Because we really don't like driving freeways, we decided to take Route 2 on our trek west. It may be a bit slower than the freeway but much more interesting.

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We are really enjoying the many farms along the way. Every barn seems to have it's own individual identity.

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Today found us in Bemidji, the birthplace of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe. These huge statues were built in 1937 and stand proudly on the shore of Bemidji Lake. The statue of Bunyan weighs some 2-1/2 tons.

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The Bemidji Art Walk is made up of sculptures and murals that are displayed in historical downtown Bemidji. "He Dances" is by Wanda Odegard .

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Today we headed for Lake Itasca State Park. Here we discovered the Douglas Lodge which began serving guests in 1905. The lodge overlooks the east arm of Lake Itasca and has been restored over the years. It's most recent restoration brought back the flavor of the early days at the lodge.

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We boarded the Chester Charles II for a 2-hour 10-mile naturalist narrated boat tour to the Mississippi River Headwaters. It was interesting learning about the wild rice that was growing along the shores of the lake. It takes 3-pounds of green rice to make 1-pound of dried. In many areas, the native Americans still hold the rights to harvesting wild rice.

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Along the way we saw loons, the Minnesota state bird...

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...turtles and bald eagles.

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In Ojibwe belief it is the women who are the caretakers of the water. In this sculpture by Jeff Savaje, a woman is releasing a clutch of turtles signifying the renewing of the seasons and continuing the waters of life. This statue stands just feet away from the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

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It was actually quite exciting getting to see where the mighty Mississippi begins to flow its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Tryna couldn't resist walking a bit in the Mississippi here where you can actually wade across the river!

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