SPAM and Corn
A Taste of Home in South Dakota
After a brief pause in mobile operations to allowing for a cabin reset and travel for Ryan, it was time again to hit the road. Shelby’s first year of online college was quickly approaching and we wanted to ensure we were settled somewhere with solid internet. What better place to acheive stability and do a little bonus ‘moochdocking’ than back home in South Dakota. The timing worked out well as the cattle were scheduled to be worked the day after we arrived so we could lend a hand. It was a wonderful and productive trip home. We were even able to upgrade the breaker box on the barn to handle 30 amp power and it could not have been better timing. It was upper 90s while we were there and we absolutely needed every ounce of AC we could crank out.
Pressler Park in Humboldt, SD
After saying our goodbyes, we continued east which finding a place to staty was a bit of a challenge. In eastern SD the choices for campgrounds that can accomodate our size rig are few and far between. We wanted to take Shelby into Brookings to see SDSU, now that school was in session, just to see what it would be like for her when she attends in person next year. Well, the closest we could get to the college town that we could squeeze into, was Pressler Park in Humboldt, SD. This small rural campground was about an hour drive from Brookings and with daily temps still climbing quickly, we decided to make the next dys trip to SDSU a short one in case our AC failed and the animals needed attention.
Humboldt park was perfect for what we needed. It was $35/night (which I thought a bit pricey for what it was) and definately an old school small town park with the kind of playground equipment that us Gen Xers played on and managed to survive just fine – steel monkey bars and teeter-tottters anyone? There were bathrooms (likeyly vault style) we didn’t use, but there were no showers, laundry or dump station onsite. Parker as backed in beside a corn field which was quite picturesqe. (Little did we know that corn fields would be such a defining attribute of our travels to come.) It was clean, cozy, quiet and everything we needed for a couple of nights, however, if you stay here, make sure you have a meal plan. There was one small dive in town that served gluten free pizza that was fine but just that although there are many places to eat about 30 minutes away if you are up for making the drive into Sioux Falls.
Minnesota Miles
Our plan when we left Colorado was to make this entire leg of the trip last through September and October, weather permitting. With plans laid out to explore Wisconsin and Michigan working our way up to Mackinac Island, weather isn’t too scary a variable, but not one to be disregarded either. The evenings and most days are SLOWLY cooling down but when the upcoming days are in the Upper Penninsula you need to stay alert even now. Freezing temps are not Parker conducive.
When we left SD a few days later, after a successful trip to State, we again piled everyone into the truck and continiued our easterly path to the Albert Lea and Austin MN area. Green and brown corn field after corn field sailed past the windows and while providing us with different views than Colorado, they did begin to blend into one long corn filled strip. This is indeed corn country and if the scenery wasn’t enouhg to confirm it, the humidity was.
Albert Lea KOA
We arrived at the $69.89/night Albert Lea KOA about 4 hours after leaving Humboldt. It was very similar to Pressler as it was bordered by yet another corn field. The other side bordered the I90 ensuring it was pretty noisy. Luckily that doesn’t bother us much, but if your sensitive to road noise, this won’t be the place for you. That is one of the very few strikes this campground had. It is under new ownership and the new owner Chris could not have been nicer or done more to make our stay better. He even agreed to be the 3rd witness and listen to my daughter’s speech for class. We stayed a week here so we had lots of nightly comings and goings to see. While not wasn’t super busy, the spots around us were occupied with overnighters more often than not. The Albert Lea KOA just happens to be on the Monarch butterfly migration path, so it was extra special getting to see them fly around and nest in the trees at night, then head out in the morning mirroring the rest of the travelers in the park.
Being a KOA, there were full hookups and everything was clean. There are nice bathrooms and shower facilities along with a servicable laundry room although a bit of wiping down and spot cleaning would not have been time wasted. The water in the Albert Lea is very rusty and in our opinion, not safe to drink. I hesitated to wash clothes and would have waited until our next stop if they’d had any machines. I went ahead used the machines and everything was fine, but I would limit my use the water in any way possible.
Let's hear if for SPAM!
A while back I was watching a Keep Your Daydream video and they were at the Spam Museum. I have never liked Spam, so I didn’t pay much attention to it or where it was. Well, it turns out it is in Austin MN, just a short 15 drive from the KOA. I figured we can skip that, right? We went in for coffee only to find the shop closed, but across the street the Spam Museum stood proud seeming to be daring us to cross the threshold.
We were so glad we did! What a fascinating place. First of all it was free. Winner. Secondly, the information about the Hormel company and histroy of SPAM was surprisingly interesting. We were greeted by “SPAMbassadors” and given “SPAMples” while we looked around. There was a timed game where you got to see how fast you could package and label an example can of SPAM and another where you answered questions and based on you answers you were considered to be a certain ‘flavor’of SPAM. (I am bacon SPAM in case you were curious.
The gift shop was pricey but filled wall to wall with anything and everything SPAM from mugs, to PJs, to shoes. There were even SPAM jellybeans for the more adventrurous pallets. I would highly recommend it even if SPAM is not your thing. Super fun!
Big Island State Park
We only hiked once on this stop but it was a stunning one. Myre Trial at Big Island State Park is a 5.16mi trail that derserves a place on your itenerary.
This trail was like walking on another planet or at least parts of New Zealand. It was strikingly green and full of moss and lichen. The trail was dense with trees and foliage through much of the hike while also offering wandering segments through more grassier areas. These stratches weren’t bad though, as all the trails were mowed and we only met a handfull of other people on the path. The weather was cool and drippy at times, but it only enhanced the other-worldly feel of the hike. Trees stretched to seemingly impossible heights and tree roots sprawled and stretched along the ground in every direction. This may be the most unexcpectedly beauiful hike we have ever expereienced.
Round Town Dining
Thirsty Fox
Albert Lea and Austin aren’t large on places to eat but there are a few local spots to try. I know we are supposed to explore a handful of options wherever we are, but when are travelling with 2 gluten free peeps and you find one that is good, you tend to stick with it. Those places come across our radar every now and then but we found a gem in Thirsty Fox in Albert Lea. This restraurant is an incredible slice of hometown Americana. Their menu is surprisingly extensive with a few options being gluten free both naturally and with modifications. There were cocktails, to burgers, to bowls, to pizza and salads and everything we tried was great. We will absolutely eat here again should we swing back through Albert Lea.
