.....Where to go! What to see! Will your RV fit in the parking lot? Is it accessible for wheelchair users?..... ----------------Please click on photos for a larger, clearer view. I'm not sure why they are so blurry----------------
Over 6,000 types of plants, a butterfly house, a conservatory, and sculptures make this small well-tended garden a pleasant place to spend an hour or two.
Most of the paths are paved and both the butterfly house and the conservatory are accessible.
Park in lot S2 which is large enough for any vehicle. Garden 42.0119, -93.63733
German prisoners of war were housed in Camp Algona from April 1944 to February 1946 after which they were sent back to Germany. Most of the prisoners worked outside the camp filling jobs that would normally have been done by the local men who were fighting in Germany They worked on farms and in canneries, nurseries, milk processing plants, box factories, brick factories, and chicken processing plants.
Exhibits cover the experiences of the prisoners, their daily life, and the activities that they participated in to keep busy. Other exhibits give details about the soldiers and local community members who worked at the camp.
The museum entrance door has a push button that may be out of reach for some wheelchair users. It also has a ramp with an odd slope. Museum 43.06815, -94.23805
There are three separate areas each with a dead-end, access road off of 130th Street. From US 169, going west on 130th Street, skip the first one and camp in either of the other two. Both are roomy with trees and are next to the river. We camped in the second one which has a picnic table and a boat ramp.
The grass and uneven ground makes rolling a bit difficult. That could be solved by parking closer to the road. Devine 42.95051, -94.23316
Island Park in Windom, Minnesota was flooded several years ago and much of the camping area was destroyed. We parked along the side of the dirt lot for the night instead of in the RV section (in the background of the photo above) which looks like it doesn't get used. I should have read the reviews online though because, not finding any information or fee box, we stayed without paying. We should have gone to city hall and paid $10.00. Island Park 43.85951, -95.11982
It's almost impossible to find information on this quiet and beautiful park that's surrounded by farmland and features a dirt loop road, a patch of manicured grass, and large trees. There are five numbered sites with tables, firepits and electricity, and several large areas with numbers nailed on the trees that we assume are for picnics or group camping. An old-fashioned playground and a vault toilet are the only other amenities. A large sign at the park entrance lists rules about everything but a fee is not mentioned anywhere and there isn't a self-pay box. Reeds and grasses grow in the shallow water along the shore of the lake so there isn't access to the water. Park 45.13503, -95.48136
During the boom years of the bonanza farms there were almost one hundred large farms in Dakota territory that ranged from 3,000 acres to 200,000 acres. Many were owned by corporations and operated as businesses employing thousands of seasonal workers and growing only one crop - wheat. All of it was made possible by the fertile soil, good weather, and modern farming techniques and equipment - which also led to the demise of the farms. The soil became overworked, droughts lasted years, and an overabundance of wheat glutted the market. Bonanza farms that formed in the 1880s, peaked around 1883-1884, and started going downhill in 1910.
Bonanzaville is a collection of 40 buildings- some new, built to house collections; others, from the late 1800s and early 1900s, relocated to the site. There's also a museum with exhibits on local history, bonanza farms, and the people who lived and worked on them.
About six of the buildings are accessible. Most of the others have steps or high thresholds.
The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. Museum 46.87651, -96.92974
