Lakewood, NJ

Finally after many days of phone calling there was a Winnebago that needed to be delivered. (Sales are still down making the drivers compete to get one to deliver) Since Papa is teaching a weekly Bible Walk-thru we needed to be able to pick up on Tuesday, deliver and get back to the Prairie by the next Monday. Another driver was picking up an identical unit to go to another dealer in Lakewood and gave us some traveling tips!

Navion iQ Features:

This is a Navion iQ. One of the smaller units with a diesel engine that gets about 14 mpg when you tow a car. Steel grey with black accents on the outside. Inside is an attractive khaki color scheme with cherry wood. Very comfortable leather adjustable seats. There is a bed across the back of the unit. It will be comfortable when you put the slide out. (something we are not allowed to do when we are transporting). So it has been like climbing into a cupboard for me. Papa’s feet extend over the edge supported by pillows on the floor as we lay crosswise! An adventure for 2 nights!

Another interesting feature in this one are clear covers for the kitchen sink and 2 burner stove, making some worktable space. The sink has faucets that fold down to accommodate the cover. The bathroom has a 8 inch round sink in a shelf behind the stool with shower opposite. You would have to remember to back in and walk out! No couch, just 2 short bench seats, one with a built-in table. Very compact! Price-$110,000.

On the Road:

It was a drizzly day hooking up, checking the unit and driving southeast through farm land and past small communities headed for I-80. The corn and bean fields were various shades of green & brown Some areas still showing the effects of all the flooding this spring. Near Davenport, Iowa we spotted the first combine in a bean field. Several more across Illinois. Trucks were hauling ears of seed corn to the seed processing plant.

Chicago is always a challenge, but seemed almost too easy today. Turning off at Gary, Indiana planning to stay at the Flying J we saw water over an intersection and sand bags. The restaurants in the area were closed due to flooding from Hurricane Ike. We drove on to the Toll Road Travel Plaza at Portage to stay. On the way we saw stacks of sandbags & cement dividers plus the detour signs. Talking to another driver we found out that the traffic on I-80/90 was detoured to Highway 30 and it took him over 5 hours to get through that area last week after the 8 inches or rain fell one night.

Driving through northwestern Ohio we saw fields of soybeans, corn & vegetables (cabbage, pumpkin, & squash) ready to be harvested. Some crops had been harvested and the fields were already tilled. Large grain elevators on the horizon. Turkey buzzards floating on the air currents reminded us of our little Prairie! We have had over two dozen floating above and around our home for the last month. Will they still be there when we get back??

Listening to audio books help make the miles go faster when we are not in “new” territory. This trip we let our minds travel out West with a couple of stories by Louis L’Amour. It was interesting to listen to the news about our economical crises and then listen to David McCullough’s book Truman. The author gives a balanced view of the history during that era. I wonder if we will ever learn from past lessons! It was interesting that Mr. Truman wrote so many letters through out his life with his thoughts and daily experiences. Now our thoughts and daily experiences are shared via cell phone or email. How do we preserve those for the next generation?

Fall Color!

Into the mountains in eastern Ohio and the Pennsylvania Wilds. I enjoy the graceful overpass bridges. Straight on top for the highway, but a graceful arched supporting curve with ends resting on high rock ledges! A warm sunny day with a treat for us! Color! Large areas of goldenrod with accents of purple & white asters and wine red sumac bushes in the ditches and on the hillside meadows! Leaves are changing to their autumn colors. As you look across the mountains you see them covered with a dense thick fleece quilt of shades of green, red, and gold. What a spectacular show God gives us to enjoy!

An email from our granddaughter gives a "life lesson" from the fall colors:

I know you are on your way out east right now, and maybe just in time for some good fall leaves to enjoy? Fall always makes me want to travel too, to go see all the sights and colors and activities before the winter kills it all. That's the kind of funny things about the outdoors during the Fall. You don't stand around looking at nature in the spring and summer -- it just seems the perfect vibrant backdrop to the hundreds of run-around activities which we rush to and fro with, trying to squish it all in before the weather changes. The weather and the colors and the plants are all energetic and growing and all that, but you don't sit and notice it, or maybe I should say that at least I don't. But then, during the Fall, you just want to stand there, and look at the trees as they subtly change, or at the fields as they mature and ripen for harvest. And you just want to sit there and soak it all up. Enjoy it. Like what I am doing right now in the campus library, seated comfortably by the huge wall of picture windows, and close enough to some of the huge trees on campus to see some of the subtle changes in leaf coloring. And it gets me thinking about how subtle God's changes in us are, little bitty ones that slowly make our lives, our produce, our leaves, more beautiful and more vibrant -- showing off more and more of Him in us.

Oops, looks like we are going to miss a tour of the baseball bat factory at Exit 86, again! But we did drive over the highest point east of the Mississippi River on I-80 (2,250') and entered the Cheaspeake Bay watershed. Wind is getting stronger as we drive into the edge of the storm off the coast. Weather band stated that the coast was having 40mph winds and the waves were dangerously high in the inlets. Color fades as we go South to find a bridge over the Delaware River & a highway into Lakewood.

Lakewood, NJ

From their website:

Lakewood, New Jersey Brief History: In 1814, way before this area was known as “Lakewood”, the town was named “Washington’s Furnace” by Jesse Richards & William Irwin, who moved here from Washington Township. They set up an iron company, which began to fail in 1832. A local investor by the name of Joseph W. Brick purchased the company and was successful in its revitalization. When Mr. Brick eventually passed away, the town was renamed “Bricksburg”.

During the 1860’s, five and ten acre tracts of land were advertised in various papers throughout New York. The streets of the village were laid out, and many large homes were constructed. One of the grander homes, the Laurel House, hosted such families as the Vanderbilt’s, Rockefellers and Astor’s.
In 1880, the town’s name was changed to “Lakewood”. The town’s promoters did not find “Bricksburg” to be a favorable name. The following decade saw the construction of many large hotels. One of the larger hotels was “The Lakewood Hotel”, which stayed open long after the tourist season to enable President Cleveland to spend his final days as peacefully as possible.
Just ten miles from the beach, today Lakewood boasts 1,200 acres of parks, 2 golf courses with a third on the way, as well as The Lakewood Blue Claws baseball team.

The city was interesting to drive through as we looked for the dealership. We drove through a large Jewish community with schools, banks & businesses. Past a Russian Orthodox Church and a city park beside a small lake which gave us a place for a picnic lunch. No left turns are permitted. If you had to turn left you would look for the corner on the right that permitted you to turn off and circle back to the left!

We stopped at a Wawa Market to get gas. I had to "google" that unusual name! It is a chain of convenience stores in the mid-Atlantic region. The name comes from the site of the first milk plant & the corporate headquarters in Wawa, PA. The name of the town is derived from the Ojibewe Indian word for Canadian goose. An imaage of goose in flight is corporate logo.

Because the dealer told us that their area was predicted to receive 4 inches of rain that evening along with 40 mph winds we decided to not try and do any sightseeing in the area. (Maybe we will find something in PA or OH) We headed north & west to get away from the storm.
What an experience on the New Jersey Turnpike as we got closer to New York! Drivers speed, cut in and out close & sharply, honk their horns and in one area they separate the cars from the trucks, each having 3 lanes going parallel to each other!!

Pocono Mountains

We found a Days Inn in Tannersville, PA, which is in the Pocono Mtns. The main road was the valley and any road branching from it went "up"! The motel was on one of those "up" side roads. Each of the sections was a little higher than the other. It was comfortable, clean, and quiet. It is near the Pocono International Speedway which was having a classic car show that week-end. We had our own show at the motel. What fun to walk past all of the "classics" sitting in front of their rooms when we did our "evening stroll"!

There was a restaurant featuring Indian cusine, we were going to try, but the fragrance of the spices was overwhelming when we walked in. We decided we would experiment with those spices at home in our kitchen first to see if we wanted to pay the price for a whole meal at a restaurant. (We found a Friendly's and enjoyed clam chowder, a chicken salad and their great ice cream.)


