We've arrived in Rochester

We left Charlotte with Grandma K about 1:00 on Saturday afternoon. Mommy (TK) was ill most of Saturday and contributed to our delayed departure (along with flooded basements, School Board presentations and general life stuff.)

Saturday, as we drove to Wisconsin, CurlyGirl started to run a fever and soon it was clear, she's a got a really bad cold. We drove to Madison, Wisconsin where, we stayed at Marriott West, thanks to Mr. Wilson and Priceline. They had the most comfortable beds and pillows I have ever experienced in a hotel room! We arrived about 8:00 Michigan time! McK had a lot of fun picking up stars in the hallways and dancing to the music from the ballroom but CurlyGirl slept all evening. Poor kid!

Sunday, we drove out of Madison on Route 14 towards Praire du Chien. Fog hung over the hills and fields, yet it was a beautiful drive through farms and small, small towns. I'd like to come back someday when the girls are older and visit Taliesin. By the time we reached Praire du Chien, TK and McK were sick too. We stopped at Wal-Mart to by medicine and Kleenex and then started driving north on the Great River Road. This roadway parallels the Mississippi River and was incredibly beautiful. The sun reflected off of limestone bluffs, the leaves are starting to turn, and the Mississippi itself was breathtaking. We drove north through many small towns, stopped briefly in LaCrosse, and at Winona, we crossed the Mississippi into Minnesota. Saw Pepin Lake - more about that later.

We spent Sunday night in St. Paul and visited the Mall of America today. Girls are sick and tired - literally. Not even a Disney store could create much excitement. Then we drove to Rochester.
Pretty drive from a really big town to a good sized town and not much in between. Lots and lots of prairie.

Tomorrow we check into Mayo. We don't really know what to expect except we need to get up early. Hopefully, CurlyGirl is better and this "cold" doesn't interfere with any tests that need to be performed. Thanks for all your prayers.