We stepped off the beaten path today and stopped Pipestone National Monument. Another stamp for the Passbook! This area is considered sacred land by Native Americans. It has been quarried for many centuries for the pipestone which had been used to make peace pipes. It is a soft, red stone akin to soapstone. There is an old agreement in place that allows Native Americans to still quarry and there is an 8 year waiting list. Adelaide recalls that to get to the pipestone, one must chisel through sioux quartzite which we told is the third hardest stone in the world (although the moh's hardness scale doesn't totally support this).
We then stopped at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove. This is the area the Ingalls family lived in On the Banks of Plum Creek.
It was fun driving though Minnesota for awhile. We saw a great many wind turbines as well as some being transported on trucks.
THEY ARE HUGE! After awhile though, all the green crop fields and farms become monotonous.
We have listened to some great audios on our trip: Paddle to the Sea, The Lone Ranger, Call of the Wild, and Robinson Crusoe. And Google loves me.
We have just entered WI and I think a stop for cheese curds could be in order...
And now to leave you with a little trivia we learned on this trip. There are technically no Buffalo or antelope in the US. The correct terms are bison and pronghorn, unless, of course, you live in India or Africa. So you can now add that to your knowledge box!
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