Wind! 7/4/2018

Wind!

After visiting our friends, the Gorgogliones, in MN, we headed west. We rolled past miles and miles of corn and soy beans, and rolling MN landscape. We passed 2 large wind farms, one in the vicinity

of Dexter, MN. The Grand Meadow wind farm is 6 miles x 4 miles, over 10,000 acres with 67 windmills. The Nobles wind farm is 7 miles x 8 miles. We learned that windmills start turning with a 9 mph wind, and are at full output at when the wind is at 27 mph. They shut down with a wind of 56 mph. Ther are heaters (not on the blades, though), in various locations, to enable the windmills to perform down to -27 degrees F. In winter, ice build up  causes a reduction in power output. And there's a reason these windmills farms are here: the wind. It was whipping at 20mph pretty much all day.

Our route today took us off the Interstate up route 23 in MN, a 2 lane road where the view of cornfields was to the horizon.

We visited Pipestone National Monument, a place where Indians quarry for pipestone, a reddish type of mudstone. They have taken this rock from this place for many centuries to fashion into pipes and

figurines. Even now, only American Indians enrolled in a tribe recognized by the US government are allowed to quarry here. For these Native Americans, this is a holy place and the rock is sacred, simiar to the status of the cross and Bible in Christianity. This place is so sacred that warring tribes from long ago ceased hostilities when they came here to get the pipestone. No one was allowed to camp here.

The monument itself is comprised of a trail that winds through tallgrass prairie past ancient quarries and along a stream that crashes of a waterfall. Because of recent heavy rains, the stream had flooded, and parts of the trail were closed. There were prairie wildflowers everywhere and the scent of sweet clover filled the air. This place has a wonderful sense of peace about it.

Our stop this night was in Larchwood, IA, the Grand Falls Casino. To get there, we drove for miles through the aforementioned corn and soy bean field country, with the wind whipping. After an hour, all of a sudden, there it is, the Grand Falls Casino: a modern casino, golf course, conference center, hotel shopping mecca--and campground. No doubt, the campground is there for people who might come to gamble. As a traveler's rest spot, it excels. It has 10 pull-through
sites with full hookups, and it is a short (but sufficient) walk to the casino. Here too, the wind was incredible. When I exited the RV to check in, I opened the Rv door, which promptly blew almost off its hinges. From our campsite, we could watch people tee off on the golf course!  Photos of the day are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/JTrBm9hYeevbRdWH6