger brothers.

Our trip to Walnut Grove made me nostalgic for my childhood and made me miss my mom a bit. I kept picturing her sitting on our couch crying away while my dad made fun of the whole thing. I admit, a few times some tears might have swelled up in my eyes too. Little half-pint could do that to you.

Jolly Green Giant

We are sorry, but we have removed this post becuase it is a part of our new book entitled Napkin Dreams.

 

 

Spam Museum

By Patsy

You can now read this post and much more in our new book Napkin Dreams! Click here http://www.amazon.com/Napkin-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00AZR24LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358194928&sr=8-1&keywords=napkin+dreams

.

Fun on the lake in Albert Lea, Minnesota

Sorry, but you'll have to purchase our book to read this post!