Monday, September 24, 2007
On To New York and Pennsylvania
September 20, 2007 -- We packed up and road-tripped to the east New Jersey / New York City area. While en route, we passed through coastal Connecticut, truly a beautiful place. We stopped in New London, where we visited the US Navy Submarine Training base, and went to the Submariner’s Museum. The museum contained the history of submarines in the US, as well as a number of submarine compartment mock-ups, using parts and control systems of actual submarines—buttons and switches and gadgets, oh my! The visit finished up with a tour of the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine in the US Fleet, now retired. We then paid a visit to the US Coast Guard Academy (perhaps with the idea of “planting a few seeds” within our children) to “look about” for a bit. Perhaps with the specter of college tuitions going through the roof, a recall of the scenic campus on the Connecticut coast area, with a full-ride scholarship courtesy of the US Government, with a guaranteed job on the graduation end may start to “looking good” when comes the time to consider a college choice…
We got into Jersey City in the early evening, and attempted to follow some fuzzy directions to a campsite in a marina on the Hudson River, just up from the Statue of Liberty. After several attempts, we finally located the hoped for location, only to find that it was booked solid for the night, despite several empty spaces. After a get-lost session in the ‘hood of upper Jersey City, which quickened the pulse a just a bit, we finally found our way back to the Jersey Turnpike and headed west, to find the KOA near Stroudsburg, PA, nearly two hours away, finally rolling in at about 1:00 AM.
September 21, 2007 -- The day bloomed bright, and we went to check in at the office. After some hard-line negotiations to get a reasonable price on the campsite, which required a move from our original site, we enjoyed a relaxing day in camp. What we found out later was that there was a rodeo in town for the weekend (we thought that was an “out west” thing…). Well, early in the evening, several carloads of city-slicker 20-something female “cowboy groupies” rolled in, and where else did they set up camp? Of course, right across from us… the Coors Light flowed freely, as did the loud talking, laughter, and “Cowboy Karaoke” until as late as 4:30 AM, despite several warnings by KOA personnel to put a lid on it…Grrrrr. Oh, did I mention this kept up for TWO nights? Double grrrrr!!! As I have found out so many times in my law enforcement career, there is no point in trying to reason with alcohol-soaked people, so we just had to tough it out…
September 22. 2007 -- We drove down to New York Harbor and boarded a ferry for Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island, once a beehive of immigrant processing activity in the late 1800’s until the mid 1900’s, stood silent for many years as it slowly decayed. In the later 1900’s, Ellis Island was adopted by the US Park Service and meticulously restored. On our visit day, it appeared to be as much a cultural and ethnic melting pot as it was in its heyday—there were so many different races, cultures, ethnicities, manner of dress, and languages represented there, it was almost like seeing the facility as it once might have been, albeit modern amenities. I could go on and on about this one, but, better to read about it on your own, or let’s chat later…
We then moved on to see the Statue of Liberty—now there’s an impressive lady! Regrettably, we could not go up inside the statue as you used to be able to prior to 9-11, but, it was still a magnificent sight to behold from the outside. We tagged onto a Ranger-led tour, and it’s always great to find someone who is passionate on his topic, and this Ranger certainly was! It’s easy to imagine how the sight of this statue, while entering the NY Harbor after leaving “the old country” for a new life in a new land could stir a person’s soul, and bring tears to their eyes…
September 23, 2007 -- Road trip through the Pocono Mountains, to the rolling farmlands of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, made famous by its large Amish population. The colors are starting to change for the fall, and we look forward to the Autumn in all her glory... We found a really nice RV park just east of Lancaster city, and tucked in for a few days. On the agenda while based here is Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Hershey, and the local sights.
September 24, 2007 -- We took a bus tour through the local Amish countryside. The Amish are everywhere here, and blend well, albeit conspicuously, with all the modernism of the heavily tourist-oriented town, which is really about them. Just when you thought the term “wireless” had something to do with lap-top computers and the Internet, take a look at an Amish farmstead; yea, many of them clumped together—now, that brings a whole new perspective on the word wireless—no juice to any of these farms, which are lit by gas lights, heated by wood, propane, or kerosene, and propelled by horse power, compressed air, or diesel. We watched while passing several farms as the Amish did hand labor and horse-powered harvesting in their fields; and saw several Amish schoolyards brimming with like-clad children having fun during lunch before returning to one-room school buildings to get their education, which typically stops at the eighth grade; and saw each Amish domicile flying a lengthy lanyard of drying laundry in the sunshine, as Monday is wash-day. We stopped at a quilt shop, and watched the Amish lady quickly and expertly doing impeccable hand stitching on a beautiful quilt under construction, and marveled at her collection of stunning quilts for sale, for prices that don’t seem unreasonable, relative to what some stores would sell them for (she said that retailers take a significant mark-up on Amish quilts). A couple more stops at a farm and a local craftsman that does woodwork were equally impressive; and fresh-made ice cream really is better than the stuff you buy at the store!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Bwoston--Ain't It A Wicked Pissah?!
September 14, 2007 -- This morning began in a grump, and not by choice. At about 9:30 PM the night prior, a band of Gypsys in the form of a women’s’ softball team loudly rolled in, along with their male companions, and set up camp almost directly across from us. Hoping for the best (they might go to bed to rest up for their game the next day) and expecting the worst (they would party until the cows came home), the latter won out. They were loud, obnoxious, profane, rude, drunken, and disrespectful (did I miss any applicable adjectives?) as they partied and played horseshoes, until the last ones finally crashed at nearly 2:00 AM. Dag went over to the group at about 12:30 and politely asked that they call it a night; “Oh, yeah, man, sorry—we’re going to bed right now. We have to be up really early for a game tomorrow, eh?” Yeah, right—not likely, and most of the hung-over campsite was still baggin’ Z’s at 8:00 AM the next morning… Dag went down to the office, explained why we were not “happy campers” and politely, yet firmly, demanded a refund for the night’s stay, and same was given without protest. We think we would rather have paid for a good night’s sleep, rather than salt away a few bucks for the misery of that night, especially ahead of our 290-something mile drive to Cooperstown, NY… It was an all-day affair, while taking a secondary highway through scenic Upstate New York, and trying to cheap out on paying for the toll road Interstate. Toll roads—hope they don’t become popular in California…
We stopped in Victor, NY for a few hours and took in the Iroquois Nations Confederation First Peoples exhibit, known as Ganondagon. This was a very informative program, put on by the members of the Seneca tribe. A walking trail with points-of-interest stations told the history of the early civilization of the Iroquois Nations, and their conflicts with the French and later settlers. It culminated in a visit to a reproduction “Long House” that was typical of the early Iroquois First Peoples. It was filled with actual and repro artifacts, and a program was given by two very knowledgeable tribal interpreters. After listening to the presentation, we were impressed with how culturally advanced the Iroquois tribes actually were, and it left us to wonder how the European settlers presumed to claim the cultural and moral high ground against the “savages.” From an advanced technology standpoint, perhaps, but little more…
While one of the main purposes of this trip was to be a rolling classroom for the kids, Malia and I have come to gain a significant amount of new knowledge about Native Americans while crossing the country. It is amazing how little we were taught about the Native Americans while in school, and how much that we did learn back then was slanted toward the “paleface” view. Hollywood did us no favors in shaping perspectives and attitudes toward Indian peoples while growing up…
Up and rolling again, we found our campsite south of Cooperstown in the dark, and were awakened to the sound of rain shortly after sacking out.
September 15, 2007 -- The rain kept up all night, and we awoke to a blustery day, that was interspersed with rain showers. We journeyed into Cooperstown, the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. What a classy place! Even if you are not a baseball fan, you might find the place interesting. It was a trip down memory lane, recalling all the names of the Major League players that were household words while growing up, but have faded from memory as the new wave of overpaid, steroid-pumped prima donnas make an expensive Sport of Kings from what used to be the common man’s sport (whoops, sorry, let me climb down off my soapbox before I fall off and hurt myself…). Dag, ever on the lookout for a bargain, traded a double-dip blood donation for a ticket to the BHoF—such a deal! (They were having a very good response to the blood drive that was going on at the time). This place, like many others we have seen, is a must-see if you find yourself in NY. Cooperstown itself is very scenic, and hosts some very well-preserved historic homes. We drove around a bit and enjoyed the scenery; on a whim, we stopped at an ancient cemetery, where we read grave markers dating back to 1794! The small-town charm and the well kept old properties were delightful, and the Lake Otsego, next to which Cooperstown sits, just begs to be sailed and fished… I told Malia that if I had to live in NY, Cooperstown would make the short list!
The nightcap on this day’s adventure was trip down the road to Oneonta, NY, which is the home of Brooks’ House of Barbecue, a place that came onto the radar from the Rachel Ray Food Network show. Ooooh, my… if you like your ‘cue, this place is to die for! Between barbecued chicken and racks of pork ribs, and all the other stuff that comes with it, we could barely leave under our own power. A destination worth the investment, to be sure!
September 16, 2007 -- A long road trip day to the Boston area. We ended up stuck in Boston commute traffic—I’m not sure I have a negative word in my vocabulary that is negative enough to describe this un-delightful experience. As veterans of Los Angeles commuting, we are experienced in heavy traffic, but not like this… I am sure that there will be a special place in Hell for the design team that created the Interstate 93 outbound commute corridor from Boston—no, not any hotter; they will just have to drive in their creation, all day, every day, in an endless loop for eternity… a just punishment for those who created so much misery… just picture eight lanes being bottlenecked down to two lanes as it goes into the Ted Williams Tunnel, being driven by a sea of tired, grumpy, and poor-driving-skill motorists on cell phones, then being forced to pay $4.50 for this torment before going into the tunnel—stress level needle off the end of the meter…
September 17, 2007 -- We made the inbound commuter train to Boston, literally by seconds, after some really bad directions on how to get to the station. We got aboard, and the kindly conductor helped us figure out the “T” system of trains and subways to get to our destination. We got off the subway at the Boston Commons (central park) and started our walk up the “Freedom Trail” which showcases a number of sites that were the tinderbox upon which the first sparks of the American Revolution were struck, which of course resulted in a free and independent America which we today enjoy after the courageous Colonists’ hard-fought victory over Great Britain. Boston is an interesting place, with suited professionals briskly walking among the casual tourists, street vendors and the homeless; tall buildings commingling among buildings that were built nearly 300 years ago, and brutal traffic, not for the faint-of-heart. Ever heard of Dunkin’ Doughnuts? A chain doughnut-and-coffee establishment, it is a cultural icon throughout Massachusetts, as plentiful as Starbucks on the left coast. If DD went belly-up (not likely here), I think the MA economy would fold right behind it…
September 18, 2007 -- Day trip up to the scenic Kittery, Maine, and then down through New Hampshire, and ending in Salem, Massachusetts, before returning to camp. Kittery is the east coast factory outlet destination, with a number of them competing for your $$. Kittery is home to The Trading Post, a sporting goods store that blows Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop right off the pond! Right next door, for your splurging pleasure, is Bob’s Clam House, with mouth-watering clam and lobster rolls—oh, yeah, baby…
We drove back through the back roads of New Hampshire, and found Exeter, NH, a quaint little town with the namesake of our old stomping grounds.
The final stop was in Salem, MA., ground zero of the New England witch hunt that remains an indelible stain on our history from the late 1600s. This tragic story unfolds as the folly of several young girls who feign being under the spell of witches, and point fingers at numerous women (and men) in the community. The superstition, ignorance, and self-righteous religious zeal of misguided judges in this Puritan community resulted in 20 innocents being executed, as well as many more incarcerated, for the allegation of practicing witchcraft. The story “The Crucible” is among many that detail the tragedy. We went to the Salem Witch Museum, which details the story, and separates fact from fiction. A final stop at the Salem Maritime Heritage Park capped the day before driving back to the campground.
September 19, 2007 -- A relaxed day, as we caught up the home-schooling, the banking, and car maintenance. Dag took the car in for an oil change, and engaged a conversation with a Massachusetts lass with as thick an accent as he could understand, and learned the definition of a "wicked pissah." It's not what one might think, and several things do come to mind; rather, it is an exclaimation that declares the extreme excellence of the item, person, or entity that the expression is aimed at--I might suggest, however, that you not aim this adjective at your significant other, regardless of how wonderful you think they might be... In the afternoon, we drove into Plymouth, the site where the Pilgrims came ashore from the Mayflower. We went aboard the “Mayflower II”, an exact replica of the famous vessel. Several period character-actors gave us the story of life aboard the Mayflower—no Carnival Cruise on this boat! It is hard to imagine life in those times, especially in the tight belly of a cold, wet, dark wooden vessel, in close quarters with their farm animals, for 66 days, while en route to a non-settled destination, in the teeth of the winter—hoowee! We then saw “THE Rock” (not the actor) upon which is supposed to have been the first steps of the Pilgrims in the New World. We were perhaps expecting something perhaps a bit bigger?...
We stopped in Victor, NY for a few hours and took in the Iroquois Nations Confederation First Peoples exhibit, known as Ganondagon. This was a very informative program, put on by the members of the Seneca tribe. A walking trail with points-of-interest stations told the history of the early civilization of the Iroquois Nations, and their conflicts with the French and later settlers. It culminated in a visit to a reproduction “Long House” that was typical of the early Iroquois First Peoples. It was filled with actual and repro artifacts, and a program was given by two very knowledgeable tribal interpreters. After listening to the presentation, we were impressed with how culturally advanced the Iroquois tribes actually were, and it left us to wonder how the European settlers presumed to claim the cultural and moral high ground against the “savages.” From an advanced technology standpoint, perhaps, but little more…
While one of the main purposes of this trip was to be a rolling classroom for the kids, Malia and I have come to gain a significant amount of new knowledge about Native Americans while crossing the country. It is amazing how little we were taught about the Native Americans while in school, and how much that we did learn back then was slanted toward the “paleface” view. Hollywood did us no favors in shaping perspectives and attitudes toward Indian peoples while growing up…
Up and rolling again, we found our campsite south of Cooperstown in the dark, and were awakened to the sound of rain shortly after sacking out.
September 15, 2007 -- The rain kept up all night, and we awoke to a blustery day, that was interspersed with rain showers. We journeyed into Cooperstown, the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. What a classy place! Even if you are not a baseball fan, you might find the place interesting. It was a trip down memory lane, recalling all the names of the Major League players that were household words while growing up, but have faded from memory as the new wave of overpaid, steroid-pumped prima donnas make an expensive Sport of Kings from what used to be the common man’s sport (whoops, sorry, let me climb down off my soapbox before I fall off and hurt myself…). Dag, ever on the lookout for a bargain, traded a double-dip blood donation for a ticket to the BHoF—such a deal! (They were having a very good response to the blood drive that was going on at the time). This place, like many others we have seen, is a must-see if you find yourself in NY. Cooperstown itself is very scenic, and hosts some very well-preserved historic homes. We drove around a bit and enjoyed the scenery; on a whim, we stopped at an ancient cemetery, where we read grave markers dating back to 1794! The small-town charm and the well kept old properties were delightful, and the Lake Otsego, next to which Cooperstown sits, just begs to be sailed and fished… I told Malia that if I had to live in NY, Cooperstown would make the short list!
The nightcap on this day’s adventure was trip down the road to Oneonta, NY, which is the home of Brooks’ House of Barbecue, a place that came onto the radar from the Rachel Ray Food Network show. Ooooh, my… if you like your ‘cue, this place is to die for! Between barbecued chicken and racks of pork ribs, and all the other stuff that comes with it, we could barely leave under our own power. A destination worth the investment, to be sure!
September 16, 2007 -- A long road trip day to the Boston area. We ended up stuck in Boston commute traffic—I’m not sure I have a negative word in my vocabulary that is negative enough to describe this un-delightful experience. As veterans of Los Angeles commuting, we are experienced in heavy traffic, but not like this… I am sure that there will be a special place in Hell for the design team that created the Interstate 93 outbound commute corridor from Boston—no, not any hotter; they will just have to drive in their creation, all day, every day, in an endless loop for eternity… a just punishment for those who created so much misery… just picture eight lanes being bottlenecked down to two lanes as it goes into the Ted Williams Tunnel, being driven by a sea of tired, grumpy, and poor-driving-skill motorists on cell phones, then being forced to pay $4.50 for this torment before going into the tunnel—stress level needle off the end of the meter…
September 17, 2007 -- We made the inbound commuter train to Boston, literally by seconds, after some really bad directions on how to get to the station. We got aboard, and the kindly conductor helped us figure out the “T” system of trains and subways to get to our destination. We got off the subway at the Boston Commons (central park) and started our walk up the “Freedom Trail” which showcases a number of sites that were the tinderbox upon which the first sparks of the American Revolution were struck, which of course resulted in a free and independent America which we today enjoy after the courageous Colonists’ hard-fought victory over Great Britain. Boston is an interesting place, with suited professionals briskly walking among the casual tourists, street vendors and the homeless; tall buildings commingling among buildings that were built nearly 300 years ago, and brutal traffic, not for the faint-of-heart. Ever heard of Dunkin’ Doughnuts? A chain doughnut-and-coffee establishment, it is a cultural icon throughout Massachusetts, as plentiful as Starbucks on the left coast. If DD went belly-up (not likely here), I think the MA economy would fold right behind it…
September 18, 2007 -- Day trip up to the scenic Kittery, Maine, and then down through New Hampshire, and ending in Salem, Massachusetts, before returning to camp. Kittery is the east coast factory outlet destination, with a number of them competing for your $$. Kittery is home to The Trading Post, a sporting goods store that blows Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop right off the pond! Right next door, for your splurging pleasure, is Bob’s Clam House, with mouth-watering clam and lobster rolls—oh, yeah, baby…
We drove back through the back roads of New Hampshire, and found Exeter, NH, a quaint little town with the namesake of our old stomping grounds.
The final stop was in Salem, MA., ground zero of the New England witch hunt that remains an indelible stain on our history from the late 1600s. This tragic story unfolds as the folly of several young girls who feign being under the spell of witches, and point fingers at numerous women (and men) in the community. The superstition, ignorance, and self-righteous religious zeal of misguided judges in this Puritan community resulted in 20 innocents being executed, as well as many more incarcerated, for the allegation of practicing witchcraft. The story “The Crucible” is among many that detail the tragedy. We went to the Salem Witch Museum, which details the story, and separates fact from fiction. A final stop at the Salem Maritime Heritage Park capped the day before driving back to the campground.
September 19, 2007 -- A relaxed day, as we caught up the home-schooling, the banking, and car maintenance. Dag took the car in for an oil change, and engaged a conversation with a Massachusetts lass with as thick an accent as he could understand, and learned the definition of a "wicked pissah." It's not what one might think, and several things do come to mind; rather, it is an exclaimation that declares the extreme excellence of the item, person, or entity that the expression is aimed at--I might suggest, however, that you not aim this adjective at your significant other, regardless of how wonderful you think they might be... In the afternoon, we drove into Plymouth, the site where the Pilgrims came ashore from the Mayflower. We went aboard the “Mayflower II”, an exact replica of the famous vessel. Several period character-actors gave us the story of life aboard the Mayflower—no Carnival Cruise on this boat! It is hard to imagine life in those times, especially in the tight belly of a cold, wet, dark wooden vessel, in close quarters with their farm animals, for 66 days, while en route to a non-settled destination, in the teeth of the winter—hoowee! We then saw “THE Rock” (not the actor) upon which is supposed to have been the first steps of the Pilgrims in the New World. We were perhaps expecting something perhaps a bit bigger?...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Back Again, Finally...
Apologies again, loyal fans—Internet availability is very difficult to find, and is often marginal when we do—we’ll try harder to keep up on the ‘blog when we can find a good Internet connection… We have decided to stand by on the photos for now, with technical difficulties being encountered--we'll figure out something later.
August 25, 2007 -- With both boys both feeling a little under the weather with a short-term (thankfully!) tummy-bug, we went to see the four granite faces of Mt. Rushmore. In our modern age of laser precision, GPS location, Internet information, and automated everything, we never cease to marvel at the engineering feats of our predecessors that were accomplished by slide-rule math (kids reading this, ask your parents, or grandparents…), string lines and plumb-bobs, and crude-by-modern-standards power tools, and an artistic eye. The Presidents’ faces carved into granite, the hardest variety known, was accomplished by not by hammer and chisel, but rather, by drilling holes into the solid granite by air-driven jackhammers and drills, precisely measured and placed placed dynamite charges, and air-driven finishing tools. Over 10,000 cases of dynamite were used. Workmen, hanging by 3/8” cables in a boatswain’s chair over a 500’ drop, lowered by hand-powered winches, accomplished the gargantuan task over a period of 14 years. The task was not as complete as the artist Borglum would have liked; his project was stopped and finished as well as could be done by the onset of WWII, and the budgetary limitations of a growing US war effort. In the project, no fatalities were suffered, and few injuries were sustained. The grandeur of this project, like so many things we have seen, cannot be done justice by photographs…
We then headed east for an easy road day, as we watched mile after mile display sign after sign of the Wall Drug company. If you have never been to Wall Drug, go at least once just to say you have been there. It covers literally two blocks, and is the largest emporium of self-promoting stuff, gadgets, widgets, toys, tourist bait, foods, and stuff to interest just about anyone that we have ever seen under one roof. We camped just down the road, and got off to an early start the next day.
August 26, 2007 -- We crossed the mighty Missouri River and into Chamberlain SD, the home of the Lakota Sioux Museum and Cultural Center. LSMCC was well worth the visit, and further reinforced our learning about the Plains Indians way of life. The displays were interesting, vivid and very well done, a must-see for any Plains traveler. We went back across the river and camped in Oacama, SD.
August 27, 2007 -- We rolled into DeSmet, SD, and onto the childhood homestead of Laura Ingalls Wilder, of “Little House on the Prairie” fame. Laura was a prolific writer in the later part of her life as she penned the Little House series. The television series was a blend of several of the places that Laura lived as the child of Charles and Laura Ingalls, and was a bit more upscale than the actual digs that they lived in during the first years of the homestead claim established by her father. A small, dank dugout in the side of a hill, covered with sod and lit by a single window was home-sweet-home in the beginning, followed by a small shanty, and then the farmhouse, which was still very close quarters by today’s standards. The summers were hot, humid, and mosquito-infested; the winters were brutal and sparse. Those were some really tough and dedicated people back then…
We got the grand tour of the homestead and outbuildings (no, not the outhouse…). The kids got to drive buggies and horse teams, make rope, shell corn, ground flour, twisted hay (used as fuel on the tree-less prairie), and made corn-cob dolls (Kristian made a corn-cob pipe). The old school house, complete with elderly school marm, was a real treat and a look back to how it was in the days of the one-room school house. The kids of the old days just fine without electronic entertainment and cell phones, and I’d hazard a guess that modern day kids would buckle under the hard work and times experienced by their predecessors.
We stayed the night at the homestead, and enjoyed the night sounds of the prairie, instead of trains, planes, and automobiles that we have become accustomed to at less-rural RV facilities. The thunderstorms approaching in the distance left us with beautiful electric fireworks and a booming fanfare, and rained upon by morning.
August 28, 2007 -- Road trip from DeSmet, traveling across the bottom of South Dakota, staying one step ahead, then one step behind a cold front moving across the Midwest, bringing with it a moving carwash. We played tag with the thunderstorms the whole day, and found ourselves in north central Iowa. Iowa is the kind of place that Terry Redlin paintings are inspired from, with scenic farms and countryside, the kind of places that conjure up fantasies of crisp autumn evenings by a fire after a day’s sporting afield, while good stuff is cookin’ in the kitchen…
We made our way to the home of David and Nikki Smith and their boys Trevor and Caleb, in Alden, Iowa. They live on a farmstead as described above, a three-story (four, if you include the basement) American Foursqare-styled home, guessing a vintage circa turn of the 20th. century. They were so kind to let us park and unfurl the soggy tent trailer inside one of several huge barns on the property to dry out while it stormed outside... Nikki is a friend of Malia’s from UC Davis in the early 1980’s; Dave, her husband, is a commercial pilot and Certified Flight Instructor. Malia and I met Dave and the boys for the first time; I met Nikki for the first time. Malia and Nikki took up where they left off, and I became acquainted with Dave, and we talked flying until late in the night.
