Itasca State Park, Minnesota

After leaving Cross Lake, we went to Itasca State Park which contains the head waters of the Mississippi River.  It is a gorgeous park.  The first few pictures were taken at the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

David and I waded in the Mississippi.  The river was high from the melting of the snow and rain that they have had this year.  Usually when you come, you barely get your feet wet.

Some of the beautiful wildflowers we saw.

Large white Trillium

Corydalis

Wild Calla

Columbine

Yellow slippers

The next pictures were taken around the park and surrounding area

David is standing in front of the largest red pine in the park.  It is over 150 years old.

I'm standing in front of the white pine which over 150 years old.

Loons

Bald Eagle carrying a crow in his talons

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Cross Lake, Minnesota

We started our journey exploring Minnesota in Cross Lake.  We met family and extended family while we were here. This was a lovely lake and small town to explore.

One of the large houses on the Lake.  This was a five story house.

David's first fish in Minnesota and his first Northern Pike

When we left Cross Lake, we headed out to explore more of northern Minnesota.

Trip to Starkville, Mississippi

We started our trip to Starkville at Mississippi River State Park in northeast Arkansas.

From there we went to George P. Cossar State Park in Oakland, Mississippi.

This herd of deer wanders through the campground almost every night.  The would get very close to the campers if no one was out.

While at the state park, we drove to Oxford, MS where we toured the Old Miss campus and William Faulkner's House.

Pictures that Faulkner's wife painted.

The room where Faulkner wrote.

From there we went to Starkville for my nephew's graduation.  While there, we also explored Columbus, Mississippi.  We toured Tennessee Williams' Grandfather's home. This is where he was born.

Here are a couple of the old houses we saw.

Graduation

Hayden and his grandparents

The party afterwards with his two roommates.