It's been a wonderful week here in Duluth.

It's been a wonderful week here in Duluth. We visited ship museums and aquariums, took scenic drives to lighthouses and waterfalls, watched ships go in and out of the harbor, ate wonderfully prepared foods in the local restaurants, biked the paths and city streets, visited with friends who stopped by on their travels, all from a wonderful harbor front location. Doesn't get much better than this!!

David Liem and 1 other was tagged in David Liem's album.

David Liem and 1 other was tagged in David Liem's album.

Just now getting to share some of our discoveries in Mankato.

Just now getting to share some of our discoveries in Mankato. Earl, my grandfather  moved to Mankato from Bingham Lake most likely to attend Carleton College. Earl was 24 when he married Margaret, my grandmother, who was born in Mankato. My father, Robert Charles, and his sister, Shirley were both born in Mankato. Joe Holzapfel was my fathers best friend as a boy. He married Robert's cousin, Betty Jean, and moved to Waterloo, Iowa. Earl moved his family to Kansas City around 1940 probably to take the job of comptroller of the Thompson Hayward Chemical Co.

One of the reasons for coming to Minnesota was to visit my earlyrelative's home grounds.

One of the reasons for coming to Minnesota was to visit my early relative's home grounds. Particularly Bingham Lake and Mankato. Bingham Lake because my Great Grandfather Charles Albert Liem who immigrated from Germany raised his 8 children with his wife Laura and settled there. Mankato, because my grandfather Earl Liem moved there I believe to attend college. There he met and married my grandmother Margaret and had two children, my father Robert Charles and my Aunt Shirley. So I've been working on my family tree for just a few weeks using Ancestry.com and my Great Uncle Henry's book "The Immigrants" in which he traces the Liem family heritage and several others as well. One of the things I discovered was that my Great Uncle Karl Stanley's house in Bingham Lake. It was fun to hear from his neighbor, Marvin Bretzman, about Great Aunt Myrtle and Karls widow Alma still living in the respective houses when he arrived in 1964. Also finding the Liem plot in the Lakeview Cemetery in Windom was exciting. I had no idea who was buried where, originally supposing there might be a cemetery in Bingham Lake. Today Bingham Lake and Windom, tomorrow Mankato.

We left Kansas City about 10am to start our 6 week travels in thenorthward and hopefully cooler weather.

We left Kansas City  about 10am to start our 6 week travels in the northward and hopefully cooler weather. Our first day of driving brought us to Blue Earth, Minnesota where our overnight stay was free at the newly installed City Campgrounds. The weather was cooler and we no longer need the air conditioner. Was wonderful to sleep with the windows open that evening. Next day we say some of the sights, especially the Jolly Green Giant statue and museum. In the afternoon we drove another hour north to St. James after inspecting another possible site in Garden City. The flies can still be thick in Minnesota and they bite as well. The Garden City site was under some large trees and was pretty low-lying which meant no breeze to keep the flies away. We decided to travel on util we found a great site in St. James.