Bena MN

That turned out to be a great decision and we enjoyed the trip and the company of a young couple who shared our table while celebrating their 1^st wedding anniversary.

Overall a great stop on our trip, next we must head West.

So where could we go next? West is the direction but how far?

In stepped fate and we learned that our great friends Karen and Paul are not too far away in Bena MN for several weeks. The place they are at has an opening on Labor day after everyone else has left so we head across there.

We bump into Karen and Paul a couple of times a year and they stay at the same place in Casa Grande for the winter as we do, in fact they came to greet us the very first time we stayed there way, way back in time!

When we checked in at the office they said “Oh yes you're near Karen and Paul. The Lingren's will be arriving tomorrow” SURPRISE! Ed and Ruthanne who also stay in the resort in Casa Grande will be here too. They are the couple who told us about things to do in the UP and who we were going to stay with for a couple of nights before the area got flooded and they sold their place . What a happy time this was going to be. 

Then another surprise, Al and Marie who we had met in Casa Grande last year when Karen, Paul, Barbara and I went to a Neil Diamond tribute concert, live in this park for the summer!

Party time was right now!!

Meals out, happy hours, road trips, dinners at Al and Marie's place, Diary Queen. It was soon one long party and the 2 days we said we'd stay became 4 really quickly, and would have been a couple of weeks if we hadn't been determined to get on the road again.

L to R Me, Paul, Karen, Ruthanne, Ed and Barbara

We took one nice trip to Itasca State Park where the Mississippi River has it's source. A beautiful park and you can walk across the Mississippi on stepping stones or a log bridge.

Stepping stones across the Misissipi

Karen, Ruthanne and Barbara on the log bridge

Al and Marie are fanatical fishermen (Marie being the better one). Al is always looking for an excuse to go out in their boat and all the visitors gave him a perfect one.

Al and a Nothern Pike

Al said my fish was a "Rock Bass" I thought it was a Crappie

Soon we were out catching Perch, Northern Pike, Walleye, Crappies and “Rock Bass” in a local lake. They have a favorite tavern nearby where you bring the fish you catch and the restaurant prepares it for you. Fortunately Al and Marie had a freezer with enough fish for 8 as, despite catching lots of fish, we had only Paul's 4 keepers at the end of the day! The restaurant rolled the fish in flour and panko crumbs and cooked it to perfection.

Al and Marie on the right.

And great fishermen.

We staggered out of there stuffed to the gills so to speak!

Great name for a great restaurant.

The next evening Marie prepared a mountain of Chili and the last night together she force fed us on ribs! Boy can she cook, and all of us kept stuffing ourselves silly.

Karen and Paul

But the days are ticking by, the leaves are starting to change color and they remind us that we have to move on.

The leaves are turning and it's only the beginning of September.

Reluctantly, VERY reluctantly, we packed up and headed over to Fargo, North Dakota, and added another State to our list of states visited.