We left Dubuque, IA bright and early on Friday morning and had a nice drive north to the town of Decorah, IA. We enjoyed the lovely scenery along the way as we passed rolling farmlands and pretty lakes.
Our campsite in Decorah was set in the woods and featured a merry little stream that ran through it.
On Saturday morning we drove over to the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and Heritage Center, the largest museum of its kind in the country.
Being somewhat of a geek, I made myself a little Norwegian-style bracelet to wear for the day, by putting Kam Snaps on a band I had woven. I may not have Norwegian blood but I enjoy weaving Norwegian-style bands!
We arrived in time for a tour of the grounds of the Heritage Center, consisting of Norwegian homes and buildings from the early 1800s to the early 1900s.
Our tour guide was a very knowledgeable woman named Becky who told us fascinating stories about Norwegian life.
Afterwards we walked through the four floors of artifacts and Norwegian crafts, seeing examples of textiles, woodcarving, painting, and furniture making. Here are a few of my favorites photos.
We saw a lot of woven and embroidered bands
The colors of this woven rug just glow
One of many examples of rosemaling, a style of painting used in Norwegian homes
An ale mug, meant for sharing a drink with friends
This is a band loom often referred to as a “cradle loom”
Afterwards we visited the gift shop and I purchased some interesting books.
We were feeling a wee bit peckish when we left the museum so we drove out to the Toppling Goliath Brewing Company for a bite to eat and a taste of their locally made beer.
We topped off our day with a trip to a nearby antique shop where we didn’t purchase anything but I found a Norwegian troll that made us smile.
We turned the motorhome towards the south-west on Sunday morning. The next three days we’ll be doing single night hops as we head for Colorado.
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