Roadside Attractions

July 1997 --  When you go on a driving vacation, you always stumble upon unique attractions. This was certainly the case when I took my 1997 journey out west.

There is a stone monument in Rugby, North Dakota that marks the geographic center of North America. In more recent years, the designation has been challenged, with more precise measuring. There wasn't any debate in 1997. It was just a noteworthy place to stop and take a picture.

Geographic center of the US (maybe)

On the way back, in Bemidji, Minnesota, we spotted Paul Bunyan and Babe his Blue Ox. The statues were built in 1937 to catch the attention of travelers. I had first seen them as a kid a long time ago.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

You can't travel west and not cross the Mississippi River. The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 169 miles long, in the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The majority of the river forms the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. It was too beautiful not to stop and take pictures of. Sam agreed.

Tributary of the Mississippi

St. Croix means "Holy Cross"

National Scenic Riverway