The headlights on our coach were getting rather foggy, which reduces their effectiveness and just looks ugly:
So while in Red Bay we got them polished:
Much nicer!
Mall of America
We visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
According to Wikipedia, it is the largest mall in the United States, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the twelfth largest shopping mall in the world.
We had dinner at Shake Shack (first time we’ve seen one since we visited New York years ago):
In addition to being a huge mall, the center is filled with an amusement park:
Minnesot-ah!:
It’s an impressive mall… but still just a mall.
Baseball: Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies
We attended a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies, playing at the Twin’s ballpark,Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Target Field entrance:
Seating:
Selfie:
Team store:
Cheddar brats and pretzel:
A citizenship ceremony:
Map:
Ballpark from outfield:
Putting:
Winnebago camper van:
More ballpark angles:
“Win! Twins!”:
Rotating ball and big screen:
Concessions:
Mascot TC Bear, kid, “animal control” handler:
Lots of screens:
“Unapologetically Loud”:
Mascots:
Dippin’ Dots:
At one point the lineup screen showed the Mariners lineup?!
Then the screens blanked out while they fixed that:
Run scores:
Twins win:
Final score and stats:
Minneapolis Northwest KOA Journey
We stayed at Minneapolis Northwest KOA Journey in Maple Grove, Minnesota. (Campground Reviews listing.)
Another KOA Journey, with a somewhat weird layout.
Dates:
- Check in: 2024-07-23
- Check out: 2024-07-26
- 3 nights
Weather:
- Partly cloudy
- High temps 76-83°F, lows 57-65°F
- Some wind, gusts to 18 MPH
Noise:
- Some road noise
- No train horn noise
- Helicopters going over occasionally
- A lot of neighbor noise (large family gatherings and yippy dogs)
Site:
- #30, pull-through, gravel
- Needed to disconnect toad, parked behind coach
- Rather unlevel site; needed to use extra blocks; used hydraulic leveling
- Gravel driveway about 60 feet long by 10 feet wide
- 20 feet to neighbors on both sides
- Picnic table
- Fire pit
- Tall trees nearby, but not on the site (so no shade)
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, fairly conveniently located
- 50 PSI water, somewhat conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, somewhat inconveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 48 Mbps down, 3-8 Mbps up, 25 ms ping
- Verizon: 17-23 Mbps down, 16 Mbps up, 56 ms ping
- AT&T: 28-39 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage dumpsters
- Pool
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Convenient to Minneapolis but needs updating
We stayed here because it was the best-looking option close enough to Minneapolis to take in a Twins game. The interior roads were a muddy, pot-holed mess our entire stay. Our site was pretty narrow and not very level. We were also lucky that the trailers parked opposite us left the morning we did, or it would have been difficult to navigate around all their vehicles when we pulled out. There’s also a weird separate powerbox for the 50A service that a staff member had to unlock for us when we pulled in, which was a new experience. We camped at Minneapolis Northwest KOA Journey in a Motorhome.
Campground map:
An interactive map:
Our site:
The utilities were somewhat unusual; our site and our driver-side neighbor shared a pedestal, with only 30 amp in the main box, and 50 amp for us on an accessory box; obviously a later retrofit:
The breaker for the 50 amp was in another box on the back of the pedestal, locked with a padlock (that they unlocked for us when guiding us to our site):
Two sewer hoses needed:
Minnesota is our last new state for the year, as we head back west. Our states map is looking mostly filled in; just missing a few northeast states, and of course Alaska and Hawaii:
From further back, showing the Sinclair Trails logo, map, QR code, URL, and social handle:
A large noisy gathering in the buddy sites across from us:
Other sites:
Video: Oakdale, Wisconsin to Maple Grove, Minnesota motorhome travel timelapse
A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 198 miles from Oakdale, Wisconsin to Maple Grove, Minnesota.
Travel from Oakdale, Wisconsin to Maple Grove, Minnesota
We drove our coach 198 miles, about three hours of driving, from Oakdale, Wisconsin to Maple Grove, Minnesota.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading northwest:
An interactive map:
Checklist:
Lunch stop:
Paladin on the dash while leaving the truck stop:
Roadworks:
Rest area:
I-94:
Chimney:
Minnesota Welcomes You:
Rest area:
Crossover:
Our destination, another KOA:
Guided to our site:
Third anniversary of buying our motorhome
Today marks the three year anniversary of purchasing our 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP motorhome!
