Prairie Schooner

As soon as we crossed from South Dakota into Minnesota, we noticed green predominating the landscape again. Very gently rolling plains, fields of corn, groves of trees, lakes, even different sounds on the radio, for, as serendipity would have it, Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion was being broadcast that Saturday afternoon from Minnesota Public Radio in Minneapolis--a rerun of his Halloween program, but still fresh and funny.

A lake with vacation homes and docked boats near Albert Lea, Minnesota

We could not get enough of La Crosse, Wisconsin, on the banks of the wide Mississippi where Highway 90 arcs over from Minnesota. Waterways everywhere, houseboats, sunset over the river, ogling the great Victorian houses on Cass street on our way to the very well-stocked community co-op.

Sunset over the Mississippi from La Crosse, Wisconsin

Everywhere we go in the Midwest, we meet friendly people, who will go out of their way to help if you are lost (which we were, a few times), who look into your face and smile even though they've never met you before. They look so straight and they act so hip.

Our seven favorite Victorian houses on Cass Street: