California Here We Are

Wind, frost and a broken tow car kept us longer in Salt Lake City than we planned. A fabulous sushi restaurant eased our pain. Jerry spent thirty minutes getting a half inch thick ice layer off the canvas over the slide outs.

Finally heading out Thursday, we again spent the night in the Walmart lot in Winnemucca (nothing much changed there in the past three months).

We have to admit home looked great. Our wonderful neighbors and friends, Rick, Mark, and Coral took great care of our home, mail and plants. We own them a huge thank you. The sun shone on us for the first time in weeks (California does beat other places for sunny autumns).

We have had a wonderful journey filled with unexpected delights, great food, amazing art, and scenery no artist could capture. Thanks to all of you for traveling with us. You were much of what made the trip a pleasure, sharing with all of you and getting your comments. We’ll let you know when we head out again.

Snowed In

We drove straight through Wyoming to get to Salt Lake City. We had two goals, one the Red Iguana (see July 26 entry) and to find a place to hunker down as a snow storm threatened. Driving an RV in the snow is not a brilliant idea though we have done it; driving in heavy winds is incredibly stupid (we have done that too). Utah promised both and Salt Lake City does have diversions that keep us from getting cabin fever. Those flakes of snow in the picture were up to an inch in diameter.

We spent time in the Family Ancestry Center researching our relatives. Jerry has found his grandparents and even the draft notice of his uncle who was killed the last day of WWI. I found my mother’s naturalization requests and a listing for her job the year she married my father. Doing this research is like running a maze, one thing leads to another but you can’t find your way back to start.

The weather continues to threaten so we don’t know when we will leave. We will do our final post as we spot the Sierras and home.

Back to Nebraska

Heading east as we went through Nebraska, we complained about the endless plains and the vista-less drive. The only break we observed along Interstate 80 from border to border was this giant arch. Well, we visited the arch and our opinion quickly changed.

The Great Platt River Road Archway spans the Interstate at Kearny. It is a museum paying homage to the trails that led from the East to the Pacific.
Individual audio guides lead the tour of the museum starting with the migration of the buffalo, to the paths of the Native Tribes, and then personal narratives of the Oregon, Pony Express, Morman Pioneer and California Trails. The story of the American road evolves into the paving of the Lincoln Highway and Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System. The multi media presentation and label copy provided us with more than a review of lessons in the history of the American West, they added interesting new details for us to learn.
















Nebraska is BEEF country and Jerry has enjoyed steaks at good local restaurants the past two nights. While we have recognized most of the wines on restaurant lists throughout the trip, we were amused to find a familiar wine on the list at Dude’s in Sidney, Mogan David, the stereotypical sweet wine served at Jewish holidays. We’ll wait to enjoy ours over a Sabbath dinner at home.

IOWOW II, Amana Colonies & Pella

We continued our visits to non-traditional religious groups who left Europe and came to America for religious freedom. Our tour through the main town of Amana, led by a resident, gave us both historic and modern background. An explosion destroyed much of the main town in 1927; today the buildings remain much as they were since the 1930s. The area consists of seven small towns within a couple of miles of each other. As the need developed, leaders started a new town. They thrive on tourism, appliance manufacturing, furniture making and local crafts. Jerry was very impressed with the quality of the handmade furniture. At its peak, the colony had about 1800, today about 1500 still live in and worship in the community. Unlike the Amish, who have not changed as times have changed, Amana kept up with and even developed technology (remember the Amana RadarRange), and went from a colony to a corporation with every member holding stock. Unlike the Amish who shun those who stray, the many family members who have left the area are still welcomed as kin and can return to live at will.

Along with learning about the crafts, we enjoyed the stories of Henry, a 91 year young broom maker who told of his grandparents and parents mischief as they grew up in Amana. He himself left the town only for five years to serve in the US Army in WWII and to be stationed in San Francisco.

