[Danette]

The Red River is very narrow. You barely notice it except there is a sign on all bridges (tiny or not) that state the river's name. Crossing the Red River from Minnesota to North Dakota at Breckenridge/Wahpeton is so narrow, you could jump (it's winding and narrow the whole way to Fargo). Now, when the floods came a few years back, it almost destroyed the two towns. Once you cross the state line it is so flat, you can see forever.......I've never seen such perfectly flat farm land. Just a little extra rainfall in the spring and the farmland is under inches of water for miles (the river not affected). The rivers on the Minnesota map are very deceptive. Most are barely a foot across for miles and don't get much wider than 10 yards if at all. The only rivers worth launching a boat is the Mississippi and parts of the Minnesota.

I commend you on knowing that the Red River flows south to north. Maybe they did cross over and come through Kensington to get to the Mississippi...IF they knew it was there....,but I can't imagine them leaving the stone in the middle of nowhere (no big landmarks). The tale is they were clearing brush for farming with horses and plow....pretty thick stuff.

Once you pass Fergus Falls and head north on I94, it's flat all the way to Grand Forks (I haven't been north of that). The whole west 1/3 of Minnesota is flat practically treeless (no forests)....as you head east (and north of I94), it becomes very hilly and you see huge forests of trees....especially pines (it's beautiful and remote....called "cabin country" up here).

Andes Tower Hills is a fun place...especially the tubing. Still have a sprained thumb from a few weeks back. It's mostly a "kids" hangout......there's not much to do here during the winter in Minnesota. It's been unusually warm here and the lakes are barely frozen over. Ice houses, snowmobiles (only place to ride right now), and vehicles are going through daily. Snow is practically gone, but expecting some tonight.

[crystalk]

There is some evidence that Norsemen had been traveling interior North America at will, and had a general knowledge of how it lay, for many centuries...

including having been involved in the large-scale mining of copper in the Lake Superior region during the Bronze Age: it had always been a mystery where enough copper could have been obtained to even HAVE a "Bronze Age" in the Old World...