August 29, 2007 -- Another full day enjoying the splendid hospitality of the Smiths! The girls went shopping, the boys went fishing, and Dave and I went out to the airport where Dave works to get the grand tour. The eve was spent enjoying barbecued chicken, and a game of hide-and-seek in the labyrinth of the darkened Smith home! The adults played also; Dave and Nikki, with the home-court advantage, got caught first. Trevor won, slipping into a small spot that no one could believe that he could fit into…
August 30, 2007 -- Our longest road day yet, but an easy one, because we were not negotiating an endless line of hills and curves. We regretfully said goodbye to the wonderful hospitality of our good friends Dave and Nikki Smith and their endearing lads, and pressed on southbound towards St. Louis. The roads tend to be very straight in Iowa, with the gentle rolling landscape dotted with stands of trees surrounding scenic farmsteads, and never-ending miles of corn, destined for the gas tanks of America in the form of ethanol. We whiled away the hours while listening to Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” on CD. A delightful novel, if not just a little politically incorrect for modern decorum, but, a wonderful trip to the “theater of the mind” nonetheless. We stopped briefly in Hannibal, Missouri, a riverfront town on the west bank of the Mississippi River, known of Mark Twain fame. It seemed a bit run-down and depressed, and we were less than impressed with it. We decided to press on to St. Louis, instead of staying there as originally planned. A late arrival in a mosquito-infested RV park on the East bank of the Mississippi River (Illinois) and a good night’s sleep after swatting many of the little blood-sucking beasties inside the trailer.
August 31, 2007 -- Our first full day in St. Louis. The first half of the day spent on home-school catch-up (we try to stay caught up, but sometimes it can be a trick while on the road…). We then ventured forth to the St. Louis Arch National Park (yes, four more Junior Ranger patches on the scoreboard). We hung around for a Ranger-led tour, and seemed to be the only takers in the Westward Expansion museum. Our Ranger gave us a real “insider” presentation, and somehow guessed that we were home-schoolers. I pressed him to explain how he knew; he just said “ESP, I guess. After a while, you get to know your clientele.” We took it as a compliment… The Arch is an engineering masterpiece, designed by a Finnish architect. We politely declined a very expensive tram ride to the top, in favor of something giving a bit more bank for the buck… Again, like so many other things we have seen on this trip, photos do it no justice—you just have to see the thing in real life.
After the Arch, we boarded the local Metro system train, and went to the Union Station, which served as a rail transportation hub during the heyday of rail travel. It has since been converted to a very unique mall and sorta kinda museum. It seems that every other store there is a St. Louis Cardinals promotional shop of some flavor. The highlight of this visit was the stop at the Fudgery, where the “MC” of the shop made fudge in front of a growing crowd, while conducting his very entertaining and in-your-face audience participation stand-up comedy routine.
And now, for all you baseball fans—the closing act of this day was a trip to Busch Stadium, where we jumped off the Metro just to “look around a bit.” On impulse and a good opportunity, we bought some well-below-gate-price tickets from a desperate scalper to see the ten-time World Series winners St. Louis Cardinals play the Cincinnati Reds. Boy, talk about a town that loves their baseball team! The stadium was a full house, in a sea of red and white. We watched a Cardinal home run at the bottom of the second inning; a tragic and severe line-drive injury to on-deck batter Juan Encarnacion, and then, in the sixth inning, were privileged to see a Grand Slam by Cardinal outfielder Rick Ankiel! This brought the Cardinals from behind from 4-3 to 7-3, a healthy lead, and the Cards fans went wild! With tired and bored kids, we left at the seventh inning stretch, confident that the game was pretty much a “done deal.” (Newspaper said the next day the final score was 8-5, Cardinals sealing the victory).
September 1, 2007 -- Our next day in St. Louis, we went to a very interesting tour, that of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Getting past all the jokes and guffaws that likely follow, this place is amazing! The entire complex is set on scenic, historic, and immaculately-kept grounds; the inside of each building, regardless of its use, is surgical sanitary. No expense has been spared to make this place a corporate and industrial showplace. The production numbers and logistics to produce the “King of Beers” and all the other labels produced here, are mind-boggling. These guys put out enough beer in a day, every day, to float a battleship, almost literally. A team of the famous and carefully selected Clydesdale draft horses is kept at the grounds; the remainders are kept at a local breeding ranch on the outskirts of St. Louis. The young tour guides really “knew their stuff” and were able to answer any question, no matter how obscure. If you find yourself in St. Louis for any reason, this place is another do-not-miss.
September 2, 2007 -- Goodbye, St. Louis, and on to Springfield, Illinois. We rolled into town in the afternoon, and visited the Abraham Lincoln Home and National Park (you guessed it, another Junior Ranger on the tally). The home is situated in a beautiful and historic neighborhood, and has been immaculately restored and maintained. The home is furnished with some original, and many period-reproduction pieces. The Ranger guide is another who “knew his stuff” and was enthusiastic, yea, passionate about his love for the old home and its historic significance.
September 3, 2007 -- The Lincoln Museum and Library complex is a treasure trove of information and lore about our 16th President, the Civil War, and the way of life in that era. It was not a stuffy and academic chamber of stuff—the layout and presentation of artifacts was well done, in a chronological lifespan layout, and addressed Lincoln’s successes, defeats, joys and sorrows, the political climate of the time, and an entire section was dedicated to Lincoln’s colorful and controversial wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.