It was raining in the morning, drizzle off and on most of the day as we traveled west on I-80. Heard that there was some flooding in NJ without the 4 " of rain. We followed a little classic sport car that did not have any fenders and wide tires. In the rain it made water spouts on each side of the vehicle! The colored leaves on the trees are brilliant red and gold even in the rain. Low clouds cover some of the mountain tops. We are resigned to not doing side road trips. Most are scenic drives that would be hard to enjoy in the rain, but I do have an itinerary for next time, Lord willing, we are driving through this area.

Travel Tip: Get the State Tourist Guide and a State Road map at the Welcome Center or order on line of each state you are traveling through. It will show the areas of the state, the attractions for that area, and motels, campgrounds, etc. It is easy to carry. You can "google" for additional information, hours open, admission & etc.

Signs warned of Fair traffic as we neared Bloomsburg, PA. They average 60,000 people at their 8 day fair. It started in 1855 as a one day county agriculture fair and grew to 8 days in 1989. It covers several acres and has stage shows as well as displays and contests. Perhaps next time it won't be raining when we are in the area and we can check it out!

Cherry Springs Sky Preserve

A sky preserve was a new concept to us. Cherry Springs Sky Preserve is a 48 acre park in rural Potter County Pennsylvania surrounded by 200,000 acres of the Susquehannock State Forest. It is located far from cities on a plateau allowing a spectacular view of the night sky for observation and photogaphy. One observer said, " When the sky is clear and the seeing is good then people can actually see their shadow cast on the ground from the starlight alone." This will be added to our "to do & see" list for next time!

Elk Run Scenic Drive

A four hour scenic drive through the Pennsylvania Wilds makes a loop between I-80 exit #111 and exit #147. If the weather cooperates this will be part of our next road trip to this area. The elk poplulation was decimated until the early 1900's when 100 elk were brought into the area from the Rock Mountains. Now a herd of 600 roam the area along with other wildlife. Did you know that an elk can run for 30 miles and trot for much longer? I know we have elk just over the fence, here on the Prairie. We enjoy their bugle in the fall and their graceful movements across the pasture, but seeing them in the wild plus the beauty of the mountains would be a great experience.

Another Life Lesson on the Road:

I'll have to confess to some whining & complaining about the weather preventing some "scenic drives", seeing some historic places, & doing our usual "exploring" the area until I remembered Romans 8:28."All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose" & Philippians 2:14--"Do all things without complaining...." & Philippians 4:11-- Paul states.....I have learned, in whatever state I am, in this to be content."

It looks like we will have time to stop at the Baseball Bat Factory at exit 86 today! It is inside & we had to take I-80 back because of the weather. What other blessings will the Lord have for us along the road ahead? Actually, because we got home earlier we could enjoy a visit on the week-end from some special people.

BWP Bats

Take exit#86 off I-80 near Brookville, PA and follow the signs through the country to the BWP Bat factory. Brookville Wood Products has been in business for over 40 years producing furniture squares, stair parts and flooring parts for manufacturers as well as billets for baseball bat manufacturing. They are located in the hardwood capitol of the world.

To expand their area of production they researched manufacturing their own baseball bats and started their company BWP Bats. They still sell over 30,000 billets to other bat manufacturers each year besides the 40,000 bats that they manufacture themselves.

What is a billet? It is a piece of square hard wood about 37 inches long and 4 inches wide that is the base for making a bat. This billet is marked on the bottom with its weight. It is made from hard maple, ash or red oak. It is inspected to be sure it is free of defects.

The billet is placed in a special lathe and the specifications for the bat is programed in. The bat is cut. Each of the major, minor & independent league players (presently over 100 professional players) that purchase their bats from BWP have their own specifications in the computer. Or they can send in a bat and it can be copied on the lathe. As it is cut on the lathe a rough sanding is also done. 4 pounds will be removed from the billet as it is made into a bat!

Sanding is done on several machines with careful examination at each one for defects. The last sander smooths the bat to a "glass finish", preparing it to be painted or stained.

Bats are dipped to paint or stain and hung to dry. They are dipped 3 times in a clear finish and then dried before going to the pad printer. This machine applies the logo on the less strong side of the bat, helping the player to know which side of the bat NOT to hit the ball with.

The next step is hand painting the decorative lines on the bat. It is then ready to be placed on a shelf as stock. When purchased it is engraved with the model number or customized according to the buyers specifications which can include a saying or a name/and or date! They sell bats to schools, little leagues and individuals besides professional players.

If requested the bat will be cupped. This is when the end of the barrel of the bat is cupped out (a little cupped space is taken out of the end). This lightens the weight of the bat by about 1 ounce. It also strengthens the "sweet spot" and adds balance to the bat.

They give tours 6 days a week from 8 - 4. They are busy from January through the spring & summer with 12 employees. Do you know what the "sweet spot" is?

Back to the Prairie

We drove out of the cloudy drizzle into sunshine across Ohio. A night stay at the Comfort Inn at Fremont, Ohio. A long drive across Indiana & Illinois. Finally back in WHO wave length so we could hear the Hawk's get beat. Then through Hawk fan traffic and north. We enjoy "going" and we enjoy getting back "home"! Is that contentment?!

Thanks for joining us "along the way"!

Prairie Schooners

Newport News, Virginia

On the Road Again!

With the high cost of gas/diesel motor home sales have slowed making fewer available for delivery and more competition for the drivers! We had a choice of 3 units the day we called. Our choice was an Itasca Navion that was sold to a dealer in Newport News, Virginia.

The afternoon before we left another thunderstorm went through our area. The clouds and sun created this contrasting view of the Prairie. The next afternoon in the Indianapolis area we drove through another thunderstorm or the same one??

Speaking of weather it was encouraging to see all the rebuilding being done in the Parkersburg, IA area after the tornado that hit early this spring. Most all of the debris has been removed and it resembles a housing development. It was more difficult to see the flood damage in Cedar Rapids from the Interstate.

Driving along the Interstate in Iowa/Illinois & Indiana we felt like we were traveling through a sea of various shades of green highlighted with the gold tassels just coming out in the fields of corn and a contrasting golden wheat/oats field. The ditches are filled with yellow blossoms of black-eyed susan, blue of chicory, delicate white of queen Anne's lace, pink of the crown vetch and the purple of clover. The sky overhead is a brilliant blue with a line of cottony thunderheads to the south. We listen to the song, "How Great Thou Art" and Thank the Lord, for giving us this colorful Cathedral of Creation!

Across Ohio and into the Appalachian Mtns of West Virginia and Virginia. It is dry out here and a contrast to the green in the plains. In Dayton, Ohio we took Highway # 35 which goes Southeast into Charleston, WV. It is a good road. A pretty drive!

Along the Interstate we noticed new semi tractors being transported "piggy-back" with 2 or 3 to a "load". One day we counted up to 50 loads headed west!

It seemed that the traffic was not nearly as heavy as on our past trips even though it was summer vacation.

Found the dealer, unhooked and washed unit. For those who are interested: This was a diesel unit which averaged 13-14 mpg. The average price for diesel was $4.70/gal. Our Saturn averaged 30-36 mpg while sightseeing and driving back. Gas was under $3.80 to $3.97/gal.

So many choices of interesting places to visit!!

We had made reservations at a motel in Williamsburg, VA for the night knowing that we would spend time someplace near there the afternoon after our delivery. We choose to go to Yorktown and stopped at the Watermen's Museum on Water Street. A trolley goes by every 20 minutes on its circuit of the city stopping at stores and museums. It sits on the shore of the York River and there is a public beach on either side.

The museum is in a four-room building that was the J.W. Hornsby Co office, but originally was brought by barge across the York river to this site in 1987. One of the rooms is paneled in burled long leaf pine. The grain of the wood has an interesting pattern. The long leaf pine tree grows along the Atlantic coastal plain from Virginia to Texas. The trees with the burled grain were over 400 years old when cut for lumber. Only about 1% of the trees were burled and they were all harvested years ago. Today the burled wood comes from old buildings and warehouses that were built during the Industrial Revolution.

The fishermen who worked along England's Thames River called themselves, Watermen. This title was retained by the Virginia colonists who worked the water and continues to today. During the Revolutionary War, the Watermen were used as pilots of ships.

