Month: June 2003

Leaving Las Vegas – Day 71

Leaving Las Vegas

Day 71 – June 10, 2003 – Tuesday

Leaving Las Vegas.

We drove to Los Angeles today — went via Death Valley. When we stopped for gas in Shoshone (Death Valley), California (population 100), Anna at the gas station asked if we knew where we had gotten lost. When we told her we PLANNED to visit Death Valley, she was VERY surprised.

We didn’t meet many people in Vegas. Beads weren’t special there as a number of casinos give them away.

We went to Red Rock Canyon as we left the Las Vegas area. We saw a sign that said: “Danger. Wild burros on highway. Do not feed or harass burros. $25 fine and THEY BITE.”

We passed by a sign for “Summerland, America’s premier master plan community.” Of course, it was way out in the middle of the desert in the middle of nowhere so somebody wasn’t thinking too well when they planned. Then again, maybe this is a relative of Bugsy Siegel, so who am I to question things in the middle of nowhere?

We came across a poor man’s Cadillac Ranch. This guy could only afford one car. I couldn’t tell what model. One car buried nose down in the Nevada desert. No sign. No explanation. Just there.

We accidentally found our way to Crystal, Nevada today. Crystal is a tiny spot on a road in the only county in Nevada where prostitution is legal. It just happened to be on the route that I chose through Death Valley and on to LA.

We went down a road following signs that said “Cherry Patch Ranch” and “Mable’s” as well as “Madame Butterfly Bath, Massage, and Saloon.” These places are official houses of prostitution. There was a “Brothel Tourist Information Center” that appeared to be open, but I guess I was afraid to go in.

We passed near Area 51 and the Extraterrestrial Highway. We photographed some signs and other spooky stuff. Our son’s company does Area 51 tours. The tour takes Las Vegas visitors to seven famous locations used by UFO enthusiasts in their search of the truth about this controversial subject. The tour goes to Little A’le’Inn. This has been the host of numerous documentaries and movies including “Independence Day.” The next stop is the infamous Black Mailbox and then to the perimeter of Area 51 through the strange and deformed Joshua Tree Forest. The tour notes the guards (Men In Black), detection devices, listening devices, and cameras mounted among the cactus. Signs read: “The Use of Deadly Force Authorized” and we’re sure they mean it. As much as the United States Air Force has denied the existence of this base, we know it is there, but no one knows what it is they do there. Go to www.lostwagestours.com if you’d like to take the tour.

We didn’t see any UFOs today — a sign or two and a cafe, but mainly desert. It reached only 105 today in Death Valley, while it got to 108 on June 8 in Las Vegas.

We burned Pass #14 on a slow-moving motorcycle in Death Valley.

We met Anna at the Chevron station in Shoshone. Anna asked if we knew where we had gotten lost. When we told her we PLANNED to visit Death Valley, she was VERY surprised.

Anna knew everyone around these parts. She previously worked as a shift madam at one of the brothels in Crystal, Nevada. She was a very sweet lady. She volunteered that she worked there because her daughter had a serious illness, and they didn’t have the money for medical expenses unless she got a better-paying job. She said the brothels in Crystal City are very safe; doctors come in once a week; double-jacketed condoms are used, etc. She said they charge $150 for a half hour.

Getting a chance to talk to a madam was an unexpected pleasure in Death Valley.

The population is 100 in Shoshone, yet they have a place called the UFO that looks like a cafe and a place called the Saysee Bone Cafe which is an Internet Cafe featuring espresso. There were a lot of yard ornaments in Shoshone.

We drove on to the Dumont Dunes in Death Valley. It seemed like perhaps the lowest spot we reached. It is an area where people go off-roading.

We’ve reached the town of Baker just before 5 pm. The population is only 390, yet they have 5-digit address numbers. Maybe that guy selling the used car near Douglas, Arizona is the city planner here.

As we approached the town of Yermo, California, I spotted something that looked strange and interesting on the horizon. We never found out what it was. We did, however, learn that “The Incredible Hulk” was filmed here, so this might have been something left over from the filming. We stopped at what we learned was the original Del Taco restaurant.

The smog was absolutely horrible as we neared the Los Angeles area. What a shame that this beautiful part of the country is uglified by smog.