We returned to the campground, and after a, shall we say, difference of opinion, with the RV park manager, we pulled up stakes in the early evening and drove into the late night, to the east side of Indianapolis, and took a hotel room. An unfortunate end to an otherwise great day. Some people just refuse to listen to reason when their mind is made up; don’t try to confuse them with the facts…
September 4, 2007 -- We rolled into Cincinnati, and spent a great afternoon with Dag’s relatives, Dick & Tina Goranson (Aunt & Uncle), and their daughter (cousin) Loretta, her husband David, and their three daughters. Malia and Loretta talked home-schooling, scrap-booking and mom stuff; Dag and David became acquainted in their first introductions to each other. It’s always fun to catch up on “family stuff” and enjoy these types of informal gatherings. We camped in a county park not far from Loretta’s that was thick with towering pines and a small lake.
September 5, 2007 -- We took in the Underground Railroad Freedom Museum. This place is an in-depth look at the history of slavery in the US, as well as the oppression of people and societies around the world to present day. Educational, very well done, but sobering…
September 6, 2007 -- Before leaving the Cincinnati area, we went to a place called The Creation Museum. This place is a head-on collision with the Theory of Evolution and the followers of Darwin’s principles. Very interesting, very compelling in its position on this divisive issue, and I will only say that if you find yourself in northern Kentucky (just south of Cincinnati) and want to shake your foundation a little (or a lot, depending on your impression of the place), take a day and check this place out (or visit the website www.answersingenesis.org) before jumping to any conclusions…
We then drove across Ohio, and at about 9:30 PM, found our way to the little wide spot in the road called Lucas, Ohio (a few miles east of Mansfield). We were welcomed by Dag’s cousin Cathy Baker, and her husband Frank, and their kids Molly, Austin, and Chase. The home we stayed at for the next five nights is a farmhouse, built in 1879, and is situate on about seven manicured acres. Cathy and Frank have created the consummate “country” home from this wonderful old property.
September 7-11, 2007 -- We spent a very relaxing time with the Bakers; Dag, “catching up” and reminiscing with Cathy, and both of us getting to know Frank and the kids, as well as Frank’s delightful parents “PawPaw” and “MawMaw.” We toured the local area, and were quite taken by the sights and homes, many of which could easily be found jumping from the pages of “Country” magazine. This is a place that is easy to like, and could easily be described as a well-kept secret by the people who live there. Cathy is a culinary master in her kitchen, and is directly responsible for some pounds that we did not have when we got there…
On Saturday, we went to a middle-school football game to watch Austin and Chase, members of the Lucas Cubs football team, play against a rival mid-school that was way out on the edge of the farmlands somewhere. The game was delayed for nearly an hours as a thunderstorm flashed, boomed, and drenched its way across the area. The game was a Cubs victory, with both boys getting some game-winning action! As we prepared to leave, we found that a hinge to the Suburban tail-gate window had become detached (good timing…not.), and created an obstacle course of hoops to jump through with the car dealer, the warranty company, and several glass dealers.
After getting the window fire put out, we regretfully left the marvelous hospitality and fellowship we enjoyed with the Bakers and pushed on down the road. We rolled into the Amish country east of where we were staying, and enjoyed the sights of Kidron, Ohio, which is home to the coolest hardware store in existence, Lehman’s Non-Electric Hardware (they do have electrical stuff there for the non-Amish, but the Amish were their main market when they opened for business years ago). We saw a number of Amish people, as well as their horse-drawn carriages, and barefooted children—very cool! It’s hard to believe that people can live with the self-imposed disciplines that the Amish live with, especially in the 21st century, but, we admire their courage and commitment to live by their principles and beliefs.
September 12, 2007 -- We drove from Erie, PA to Buffalo, NY, and then across into Ontario, Canada. We set up at the KOA, and had a relaxed evening and swam. We anxiously awaited the next day, to when we could see Niagara Falls!
September 13, 2007 -- We got to see the amazing sight of Niagara Falls—unbelievable! We took the “Maid of the Mist” boat tour, and traveled right up to the edge of the falls, wrapped in a blue slicker that kept us mostly dry in the torrential spray that came over the top of us, but, we sloshed off the boat in soaked shoes—well worth the experience! The city of Niagara falls is glitzy and garish, rather much like a Las Vegas experience, and full of tourist traps. The Canadians are so nice—they’ll let you spend as much money as you like, eh?
August 25, 2007 -- With both boys both feeling a little under the weather with a short-term (thankfully!) tummy-bug, we went to see the four granite faces of Mt. Rushmore. In our modern age of laser precision, GPS location, Internet information, and automated everything, we never cease to marvel at the engineering feats of our predecessors that were accomplished by slide-rule math (kids reading this, ask your parents, or grandparents…), string lines and plumb-bobs, and crude-by-modern-standards power tools, and an artistic eye. The Presidents’ faces carved into granite, the hardest variety known, was accomplished by not by hammer and chisel, but rather, by drilling holes into the solid granite by air-driven jackhammers and drills, precisely measured and placed placed dynamite charges, and air-driven finishing tools. Over 10,000 cases of dynamite were used. Workmen, hanging by 3/8” cables in a boatswain’s chair over a 500’ drop, lowered by hand-powered winches, accomplished the gargantuan task over a period of 14 years. The task was not as complete as the artist Borglum would have liked; his project was stopped and finished as well as could be done by the onset of WWII, and the budgetary limitations of a growing US war effort. In the project, no fatalities were suffered, and few injuries were sustained. The grandeur of this project, like so many things we have seen, cannot be done justice by photographs…
We then headed east for an easy road day, as we watched mile after mile display sign after sign of the Wall Drug company. If you have never been to Wall Drug, go at least once just to say you have been there. It covers literally two blocks, and is the largest emporium of self-promoting stuff, gadgets, widgets, toys, tourist bait, foods, and stuff to interest just about anyone that we have ever seen under one roof. We camped just down the road, and got off to an early start the next day.
August 26, 2007 -- We crossed the mighty Missouri River and into Chamberlain SD, the home of the Lakota Sioux Museum and Cultural Center. LSMCC was well worth the visit, and further reinforced our learning about the Plains Indians way of life. The displays were interesting, vivid and very well done, a must-see for any Plains traveler. We went back across the river and camped in Oacama, SD.
