Minneapolis/St. Paul

From Madison, we went west along the Wisconsin River, stopping at Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio at Taliesen in Spring Green.

Lots of small towns along the river. Stopped in a very small town for lunch, where we ate at the only cafe in town, where a couple of old timers sat at the booth sipping coffee. At Prairie du Chien we joined the Mississippi River, which we followed north, crossing back and forth between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Arrived in St. Paul by evening.

Today saw the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul where they tape Prairie Home Companion. Went to a Caribou Coffee, Minnesota's friendlier alternative of Starbucks.

Everyone in Minnesota we've met definitely lives up to the reputation as very friendly, and many have the famous Minnesota accent.

Then went to Minneapolis, saw some nice skyscrapers downtown, stocked up on Canadian maps at the AAA, and spent some time by the waterfront where we saw the old Gold Medal flour mill, which has been turned into the Mill City Museum, the locks on the Mississippi River, where the Interstate 35 bridge fell down last summer, and the Guthrie Theatre, a beautiful new modern theater with an "endless bridge" that projects out from the building like a crane, and viewing decks on the top floor with great views of the river and city.

We also went to the Mall of America and IKEA for lunch.

Then drove around the suburbs of Minnetonka in Western Minneapolis where rich people have houses right on the area's many lakes.