On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer – DAVID MICHAEL KENNEDY BLOG

Category Archives: On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer

August 23, 2005 Merrick State Park HWY 35 east of the Mississippi River WI.

August 22, 2005 – 4:32 PM

August 23, 2005
Merrick State Park
HWY 35
East side of the Mississippi River WI

Left Sal’s and headed down river toward Don Moritz’s farm just east of Wisconsin Dells. Back in Wisconsin again we arrived at Dons’ late Saturday evening. Don is an old friend, collector and student from my Santa Fe Workshop days. Don has a very good web site at http://www.moritzgallery.com/ Recommend you check it out.

His farm is quite beautiful. Situated in the rolling hill country of Wisconsin it is surrounded by small dairy farms, the Wisconsin river runs close by and we had quite a time riding his motorized mules around the 140 plus acres. Went out site seeing and spent an afternoon in Baraboo, at The Circus World Museum. For many years the town was the home of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

After a great visit and a chance to make Don’s portrait we headed out this morning and traveled west along the Wisconsin River then back North along the East Bank of the Mississippi heading toward Stockholm to visit friends of Joan and Jerry my friends who run Dakota Framing in Houston. Still trying to go west….

Lunch at Don’s

DMK and Don

Our Formal Portrait

Boys will be Boys

Off to the Circus

Don

Heather

DMK

Greek Gods

Legs for days

Is that Henry????

and another good day comes to an end.

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August 25,2005 Pattison Park South of Superior WI

August 25, 2005 – 5:23 PM

August 25,2005
Pattison State Park
South of Superior WI

Arrived at Arne, Mary Anne and their daughter Phoebe’s farm yesterday afternoon. Such a great place! Lots of beautiful land, forest and meadows, with a view of the lake and a trout stream nearby. Both Arne and Mary Anne are working artists. Arne is a painter, sculpture and maker of fine art rugs while Mary Anne is a weaver and rug hooker. This description really is inadequate though, as their art is reflected through out their lives and you see it everywhere from the cement castings that are placed around the property to the details within their home. Arne is also working on five Spartan Travel Trailers from the 50’s and will someday have them all full restored and parked around the property.

Would of liked to of stayed on longer but Mary Anne is working on a major show and Phoebe heads back to school in a few days. Additionally they have a foreign exchange student on her way over from France so their plates are quite full. You should check out their websites:

http://www.maryannewise.com
http://www.arnenyen.com/

Do look forward to being back in the area someday soon Western Wisconsin have definitely become one of our more favorite places. So after a great lunch and a beer run to town we headed out again going west and found we where headed back toward HWY 2 and Sal’s camp.

Arne, Phoebe, Mary Anne and Cookie

Mary Anne’s Studio

Mary Anne at Work in Her Studio

Arne makes our photograph

One of the Spartans and Arne’s Studio

Arne and the Fleet behind his Studio

The Bird Bath

Cement Work

Henry gets a new ball

The three of Us by Arne

Mississippi River Lock #6

Swimming in the Mississippi River

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August 27, 2005 Sal’s Camp Warba MI.

August 27, 2005 – 5:49 PM

August 27, 2005
Sal’s Camp
Warba, Minnesota

Back at Sal’s enjoyed (again) the trip up HWY 2 from Duluth and the weather was overcast so I got to photograph two of the old homes along the way. Last time through the sun was out and the lighting poor. One of the advantages of re-traveling the same roads.
Got to Sal’s late in the afternoon and it was like coming home. Had planned on staying a few days and doing some printing, but realized this morning that we have been trying to head Northwest for so long and now is not the time to set up and get any printing done a bit of wanderlust is in our blood after being in the same area for so long. Also this morning the air was so crisp and cold we realize that our time in the North is a bit limited. The leaves are beginning to change and there is a smell of fall in the air. It’s beautiful running through the Fond du Luc Reservation

Along HWY 12

Heather’s View

Another Heather shot

and another

Back at Sal’s

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August 29, 2005 Bemidji KOA Bemidji Minnesota

