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Day 3: Bemidji to St. Cloud

Starting our day with the Bemidji sculpture walk, we then continued on the Great River Road to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, then went on to St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a St. Cloud ROX baseball game.

Day 2: Mississippi River Headwaters back to Bemidji

On Day 2 we drove to Lake Itasca State Park, where the Mississippi River begins, and walked across the river. After exploring more of the state park, we drove the winding Great River Road back to Bemidji, crossing back-and-forth over the river dozens of times.

Day 1: Traveling to Bemidji

We begin the Midwest Wanderer Great River Road adventure at the Lindbergh House in Little Falls, Minnesota. We stopped there on the way up because it wouldn’t be open on the day we passed through traveling down the Great River Road. Our final destination for the day was Bemidji, Minnesota, “the first city on the Mississippi.”

Brown County, Indiana, is often referred to as the “Little Smokies.” Similar to the Smoky Mountains town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Brown County boasts a wooded, hilly terrain that transforms into a palette of autumn color. Also like Gatlinburg, Brown County is an artist community. During our recent visit to this southern Indiana gem, we stayed at the Creekside Retreat. Creekside Retreat, with plenty of nicely landscaped open space, proved to be the ideal accommodation for us. It’s located minutes from Brown County State Park and a couple miles from downtown Nashville, the center Brown County, Indiana’s, art colony. And with a variety of room and suite options, Creekside Retreat fits everyone’s lodging needs.

Did you know there are fossil beds in Indiana? They’re some of the the largest, naturally exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world! Last autumn we visited Falls of the Ohio State Park, where the fossil beds are located. Luckily, it was the river’s low time of the year, and it happened to be lower than in most years. That meant more fossils were exposed than usual.

National Czech and Slovak Museum: Stories of Real People

When visiting someplace I haven’t been before, I often tour a historical museum to learn the history and culture of the area. While the general history of an area is interesting, what I find most intriguing are stories of individuals. Hearing stories of real people, especially everyday people, makes the history of a place come alive for me. I was fascinated by several of those stories when I visited the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

Author: Vernon

Podcast: Great River Road Day 3

Day 3: Bemidji to St. Cloud

Podcast: Great River Road Day 2

Day 2: Mississippi River Headwaters back to Bemidji

Podcast: Great River Road Day 1

Day 1: Traveling to Bemidji

Creekside Retreat: Brown County Lodging Ideal for Everyone

Exploring Falls of the Ohio Fossil Beds

National Czech and Slovak Museum: Stories of Real People