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Summer 2021 RV Adventure

May 30 - Jun 11 2021

@mixtress

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Starr Hill Vineyard & Winery

May 30 2021

@mixtress

Jun 11 2021

@mixtress

Jun 11 2021

We have been on a very busy schedule since we got to Iowa and stayed with our wonderful friends Michelle and Barb at their lovely home on the outskirts of De Moins, Iowa.

We arrived and they were on the front porch waiting for our arrival which they could not miss, our 26ft 11 ft. tall Winnabago, Navion bounding toward them in their residential neighborhood is something you can see for blocks, in the flat landscape of what was once a working farm, now converted to a community of beautiful homes with ample amenities, \240large drive ways and 2 and a half garages. We backed in to get an electric hook up, they too have an RV; a Winnebago Mini Winnie. We hope to take future RV adventures with them as well!

Barb and Michelle served up an amazing dinner for us weary travelers coming off the WINDY i-80 with trucks zooming by us blowing up our skirts as they whizzed by at 80 miles an hour. I was fatigued at bit by the wind gusts from the trucks, the gusts literally gave us a sudden push which was not a problem as long as you anticipated the arrival, and it only happened when big ass trucks were not polite to slow down a bit as they passed, the faster they went the more of a whoosh we got. I will be addressing this by adding new heavier duty shocks and a more robust sway bar when I return home from this trip.

We ate dinner in our friends well appointed backyard patio, I had a generous and very tasty Iowa bread and fed rib eye steak, which Michelle said had to be experienced, and she was correct! It was very delicious ! I don’t make it a habit to eat meat, I am a plant based burger gal, Beyond and Impossible burgers are my mainstay, our freezer is packed with them for this trip. I was at Whole paycheck, I mean Whole Foods, and I loaded up on them so we could have them twice a week for each week we are away. Cath rolled her eyes at me when I came home from shopping and wanted to know how she was going to get all this stuff in the refrigerator? Ha! Repackaging is an art and ziplock bags with the zipper are my favorite go to’s. I had also purchased ample supplies and everything fit well!

Michelle and Barb, took us on a one day Iowa Odyssey! We first \240went to a bridge that is famous to all bikers and hikers all over the world, \240which Michelle’s son-in-law who is an engineer designed and built!

The bridge spans over the De Moines River, and is part of the Rails to Trails movement across the country. Where abandoned rail road tracks have been converted to bike and walking paths. We visited the one in New York State a few years back on our first RV test run. The converted bridge in Poughkeepsie, NY Walkway Over The Hudson State Historic Park.

This bridge is designed to provide the experience of entering a coal mine with the architectural details of wider to narrower openings of the steel beams above, to emulate going into a mine on rail cars. It’s beautiful and impressive. To think we were one degree of separation to the actual designer and architect of the bridge, getting inside info on the bridge’s evolution. Michelle was privy to seeing the bridge being built from scratch to completion.

After our brisk walk along the bridge, we went to one of their favorite parks, where they like to kayak. Then on to Duluth Trading, I needed some shorts that you can only get there and I had lost some weight and needed a smaller size of overall shorts that I had purchased last year that were way too big.

After a very successful shopping trip, \240Barb and Michelle took us on a whirlwind ( It’s Iowa after all ) tour of the Des Moins the State Capital with it’s beautiful gold plated dome on the state house.

Now something we discovered, Iowa has a salute, it is not one you have been told about, it is on the DL, (down low)!

We fist got wind of it when we were at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Historic Birthplace! On the grounds there was a gift sculpture given to him from European Countries in gratitude to him for his humanitarian work to combat starvation after World War I. He was a great humanitarian, and it is ironic when our country was starving and suffering mass unemployment; he got thrown out of office! We saved people in Europe but could not be compelled to save ourselves! I digress.......

The statue is of ISIS. The statue shows her prominent breasts through her veil. Since my new iPhone 12 is very good with detail and sharpness, I was surprised to see the revelation of her form on display in this setting. I took note and took pictures. Then at the Iowa State House across the street, was a park which also provided a rather unusual display of a woman on a wheel barrel uplifting her ample breasts to the world!

We decided then and there that Iowa’s secret salute was the uplifting of the breasts to hail our humanitarianism to the worlds!

https://www.nps.gov/places/statue-of-isis.htm

There is also a fabulous downtown sculpture garden, a gift from Papajohn’s Pizza owners to the city of Des Moins. The sculptures were beyond my expectations and exceeded them by leaps and bounds! I fell head over heels in love with the dancing sculpture by Keith Heiring so appropriate to Gay Pride Month!

We also went by not one, but 3 gay bars in downtown Des Moins!! They are still functioning and Des Moins has a Gay Men’s Chorus to boot.

And of course there are more farms!! Tons of farms!! So many farms! I love all the farms! So you get some more farms!

