Myre-Big Island Campground

Campsites at the Myre-Big Island Campground are just five minutes’ drive from the center of Albert Lea, where you can pick up grocery supplies at one of the local supermarkets. There are also gas stations here if you need to fill up your RV rental and a good selection of cafes and fast-food restaurants if you don’t feel like cooking. While you’re ready to explore the city of Albert Lea, stop in at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, which was established in 1948 to preserve the cultural heritage of the region. It boasts more than 40 exhibits that include a turquoise truck once owned by Happy Days actress Marion Ross (who grew up in Albert Lea) and memorabilia belonging to rockabilly guitarist Eddie Cochran. The Freeborn County Historical Museum also features a period village that’s clustered with 18 buildings dating from the 1850s to the early 1900s, together with a large collection of antique farming equipment. An RV campsite at Myre-Big Island Campground provides a good base for visiting the city of Rochester, which lies around an hour’s drive to the northeast. It’s renowned as the birthplace of the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center that was founded by Dr. Charles Mayo in 1889. Join a guided tour of his former mansion, Mayowood, which was completed in 1911 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places or head to the iconic Plummer Building that dominates the Mayo campus. Also of note is the early 20th-century Plummer House, a Tudor-style mansion once owned by Dr. Henry Stanley Plummer that’s decorated with period furnishings. Art enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the Rochester Art Center that not only exhibits contemporary art but hosts regular classes and workshops in a variety of media. Whether you want to explore the cultural sites of Albert Lea, the vibrant city of Rochester, or go fishing in the surrounding lakes, book an RV in Freeborn County and start planning your next vacation.