August 29, 2005 – 12:35 AM

August 29, 2005
Bemidji KOA
Bemidji Minnesota

Crazy 24 hours…
After leaving Sal’s we headed north again on HWY 2 and arrived in Bemidji Minnesota in late afternoon. Of course we stopped at the statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the blue ox. Then off toward the Red Lake Res. The countryside is so great and I was excited about finding a camp site unhooking and getting out on some back road to shoot. Stopped at a few places on the res. but no camp sites so we headed back toward Bemidji and the KOA. More than centrally located enough to head out and explore. BUT after one of our stops we realized my wallet was gone! Knew right where it fell out of the car and rushed back but no wallet. After speaking to motor vehicles and the other ID producing outfits, that seem to have a great control over our lives, it looked like after all the time trying to get up here we were going to have to burn rubber so to speak back to New Mexico to get outfitted with new ID before we could continue the trip. Okay won’t bore you with the details of the last 24 hours but we ended up driving back to the res and posting reward signs and one right by the side of the road where I lost it. Sure enough tonight Lisa Stayely and Darilyn Cloud called and had found it. So off to Ed’s gas station we rushed to retrieve it. It was my wallet with everything in it. Hooka Hey! Lisa and Darilyn thank you!

So tomorrow thanks to these two lovely ladies I can start work.

Side bar: before we left Grand Rapids I had the opportunity to meet Mike Kenjlo of the Grand Rapids Barber Shop and the Grand Rapids Leather, Boot and Shoe Repair- both at 313 NE 3rd. Street in Grand Rapids
http://geocities.com/shoeboy_4u/
218-326-1569
I called Mike at 11:30 on Saturday to see about having my boot healed, Literally.
He told me he closed at 12 but to come on in and he get em done. Spent an amazing 2 hours with him. First as a barber while he finished up his Saturday regulars and then as my shoe repair man. Let me tell you his shop is old world and he’s proud of his vintage barber chairs as well as the vintage tools in his leather/shoe shop. Never have I seen such care and quality work all done with great conversation. Almost cut my hair today…….

Darilyn Cloud DMK and Lisa Stayely
Aho, Mitakutye Oyasin

Mr. Mike Kenjalo

Mike’s workspace. It’s interesting how different all our workspaces are!

Mike’s shop in Grand Rapids MN

Paul Bunyan and Babe and Heather and Henery and David

you know your in Minnesota when the ice boxes look like this but where are the leaches????

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August 30, 2005 Bemidji KOA Bemidji Minnesota

August 30, 2005 – 11:12 AM

August 30, 2005
Bemidji KOA
Bemidji Minnesota

my new best camping buddy and photographic consultant Bob Riddle

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August 31, 2005 MORE PHOTOS

August 31, 2005 – 9:17 AM

Black Hawk River

Campbell Lake

dmk shoots Campbell Lake

another view Campbell Lake

old church northern Mi

Road around Lake Itasca

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August 31, 2005 Bemidji KOA Bemidji Minnesota

August 31, 2005 – 8:10 PM

August 31,2005
Bemidji KOA
Bemidji, MI

Spent the last few days exploring the Headwaters of the Mississippi River and the adjacent neighborhood. Truly good to drop the airstream at the camp and head out on day trips. Opens up so many little dirt roads. It’s good to be at a campground where you feel safe to leave your rig.
The Mississippi ain’t such a big river up in these parts. I walked across it, up at the Headwaters at Lake Itasca, Henry swam across it numerous times and Heather took pictures of us doing it.
The back roads lead you to such varied landscape, from the largest Peat Bog in the united states and what look like swamps to me, to wooded pastures with great rock piles and weathered birch trees. Small streams are everywhere and many wonder through these pastures. Then into dense forests, that I just can’t figure out how to photograph, and back around another lake. Lakes are everywhere! From small ponds to a huge sea in Upper Red Lake.
Great part of the country but I still want to know where the lobsters are? After all there are sea gulls in most of the fields and it sure feels like Maine.

dmk shoots the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca

Lake Itasca

Bridge over the Mississippi just below Lake Itasca

dmk henry and heather at the start of the Mississippi River

upper Mississippi River

more of the upper Mississippi

Henry in the upper Mississippi

Henry in the upper Mississippi 2

Henry swam ALOT in the upper Mississippi River!

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September 3, 2005 Bemidji KOA Bemidji Minnesota

September 3, 2005 – 9:56 AM

September 3, 2005
Bemidji KOA
Bemidji Minnesota

So glad we were able to stay up here. It’s been great going out each day and exploring the dirt roads and back country around Bemidji. Upper Red Lake was amazing- huge lake more like an ocean.
Feel so much like fall the colors are changing the air is getting cool and crisp

Had a grand time here at the KOA Mary and all the staff are great. Also made a good new friend in Bob Riddle. Hope to run into him in Quartzite Arizona this winter. Met Tad and Deanna McBlacne who are here for the summer as work campers. They just started full timing this year and have an interesting web site:
www.rvhappenings.com
They will be at Quartzite as well this winter.