Mayte checked us in at the Embassy Suites in Monrovia, California. She recommended Rudy’s for dinner, so off we went. We both enjoyed Rudy’s California-style Mexican food. We had fried ice cream for dessert. It was nothing to write home about. Barbara didn’t like it all. We did enjoy meeting Rudy.

Random Comments:

Today marks the start of Week 11. It is hard to believe the trip is now well over half over. I continue to thoroughly enjoy the experience, though I am disappointed that 18-hour days leave little time to write. We are, however, taking an average of 150 photos a day, and the tapes are filling fast as we record the events and observations from each day.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Red Rock Canyon — Crystal Nevada — Area 51 — Death Valley — Yermo California
 

Liberace and Elvis – Day 70

Liberace and Elvis

Day 70 – June 9 – Monday

We spent the day in Las Vegas. Bozzie Jane was a little sick so we spent the morning at the Harmon Medical Clinic. She now has four prescriptions. We aren’t sure how this will affect the trip; we’ll take it as it comes.

We saw the Liberace Museum, Elvis-A-Rama, Bonanza Gift Shop, downtown Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience, and more. We cut the evening short when Bozzie began to fade.

We tried to go to the Hard Rock Cafe to eat, but they made it impossible to get a parking place there without paying way too much for valet parking. All we wanted was a hamburger.

As we hadn’t seen anything but the inside of a medical clinic and the barricaded parking lots of the Hard Rock, we wanted something quick, so we stopped when we spotted an In-N-Out Burger. The food was as good as it was in California, but the service was no better than the average fast food place because it was Vegas and packed. The lack of cleanliness in the restroom was not to be discussed. Not as bad as the Georgia Pig, but disgusting just the same.

I’ve always been partial to things called “Rama.” Elvis-A-Rama isn’t really rama-sized, but it is gigantic when you realize it is one man’s Elvis memorabilia collection. It was interesting to see. The museum certainly has a lot of things that aren’t on display at Graceland, because Elvis-A-Rama has the accumulation of the world’s largest collector of Elvis memorabilia. Chris Davidson, known as the “King of Elvis Memorabilia,” turned his 2,000-item hobby into a fantastic 3.5 million dollar display. Display after display of Elvis items greet you along the way. There are jumpsuits that Elvis wore on stage, guitars, cars, and much more. The music wall displays every commercially-released 45, EP and LP ever recorded by Elvis. There was a great display of all types of “Elvis stuff” — scarves with Elvis’ picture on them, billfolds, charm bracelets, notebooks, and all types of souvenirs. The autographed pair of blue suede shoes was really cool to see.

We were given a free Elvis A-Rama Museum “The King” teddy bear (probably because we paid full price and didn’t have the sense to use any of the zillions of discount coupons available all over town), and we saw Tom Bartlett as Elvis sing three songs. Bozzie had her photo taken with Tom. He had a good voice, and he was a nice guy, but he really needs work on his between songs patter. He was not as good as the guy in Key West.

Bonanza Gifts in Vegas claims to be the world’s largest gift shop, so we had to check it out. We immediately realized that The Shell Factory in Fort Myers is probably 100-times larger! We bought a deck of the Iraq “Most Wanted” playing cards. We met a really nice lady at the cash register; Brenda had just moved to Vegas from Florida. We asked if she ever has famous customers, and she said she recently met Tommy Smothers. She said he was very, very nice; he was buying things for his little 7 and 8 year olds. I was thinking Tommy was a little old to have 7 and 8 year-olds, but more power to him! After all, my grandparents were still having babies after I was born.

We went to the fabulous Liberace Museum. The museum features pianos, cars, costumes, and jewelry that established Liberace as “Mr. Showmanship.” Eighteen rare and antique pianos are on display in the Piano Gallery. Liberace also had exotic cars in which he made each stage entrance and exit. The Museum houses many of Liberace’s one-of-a-kind automobiles, including the “Stars and Stripes,” a hand-painted red, white, and blue Rolls-Royce convertible. Another Rolls-Royce is clad entirely in mirrored tiles and etched with a custom design of galloping horses. There’s a roadster covered in Austrian rhinestones, and much more. The only things more outlandish than his pianos and cars were his clothes and jewelry. Liberace was always kind of a joke to kids our age as we were into rock-and-roll and not piano music. But, Liberace was truly unique as a showman. To modify the lyrics of a Barbara Mandrell song, he was an outrageous showman before being an outrageous showman was cool.

