Day 288. May 20, 2014. Change in plans

LOCATION:  From NW to SE Minnesota

WEATHER:  warm, sunny.  Highs in 70s

We had planned to head west from Warroad, in far north Minnesota, then south and west to North and South Dakota for the next leg of our trip.   However, George started feeling "off" and his blood pressure was high.  (I wonder how many full-time RVers carry blood pressure cuffs with them!).  He called Mayo and they want to see him.  

So, we changed our plans and headed due southeast toward Rochester.  Long day.  We drove about 9 hours., driving through beautiful lake country.  We saw a lot of wild rice fields.   We picnicked along the way....last of the smoked whitefish.  Good roads, and little traffic, which I appreciated, as I drove part of the way.

There are about 4 options for free camping:  casinos. Walmart, Pilot/Flying J truck stops, and Camping World parking lots.  We have done Walmart and a casino, so we thought we would try a truck stop.  We stopped at one near the Minneapolis airport.  They told us it was ok, so we parked next to the hundreds of semi-trucks

It was pretty bad.  It was noisy, as they keep their engines going while parked, and different ones come and go all the time.  

We thought we would tough it out.  I started cooking dinner, which warms the camper. We had to keep the windows closed due to the diesel fumes and noise.  We both started feeling hot and uncomfortable, so we packed up and went to a nearby Walmart.  They, too, told us that we could park there.  It was quiet, and the bathrooms were clean and right next to our entrance!

DINNER:  I made chicken broth from leftover chicken thigh pieces.  To that, I added carrots, onions, and barley.  It turned into a nice chicken veg soup.