This KOA is run like no other I’ve been to, pancake breakfasts, steak dinners and even raffle drawings! Additionally the wireless internet, that works flawless is free. The whole feeling here is one of family and friendship. The Bemidji KOA is up for sale so I’m not too sure how long Mary will own it but Mary also has a KOA in Terre Haute and after getting to know Mary I’m sure it just as magnificent a place. It’s Mary and Keith Davidson
Terre Haute KOA
5995 East Sony Drive
Terre Haute Indiana
Be sure to stop by and say hello when your in the area!

The KOA Crew cooking us a steak diner lets’ see that from left, Jane Unash, Virginia Youngdahal, Denanna McBlane, Mary Davidson, Gunar Youngdahl, Tab McBlane and Bob Unash

Bob wins a prize at the steak dinner raffle

That’s Mary raffleing off an origional oil painting

a hand panted mail box by Mary goes up for raffle.

another night at the chile cookout they did, that’s Bob dishing up a bowl for Heather

Tad and Bob at Bob’s camp

First fall color

And second fall color

Heather DMK and Henry at Upper Red Lake

Henry at Upper Red Lake

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September 4, 2005 Icelandic State Park HWY 5 North Dakota

September 4, 2005 – 10:08 AM

September 4, 2005
Icelandic State Park
Hwy 5
North Dakota

After fond farewells we hit the road and headed north then west across HWY 5. Truly a magnificent road as far north as one can et in the united states. Other than outrages gas prices a wonderful day.
Met Clarence and Betty Schuh just outside of Williams, Minnesota. As we ran along HWY 2 we spotted a great old greyhound bus conversion parked by an old barn so we had to stop. She was a beautiful bus with the conversion done Clarence. A remarkable man, Clarence. He and Betty have lived here for over 50 years. In the short visit we had Clarence walked me around the property and showed me the things he has invented/built over those fifty years. Among them where a solar heater for the house using beer cans as the heat collectors, an electrical tractor(he did that one 25years ago), the underground root cellar that was built above ground then cover with earth and makes a pleasant hill in the back yard.
He and Betty have spent many years out on the road traveling in many different types of vehicles. The last being the 35 ft greyhound. He has a 40 ft. flxible that is his current project and although he was slowed down by a heart attack a few years ago I’m sure he will get it done. For 80 he is still going strong.
After a fine visit, gift of fresh cucumbers from Betty’s garden and making a great portrait we where off down the road again.

As we crossed the state line into North Dakota the land began to change from the forests we have been living in all through out Minnesota into the rolling Prairies of North Dakota. Lighting lit up the evening sky and we found our camp for the night.

Meeting Clarence gave me a fresh feeling about folks. He is one of the true americans out there on his own and using his mind and creative processes to solve his problems. He dose not see them as problems, more as challenges and does not have time to fret about them he is too busy living and enjoying his life. A true inspiration.

Clarance and Betty Schuh with me and Heather

this is getting terrifying folks better buy alot of prints!

found on a Minnesota grocery store shelf….

a Minnesota Truck fer sure

detail

for those of you who want to see the inner workings

Sunflowers 1

Sunflowers 2

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September 5, 2005 Westby Town Camp Westby, Montana

September 5, 2005 – 10:21 AM

September 5, 2005
Westby Town Camp
Westby, Montana

Crossed the state line as dusk set in and found a great little camp site in the town park. Free electric, water and site. Can’t beat that! As we drove into town the sign said “Westby a town with heart”. There is some truth in advertising even today. So nice to fine a place that welcomes travelers, without asking anything in return.
As HWY 5 runs just below the Canadian Boarder it goes trough all sort of old North Dakota towns Most of the towns are just off the highway along the railroad tracks and were rail heads for the grain farmers. The towns were places 7 miles apart. Clyde, North Dakota was one. When the school closed in the late 60’s the town dried up and now has a population of 4 folks. Made a few good images here. Another town was Langdon, where we photographed the Roxy Theater and then on through Allcabo, North Dakota. Allcabo had a great old school house. The school has been closed for many years and the town is near deserted, sitting way out n the plains but some of the town folks have kept the building up. The school sitting up on a hill overlooking the town and there is a sign in the front door window that says the door is open but sticks a little, please come in and look around. Inside the school is as it was in the ’50 , complete with basketball in the gym. The piano still sits in the music room along with a tuba and a few French horns. One room has old yearbooks and much memorabilia spread out on the desks for you to see. There are still safe places in american where folks trust one another and you don’t lock your doors at night.

Downtown Fortuna North Dakota