Next we returned to Pella to see what we had missed and revisit the bakery. The town has a authentic Dutch windmill used to grind flour. We toured the inside of the mill up to the blades. In an adjacent area local crafters have created a miniature Dutch village down to the finest detail. The grounds near the mill hold buildings that recreate life in early Pella and even have the home where Wyatt Earp grew up.



Down the street is an opera house with a wonderful organ just waiting for us to stop in and listen. Oh, yes, we did remember to stop at the bakery for yummies.

We so enjoyed Iowa, we hope to return for IOWOW III.

Illinois/Iowa

After viewing another covered bridge in Illinois, we headed for the I/I border. The Quad Cities area is really one large city with a bit of a river running through it. Oh, the river is the Mississippi. We spent our evening in the parking lot of a riverboat casino.

We spent our day on an 11K walk around Davenport, a town dominated by the Palmer School of Chiropractic Medicine and several small colleges. They also have some wonderful hundred year old homes.

John Deere invented the self-clearing plow in Illinois. The accomplishments of the company he founded are extolled at the John Deere Pavilion where we had a chance to climb up the giant tractors and pretend to drive (Anna Lee, of course, has mastered the art of driving big vehicles on her few hours of driving the RV).

Cars and Buggies

One hundred years ago, Auburn, Indiana, was the home of true luxury automobiles. Auburns, Cords and Dussenbergs all were designed and manufactured there. They ruled the road in innovation, speed and beauty but their reign ended with the depression. Today the former administrative offices and showroom have been redesigned in art deco to display a fabulous collection of the cars.

The label copy tells the history of each car, including owners if known, its specs and what was happening in the country or world at that time. We saw the Cord owned by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Dussenberg Elvis drove in a movie and wanted to buy but he found it was not for sale.

Anna Lee had a moment of nostalgia seeing an old Crosly like the one that used to take her and her cello to school (seriously). We were told we could spend all day in the museum and almost did.


We left the auto museum to go back to a time when horsepower was really horsepower. Amish Acres in Napanee was once an Amish farm but the last owner did not have an heir. It was bought and turned into a display of Amish life. A tour of buildings, a wagon ride (but tractor pulled) and a movie gave some information on this religious order that began in Switzerland following the Reformation. We wound up with more questions than answers.


We did stay for the Thresher dinner. It was carb heaven: bean soup, fabulous bread, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, noodles, bread pudding and corn. Beef, ham and cole slaw were the only non-carbs. We took our pie slices home for another day.


After the enormous dinner we enjoyed a production of Barefoot in the Park on the Joseph Stein Stage housed in a big round barn. The play has withstood the test of time and was delightful.

NFL Hall of Fame, Canton, OH

Jerry writes:
For years, Jerry has wanted to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and his wish was finally granted. We arrived at the Hall about 4:00 p.m. and security allowed us to park the RV in their parking lot so we could be first in line at opening today. We met Lou, the greeter who gave us some tips on seeing the Hall and then sent us on our way. My only problem with the displays was that they did not give enough attention to the “Team of the 80s.”

Anyway, we wandered through the Hall for about three hours and even Anna Lee enjoyed herself. Lou also told us how to get tickets for the induction ceremony next year because that will be when Jerry Rice will be eligible as will Emmett Smith. I guess we will just have to come back next year.

And yes, for those of you who don’t believe it, Anna Lee did drive several times on this trip. Here she is spinning down the highway. Don’t let the white knuckles fool you, she was really relaxed.

Anna Lee adds:

Obviously, this was Jerry’s choice. It is hard to admit but he was right. The NFL Hall of Fame is worth a visit. As a “fair weather fan,” I found it interesting and informative. The tributes to Jim Thorpe, an early pro football player, were touching.

They did need more 49er highlights, but that is personal prejudice. I was reluctant to see the 2009 Road to the Superbowl movie and wound up enjoying it. In fact, I think all Superbowls should be like that, seventeen minutes of the games’ most tense moments. It was fun to look out our window and watch a group of kids playing a pick-up game on the field alongside the parking lot. And I think we ought to come back to see Jerry Rice installed, as I knew he was destined for greatness from his very first season.