August 27, 2007 -- We rolled into DeSmet, SD, and onto the childhood homestead of Laura Ingalls Wilder, of “Little House on the Prairie” fame. Laura was a prolific writer in the later part of her life as she penned the Little House series. The television series was a blend of several of the places that Laura lived as the child of Charles and Laura Ingalls, and was a bit more upscale than the actual digs that they lived in during the first years of the homestead claim established by her father. A small, dank dugout in the side of a hill, covered with sod and lit by a single window was home-sweet-home in the beginning, followed by a small shanty, and then the farmhouse, which was still very close quarters by today’s standards. The summers were hot, humid, and mosquito-infested; the winters were brutal and sparse. Those were some really tough and dedicated people back then…
We got the grand tour of the homestead and outbuildings (no, not the outhouse…). The kids got to drive buggies and horse teams, make rope, shell corn, ground flour, twisted hay (used as fuel on the tree-less prairie), and made corn-cob dolls (Kristian made a corn-cob pipe). The old school house, complete with elderly school marm, was a real treat and a look back to how it was in the days of the one-room school house. The kids of the old days just fine without electronic entertainment and cell phones, and I’d hazard a guess that modern day kids would buckle under the hard work and times experienced by their predecessors.
We stayed the night at the homestead, and enjoyed the night sounds of the prairie, instead of trains, planes, and automobiles that we have become accustomed to at less-rural RV facilities. The thunderstorms approaching in the distance left us with beautiful electric fireworks and a booming fanfare, and rained upon by morning.
August 28, 2007 -- Road trip from DeSmet, traveling across the bottom of South Dakota, staying one step ahead, then one step behind a cold front moving across the Midwest, bringing with it a moving carwash. We played tag with the thunderstorms the whole day, and found ourselves in north central Iowa. Iowa is the kind of place that Terry Redlin paintings are inspired from, with scenic farms and countryside, the kind of places that conjure up fantasies of crisp autumn evenings by a fire after a day’s sporting afield, while good stuff is cookin’ in the kitchen…
We made our way to the home of David and Nikki Smith and their boys Trevor and Caleb, in Alden, Iowa. They live on a farmstead as described above, a three-story (four, if you include the basement) American Foursqare-styled home, guessing a vintage circa turn of the 20th. century. They were so kind to let us park and unfurl the soggy tent trailer inside one of several huge barns on the property to dry out while it stormed outside... Nikki is a friend of Malia’s from UC Davis in the early 1980’s; Dave, her husband, is a commercial pilot and Certified Flight Instructor. Malia and I met Dave and the boys for the first time; I met Nikki for the first time. Malia and Nikki took up where they left off, and I became acquainted with Dave, and we talked flying until late in the night.
August 29, 2007 -- Another full day enjoying the splendid hospitality of the Smiths! The girls went shopping, the boys went fishing, and Dave and I went out to the airport where Dave works to get the grand tour. The eve was spent enjoying barbecued chicken, and a game of hide-and-seek in the labyrinth of the darkened Smith home! The adults played also; Dave and Nikki, with the home-court advantage, got caught first. Trevor won, slipping into a small spot that no one could believe that he could fit into…
August 30, 2007 -- Our longest road day yet, but an easy one, because we were not negotiating an endless line of hills and curves. We regretfully said goodbye to the wonderful hospitality of our good friends Dave and Nikki Smith and their endearing lads, and pressed on southbound towards St. Louis. The roads tend to be very straight in Iowa, with the gentle rolling landscape dotted with stands of trees surrounding scenic farmsteads, and never-ending miles of corn, destined for the gas tanks of America in the form of ethanol. We whiled away the hours while listening to Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” on CD. A delightful novel, if not just a little politically incorrect for modern decorum, but, a wonderful trip to the “theater of the mind” nonetheless. We stopped briefly in Hannibal, Missouri, a riverfront town on the west bank of the Mississippi River, known of Mark Twain fame. It seemed a bit run-down and depressed, and we were less than impressed with it. We decided to press on to St. Louis, instead of staying there as originally planned. A late arrival in a mosquito-infested RV park on the East bank of the Mississippi River (Illinois) and a good night’s sleep after swatting many of the little blood-sucking beasties inside the trailer.
August 31, 2007 -- Our first full day in St. Louis. The first half of the day spent on home-school catch-up (we try to stay caught up, but sometimes it can be a trick while on the road…). We then ventured forth to the St. Louis Arch National Park (yes, four more Junior Ranger patches on the scoreboard). We hung around for a Ranger-led tour, and seemed to be the only takers in the Westward Expansion museum. Our Ranger gave us a real “insider” presentation, and somehow guessed that we were home-schoolers. I pressed him to explain how he knew; he just said “ESP, I guess. After a while, you get to know your clientele.” We took it as a compliment… The Arch is an engineering masterpiece, designed by a Finnish architect. We politely declined a very expensive tram ride to the top, in favor of something giving a bit more bank for the buck… Again, like so many other things we have seen on this trip, photos do it no justice—you just have to see the thing in real life.
After the Arch, we boarded the local Metro system train, and went to the Union Station, which served as a rail transportation hub during the heyday of rail travel. It has since been converted to a very unique mall and sorta kinda museum. It seems that every other store there is a St. Louis Cardinals promotional shop of some flavor. The highlight of this visit was the stop at the Fudgery, where the “MC” of the shop made fudge in front of a growing crowd, while conducting his very entertaining and in-your-face audience participation stand-up comedy routine.
And now, for all you baseball fans—the closing act of this day was a trip to Busch Stadium, where we jumped off the Metro just to “look around a bit.” On impulse and a good opportunity, we bought some well-below-gate-price tickets from a desperate scalper to see the ten-time World Series winners St. Louis Cardinals play the Cincinnati Reds. Boy, talk about a town that loves their baseball team! The stadium was a full house, in a sea of red and white. We watched a Cardinal home run at the bottom of the second inning; a tragic and severe line-drive injury to on-deck batter Juan Encarnacion, and then, in the sixth inning, were privileged to see a Grand Slam by Cardinal outfielder Rick Ankiel! This brought the Cardinals from behind from 4-3 to 7-3, a healthy lead, and the Cards fans went wild! With tired and bored kids, we left at the seventh inning stretch, confident that the game was pretty much a “done deal.” (Newspaper said the next day the final score was 8-5, Cardinals sealing the victory).
