SHIPSHEWANA INDIANA

JULY 8, 2014

Meet our navigator,  Wilma.  As you can see she comes loaded with all the necessary tools to guide journey....straw hat...kleenex...maps....purse loaded with all kind of pills....and most of all with eyes that can read maps, and a sense of dire ction when the driver loses his way.(kachoo)

Her years of traveling and guiding the driver is......well.....ugh......
Any way.

Hurry!   Hurry!  Hurry!  Wilma We are late.......Time to Launch this ......We ar!e already 2 1/2 hours passed our 8:00 AM. Launch time..

Suitcases in? ck. Cooler in? ck Food in? ck Computer in. ck Maps in? ck. Guide Books in? ck Camera in? CK WHAT TIME IS IT?  10:30 AM ....LET''S GO!!!!!!!.. 


(KACHOOOO) Here we go!
It is almost 11:00AM...Will we have time to stopped in Amish country in Shipshewanan Indianaa?  Dug into our vittles to have lunch. Sandwiches.....melon....milk.....and chips.

Had to take a nap after lunch.....in some plaza. (kachoo)  lasted longer than I planned.
Wili stop and visit the Amish Country on the way back.  Need to get to the campgrounds in Ohio Ohio tonight.

Finally, around 7:00  pm.  we arrived at the Blue Grass campgrouonds in Ohio.  It is 9:30 PM. and Wilma is fast asleep and snoring. 

(Kachoo) 

We plan to leave at 8:AM tomorrow

PREPARATION!

JULY 7,2014

Okay.  Now where do I start?  Oh yeah.  Fill up the tank with water.  Make sure you run it through the filter.  (kachoo) 
Check the tires...oil...toilet paper..(kachoo)


Wilma Help.  I need to repark the RV. (kachoooo)

It is now 8:00 am. 24 hours to launch time. My nerves are starting to fire up....Okay! Decision time is here.

What shall I wear? What shoes should I wear? Florshiem......or $12.00 Wal-Mart Specials.We are going

Packing.....pants....short....money.... shirts.....shoes....maps.....money......guide books.....money.... ..Food......Snacks....
money........(kachoo)


It is now 8:30 pm......hurry....make up your mind.......wear your jeans for 3-4 days...before changing them...oops!

NEW ENGLAND STATES TRIP!

SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2014
It's Sunday aftrnoon and I am fightinga a cold.  Decision time...To go or not to go? Decided to change launch date & time to  Tuesday, July 8, 8: am. Rest today. Rest and treat this cold.

This is it!  This will be our home for the next 3 weeks.  (kachoo)

She is ready.  Air conditioning in the front is now working.....Reefer..working... water pump working......lights all work....back up camera working.....driver (kachoo) hope wll be working.

LAST STOP-SIOUX FALLS-FAMILY-ROCKFORD

SUNDAY-MONDAY, AUGUST 30-31-SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
Sunday was really a day of rest after all the driving....site seeing...getting in and out of the van....making sandwiches along the road....FINALLY A PLACE OF REST IN THE HOME OF ARDIS.
We attended The Salvation Army morning service....and met the Corps Officer...(pastor)...a good friend...He is a good preacher. They are good people. Arranged to have Breakfast on Tuesday AM before we left.
Nina and Max came up early in the AM to drop off some green beans we were going to have for dinner. Ardis (sister-in-law)cooked a great dinner....Debbie(my niece) came up later. After all had quieted down I went to a Barnes and Noble to get on line and work on my blog......stayed there about 2.5 hours....battery had run down. (they provided no plug ins)

DEBBIE --US--ARDIS--WATER FALLS--ROCK STRUCTURE

Monday was easy.. Debbie came up from Colman( where she lives) and gave us a tour of Sioux
Falls....the city has a fast growing population. The downtown is being restored to appear as it did back in the 30's.....quite attractive. Appears to be a fun place to shop. Had lunch...left... and stopped and had coffee and pie....I had a piece of delicious peach pie.....wanted another......but with my usual disciplined....self control.....I said......NO!

