Beauty of Western Iowa Part Three

5-20-11 GUEST Blog
Lewis & Clark Statue – If I had gone to school in Iowa, I would for sure remember that Iowa was part of the Louisiana Purchase. Short story long, Iowa was part of the French Louisiana Territory (828,000 sq miles) and after the 1763 French Indian War, the Territory was ceded to Spain, then back to France. Then comes Napoleon and Thomas Jefferson and in 1803, a series of back-room deals and a treaty, “Treaty of Fontainbleu” (haha I’ve been to Fontainbleau), then comes James Monroe’s sweet deal of not only purchasing New Orleans but the whole Louisiana Territory for $15 million dollars, or five cents per acre. Jefferson then commissions Lewis & Clark to explore the territory, 1804-1806. To commemorate the expedition, SC hosts not only this statue, but an interactive interpretation center. The 5,500-pound 14-foot bronze spectacular sculpture depicts the explorers Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Lewis’ Newfoundland dog, Seaman.  This website is amazing. http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/LewisClark2/Circa1804/Heritage/LouisianaPurchase/LouisianaPurchase.htm.
          

 
Next is Sergeant Floyd Monument - You can’t miss this as you drive into SC on I29, but for 13 years I did. It reminds me of the Washington Monument and from my research, it is second in size to the Washington Monument, 100-foot obelisk marking Sergeant Charles Floyd, Jr. final resting place. Floyd is known to be the only member of the Lewis & Clark team to die on the two-year expedition (hard to believe). He was 22 when he died in 1804. There’s a lot to be learned here. http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/cfloy.html or http://www.siouxcitymuseum.org/sgt_floyd_5.asp,  http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/ser.htm

Chief War Eagle - friend of the “white man”, 1785-1951. He was a river guide to the settlers and worked for the American Fur Company during the 1812 War. In 1837, he received a Silver Medal from President Van Buren for his work over the years. Reading his bio, he was a peace maker. He’s not easy to find, but once found, very picturesque. He’s was buried on top of the bluffs overlooking Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.   

                               

http://www.siouxcityhistory.org/people/more330c.html?id=42_0_2_0_M

 http://www.siouxcitymuseum.org/historic_landmarks.asp

Let me say, I was exhausted after seeing these memorials/monuments and we haven’t made it to the wedding yet and I have one more sight to see, (write-up at a later date) Trinity Heights.
Side-bar note, Judy this was indeed a lot of work, so I applaud you for your daily writings. I’ll stick to the weekly writings and occasional series.

Chat Later,
That Girl, Ann Marie

Beauty of Western Iowa Part Two

5-18-11 GUEST Blog

Iowa indeed has a lot of history and I can’t believe that I did not soak up some of the history of Sioux City (SC), Iowa over the years. You see, for 13 years, you would of found me in SC at least ten times per year. With a 3.5 hour drive, stopping along the roadway was not high on my to-do list. Last October, while attending a wedding, I took the opportunity to take a leisurely drive to SC via the Loess Hills and see a few sights in the City. History I tell you, lots of history.

First, the Loess Hills Scenic Byway in Western Iowa. Here’s a synopsis:
The unique land formation of windblown silt called “loess” extends nearly 200 miles in a narrow band adjacent to the Missouri River Valley. Although deposits of loess are found across the world, nowhere but China are those deposits higher than they are in Iowa. The Loess Hills encompasses over 640,000 acres of land with over 10,000 acres designated as a “Loess Hills National Natural Landmark.”

I think this description is fascinating and one you can’t see nor appreciate driving on I-29, one must use the Byway to see the hills. The drive was on a beautiful sunny Friday in October, and I am very pleased to check this off my list. http://www.loesshillstours.com/geology.html

Off to Sioux City and on the to-do list: Flight 232 Memorial, Lewis & Clark Center, Sergeant Floyd Monument, Chief War Eagle Statue and will write about Trinity Heights on another post.

