Depature Day!

We were hooked up by 8:00am and departed by 8:40.  The temperature a bit cool in Birchwood at 42 and misting but no rain or snow.  Only took an hour to drain the water last night.  Next year we can do it in the morning...   Everything was packed yesterday afternoon. last minute items included computer, phone and TV receiver. 

note the "widow maker" in the tree behind the RV.  will need to see if it falls down while we are gone.

the further south we go the more leaves on the trees.  Southern Mn is past peak but still some color. 65 deg when we got to the campground.  pretty warm and sunny. the sun came out just over the Iowa border. 

Our first night is at Clear Lake State Park in Iowa. It was 260 miles and about 6 hours to get here. we did make 2 stops to strech our legs and for lunch.

Clear Lake, Iowa is charming town. Located just west of I-35 on Highway 18 in northern Iowa, the town is on the eastern shore of Clear Lake (the lake!) In town you'll find many delightful antique shops, galleries, restaurants, parks, and other fun places to visit. Clear Lake is also the home of the famous Surf Ballroom. Rock 'n' Roll fans will remember the Surf as the venue for the last concert played by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper before their awful plane crash on that fateful night so long ago. We went to the plane crash site..  it is in the middle of a corn field..  the above picture was about 1/2 way to the memorial.  We stopped at the Central Gardens of North Iowa in Clear Lake too.  Even though the flowers were almost all gone it was a very beautiful and peaceful place to take a walk.