Day Four

“Trojan Horses, Giants, and Spam”

We had a leisurely morning, trying to sleep in as long as we could after a late arrival (1:30 am central time), but we had to get to the hotel lounge before 9am to eat the free breakfast, we’re never willing to miss a free meal!

Breakfast was standard fare, eggs, waffles, bagels, OJ… After checking out around 11am, we decided to eat lunch at The Wisconsin Dells. This would be Danko’s first visit to The Dells, and my second after a twenty-two year hiatus, and then I only remember pizza, ice cream, and buying myself a pair of Minnetonka moccasins. So, we were lucky to find a very nice restaurant, which we do recommend to anyone who happens to find himself in The Dells. The place was The Cheese Factory Restaurant (NOT The Cheesecake Factory, this was not a chain). It is housed in the building that was a cheese factory, and now it is gourmet casual dining restaurant that specializes in vegetarian cooking (Take Note Katrusia!). Here’s something we rarely do, and this is pass along one of the restaurant’s recipes which is handed out for free:

Cheese Factory Candy Carrots
1 c. vinegar
½ c water
1 ½ c vegetable oil
1 ½ c sugar
2 Tbs. salt
1 ½ Tbs. orange extract
1 teas. Allspice
1 teas. Cinnamon
1 teas. Ground cloves
1 teas. Black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 ½ lb. carrots, cut into ¼ slices
Blend everything except carrots, in electric blender until emulsified. Add this marinade to the carrots and stir to immerse. Make 1 quart

The recipe did not indicate how long to marinate, if at all, but the end result is quite delicious, as were the entrees we ate: cornbread topped with salsa, corn, roasted vegetables, and three chesses along with a grilled banana; a spinach and cheese croissant sandwich (imagine spanakopita on a croissant, like a lazy person’s spanakopita); and Wisconsin cheese and Milwaukee’s finest beer soup—YUM! OH, and the restaurant houses a bakery, of course we partook of the goodies, it was Danko’s birthday, so we celebrated with cheesecake, mango sorbet, and Nina and Dmytro had cupcakes topped with gummi worms.

Okay, so The Dells was successful for lunch. We then tried to catch something to look at besides the obvious waterparks and tourist trap amusements. Unfortunately, the one place we tried to park and take a peek at “The Dells” without going on a boat looked deserted and had a huge sign after it invited us to park that read “Stay Away.” Okay, onto to Minnesota it is…

But before I describe that, here is our favorite visual of “The Dells.”


We crossed the mighty Mississippi into Minnesota and stopped at the travel center to take a look at the river. A few hundred yards later along I-90 we had a much more interesting view, but alas, there was no turn-off to park and look. We still got a pretty neat view of the wide river and it didn’t disappoint. At the travel center Danko asked if there was any point worth seeing on I-90 in southern Minnesota, on our way to Sioux Falls, SD. I kid you not about the following: he was advised to go see the Spam Museum in Austin, MN, and the Jolly Green Giant Statue (standing over 50 feet) in Blue Earth, MN. I thought Danko was pulling my leg when he came out with the brochures and I asked “No seriously, what did the lady recommend?” Uh…that was it. Then I noticed the cover of the Southern Minnesota travel guide we got, it declared: “Southern Minnesota, you’ll be surprised!” YUP, I’m surprised, there really is nothing to see, except cornfields…the Jolly Green Giant, and the Spam museum.

Suspense is killing you, isn’t it? Did we go? Which did we choose, if either? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words and at least several pages of a Darka post:



Things we’ve learned driving over 80 miles an hour in Southern Minnesota: ears of corn and cows don’t drink lattes. Boy, did we miss Starbucks ☹. Did manage to eat a simple meal at the chain restaurant County Kitchen, but the memories of The Cheese Factory haunted us. It has been interesting to see Southern Minnesota, but we are grateful we are looping to go back home, gee, let’s see how different Kansas and Nebraska are!

Nina, who has intentions on being a race car driver, ballerina teacher, and mommy when she grows up, has been telling Danko and me as we drive 80-plus miles/hour: GO FASTER! (Sidenote: yesterday she told her cousin Andrew over the phone who she plans to marry, and it is a boy who has intentions of being a race car driver as well…watch out Lida and Mike!)

We should arrive in Sioux Falls around 10pm central time. By the way, we finally saw a Starbucks, but I wasn’t thirsty.