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?