Pipestone, MN

Here we are in yet another new state... Minnesota. We're staying in Pipestone, MN which gets its name from the soft red stone found here that the Plains Indians have used for centuries to make their peace pipes. We toured the Pipestone National Monument where native indians still quarry this stone for making pipes and other art.

Now for a few random observations we've made about our travels so far:

1. RVs. It seems that the further west we go, the more motorhomes and travel trailers we see parked alongside homes. In some areas, I'd say there is at least one RV for every two homes. And the percentage of RVs to autos is pretty darned high out here too.

2. Roadside litter. The most amazing thing is that there isn't any...anywhere! The south needs to take a few lessons from the midwest.

3. Traffic. There isn't much of that either. Hooray!

4. Wind. There may not be any litter or traffic but there is no shortage of wind around here. That must explain why there are so many windmill farms around here. One windmill can supply enough power for 500 homes. Now that's impressive.