What's on I-90 in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota?

Farms, farms, farms!  All you see is farms!  As you travel on I-90 out of Chicago, into Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, there are farms everywhere.  Corn farms, sod farms, vegetable farms, dairy farms---the landscape is painted in various greens and tans that represent hard work.  We saw Amber Waves of Grain.

If you live in New England and you have never seen a big working farm, it can be impressive. These farms are enormous, often the size of a high school or small college campus. Although they look very similar to the farms along the NY Thruway or rte 403/401/402 through Ontario, these farms are bigger and the buildings are better maintained. There is definitely a sense of owner pride.  I particularly like to pay attention to the houses and barns and if I wasn't traveling along the expressway at 65 mph, I'd love to stop and photograph them.

What's neat to notice is that the further away you get from Chicago, the greener the farm. Connection? Perhaps.

When we crossed into Wisconsin, we stopped at a Truck Stop for gas and a pit stop.  We bought some real Wisconsin cheese.  Ethan, the cheese lover, gave it an "okay", but Griffin, the occasional cheese lover, said it was great because it tasted like butter.  He was spot-on.

We drove past a ski hill, whose name had the title "Mountain" in it.  We laughed, because the entire mountain was no bigger than the bunny hill at Nashoba!  That's midwest skiing for you!

As we moved along, we saw some bluffs along the expressway.  Called Mill Bluffs State Park, they lie right outside a military base.  It is strange to see them pop up out of the gentle rolling hills.

The highlight of the day was La Crosse, Wisconsin.  This is the last city on rte 90 in Wisconsin before crossing the Mississippi River into Minnesota. Right along the river's edge is a complex called Historic Riverside Park/ Riverwalk.  There is a beautiful garden called International Friendship Gardens, a giant statue of Hiawatha, an amphitheater, and a cement boardwalk perfect for jogging, rollerblading, or walking.  The kids took off their shoes and stood in the Mississippi!

Desperately hungry, we finally stopped in St. Charles, MN. They call themselves the "Whitewater Gateway" because it leads to Whitewater State Park.  I'm thinking we'll pass on this town the next time we come through!

Tomorrow we arrive in SD!

© Cara Parker, 2009.  Photos and text may not be reproduced without the written consent of Cara Parker.