Day Seventeen

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Not being anxious to brave downtown La Crosse, WI; I drove back into
Minnesota to La Crescent, a rather smaller berg. Learned later that I
should have waited until I reached Winona where the gas was cheaper and
the stores larger. Since I was motoring in driving rain I wasn't moved
to climb up to the Mississippi River overlooks. The drive up the Great
River Highway (61) was variable. I failed to stop for Lark Toys:

http://www.larktoys.com/

Though I later learned it's one of the states principal attractions.

My GPS expressing no knowledge of my campground I used street signs and
horse sense to find it. I asked for a quiet corner where I could catch
up on my E-mail, read, and write blog entries. For once that's exactly
what I got. I wasn't ready for the request that I pay in cash but the
owner was willing to wait until I hit an ATM in town the next day for
payment. Pioneer Campsites Resort is not prepossessing but it's been in
business with its 240 some sites for two generations and several decades
with 200 of the sites occupied by seasonal campers. There's an air of
Evangelical Christian about the place but it isn't in your face unless
you count the sign that indicates up for Heaven and down for Hell. The
wood shed and the ice freezer lack locks and there's an air of trust and
informality about the place. I'll forgive the owner his recommendation
of a Vancouver New Age Religious writer I'll not be reading.

Sunday morning I drove into town and my GPS led me to the local cemetery
in lieu of Faith Lutheran Church. I drove on to the feeless ATM at the
Kwik Trip. For once a gas station with a decent collection of groceries.
Got back to the church and enjoyed worship in a mid-sized congregation
that has two Sunday Services. After drove home and spent a quiet
afternoon exploring the neighbourhood.