Sioux Falls had the vision to turn an old factory-rail-track area into a city park. The Falls had always been there as well as the rock structure....one had to go all the way around to see it. The visionaries made a path, park...through the old factory area...and created a beautiful park that now surrounds the falls.....Monday evening I went to a Coffee Club......neat place to drink coffee and work on my blog.....spent about 1.5 hours there....Went out for supper with Debbie--Us--Ardis

Tuesday, we headed for home....Like I said we had breakfast with Mike & Judy Mills....(they paid) Home was 650 miles away). I must confess...I was ready to get home......So we only made a few stops along the way...We had hoped to touch base with some friends in La Cross Wi....but they were volunteering at the Army food pantry. Stopped in Rockford to have dinner with Brian and Kay Merritt.....(good friends---he paid...I like that) I wonder if I come and visit you will you pay?

Reached home at 9: PM. carried in one suit case in.....put food away.......checked e mail.....news.....went to bed.
That is the end of our trip AROUND THE STATES.

My last blog will summarize my impressions-feelings--emotions--of what I saw----heard---and touched.

I know that I have misspelled words and names....I do plan to go back and correct them.. Apologize if I misspelled your name...Remember most of these blogs were written at night as late as mid-night after a long day.

AL'S OASIS-CORN PALACE-SIOUX FALLS

SATURDAY, AUGUST, 29, 2009
No Hurry to get up....Plan to leave around 10 AM. I got up and started to work on Blog....uploading photos....It takes about one hour just to sort through photos I want to use to express what I want to show for a given day. Wilma is up...Had breakfast..Getting ready to leave. Check out time is 10 AM....Was watching TV......as we were getting our stuff together....and...then all the power went out.....lights....tv.....everything....THOUGHT, Well that's a good way to make sure every one checks out by 10:am. Laughed.......never had that happen before.

Went to get gas next store....no power for pumps.....Told to go 2 miles down the road....did so.....no power in region...OH...OH....I need gas.....was close to running out......Told to go to next town.....about 10 miles down the road.....In this part of the country.....it seems that there is nothing but flat.....flat....flat...fields......But there it was.....a gas station that had power......and gas.....THANK YOU LORD!

GREAT PLAINS-AL'S OASIS
THE NAVIGATOR looked at the map and said, Let's go see this NATIONAL GRASSLAND .........IT'S ONLY 20 MINUTES UP off the road...if we don't see it in 20 minutes we can turn around. UH.....UH.....THE DRIVER ..already in debt to THE NAVIGATOR for gallons of STARBUCKS COFFEE....OBEDIENTLY agreed without one word of questioning........17 miles into finding this GRASSLAND...THE NAVIGATOR decided to turn back ....there is nothing here......so once again THE DRIVER obediently turned around and headed back to to I-90 and on the way to AL'S OASIS.

AL'S OASIS-CORN PALACE
I was also advised by my expert Connoisseur of Doughnuts to make sure I stop at AL'S OASIS and try their BUFFALO BURGERS.......(I wonder how PETA would feel about this or other CONSERVATIONISTS think about this?) But my strong sense of "SAVE THE ANIMALS" was finally overcome when I saw that AL'S OASIS advertised .05 cents coffee....So we pulled into AL'S OASIS with high expectations..After all our expert connoisseur had highly recommended that we make this stop. We ordered coffee......soup.....and ONE BUFFALO BURGER...... I looked around to see if there were any PETA people around, and then THE NAVIGATOR picked up the "BUFFALO BURGER" .....bit into it.....and quickly set it down.....looked around....and then unobtrusively (good word--not sure it fits...but sounds good) began to chew.

Took a sip of coffee......ugh.....ugh.......now I know why they sell the coffee for .05....In all fairness to Al's Oasis....the Bean soup was good.......Sorry......EXPERT CONNOISSEUR......Burger was dry.....dry....dry......Coffee tasted like chlorine. What can I say......my...conscience....demands that I express and objective honest opinion......

We left AL'S OASIS thankful that it was a good rest stop......where I took 20 minutes to sleep and THE NAVIGATOR.SHOPPED.

CORN PALACE was our next stop. We arrived while they were having their annual festival. Fortunately we were able to park behind the CORN PALACE. They were going to have a concert in the Corn Palace so we were not allowed to see the stage. However, one of the ushers agreed to take pictures of the auditorium for us...Good to see the PALACE AGAIN after 54 years.

OLD PHOTO OF CORN PALACE AND NEW AND STAGE
What a big difference. Corn Palace was built in 1892. Two men, a Louis Beck & L.O. Gale thought of the idea to promote the corn crops that were raised in the area. It also was a means of attracting immigrant farmers to the area. What is unique, (and I just found it out) each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside of The Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with new corn and grain. (I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOT THAT) Over the summer, 3000 bushels of Milo, rye, oat heads, and sour dock are tied in bundles and attached. The corn murals have to wait until late summer when the corn crop is ready. Over a half million ears of corn are sawed in half and nailed to the building following patters created by local artist. What you see.....well take a look.

CORN PALACE-ME-FESTIVAL
Time to get to Sioux Falls.....where we are staying with Ardis, (sister-in-law). Finally arrived there after supper....Good to see Ardis......Then Debbie (THE EXPERT CONNOISSEUR OF DOUGHNUTS) and her daughter Nina (terrific award winning golfer who is in her second yr. of College) drove up from Colman to see us....Nina goes back to College in the AM (Sunday) Good to see them both. Will see Debbie (THE EXPERT CONNOISSEUR OF DOUGHNUTS) on Sunday and her son MAX. (a smart running back and starter on his High School Football team...and an observant young man, too)

FESTIVAL-SIOUX FALLS-NINA & ARDIS
Time is late....we lost an hour in the time change.....Good to be here...two day of rest....catch up on blog.....

DEADWOOD-WALL-BADLANDS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2009

ON THE WAY TO DEADWOOD

DEADWOOD-CEMETARY

RAILROAD COMES TO TOWN

OLD TOWN-BLACK HILL FEVER (GOLD)

FIRE

SIOUX INDIANS-LUNCH IN RAPID CITY

RAPID CITY PARK AND COMFORT STATION-WALL

WALL DRUG--BADLANDS

BADLANDS

BADLANDS

BADLANDS

BADLANDS

SEABED
Stayed in a Cabin Type Motel.....something like, ("It happened one Night" a Clark Gable Movie--boy does that date me) in Custer SD....No continental breakfast....ate next door....and took off for Deadwood...

Deadwood was disappointing...Not much there...Did get to see where Wild Bill Hitchcock and Calamity Jane was buried. Left Deadwood and headed for The Salvation Army Camp in Rapid City`SD. .....nothing there.....not even a sign indicating that it was a Salvation Army Camp .....so we stopped and ate lunch at one of their beautiful parks. .

WALL DRUGS is our next stop. Surely WALL is much more developed than when Wilma & I saw it back in 1954....Took Debbi's advice....Stop and buy their .05 cents a cup coffee....that's right.....just .05 cents a cups....serve yourself.....place .05 cents in the box....AND THEN, THIS CONNOISSEUR OF DOUGHNUTS (Debbie V) suggested that I buy.....They are the best......What could I do.....I was totally influenced by her judgment.....and totally against my better judgment I reluctantly.....yes reluctantly I say, I bought a chocolate iced doughnut....I must admit that the doughnut was exceptionally good...However, just to make sure that my taste buds were not playing tricks on me, and wanting most of all to confirm the opinion of my expert connoisseur of doughnuts had stated, I BOUGHT A MAPLE ICED DOUGHNUT.....RELUCTANTLY OF COURSE. I brought the doughnut on board while THE NAVIGATOR (my wife) was still shopping. Bad bad...bad...decision..a few miles up the road....THE NAVIGATORS fine....delicate senses were able to detect.....a maple flavor aroma.....HM.. Hmm....must be coming from the cornfields.....? no the truck that just passed us????? okay ..I CONFESS......Now I owe her more Starbuck stops...Hate to admit this folks....THE NAVIGATOR is addicted to STARBUCKS.

Badlands are an unusual landscape of geological structures. We are told that for over 30 million years, layers of mud, sands and gravels were laid down. In those layers are fossils of many different prehistoric animals that are preserved for modern study.

The various mineral deposits give a purple... orange.....and tan colored layers. There are also deposits volcanic ash that produce white layers. French trappers who explored the west in the early 1800's called the area a "bad land to cross"..Hence the name, Badlands. Much of the area within the Badlands is still level and fertile. I was surprised to learn that some descendants of the early settlers still live on the ranches and run good sized herds of cattle and sheep.
I'll let the photos speak for me. At this point,...I feel like I have been feasting at a table so full of wonder and inspiration that I don't know if I can handle anymore...I am beginning to feel like a stuffed pig.....So much to see and touch and taste.....and being able to digest all that you have seen and touched....

Stayed in Kadoka. SD. A very small town....did the laundry in their downtown launderet...Street was empty.