One farm had a large statue of a horse, a hammer and a head of a steer, they were extremely large and could be seen from the road.

Another farm had a skeleton statue of a person and a dinasour on a leash.... \240we saw it and we documented it. Why is anyone’s guess. Because they could! There is ample land to put anything you want on it out here!

Hope you enjoy the pics!

Crossing over from Indiana to The Welocming People of Iowa!

Catherine excited to be sightseeing at a presidential historic library and birthright. Checking off Herbert Hoover on her bucket list!

Portrait of President Herbert Hoover.

Herbert Hoovers Birth Place. A two room house, tiny as can be. On the far right was his father’s blacksmith shop.

Blacksmith shop on the Herbert Hoover property demonstrating the art of black smithing. My Enslaved 3rd Great Grandfather Monere Prentiss was a blacksmith in Vicksburg MS. Before and after the Civil War.

Blacksmith showing us and explaining how a broken wagon wheel was repaired. It was a definite skill set to retire a wooden wheel exactly stretching the hot molten steel to the wood just enough to fit snugly, then put into cold water.

Here is the gift of the ISIS statue to commentate President Herbert Hoovers Humanitarian work which saved many thousands of Europeans from starvation after World War I.

Isis Statue, gift from Europe to Herber Hoover, and the first glimps of the secret Iowa Salute, which we discovered after seeing the other statue across from the State House in Des Moins. Who knew? Great statue of the Goddess Isis, happy to see her on our travels!

It’s all about the sky in Iowa and in the west! Farms and sky!

Farms and rolls of Michelle said it was probably feed grains for the animals on the farm.

Iowa and Indianna had tons of windmills. I think 64 % of Iowa’s energy is derived of wind power as of 2021!

Windmills along the countryside off I-80 in Iowa.

Farm.

Michelle about to grill some Iowa steak and explaining how Iowa steak is not to be missed. Since I occasionally eat a burger made of beef, I was excited to have a taste, it was delishous as promised!

Barb serving up some great salads and and Iowa hospitality!

Here we are in backyard bliss sharing a wonderful mean with our hostesses and dear friends!

Crossing over the Great Mississippi to the welcoming arms of the people of Iowa.

Contrast of old and new farm buildings.

Cath and Michelle taking in the vista from the Train Tressel Bridge.

Cath and Michelle taking in the view.

The beginning of th Train Tressel Bridge designed and built by Michelle’s son in law. It is designed to provide the experience of entering a coal mine, with larger opening descending to smaller tighter surrounding along the way in.

Info about the building of the trail and hiking bridge.

Info on the bridge.

Here we are Michelle, Barb, Me and Cath. It’s windy up here!!

Views off the bridge.

Cath and me on the bridge.

The beauty of the bridge eliciting the experience of going inside of a coal mine.

Barb and Michelle laying of a great spread of snacks in their favorite picnic area on a sweet little lake where they go kayaking.

Des Moins State Capitol Building and it’s gold leaf dome. I found it quite beautiful.

A monument in the state capitol park.

View of the State Capital building and it’s gold leaf dome from across the street in the monument park.

View of Des Moins from the monument park. A nice vista!

We don’t know what this is, its across the highway from the monument park in Des Moins, Iowa state Capitol. It was cool. I will eventually find out or if you know, fill us in in the comments.

Civil war memorial in the monument park in the Des Moins State Capitol park.

A portrait of an element of the Civil War monument in the Des Moins State Capitol Monument Park. I love taking photos of statues.

Here is part of the monument tribute to the soldiers of the Civil War at the State Monument Park in Des Moins, Iowa. This is where we discovered the Secret Iowa Salute of holding up proud women’s breast!

The secret Iowa Salute!

One of three gay bars, in downtown Des Moins, it is said to be a famous establishment. Blazing Saddle! Who has been there? Let us know in the comments!

I think another gay bar?

Here is another bridge built by Michelle’s son in law, or rather repaired, it had to be lifted up by about 14 inches and no one but her son in law would take on the job of doing it. He was very successful and it is now reinforced and quite beautiful, with the waterfall under it.

Papjohns sculpture park.

Kool building in downtown Des Moins. Kum & Go gas building.

About the park.

Bye and thank you Michelle and Barb for your wonderful hospitality and beautiful home and all the great food and sights! Come see us in Princeton and we will attempt to return the favor! It will be hard to match! Xoxox

More farm land sculpture as we head for South Dakota.

RV park on the Blue Lake off of the Mississippi River.

Farm,

Cow in pasture.

Wall Drug signage for like 300 miles we saw such signs.

Farm.

We don’t know??

Traveling down I-90.

The one and only Corn Place! Yes Sue Walton it is a triumph of a place as you and your family have a history of being in this building. So for that alone I love it.