The Watermen had the Chesapeake Bay to work. The Algonquian Indians, who lived along the bay called it the "great shellfish bay". It is 2500 sq miles, largest bay in the US. Today it produces 200 million pounds of seafood. It's distinctive geological features include a gently a sloping shoreline believed to have been shaped by glaciers as they receded. It is relatively shallow, averaging 21 feet, which allows sunlight to nurture sea plants and other organisms that form the basis of the Bay's all important food chain.

The first items exported from the colonies was the meat and the roe of the sturgeon from Chesapeake Bay. The museum displays tell the story of fin fishing for croaker, spot, flounder, menhaden and shell fishing for crabs, clams, scallops and oysters. Today, with aquaculture, the Watermen are growing clams and oysters in beds in the river & bay. It is the 3rd largest industry in Virginia. You can even grow clams and oysters off your own dock!

A table had shells from snails, scallops, oysters, snails, a string of whelk egg cases (the long round items) and the black item in the back is a skate egg case. The whelk is a large snail. Their shells are the large spiral ones. It is sometimes mistakenly called a conch. In the summer there will be stings of pale, disc-shaped egg cases on the shore. The skate fish or ray is a flat kite-shaped fish.

Clams are important food for waterfowl, especially gulls. Gulls collect clams at low tide. By dropping them while flying over hard surfaces such as docks, highways and even roofs of houses and cars these clever birds break open the shells so they can eat the meat!

Yorktown Victory Center

We missed the trolley so drove along the river to the Yorktown Victory Center. This is a living-history museum that brings the American Revolution to life. Along the walk-way to the museum is a fence that traces the timeline and world events that led to the American Revolution. Following are some interesting tidbits of history we discovered:

Taxation was the final straw! England was needing money to pay for its Seven-year war with France so taxed everything that came into the colonists. The York River was deep making Yorktown a good site for wharves, warehouses and commerce in the 18th century. In sympathy with other colonies York County had a Virginia version of the Boston "Tea Party" in November of 1774!

Macaronies were a group of fashionable young Englishmen who adapted the latest European foods and clothing. In the song, Yankee Doodle Dandy, the verse about putting a feather in your hat and calling it macaroni refers to these men. The colonists could stick a feather in their hat and be "fashionable"!

Many of the colonists feared declaring independence, since it guaranteed open war and the Americans had no foreign allies. Even France, though a enemy of the British, might try to recapture her lost American colonies rather than support a new republic. (The British had just defeated the French.)

After the Declaration of Independence was signed people celebrated with displays of bonfires, bell-ringing and the destruction of the British Royal Symbols that were standing in the towns. A group of soldiers & tradesmen vented their pent-up anger at the King by pulling down a 2000# statue of him on a horse and cutting it up. It was melted and made into ammunition to use in the war. ("The British troops had melted majesty fired at them!")

The French did help Americans at the Battle of Yorktown against Cornwallis. This was the last major battle of the Revolution. After a week of sending over 6,000 rounds of artillery Cornwallis tried to transfer troops from Yorktown across the river to Gloucester. He failed because of violent storms. Washington and Rochambeau set out with 12,000 American & French soldiers from the New York on a 400 mile march to Yorktown to fight Cornwallis. Meanwhile the French Navy turned back a British fleet & seized control of Chesapeake Bay.

A large percentage of the British Army fighting in the Revolutionary War were Scots, Irish & Germans, called Hessions. As the war proceeded many deserted and chose to stay in America. The Continental Forces were from many ethnic backgrounds drawn from all 13 states, Canada and the French Army. One gallery in the museum gives the stories of 10 individuals whose lives were affected by the war.

The British scuttled or sank some of their ships when they first arrived to make a barrier to protect them from assault from the River while in Yorktown. After their defeat they scuttled the rest of the ships to prevent their capture and use by the Americans. 200 years later underwater archaeologists excavated one of the ships, the brig Betsy. There is an exhibit showing all they found in the ship. To scuttle the ship a rectangular opening is chiseled through the hull below the waterline allowing the ship to fill with water and sink. Did you know that shipwrights, a person that builds a ship, often placed a coin at the base of the mast to ensure good winds?



Part of the Yorktown Victory Center is a recreated Continental Army Encampment showing a soldier's life during the siege of Yorktown. We watched as soldiers directed children from the crowd load and fire a cannon.

The Encampment had rows of small white tents. Each was to hold 6 soldiers. There was a tent for the Army doctor, larger tents for the General and other officers. Also an area for doing laundry. Some wives traveled with their husbands and did laundry and cooked for the soldiers.




The kitchen/cooking area was interesting. A trench was dug heaping the dirt to make a dome. Holes or caves were dug in the side of the trench under the dome. Here the fire was built. A small hole was dug from the top down to the fire hole to let the heat come up to the pans/pails sat on top. If they would have fresh meat they would bend the metal rings from an empty barrel to form a grate to "grill" the meat. Mostly their diet was salted fish and hard tack ( a hard biscuit made with flour, baking soda, salt & water) The fish and hard tack were boiled in water to get salt from the fish and to soften the hard tack. The pails were taken to their tents to be eaten. Building the fire inside of the little caves behind a trench prevented fire from escaping into the camp and burning the tents.

We finished our day by driving the Colonial National Historical Parkway, a 30 mile road which connects Yorktown and Jamestown. The York River is deep and used by today's Navy as well as commercial ships. As you drive the Parkway there are areas marked for their history. We passed the site of a farm where the colonists tried to raise silkworms. It was particularly interesting to me because I'd just finished reading The Silk House Series by Linda Chaikin. She writes about the silk growers in southern France and in the book indicates that they wanted to start a farm in Virginia. She also gives a vivid history of the Huguenots and the oppression they experienced during that time.

A good night's sleep in Williamsburg and ready to continue South.

Willamsburg is a whole day or two of sights to see, but we chose to save that for another time!

Back to the Colonial National Historical Parkway which is a quiet, scenic drive across this portion of Virginia connecting the York River and the James River. Creeks and small rivers have channels with tide markings. We stopped ad walked a beach along the James River where the first settlers stopped, but voted to go on to what became Jamestown.

Again, there are historical areas marked with signs and places to drive-out and park. One of the areas was a 100 acre tract of land that was set aside for the benefit of the Jamestown Parish Church and Minister. It is called Glebe Land.

Historic Jamestown is an archaeological site on the original location of the settlement which includes a museum facility featuring the artifacts excavated and a place where you can stand exactly where America began. Again we had to make a choice and chose to go to the living history museum of 17th century Virginia called Jamestown Settlement which brings history to life. Many new features have been added because it is the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown!

A film is shown that chronicles the convergence of cultures in Virginia. The Galleries have artifacts, dioramas and full-scale structures based on historical documents and archeology of the 3 cultures, English, Indian & African, that met here! There are hands-on exhibits and demonstrations everywhere!



On the James River are the 3 recreated ships, The Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, that carried the settlers to the settlement. You can climb aboard and below deck and see the accommodations experienced on their four-and-a-half month journey from England. The crews lived and worked on the main deck while the passengers remained below deck with the cargo. These ships were the life-line to the settlers after they arrived. 104 English men and boys sponsored by the Virginia Company of London came in search of profits and resources 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.


When they arrived in 1607 they found the Powhatan Indians. It is believed that they are from Asian descent having walked across the bridge formed between the continents during the Ice Age. These people had a political system, religion and a complex society of tribes. It was interesting to note that the Indians valued copper and traded for that valuable metal with the tribes that mined it. The Powhatan Indians had 5 seasons. There 5th season was eating of green corn! In other words they ate some of their corn crop before it was fully mature. It would have been similar to our sweet corn. They also discovered that the stalk had a sweet juice. (and we thought we discovered corn sweetener!) You can explore a recreated Powhatan Indian Village.


A triangular-shaped fort was built for defense in 1610 and was home to the earliest colonists. It included wattle-and-daub houses with thatched roofs, a store house, a court of guard and a church.
A wattle-and-daub house was made by using a framework of poles intertwined with branches and vines, wattle, and covered with daub, or a sticky substance like mud & clay.

They used a clay oven to bake bread. The rounded object is the oven made of clay. A fire is built inside and when the oven is hot enough the ashes are scraped out. The loaf of bread is put on a wooden board and slid into the oven. A lid is used to close the front of the oven and the bread bakes!

This is the inside of their church. Note the thatched roof--made of long pieces of dried straw or reeds. It is formed with a peak so that the water will run off.
Also note the pews. They are a board to sit on and a board across your shoulder blade with a decorative post to hold them together. See how the pulpit is raised and to the right of the center aisle. Candle holders are mounted above on the beam for light.
The ammunition was kept in a separate stone building. It was reinforced with thicker wall at the bottom so in case of fire all of the force of the explosion would be channeled up and not out to cause damage. Their guns were fired with powder that was set off by a small charge of powder and a piece of burning hemp. They would wear small wooden tubes connected to a leather strap each holding just enough powder for one shot to insure that the right amount was used.

Throughout the area are people dressed in 17th century clothes. Long skirts, head covered with scarves, long sleeves, etc. When asked if they were hot (it was 90 degrees!) they said the long skirt was loose so when walking it made a breeze. Clothes were made of linen and loose fitting to allow air circulation. They would cover their skin to protect from the sun while we uncover and expose!

The third culture that was introduced to this area was African. The English brought in Africans to work as slaves for them as they cleared land and started producing crops, making ships and other products to trade with the British. The gallery exhibits show what and how this culture changed and added to the beginnings of this country.

We rode the free ferry across the James River to Surry County, Virginia. This quiet agriculture area is interspersed with forests and historical plantations that can be visited. Some areas of road are lined with trees. We saw fields of soybeans, wheat, corn and peanuts. The area appeared to be very dry. Interesting signs set along residences like political signs stated NO OLF. The citizens are protesting against the Navy building an Outlying Landing Field in the area. On Highway #60 we found a locally owned Star Motel at Dillwyn, VA. Quaint, clean and quiet. Supper at a local Italian Restaurant which served excellent pizza.

Driving to Appomattox via Farnville took us through low mountains watching the fog lift and past fruit & vegetable stands selling tree ripened peaches. Also saw a sign at a local drug store that advertised Poison Ivy Pills for $11.98!

The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park has a mile of trails. One is a History Trail following the areas that General Grant traveled to bypass Confederate troops as he rode to met General Lee and discuss surrender terms. One is a forestry trail with markers to identify trees. Heavy rain can cause floods on one and the other had sections that are uneven and rocky. We bypassed walking because of the extreme heat. We did stop at a small confederate cemetery that contained one Northern soldier, all were killed on the day before the surrender. The union soldier had enlisted and fought over 1400 days before he was killed 24 hours before the surrender. There was a huge Oak tree that stood on this site!

At the Visitor Center we were given a guide who took us out and pointed out the areas around the town and how the surrender played out in the lives of the people involved. The village was chosen as the county seat and a courthouse was built, thus it is called Appomattox Court House.
Some of the interesting facts we learned:

The Confederate troops were starving as they camped near Appomattox. The Union had captured all of the Railroads and food supplies. The James River was flooded so they could not escape to the East.

General Lee & General Grant met in the parlor of the McLean House to discuss and sign the surrender papers. Their signatures are not on any one document. The terms of surrender were written in pencil by Grant, agreed to by Lee and then written in ink by an aide to Grant. Lee wrote his letter of surrender and signed it. Grant signed the terms of surrender.

There were no grandstands or theatrics. Just 2 commanders agreeing to quit fighting. They discussed there experiences fighting together in the Mexican War while they were meeting.

General Lee was impeccable in clean uniform and gloves because he had his camp set up and knew when and where they were to meet. General Grant had been busy setting up his headquarters and getting ready to fight when he got word from the Confederate messenger when and where to meet. The area was muddy from all the rains because the hilly land had been cleared for planting crops and was eroded.

One of the terms was that the Confederate army would surrender all guns, ammunition, and insignia flags because they were used against the Union. This symbolized the end of the battle. These items were stacked along the street that ran thru the town.

Most of the Confederate Calvary owned their horses. Feed was scarce. General Grant had the Calvary surrender first so that they could get feed for the horses. Then the artillery and last the infantry marched thru the town and stacked their weapons. Because the Union had the extra food that they had captured Grant agreed to feed the Confederate Soldiers before they left for home.

Printing presses were carried with the armies for printing out orders. Between the 2 armies the presses were set up in the tavern and 28,000 parole slips were printed during the night. The names were filled in by the regiment leaders. The Parole pass stated the date and name of the bearer and his company. It stated that he was a paroled prisoner of the Army of Northern Virginia and has permission to go to his home and there remain undisturbed. This pass would enable him to get free food and safe transportation through the country. He was also allowed to take his own horse.

Because it took awhile to get the news out of the surrender there were still battles after the
April 9, 1865 surrender. Todd Lincoln was with Gen. Grant at Appomattox and rode with him to Washington DC arriving the day his Father was shot.

Mr. McLean had fought in the first battle in the Civil War and moved his family and his business so he would not have to fight again! No one else was in town because all had fled to friends or relatives when news of the soldiers arriving in the area. The house is set up with kitchen/dining room in the walk-out(back of the house) basement. The parlor on the main floor and the bedrooms upstairs. The Court House was only open one day a month and the tavern did not have large enough private room.

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We stopped at the National D-Day Memorial at Bedford, VA. It is an impressive outdoor facility open year around and established as a memorial to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of the Allied Forces that took part in the landing at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. There are Bronze tablets with names of all who took part, flags of the 12 nations of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and a beach tableau with sculptures showing a landing craft with troops moving off the tidal flat. This was accented with alternating water spouts sounding like shells landing in the water!

This Piper Cub was called a grasshopper. It was easy to maneuver and covered with a cloth that let the bullets go right through and kept flying.

Whenever you take out your roll of Reynolds Wrap you can remember that Mr. Reynolds had a big role in the war. When he was in Europe at the start of the war he noticed that Germany was buying large amounts of aluminum from France. Mr. Reynolds tried to persuade France to quit selling it, but they would not listen. He knew it was going to make airplanes for the Luftwafte.
Back in America he tried to persuade the government to stockpile aluminum knowing that eventually they would need it for equipment for the war. The government refused so he used his own money and invested in stockpiling it. When America entered the war he had the aluminum necessary to make the planes needed.

We have experienced the first colony in America, the Birth of the Nation, the rebirth at the end of the Civil War and a huge battle in the last World War!

Back to the Interstate and headed west through the mountains of West Virginia, rolling hills of Ohio, into Indiania and back into the corn country of Illinois and Iowa! Ragbrai was just finishing at the Mississippi River and traffic was lined up for 5 miles on the other side of the Interstate and on the side roads leading in and out of LeClaire to pick-up the cyclists.

See you along the way,
Prairie Schooners

Bakersfield, California

Winnebago "Tour" For Bakersfield, CA

We are leaving Iowa in the last week of March, cold & windy, but no rain or snow. This 39' 10" Winnebago "Tour" will be delivered to Bakersfield, CA. The list price is $275,000 for all of these bells & whistles: a 350 HP Diesel pusher, 100 gal fuel tank, GPS navigational system, constant read-out on the dash showing driver how much gas is being used (8.1mpg average) & other motor info, one complete side of the unit was a slide out plus half of the opposite side, 2 sofa beds plus a king size bed, a round dinette table with leather booth-like seating, the bathroom sink was a large white ceramic bowl sitting on top of the cupboard, 4 flat screen TV sets, an exterior entertainment center, and maple cabinetry.

The highest prices we saw posted for diesel was $4.25 and for regular was $3.50 in California and Utah.

Flint Hills

This area showed areas of black ash where the prairie had been burned to help new growth of the grass, bluestem. Herds of cattle included baby calves. The water ponds were full. Did you know that one million cattle graze in this area each year. 300,000 are transported here from southern United States.

Greensburg, Kansas

This town was literally "blown away" by a tornado in May 2007. Highway 54 goes through the city. It is slowly rebuilding, but there are huge areas of open space where debris from homes and business have been removed. There is a place for volunteers to register for assignments. A medical center complex of canvas buildings has been set up. The awesome power of a tornado is still very evident. We pray for continued strength, healing, and wisdom as the people rebuild.

Easter Sunday

He Is Risen, Indeed!

On the road through New Mexico and into Arizona listening to audio book, "Home to Holly Springs" by Jan Karon. A story of forgiveness!

The desert was accented with green leaves on the yucca plants, the creosote bush, the salt cedar and white pineapple shaped blossoms on the Joshua trees. Even the tall chola cactus canes had some green leaves. Sprinkles of yellow/gold from the blossoms of desert marigold, bigelow coreopsis, and desert marigold. Occasional blue flowers on the Mojave indigo bush. The water of winter brings New Life!

Bakersfield, California

We had a view of the El Paso Mountains in the distance as we drove west on California Highway 58 towards Bakersfield. Miles of windmills are silhouetted against the sky across the peaks of the mountains. Acres of solar panels are reflecting the sun on the desert floor.

It seems as though we are suddenly relocated into the Swiss Alps as we drive through grass- covered, round-top, low mountains. Some areas are covered with orange flowers. Herds of cattle graze. There are bee hives stacked at the edge of the pastures. A railroad track along side the highway goes through a series of tunnels dug in the mountains. Fields of citrus groves, dates, and vegetables are visible as we look down into the valley. Green grass, roses blooming in the back yards, irrigation everywhere, and oil wells among the grape vines.

A last, for the dealer, stop at a gas station and a quick wash and inspection and the "Tour" is at the dealer and ready for an owner! We spend some time walking outside soaking up the warm sunshine!

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Layers of white, pink, red and brown cliffs line both east and west sides of Highway 14 as you drive north from the town of Mojave, CA. At one area the colors were layered like frosting dripping down the sides of a layer cake! This canyon is situated at the western edge of the El Paso Mountain range. It was on the Native American trade route for hundreds of years. The survivors of the famous Death Valley trek, members of the Arcane and Bennett families along with some of the Illinois Jayhawkers, used it in the 1850. (The Death Valley Trek was a group of people that took a short cut to the California gold fields. Check the library for books about them or Google it!) In l860 some prospecting was done, but in l893 hundreds of gold miners were sifting the sands of the canyon. Large flocks of sheep were driven up the canyon to the north. It has been a stagecoach stop, railroad route and truck stop.

Recently it has been used as location for many movies, including Jurassic Park, as well as videos and commercials. It is used as an outdoor classroom by students studying geology, paleontology,, and photography.

We stopped at the visitor center, but it was closed except for week-ends during the winter. There are many campgrounds in the area. We walked the short nature trail at the visitor center. Different species of plants are identified. Again it was great soaking up the sun!!

California City

We drove through California City, the largest city in California, on our way back to the Interstate. You say, "WHAT"!
We had passed signs on the Interstate noting California City city limits but there was nothing but desert. In a conversation with a local at a gas station we were told that California City has the largest number of square miles in California. He stated that construction had slowed drastically over the last year.
It is a developers dream! Their are signs all around it advertising land for sale, some are platted, some have a few homes built. The price on one of the signs was nine cents a square foot! The town itself has a population of over 11,000. As we drove through the city we saw a variety of retail & commercial businesses, churches, some manufacturing and a large residential area.
Driving from the north there were areas of drifting sand and high wind warnings. We were told that with 50-70 mph wind the sand could blast the paint off a car!
WAIT!! The California City web site states that it is the 3rd largest city in California and the 11th largest in the nation with 130,200 acres. It is near the NASA Dryden Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, and centrally located for access to ocean, mountains, desert and cultural centers.
We also saw a sign for a Honda R&D area. Koehn Lake was in the distance. On the atlas it is listed as a "dry lake", but with the snow melt it had water in it. Land is for sale on Ebay!

Barstow, California

Barstow is situated in the middle of the Mojave Desert and at an intersection of two interstates.
We stopped at the Mojave River Valley Museum, advertised as having displays and exhibits that portray the history of the valley from 1776 to present.
It is small, but does have a variety of information. A sign gave the following information about the people who had been in the area:
1776 -- Pardre Garces of Arizona described the area.
1826 -- Jedelah Smith from Salt Lake City, Hunter & Trapper
1829 -- Wm Wolfshill of New Mexico, First Annual Carvan Traders bound for California
1844 -- Capt. John C. Fremont, Pathfinder & Mapmaker
1848 -- Mormons Battalian disbanded in Los Angeles and bound for Utah
1849 -- Gold Seekers, First wagons of
After until present -- Mormons, Immigrants, Fortune Seekers, Freighters, Military Expeditions & Tourists!

Large displays of fossils dug out of the dry lake beds in the area including a mammoth. Samples of the minerals mined in the area,a radio transmitter using large glass tubes from a local station, cameras used by a local photographer including an antique panoramic camera, a pay clock radio, items used by the early gold, silver and borax miners, and an area for "hands on" for younger visitors.

In the 1880's the Mojave Runners lived in villages along the Cedar River. They would run regularly over the San Bernadino Mountains to trade with the coastal Indians. They could run 100 miles a day and new the location of every spring on the route.

In the 1970's the people of the area set up for the tourists. At Possom Trot a couple made dolls from pieces of redwood guard rails, dressed them, and recorded voices making up stories with the dolls for showing in their homemade theater. The dolls were sold at the roadside. One sign for a tourist "attraction" stated, " We don't know where MA is but we got POP on ice. 7-up, too!"

The Deep Space Network, designed to communicate with space craft exploring the solar system, is located at Goldstone. It is one of 3 complexes set up strategically in order to maintain contact during the entire orbit. Others are near Madrid, Spain and Canberra, Australia.

Mojave Desert

It takes a special mindset to see beauty in the desert, but this was a good time to really look for it. Because of the snow melt growth was abundant. The Creosote Bush makes up 80% of the desert plants. The Indians made a tea from it which was described as unpalatable and medicine- like. Blossoms of the Yucca plant were cooked and eaten. The seeds were eaten raw or boiled or ground into flour and tea was made from the leaves. The young flower buds on the Joshua tree were roasted and eaten.

We passed a semi with a flat bed stacked with bee hives. They were covered with a netting and we could see the bees buzzing outside of the hives. Later when we were driving through Los Vegas we could see a few escaping from the netting at the seam at the top. Did they find their way back to the truck???

The Mojave is being developed for its natural resources of minerals, fertilizers, natural gas, and limestone.

The Virgin River Canyon in north west Arizona is Spectacular!

Zion National Park

Driving through the town of Springdale was a treat. Beautiful flowers and trees blooming all over, lots of B&B's, homes with "character", had the feel of "get out and walk"! We are thankful for the gift of a National Park Pass from one of our children. Also thankful that we got to the park early in the day. Shuttle buses take you into the canyon. They are free, stop at each of the trail heads at 5 minute intervals, and provide a tour guide with information on the canyon. The Canyon rises on either side of the Virgin River, which starts out as a spring and flows into the Colorado River & Lake Meade.
We stopped and walked on a short trail to one of the "hanging gardens". Water seeping out of the limestone cliffs offer a place for plants to grow--ferns, columbine, ivy, etc. They appear to be hanging on the cliffs. The trail took us behind a waterfall!
We walked a trail along the bank of the Virgin River, but did not take into consideration the time needed to really "see" this park, so did not go all the way to the end to see where the River started.
The Canyon is Awesome, as is the drive on Highway 9 to the East entrance. Switchback curves, rugged, tall rock formations and a tunnel that was built in the 1920's!
The Museum and Giant Screen Movie was closed when we arrived and because we had made a motel reservation that could not be cancelled 400 miles further down the road, we did not take the time to explore them.
We did drive one of the scenic byways, Highway 14 from #89 to Cedar City through the snow covered mountains. The snow was still over 3 feet deep in the pine and fir forests and along the edge of the road. In the summer there are many resorts and hiking areas open.

Colorado Rockies

Driving through the mountains provide ever changing views. Colors from brown to red to white. Tree covered, snow covered, bare rocks, deep valleys, all sizes and shapes. Valleys that are farmed, grazed, desert, or having mining & processing plants or power plants. Cities and towns are long and narrow, built in the valley. Some have homes built on top of the mountain and look as if they would slide off when the wind blows! Weather for us was okay until the Vail area. Our sightseeing was concentrated on road signs and pavement markings when we drove into snow flakes, pellets, and fog all the way into Denver.

Nebraska

As we drove on Interstate 80 beside the Platte River we saw flocks of Sandhill cranes flying and feeding in the fields. The following information is from the Rowe Sanctuary website. This is located along the Platte River in Nebraska.

Sandhill Cranes and the Platte River

Sandhill cranes have been found as far north as Alaska and Eastern Siberia. In order to reach these destinations, cranes must build up enough energy to complete their long journey and to begin breeding. For the cranes, the Platte River Valley is the most important stopover on this migration. The river provides the perfect spot to rest, and the nearby farmlands and wet meadows offer an abundance of food. Without the energy gained at the Platte, cranes might arrive at their breeding grounds in a weakened condition -- where food may be limited until the spring growing season begins.

The Platte River region has a variety of habitats that support cranes. The most important is the Platte River itself. The river is very shallow and sandbars dot the channels. It is here the cranes rest at night, gaining protection from predators like coyotes.

In the morning, cranes shuffle up and down the river waiting for the sun to pop up over the horizon. As the sun rises, cranes head out to feed and loaf in the surrounding fields. During the day, cranes "dance" to relieve the stress of migration and strengthen pair bonds. Cranes are very "social" birds and in the evening, congregate in wet meadows before heading back to the river for the night.

Cranes are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal materials. With the abundance of cropland in the Platte River valley, corn makes up nearly 90 percent of their diet, providing carbohydrates for fat production. Wet meadows along the river provide invertebrates that make up the remainder of their diet. Worms and snails provide protein, with the snail shell being a source of calcium that is essential for egg development.

IOWA

An overnight stop at Des Moines to attend granddaughters high school drama production. Home to the Prairie in anticipation of a Family Week-end and Spring activities.

Thank-you for taking the time to share our "adventure" via the net!

Prairie Schooners

Perry, Georgia

Heading South out of the cold

It was a cold (-2 wind chill), windy day when we picked up this Winnebago unit, a 39 ft Latitude with a 340 hp diesel Freightliner engine. Lots of room even without the slide outs extended. We were pleasantly surprised with the good gas mileage (9mpg) for a unit this size, especially with the price of fuel. The highest price we saw advertised was $3.89.
We chose to take a route south into St. Louis, MO, discovering that we had followed a storm that went through that area the day before leaving up to 10 inches of snow and ice. The trees were covered with ice all the way to the Kentucky border. The interstate had been cleared, but the side roads were snow packed.
Finally some green grass in the ditches, trees are starting to bud, barges are moving in the Tennessee River and daffodils blooming in southern Kentucky.
Driving through the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee we saw some pink blossoms on trees making a nice contrast to the green pine trees. The ornamental pear trees were blooming in the rural areas and cities.
Sunshine and warmth! Found the staging section for Winnebago units at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, site of the RV Show, and checked in.

Lane Packing Company

We drove on state highway and county blacktops on our way to Lane Packing Company. If you have purchased Georgia peaches they might have come from this farm. It was out-of-season, but we took a self-guided walking tour of the facilities, which let you walk over the packing plant and view the machines. The peaches are hand picked at the orchard, put in 18 bushel crates, transported to the plant where they are dumped into cold water to be cooled. Each peach is hand checked and sorted, defuzzed, waxed and stamped with a small label printed with Lane Packing Company number before they are packed in boxes and stored until shipped. All of this is done as the peaches ride on conveyor belts. Some of the peaches that are sorted out are disposed of, some are processed into jams and other food items and some are sold as 2nd grade at their fruit market in season.
Walking through their store we were surprised at all the items that are made with peaches. From salsa to candy to jams to peach cider. That we purchased and are enjoying. Their speciality at the restaurant on the premises is peach cobbler and peach ice cream!

Growing Peaches

In season they have farm tours, but off-season they have a video showing how they grow their peaches. (and those lovely,I want one,white, high backed wooden rocking chairs for us to sit and watch!) 3,000 acres for growing 30 varieties of peaches that mature from May through August.
It takes 12 years of growth to produce peaches after the 16 inch peach tree twig is planted using a machine that makes holes for a person to plant. Their seed stock comes from a nursery in Tennessee. Another 3 years to have peaches mature enough to pick. It takes 30 leaves to make 1 peach! 80% of the peaches are removed when small in order to let the remaining 20% become large enough to pick. The trees are pruned each year with the twigs chopped and left as a mulch. They are watered often with large tanks and sprayers. It was interesting to learn that if they wanted to change the variety of an orchard they would take a bud of the one they wanted and graft it into the tree, wrap it with a rubber band and the new bud would change the variety.
After the trees become too old to produce they are pushed over and burned. The field is planted with new seedlings.

Georgia Pecans

1,000 acres are planted to pecan trees. New trees are started in a nursery plot then lifted with a huge machine and carefully moved to the orchard where they are spaced further apart. They are watered with a hose/sprinkler system at the base of the tree. Pruning is done each year. Pecans are ready to harvest from October to January. A special machine is placed on the trunk just below the branches and it shakes the tree causing the nuts to fall to the ground along with branches and leaves! Another machine pushes all of these fallen items into a row and a pecan combine comes along and picks it up. Inside the combine the pecans are separated and flow into a wagon. The twigs and leaves are chopped and returned as mulch to the ground. Pecan trees produce for many years.
One of the items that was for sale in their store was Pecan Oil that could be used for cooking, frying, baking,etc. It was expensive. I have this rule of needing 3 good reasons before I purchase an item and could not think of the 3rd one until we were several hundred miles down the road!!! (But I'm ready for the next time!)

Strawberries

Four acres of strawberries can be seen from the highway. They were mounded up with black plastic as a mulch cover, green and one one variety had white blossoms. You can pick yourself starting in April or purchase already picked fruit at their market.

This visit makes me even more thankful for the produce we have at the grocery store and the people who grow it!

Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site

Off the beaten path, but so interesting is the Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site north of Macon.

History:
In 1820 after this land was opened up for homesteaders, pioneers, Blake and Zilpha Jarrell moved their family and two slaves from North Carolina and started a plantation. By 1850 , their oldest son, John, had settled nearby on what is now called Jarrell Plantation with his wife, Elizabeth, their seven children, and 19 slaves. John invested his money in land and slaves and by 1863 there were 42 slaves valued at $37,800, and 600 acres of land valued at $5,280 with considerable livestock (cows, hogs, sheep, oxen, mules and horses)valued at $2,840. The farm produced cotton, wheat, Irish potatoes, yams, peas, wool, honey, syrup, pork, beef, and ginned cotton. With $50 in cash he had a value of $45,770 placing him in the upper third of Georgia planters.

Over the years generations of there family endured through typhoid epidemic, burned buildings and stolen livestock and food by Union soldiers during General William Sherman's "March to the Sea", rebuilding and diversifying by having a store and post office in their house. After the boll weevil arrived, ruining cotton farming the family grew more wheat, corn, rye & sugar cane, added a wheat threshing service, set up a steam engine that was used to gin cotton, grind corn, saw lumber, make shingles, produce sugar cane syrup for themselves and as a business. They terraced their fields to prevent erosion and used manure for fertilizer to maintain production.
Many farmers gave up and and moved out West or to towns to work in the mills. Many African-American families moved to northern cities, but the Jarrell family stayed and worked the land until 1974 when the family donated their plantation and artifacts to the state of Georgia. Today the former cotton fields are forests providing wood pulp, lumber and wildlife habitat.

Interesting Items/Information:

The weather is mild enough for them to have our "cool" weather garden plants growing all winter. Peas, cabbage, mustard, etc.

Salt was scarce during the Civil War so Mr. Jarrell took his syrup kettles to Savannah and boiled sea water to get salt for himself and to sell to his neighbors.

He used a 1927 Humpmobile car motor to power his first mill and gin before he set up the steam engine for power. (Isn't that the Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang car?)

Corn husk was used for mattress and to make pallets (like sleeping bags). They would take the clean inner husks because they were the lightest and softest. As they dried they would curl up. No insects would lodge in them. The dried husks were placed between pieces of cotton material.

A mop was made by pulling husks from an ear of corn through holes in a board and attaching a handle. The wood floor was soaked with water, sprinkled with sand and the corn husks used to scrub. Then the floor was rinsed with cold water.

A box was on the wall with pieces of newspaper rolled into tight cylinders about the size of our straws. These were used to light the lamps and candles. Only one could be used each nite to light all of them.

A piece of furniture made like a sideboard with long legs called a huntboard. Often the men stood and ate from the top of this while the children slid together on the benches beside the table. The huntboard was originally made for the fox hunters, who did not dismount their horses to eat. It was tall enough for them to ride up and take their food!

The front yard has a flower pit for storing houseplants in the winter and for keeping foods cool in the summer. It is a four foot deep pit lined with handmade bricks and covered with a board.

Talladega SuperSpeedway

3,000 acres near Talladega, Alabama are used for the 2.66 mile track, stadium for over 170,000 people and parking. There are 143,000 seats and room for thousands more in the 212 acre infield. The tour bus that took us inside the stadium and onto the track infield did not do a lap of the track! We could see why when we saw the banking on the North and South turns. We were told it was a 33 degree bank, but looked more like a 90 degree when you looked down from the top of the track! You need to be driving 70 mph or you will slide to the bottom of the track. 47 stalls line the Pit Road. The old dirt track is still in the infield and is used by Harley Davidson for testing motor cycles and for some dirt track car races.
"Talladega is considered the biggest, fastest and most competitive motor sports facility in the world.

International Motor Sports Hall of Fame & Museum

This is located adjacent to the Talladaga Speedway. The museum allows you to see the history of racing with the variety of vehicles on display. From stock cars, Indy cars, drag racers, motor cycles,and pick-ups to a world record off shore power boat, turbo-powered(faster than speed of sound)racer, and an airplane.
Personally it was interesting to see the changes made in the safety gear in the cars over the years. I was surprised to see that the cars were low, most only about 3 inches off the track and the driver sits on the floor of the car, just like in a go-kart!!

An unusual Hall of Fame driver: Louise Smith
This is an excerpt from her autobiography:
Louise was borne in Barnsville, Georgia, but her family moved to a farm near Greenville, South Carolina when she was four. When she decided to learn to drive, Louise started her father’s T-Model and had a wonderful time until she realized she did not know how to stop. So, she drove the car through the chicken house and had the first of her spectacular crashes. “Needless to say, the chicken house was destroyed, and the car did not look good either. My father tanned me good,” recalls Louise.

Another story tells about her going to watch the Daytona Beach races in 1949 in the family's new car. But she could not just watch. She entered the race in the family's new car. She crashed. Her hometown newspaper had pictures of the wrecked "new car" allowing her family and the whole town know about it before she got back home.

We saw her 1938 Ford race car with "Jesus Loves You" written on the side at the Museum. Her bio in the Hall of Fame room states that she had broken every bone in her body during her racing career. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 and lived to 90 years of age.

That evening we watched the History Channel--all about safety equipment improvements for race car drivers. The next evening we watched the movie, "Herbie, Fully Loaded",a story about VW racecar and a racing family. We did obey all speed limits on the way home and am thankful for a safe trip even with the snow/ice in Alabama!


A sign in front of a service station in Alabama read, "News Flash: Empty tomb in Jerusalem!" What a blessing for us as we travel the road of "life" knowing that our relationship with Father God is based on our faith in Jesus-- His shed blood and His resurrection!

Prairie Schooners

Heading South to Buda, Texas

Out of the Deep Freezer, Hopefully!


It was a cold morning with frost covered trees and a beautiful pink/violet sunrise as we drove to Forest City to pick up the unit. Even more beautiful and clear as we looked through our new windshield without rock chips! After two weeks of the influenza virus, below zero windchill temps, and snow & ice it was great to be out and anticipating some warmer weather.
Our unit for this trip was a View. A small one with a Mercedes diesel engine that gives double the gas mileage, 13mpg, from other units. But we cannot pack our "stuff" in the cupboards so there is not a lot of room to move around. It does have a double bed in the back and a sofa bed, but no table. The colors blended to make it look "smart"--Bay Mist/ Calypso Spice/Honey Cherry--even sound good!

Kansas Turnpike

Snow cover was gone by the time we were through Kansas City. Flocks of wild turkeys were out feeding in the fields beside the trees. Flint Hills were brown, acres of prairie grassland ponds full of water, herds of cattle, some very small calves, some buffalo, signs showing where the cattle pens and truck entrances were located.
One of the towns along the Turnpike is Council Grove. It was named after treaty negotiations between U.S. commissioners and Osage Indian chiefs were conducted here in 1825. This treaty granted whites safe passage along the Santa Fe Trail. The trail was used to move cattle to shipping yards. Here at Council Grove Native Americans, explorers, soldiers and Santa Fe Trail traders met and camped. It was a rendezvous point for caravans moving west on the Santa Fe Trail and provided both Hispanic and American travelers a place to repair wagons and get provisions. Ample water, grass and abundant wood was available.
Oh, No, rain, sleet and snow! A good place to stop for the night and let it pass!

Oklahoma

I-35 South through Oklahoma has a scenic area that goes through the Arbuckle Mountains. The highway was chiseled through the mountains leaving interesting rock walls on either side and a view of the valley cutting through the country side.

Texas

Everything is BIG in Texas! Big buildings, Big ranches, Big fields. Wonderful--first sightings of green fields of winter wheat. Motorcycles are out! Convertables with tops down! It is 61 degrees as we drive through Ft. Worth. Back in cactus country! They grow wild here in the pastures and ditches.

Buda, Texas

Buda, about 17 miles south of Austin, was established in 1881, when Mrs. Cornelia Trimble donated land for a townsite at an International-Great Northland Railroad depot. This area had earlier been settled as part of a Mexican land grant. The common explanation for its name is that it derives from the Spainish word, viuda, meaning widow. The town had gathered a reputation as a popular eating stop for rail travelers. The name may refer to a pair of widows who cooked at the establishment in the late 1800's!
We washed the unit, delivered it to the dealer, Crestview RV Center and took off north and west on Farm to Market Roads and State Highways. It is 90 degrees and sunny. Yes!! Out of the deep freezer!!

Texas Hill Country

You don't think of Texas as having hills, but west of Austin there is an area of rolling hills. It was very dry with burn ban signs posted, no green grass, trees are scrubby and short, water only in the largest rivers, and rocks all over. Many limestone quarries. We saw signs stating,"Blasting Area Active Quarry".

It is interesting to see the wide variety of "gates" to the ranches in Texas. In the hill country that is all you see of the ranches. They use rocks, stones, cement, cedar branches, wood, fencing, gates and design a walled area on each side of the driveway with their ranch name inscribed in the wall or over the top. The driveway winds it's way through the scrubby treas and over the hill.
Large areas are being developed and are advertised for sale.

There is a huge dome of high-quality pink and red granite, that is prized worldwide, near the town of Marble Falls. Quarrying began in the 1880's for construction of the Texas capitol. Even though an unending flow of this material has continued every since, the bulk of the dome has hardly been diminished. There is a roadside picnic area on R.M.1431 just north of town where you can view the quarry. We missed that corner, but did see the pink dome from the highway.

Ft. Hood, a modern Army post covering 339 square miles is located in Kileen, TX. Visitors are welcome to tour the 2 museums on the base. We spent the night at the Super 8 and enjoyed our supper at the China Star Buffet. The food was fresh & delicious. The restaurant was clean. The service was fast and efficient. They have take-outs and delivery service, too. We tried several "new to us" foods--Lobster balls, Potstickers, Bugoli, Green clams and a Sesame ball.

Prairies and Lakes Area of Texas

We are heading north and west into the prairies and lakes area of Texas. Acres of ranch farms with row crops along with prairie grassland for the herds of cattle and horses. Daffodils are blooming and iris is up ready to bud. Mistletoe, a parasite, grows on the trees in this area, too. It is very green even when the trees have no leaves. Yes, it is sunny and 70 degrees!

In the 1850's pioneers like Cleng Peerson and Ole Canuteson brought groups of Norwegians to the area around Clifton along the Bosque River. This is designated the "Norwegian Capitol of Texas"

Creation Evidences Museum at Glen Rose

Glen Rose is located on the Puluxy River just above the spot that it flows into the Brazos River. In the Dinosaur Valley State Park the Paluxy River flows over solid rock that contains the best preserved dinosaur tracks in Texas. The first sauropod tracks in the world were discovered here. It is in this area that human footprints have been found in and around the dinosaur tracks. They are under water now, but in the summer when it is dry they can be seen. Several years ago, we did see them.
The Creation Evidences Museum is about 4 miles west of Glen Rose. Their new building is scheduled to be finished this summer. You can see fossil displays, Acrocanthosaurus bones, dinosaur footprint casts and view a video showing a scientific look at creation. They are experimenting with a biosphere that will show how plants and animals grew before the flood. Because of the atmospheric pressure controlled by the vapor barrier and the pink light that came through from the sun, plants and animals grew larger and lived longer.

North and Home


Evading Ft. Worth we headed north on state highways and FM roads. Two of the towns we drove through, Grandby and Weatherford, were county seats with large historical courthouses in the center of a square. One had a round-about, which is a circle road one way around the square. You keep driving around until you come to the road you want to take.

Because we wanted to be politically correct and diverse we ate at a local Italian restaurant, Luigi's, in Gainsburg. Very clean, good service, good menu selection and delicious food. The Super 8 had Texas shaped waffles for our breakfast!

As we drove north it got cooler. Saw our first snow in Kansas City on the north sides of the slopes. Had a super meal at the Texas Roadhouse at Liberty, Kansas. Be sure to have their baked sweet potato!

We did drive in snow for the last 2 hours and are back in the deep freezer again!

Hall of Fames along I-35

Did you know that you could see the following Hall of Fames as you drive down I-35 from Iowa to Texas???
Agriculture Hall of Fame, Teacher Hall of Fame, Wrestling Hall of Fame, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame

Again we Thank the Lord for His provision for us as we traveled and for the opportunity to see His creation in another part of the US!
Prairie Schooners

Winter Montana Mountain Road Trip

Winter Montana Mountain Road Trip

This is what a winter Montana Mountain Road Trip can look like. The manager of the Super 8 at Big Timber kindly told us that we had an opportunity to get through the Bozeman Pass when the winds let up in the afternoon, other wise they were predicted to be high again the next day. We drove through the mountains in snow and blowing snow. On the other side was clear sky, cold and clear roads all the way to our destination, Missoula. The Missoula Super 8 had a place to park our until for the night and a warm room for us. Across the road was the Montana Club, a great place to eat. You'll like the lodge-style atmosphere. You can come as you are. The menu has everything from hamburgers to steak and seafood. Their salads were fresh and crisp. The taco salad was very generous and the hamburger grilled to perfection.

Rangitsch Bros RV is one of 2 large dealers in Missoula. They were easy to find, friendly and helpful! There is no sales tax in Montana making it economical to purchase a RV in that state. They do have property tax. We visited with the manager of the repair shop while we had our car checked out and learned that there has not been normal snow fall in the last few years. It has been dry causing a lot of fires. He works with the rescue teams going up in the mountains to help evacuate people in the path of the fires. Sometimes the homeowners do not want to evacuate even when they are in the path of 300 ft high flames. The smoke jumpers have a museum, but it was not open during the winter. We learned that besides working with fires, they are called on to jump in to mountain areas in a medical emergency to stabilize the victim until they can be transported.

Pinter Scenic Loop

The Pinter Scenic Loop is a 53 mile alternate to Interstate 90 that drives through the mountains and around the Georgetown Lake area starting at Drummond and ending at Anaconda. The big blue sunlight Montana sky contrasting with the snow covered mountains made a beautiful continuing scene as we drove. The road is well maintained. Cabins and resorts surround the Georgetown Lake area. Recreational sports and fishing are available.

You can see abandoned mine equipment on the sides of the mountains. At one time gold was mined in this area. There are areas of ranching and irrigated fields in the valleys. In the 1800's the town of Hall had a station on the Northern Pacific Railroad. It was a livestock and grain shipping point for the area until the bank failed after WWI.

Anaconda Smelter Stack

As you drive into Anaconda you will see a huge smoke stack on the horizon. There were copper mines in the area and other ores from the Butte area were transported here to be processed. This stack is one of the tallest freestanding brick structure in the world. It is 585 feet tall. The inside diameter is 60' at the base and 75' at the top. It is not used and the area has been in the process of being reclaimed.

There is a lot of mining and many areas with oil and natural gas wells in Montana and Wyoming.
It was reported on the news that in one area there was coal smoldering underground for 27 years. A fire in the area had started the coal vein smoldering and it worked it's way back to the top soil and the dry grass just caught fire.

Next Time Not Winter!

So much history in this area! So much to see when it is not winter! The headwaters of the Missouri River are located near Great Falls. Three Forts were built in the 1800's to protect immigrants and later the workers constructing the Trans Continental RR from the Indians. All are open to the public, except in the winter. Deer Lodge, MT has several museums of ranch history and the Old Montana Prison. Yellowstone National Park, Black Hills State Park, and the Badlands are on this route but most of roads are closed in winter.
There are thousands of acres of ranch land being sold in 20 acre tracts for development plus larger tracts for investment ranching. One area along the interstate has white fences along the front of each tract with brick posts at the entrance driveways, but no homes, yet!
We even stayed in Wall, South Dakota after a day of driving in cold, wind and snow and we did not even try to find the famous Drug Store!! Plan your trip anytime from April through October and enjoy the Big Sky Country of the West!

Prairie Schooners

Waiting in Big Timber, MT

This is the view from our motel window in Big Timber MT. We pulled off the road yesterday early afternoon because of high winds. They are still gusting up to 50 mph today, but expected to lower. You can see the Crazy Mountains in the background. They were a landmark for the early immigrants as they traveled the Bozeman Trail west. They can be described as having saw-tooth jagged peaks.

Yesterday, we followed the Yellowstone River. It was the same trail that Captain WM Clark with the Lewis & Clark Expedition took on the return from the Pacific. The river was open and flowing in places, but many miles had huge ice chunks.

We tried to imagine what it would have been like riding an original Prairie Schooner (covered wagon) pulled by oxen and seeing the huge mountains ahead that needed to be crossed. And then we experienced the need to adapt to the weather, just like they did! Only we did not need to find wood for fire and water and food in the elements!!

Wild Life

We saw bald eagles sitting in the pasture beside the road along with flocks of wild turkeys. Herds of antelope and mule deer were grazing on the hill sides along with the cattle and horses.


Agriculture

As you can see there was no snow in Wyoming as we drove through. The ranches in the valleys had stacks of bales used to feed their herds of cattle and horses. We could see the white patches of alkalized deposits along the pasture areas where water had accumulated and then evaporated.

It was unusual to see fields of freshly worked ground. Some were even ridge tilled and ready to plant. There were a couple of large fertilizer applicators on the road.

An unusual cattle feeding set up on a hill near Hardin, MT had two large round buildings with pie-shaped fenced pens build down the sides of the hill.



Magnificent views as we drove along the edge of the Big Horn Mountains. There are many historical places to stop and view, but most are closed from December to March. With below zero windchills coming the next few days, we can understand why!

The right lane on the interstate through the mountains has grooves from wear and can be treacherous. It is no wonder these states charge for permits for trucks and commercial vehicles. The snow fences are unique to this area. They remind me of the backs of rows of bleachers without any seats!

Our trips to east have shown what man has done to change and use the land. There are areas like that, but man has mainly learned to adapt to the land and leave the mountains unchanged.

Thank you for checking in on us!
Prairie Schooners