UA Flight 232 Memorial – Do you know where you were on the afternoon of July 19, 1989? Well for the people of Iowa, most were glued to the TV watching a 44-minute drama unfold. The UA flight, Denver to Philadelphia, had major engine failure and the pilot was attempting to land when the right wing tore off, the plane did a cartwheel and then blew up. Of the 285 onboard, 185 survived. The statue depicts National Guard Lt. Col. Dennis Nielson carrying a 3-year old child to safety. A vivid memory for me and a very nice memorial. Do you remember the pilot’s name? Captain Al Haynes. I wonder what happen to the little girl.

 http://www.siouxcitymuseum.org/historic_landmarks.asp

Off to see more sights in the city limits of Sioux City.    

Chat Later,
That Girl, Ann Marie

Beauty of Western Iowa Part one

5-16-11 GUEST Blog

I would call myself a road warrior as I love to get in my sweet ride or shopping mobile and hit the roads whenever possible. When I see an interesting sign, I do my best to stop and take in the sights. With that said, over the last 13 years, while traveling to and from Sioux City for work, I’ve seen the same signs and for no good reason other than “I don’t have the time”, I have not stopped. Well that changed last fall with two road trips. I’ll start with I-80 West and the towns of Elk Horn and Kimballton.  

Have you seen the sign on I-80 West for the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn? I must have passed it over 200 times over the years and never stopping.  With my recent ’10 travel to Copenhagen, I wanted to stop and see what this mill was all about. Geez, what a history, built in Denmark in 1948, the city purchased it in 1976 and shortly after that, a law was passed so that authentic Danish windmills could not be taken out of the country. And unlike mills for water or energy, this mill was used to grind grain. Read more about the windmill here.  http://www.danishwindmill.com/danish_windmill_history/history_overview.asp

         

Near the Windmill, I saw this unusual contraption and what … wait a minute … a charging station? Yes, the town of Elk Horn with 650 people is the home of four electric charging stations, built by and mainly used by the owner/operator. On further research, Elk Horn has been cited for this achievement. Read more about the town and its many accolades here http://www.elkhorniowa.com/.
           

While in town, we stopped by the Danish Immigrant Museum built in 1983. Among telling the history of the people of Denmark, it hosts the largest Danish gift shop in America.  This is quite a Museum and a must see.  http://www.danishmuseum.org/. On the grounds of the Museum there is the cutest chapel, Morningstar Chapel. It might be the world’s smallest working chapel, 6’ by 8’ chapel contains a pulpit, an altar, and four small pews. Take a look at it here, built in Waterloo, Iowa. http://www.danishmuseum.org/morning-star-chapel.cfm

While I was there, the guide asked us “have you seen the Little Mermaid”? Oh my, I traveled thousands of miles to see the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen and here, 80 miles from my home is a replica of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid. http://www.kimballtoniowa.com/. Here’s a link to the Copenhagen’s mermaid. http://www.copenhagenpictures.dk/mermaid.html

After seeing the town of Elk Horn and Kimballton, I’m truly appreciative of the Danish settlers and their courage to trek across the pond and one-half of the United States to settle in Iowa. When you have time, check out the life stories of some of them here. http://www.danishmuseum.org/danish-american-stories.cfm

Chat Later,
That Girl, Ann Marie

Surprise Guest Blog!

5-14-11 working brain

Thanks Ann for volunteering to fill in for me while I'm off at my National Conference!

From time to time, someone will ask me “Ann do you plan on staying here (in Iowa) the rest of your life”? Before formulating a smarty pants response, I say to myself “where else would I go, my roots, immediate family and great friends are in Iowa”? Sure I’ve seen the world, traveled to most of the States, but I’ve lived in Iowa for two-thirds of my life and unless I win the lottery, Iowa is my home. And besides, that’s what vacations are for, busting out of your hometown. And busting out I do.


Last weekend, the Des Moines Register printed the annual Vacation Iowa insert and I said to myself, geez, I saw a lot of these places on my “50 Things To See and Do” last fall. I’ve not had the opportunity to share some of the sights so I asked Judy if she needed a break from blogging while she was in Orlando for her annual meeting. Yes, the structure of writing is fueling my soul. Have a great trip Judy and I’ll keep the blog going and make your proud!

I will be posting three articles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Look forward to some interesting pictures and short vignettes about Iowa.

Chat Later,

That Girl, Ann Marie

Only in Iowa?

5-13-11 traveling brain
Only in Iowa?......Well, maybe not just in Iowa…. But an example of why I enjoy living in Iowa (not just because I always have)…. is what I saw in the Des Moines Register Newspaper Thursday morning.