Check out the one year anniversary post for a tour of what the coach was like when we bought it, and the two year anniversary post for some more exterior photos.
To mark this anniversary, here’s an updated tour of the interior; much has changed since we bought it. Check out the links to related blog posts.
Entry steps, with a “Home Sweet Home” sign, internet devices, dash cover, and carpet:
The driver area, with a table over the steering wheel, potted plants, a barrier cushion underneath, and a new GPS:
Cat tower, litter box and waste receptacle, cat carrier, and boxes for Paladin to sleep in (even with many other options, sometimes one can’t beat an Amazon carton with crinkly paper!):
Custom desk with a pull-out surface and monitor on a televator:
Theater seating and custom side tables:
Dining table and chairs, and Paladin with his food and water fountain, and another nest:
Kitchen / galley area, with convection microwave, double sinks, automatic paper towel dispenser, coffee stuff, drawer dishwasher, pull-out countertop, etc:
Another view, showing the induction cooktop:
Fridge/freezer and wooden map with stickers and pins:
Half bath, with hanging broom and mop:
Bed, Spyder panel, and photographic artwork:
TV, air cleaner, and yes, another cat bed:
Bathroom sink; I replaced the faucets in both bathrooms, and all three soap dispensers, too:
Shower, with liquid dispensers etc, replaced rain head, towel rail outside the shower, and toilet:
Washer and dryer:
Looking from the back to the front (with the upgraded Spyder control panel and thermostat visible):
Looking from the front to the back:
An overview of the living area:
I hope you enjoyed this tour of our home. It’s compact, but spacious for an RV that travels around the country. Follow along on our travels!
Oakdale KOA Journey
We stayed at Oakdale KOA Journey in Oakdale, Wisconsin. (Campground Reviews listing.)
A pretty typical KOA Journey, with easy access near the freeway.
Dates:
- Check in: 2024-07-22
- Check out: 2024-07-21
- 1 night
Weather:
- Partly cloudy
- High temp 82°F, low 64°F
- Negligible wind, gusts to 7 MPH
Noise:
- Nearby freeway noise
- Occasional train horn noise
- Negligible neighbor noise
Site:
- #8, pull-through, gravel
- Didn’t need to disconnect toad, and didn’t since just overnight
- Fairly level site; used air leveling since just overnight
- Gravel driveway about 67 feet long by 9 feet wide
- 15 feet to neighbors on both sides
- Picnic table
- Fire pit
- Tall trees near site
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, conveniently located
- Didn’t connect water, but conveniently located
- Didn’t connect sewer, but two available, conveniently located
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 16-51 Mbps down, 6-9 Mbps up, 45 ms ping
- AT&T: 127-167 Mbps down, 7-13 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
- Verizon: 10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 99 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage pickup from site
- Pool
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Great place to stop off I-90
We stayed one night on our way along I-90, and this campground was perfect. It has nice, clean, level sites, a convenient location, and is easy to get in and out of. Even though it’s close to the interstate, it was surprisingly quiet. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We’d definitely stay here again when our travels take us this way. We camped at Oakdale KOA Journey in a Motorhome.
Campground map (and a pack of playing cards gifted on check-in):
An interactive map:
Our site:
Other sites:
Wisconsin cheesehead:
Video: Cascade, Iowa to Oakdale, Wisconsin motorhome travel timelapse
A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 186 miles from Cascade, Iowa to Oakdale, Wisconsin.
Travel from Cascade, Iowa to Oakdale, Wisconsin
We drove our coach 186 miles, about three hours of driving, from Cascade, Iowa to Oakdale, Wisconsin.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading north:
An interactive map:
1873 building in Cascade:
Curve tightens:
Interesting bridge:
Bull Durham:
Shiny:
Dubuque bridge:
Wisconsin Welcomes You:
We lay Paladin’s tower on its side on the bed while traveling; he sat inside the box:
Barn:
Fun with zoom:
Mount Horeb:
Trolls:
Jet, tank, helicopter:
Paint testing:
Overpass artwork:
Interesting rocks:
Mouse standing on cheese:
Our destination, a KOA Journey:
