Minnesota

Before  I left De Smet, SD I took a few pictures of Laura Ingalls Wilder associated buildings in town.

The Surveyor's house,  where the Ingalls family lived

Brewster school - where Laura taught (?)

Ingalls house - the house that pa built

Back on US 14 I went east and stopped in Arlington at the Pheasant Motel for breakfast - $4.50 for two eggs, ham, toast and coffee. Once in Minnesota the land became greener and there were more lakes and rivers, more farms, and more small towns on the road. I went northeast on State Route 23, which I followed all  the way to Duluth. I saw a sign outside of Granite Falls for Fagen's Fighters WWII Museum, which seemed interesting. Unfortunately, they are not open on Monday, but as I stared forlornly into the window, a guy came up and invited me into the shop where they restore the planes. Jason once had an R75/5 and now rides a Honda 919, which he just rode to Montana. He's in charge of the shop, and he explained that they maintain the corporate planes for Fagen, Inc. and also restore  WWII era planes. They have several P-40 fighters, a P-38, a P-51, and a B-25 Mitchell (like Yossarian flew in Catch-22). They are showing a couple of the planes at the big Fly-In in Oshkosh next week.

A P-40 with the cowling removed

A P-40 with the usual shark-tooth engine cowl

A B-25 Mitchell medium bomber

 

A P-51 fighter. Perhaps the final development of the piston-engine fighter

Back on Highway 23 I continued northeast. There were a few hills, no curves worthy of the  name, and the road went back and forth from two-lane (55mph) to four-lane and four-lane divided (65mph). I crossed the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, which may have some charming sections but none that Route 23 passed through. However, I found a Caribou Coffee for my lunch and afternoon break.

One of the scenic  views along MN 23

The last 50 miles into Duluth was along a scenic byway, and I found a cheap motel (The Grand Motel - it is anything but) right in town. Up early tomorrow to visit Aerostich.