Front page of the Metro & Iowa Section was an article about 4 kittens rescued from a storm sewer. Workers at Simon’s automotive store heard a cat cry….911 was called, and a net brought these tiny kittens to safety. The article was even accompanied by two big pictures. A slow news day, ya probably.... and that's what I like about Iowa.

While I am out of town at my work conference next week, Ann has agreed to be my guest blogger and will be filling in at least three days next week. The topic, perfectly timed… will be about Iowa! Read tomorrow as she sets up her mission for next week.

Thanks Ann for volunteering to fill in for me. Maybe others will see why we love Iowa!

Our cat Clover, who lives in KC with Greg, was also rescued as a kitten and we are grateful to have her in our lives now!

Option A, B or C ?

5-12-11 aha brain
I’ve decided to stop thinking and talking about retirement. I decided this was making me feel old and confused.... and since I’m not able to make some decisions I would need to make at this time… like where am I going to live and what would I do? .... I think I could and should just keep working.

Most of my friends are younger and will still be working… I think I should pretend I’m only 50 and keep working until Greg can retire in 10 years. Then we can deal with all the retirement decisions together (?)... it's an option!

But in order to keep working, I know I’m going to really have to pace myself. Like now- I don’t need to stress about cleaning out the basement THIS summer…. I can take my time over the next 10 years. Procrastination, it’s a skill I need to get better at, but it just might be the thing I need.

For this week, I'm focusing on taking breaks and enjoying nature throughout the day. This view is out my back yard Des Moines, at the "old folks home". They make good neighbors out back.

Wednesday Guest Blog

5-11-11 searching brain
This would be the perfect time for me to ask Ann to start looking for cheap, used vinyl records for me to use for an art project. One dollar or less for a record please, scratched is OK!  PS: I like our bike!
- Judy

Memories, Some Things You Never Forget

Last week I was interviewed by a third-grader about why and how I came to the United States and some of my earliest memories. The most vivid memory was believing money grew on trees and that sidewalks were paved with gold. Vivid I tell you.

With that said, be it in Trinidad or in Maryland, we were poor. Fast forward 40 years, no matter how much money I have in my pockets, I still live like I have $5 to my name. Remember my middle name “deal finder”.

In the summer, I love going to garage sales and there’s nothing like finding a block sale or stumbling upon a sale while driving home. On Saturday’s, my Dad enjoyed watching me sift through other people’s stuff after breakfast. Shucks, I’m going to miss him giving me the business of “why do you need that or don’t you already have that”? Life does go on.

Last weekend, after breakfast with a friend of Dad’s and a fast trip to the Farmers’ Market (more to come on the Market), I spent a relaxing two hours sifting through six sales. Here’s my take:

Picture 1 was a whopping $3. I collect wine glasses, love Ronald Regan, love to bake and I’ve been wanting to get some silicone baking cups, a nice blue plate and for my camping endeavors, a stand to make “beer chicken” on the grill.

Picture 2 was a total of $5. An assortment of nuts and bolts and 8 quarts of 10WD 30 Shell Oil. The was a steal of a deal and one a guy can appreciate.

Picture 3 was a mere $5. I’ve always wanted a pie cutter, a Spanish dictionary for my European travels, two DVD’s (love Nick Cage), a John Mayer CD and my funniest find, “Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies”. This is a brand new VHS! Judy, watch me drop the pounds sweating to Richard.

Picture 4 cost me $6. The putter works as my self-defense weapon, a bike helmet and for $5, a wheeled cart which will work great for the Farmers’ Market or those occasional garage sales.

Last but not least, my best find of the weekend, picture 5 cost me $13 for a nice bike with a wire basket.

My co-worker sold me the bike and found the basket, at a garage sale. I’ve been wanting a bike like this for the last couple of years and now I have it. On a side-bar note, while most kids ride a bike at 5-7 years of age, I did not ride one until I was 10 or so. I remember being embarrassed at a Girl Scout bike riding event, never ever riding a bike so I had to use training wheels. Yes at the age of 10 and a memory that is seared in my brain. Needless to say, my son had his first bike at the age of two. Cheers to summer and good finds.

Chat Later, That Girl

Ann Marie