September 1, 2007 -- Our next day in St. Louis, we went to a very interesting tour, that of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Getting past all the jokes and guffaws that likely follow, this place is amazing! The entire complex is set on scenic, historic, and immaculately-kept grounds; the inside of each building, regardless of its use, is surgical sanitary. No expense has been spared to make this place a corporate and industrial showplace. The production numbers and logistics to produce the “King of Beers” and all the other labels produced here, are mind-boggling. These guys put out enough beer in a day, every day, to float a battleship, almost literally. A team of the famous and carefully selected Clydesdale draft horses is kept at the grounds; the remainders are kept at a local breeding ranch on the outskirts of St. Louis. The young tour guides really “knew their stuff” and were able to answer any question, no matter how obscure. If you find yourself in St. Louis for any reason, this place is another do-not-miss.
September 2, 2007 -- Goodbye, St. Louis, and on to Springfield, Illinois. We rolled into town in the afternoon, and visited the Abraham Lincoln Home and National Park (you guessed it, another Junior Ranger on the tally). The home is situated in a beautiful and historic neighborhood, and has been immaculately restored and maintained. The home is furnished with some original, and many period-reproduction pieces. The Ranger guide is another who “knew his stuff” and was enthusiastic, yea, passionate about his love for the old home and its historic significance.
September 3, 2007 -- The Lincoln Museum and Library complex is a treasure trove of information and lore about our 16th President, the Civil War, and the way of life in that era. It was not a stuffy and academic chamber of stuff—the layout and presentation of artifacts was well done, in a chronological lifespan layout, and addressed Lincoln’s successes, defeats, joys and sorrows, the political climate of the time, and an entire section was dedicated to Lincoln’s colorful and controversial wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.
We returned to the campground, and after a, shall we say, difference of opinion, with the RV park manager, we pulled up stakes in the early evening and drove into the late night, to the east side of Indianapolis, and took a hotel room. An unfortunate end to an otherwise great day. Some people just refuse to listen to reason when their mind is made up; don’t try to confuse them with the facts…
September 4, 2007 -- We rolled into Cincinnati, and spent a great afternoon with Dag’s relatives, Dick & Tina Goranson (Aunt & Uncle), and their daughter (cousin) Loretta, her husband David, and their three daughters. Malia and Loretta talked home-schooling, scrap-booking and mom stuff; Dag and David became acquainted in their first introductions to each other. It’s always fun to catch up on “family stuff” and enjoy these types of informal gatherings. We camped in a county park not far from Loretta’s that was thick with towering pines and a small lake.
September 5, 2007 -- We took in the Underground Railroad Freedom Museum. This place is an in-depth look at the history of slavery in the US, as well as the oppression of people and societies around the world to present day. Educational, very well done, but sobering…
September 6, 2007 -- Before leaving the Cincinnati area, we went to a place called The Creation Museum. This place is a head-on collision with the Theory of Evolution and the followers of Darwin’s principles. Very interesting, very compelling in its position on this divisive issue, and I will only say that if you find yourself in northern Kentucky (just south of Cincinnati) and want to shake your foundation a little (or a lot, depending on your impression of the place), take a day and check this place out (or visit the website www.answersingenesis.org) before jumping to any conclusions…
We then drove across Ohio, and at about 9:30 PM, found our way to the little wide spot in the road called Lucas, Ohio (a few miles east of Mansfield). We were welcomed by Dag’s cousin Cathy Baker, and her husband Frank, and their kids Molly, Austin, and Chase. The home we stayed at for the next five nights is a farmhouse, built in 1879, and is situate on about seven manicured acres. Cathy and Frank have created the consummate “country” home from this wonderful old property.
September 7-11, 2007 -- We spent a very relaxing time with the Bakers; Dag, “catching up” and reminiscing with Cathy, and both of us getting to know Frank and the kids, as well as Frank’s delightful parents “PawPaw” and “MawMaw.” We toured the local area, and were quite taken by the sights and homes, many of which could easily be found jumping from the pages of “Country” magazine. This is a place that is easy to like, and could easily be described as a well-kept secret by the people who live there. Cathy is a culinary master in her kitchen, and is directly responsible for some pounds that we did not have when we got there…
On Saturday, we went to a middle-school football game to watch Austin and Chase, members of the Lucas Cubs football team, play against a rival mid-school that was way out on the edge of the farmlands somewhere. The game was delayed for nearly an hours as a thunderstorm flashed, boomed, and drenched its way across the area. The game was a Cubs victory, with both boys getting some game-winning action! As we prepared to leave, we found that a hinge to the Suburban tail-gate window had become detached (good timing…not.), and created an obstacle course of hoops to jump through with the car dealer, the warranty company, and several glass dealers.
After getting the window fire put out, we regretfully left the marvelous hospitality and fellowship we enjoyed with the Bakers and pushed on down the road. We rolled into the Amish country east of where we were staying, and enjoyed the sights of Kidron, Ohio, which is home to the coolest hardware store in existence, Lehman’s Non-Electric Hardware (they do have electrical stuff there for the non-Amish, but the Amish were their main market when they opened for business years ago). We saw a number of Amish people, as well as their horse-drawn carriages, and barefooted children—very cool! It’s hard to believe that people can live with the self-imposed disciplines that the Amish live with, especially in the 21st century, but, we admire their courage and commitment to live by their principles and beliefs.
September 12, 2007 -- We drove from Erie, PA to Buffalo, NY, and then across into Ontario, Canada. We set up at the KOA, and had a relaxed evening and swam. We anxiously awaited the next day, to when we could see Niagara Falls!
September 13, 2007 -- We got to see the amazing sight of Niagara Falls—unbelievable! We took the “Maid of the Mist” boat tour, and traveled right up to the edge of the falls, wrapped in a blue slicker that kept us mostly dry in the torrential spray that came over the top of us, but, we sloshed off the boat in soaked shoes—well worth the experience! The city of Niagara falls is glitzy and garish, rather much like a Las Vegas experience, and full of tourist traps. The Canadians are so nice—they’ll let you spend as much money as you like, eh?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)