Awake: 5:16am Temp 62 sleep 5+37 cloudy…..then sunshine
overnight @ Maple Grove, Minnesota.
We eat breakfast & then drive to Wayzata to spend the day with Mary Lou &
Bob. 1st we talk about what to see & do today…..while the ladies are
discussing that, Bob invites me along for a ride to his bank, then we
check all 4 tires on his Saab auto for proper tire pressure. Back @ their
house, no ideas were jumping out @ us so Bob simply suggests seeing the
town of Wayzata & the local areas. Great Idea!
Turns out, this area surrounding Lake Minnetonka was a playground for the
rich & famous during the late 1800’s & early 1900’s. This resort community
was popularized in 1879 when a Dr. Edward Perkins published a pamphlet
encouraging travelers to come to Lake Minnetonka for “health reasons” &
for “the climatology” & come they did….by carriage & train, later by
streetcar & streetcar boat. From all directions @ the rate of about 20,000
tourists a yr & obviously, they are still coming today. Bob did a terrific
job of showing us about 30 of these beautiful & older mansions with
immaculately landscaped acreage.
At one point we stopped & got out of the Saab to walk around the grounds
of the famous Noerenberg Gardens where the Grain Belt Brewery founder,
Frederick Noerenberg, built an enormous Queen Ann style home with 8
bedrooms, 3.5 baths & many leaded stained glass windows. He had a
tree-lined avenue, tiered rose beds & impeccable manicured lawns as well
as a working farm. I have no pictures…..I forgot to bring my camera, darn.
We stop for lunch @ Lord Fletchers & watch a few yachts dock for lunch
also. Then to the town of St. Louis Park, where the ladies grocery shop in
the one-week old “Trader Joe’s” grocery store which was very crowded. From
here, Bob drives up to Maple Grove where we are camping & we open (3)
slides as a demonstration & then give them a tour of our home on wheels.
We probably gabbed for nearly (2) hrs before heading back to their house
where Mary Lou put their Trader Joe perishables in the frig. After that
short stop we headed to the small town of Wayzata (5 min) for a light
dinner.
Our 8:15 dinner was different: new restaurant in town by the name of Cosi,
a New York chain, getting started in MN. On their menu were sandwiches
made on flat bread, baked in the restaurant. We each ordered a sandwich,
which was quite good. Neither Kathy nor I could finish our sandwich so we
took it with us back to Bob & Mary Lou’s mini mansion and then on to our
mini mobile mansion.
We gabbed for another hr on their front porch before saying our goodbyes &
all that stuff. It was a great day & really nice seeing my ole buddy &
his wife again. Back to our bus @ 10:08pm.
High today=77 Lights out: 12:08am
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