Mississippi at Minneapolis Minnesota

Wow, a mouthful of M's (Mississippi, Minneapolis, Minnesota). I was impressed at just how narrow and calm the 'Ole Man River is this far north. I was testing the depth of the river when this beagle decided I wanted to play fetch. It helps that this part of the river is one of the largest "off-leash" parks in existence. I could not hold the camera steady enough to get a good shot of the trees, but the colors are coming fast. I had to remember that this is the same river that builds as it flows and has the power to, and has, flood large parts of entire states. This was a beautiful drive. I was hosted by a great friend Mike Moore. What Mike did not tell me was that on the same day I was visiting he was about to propose to his wonderful Lisa. Now, what in the hell was I doing there on "proposal" day. Luckily I had planned to head north towards Lake Superior so I was safely not in the way of this great event. I assume, by the time of this posting, that he made his pitch and was successful. Congrats Mike and Lisa....glad I was passing through. This evening I made my north of Duluth to the shores of Superior. Really spectacular. As I arrived after dark, and given that everywhere I tried to pull over was marked with signs stating the local ordinances against overnight camping, I landed in a tiny little motel (hotel, no-tel) on the lakes edge. This is perfect as I plan to be up at first light to drive a hundred miles or so of the shore before turning west.
--scm