We went to the first casino in Vegas, the El Cortez. It is in downtown Las Vegas. Ryan and his business partner, Rod Smith, won a lot of money playing blackjack at the El Cortez a few years back.

We saw “The Fremont Street Experience” light show in downtown Las Vegas. It has a decidedly different feel from the Las Vegas Strip. Part of the Fremont Street Experience is a Neon Museum of great neon signs from Vegas’ past. There are nice hotels and casinos in downtown Las Vegas as well as on The Strip. We were surprised to see so many people downtown. The laser light show wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was free. There were street entertainers that were free, and people giving away beads at various casinos, but we didn’t take any since we are bead-givers.

We saw many wedding chapels. The lowest was $29. Somehow I imagined that might be the fee before add-ons like air to breathe. Several wedding chapels advertised that people like Joan Collins got married there.

Every magician in Las Vegas had signs claiming to be magician of the year or magician of the century. Vegas overdoes just about everything, but that is part of the appeal, perhaps. But Liberace never exaggerated…nor did Elvis!

We went to The Rio to see their nightly Carnivale (Mardi Gras) Show where they throw beads. We didn’t catch any beads but we saw quite a few thrown. It was an enjoyable show.

Bozzie was feeling bad after eating some crackers she bought at the 7-11. There was nothing wrong with the crackers, just Bozzie. So, we headed back to the hotel.

We had room service at the Marriott for dinner. The Peach Cobbler was poor; chains rarely do dessert well.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Las Vegas Nevada — Liberace Museum — Elvis-A-Rama — Bonanza Gift Shop — Fremont Street Experience
 

O – Day 69

O

Day 69 – June 8, 2003 – Sunday

Bozzie Jane is back! I picked her up at the Las Vegas airport this morning. We drove around Las Vegas a while, walked around a while, had lunch at the Harley Davidson Cafe, then went to the Bellaggio to see “O” as a birthday gift to Boz from son Ryan. Thanks Ryan!!!

Boz was to arrive around noon, so I slept later than normal, worked on the website, and then headed to the airport. I was really pleased to see Bozzie Jane’s smiling face!

The temperature on the car was 108. This was definitely the hottest it has been, and we were feeling the heat! We drove around a bit, and then we stopped for lunch.

Lunch was very good at the Harley Davidson Cafe — excellent barbeque brisket sandwich. The decor was great — lots of Harleys and one huge wall that is filled with an equally huge American flag. Bikers tend to be extremely patriotic. Boz and I both were so taken with our waitress, Amanda, that we were hounding son Ryan Windsor to go to Vegas to stop in for lunch to meet her. Amanda has an interesting story; she was a missionary, and she wants to be a teacher. There’s a big need for teachers in ever-expanding Las Vegas, so she finds herself in the most unlikely place for her — working as a waitress in a bar and restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip while she goes to school to finish her degree. Her friends are shocked because she hates motorcycles, and she is very religious, and to even be in Las Vegas was unbelievable to those who know her. But, she’s excited about teaching. She’s 25 but looks like she’s 18, so teaching high school students is a bit of a problem; the boys are always after her. I asked her what is unique about her (something I ask a lot of people), and she said she didn’t have a story, but I think her story has already been told.

My barbeque sandwich was good. Boz’s soup was good, but she immediately became sick. So, we went back to the hotel for Boz to rest.

Ryan arranged great seats for us at “O.” There isn’t a word to describe “O.” It was simply an UNBELIEVABLE show. Our mouths were hanging open, as were the mouths of everyone we saw. One minute, people were running across the stage, and the next minute, someone was diving from 100 feet above into a pool of water that almost magically appears at that same spot on the stage. The stage floor moves up and down over a very deep swimming pool that holds 1.8 million gallons of 85-degree water. You just can’t figure out how in the world they did the things that they did.

After the show, we walked around the Strip for a while and took a lot of photos. We did our patented $100 on red at a roulette wheel at the Bellaggio, and we lost. So, we are down $202 in our gambling thus far. Bozzie chose a different table than the first one we went to; you just have to follow your instincts. We slapped our $100 on red, and it came up black. We then managed to do something that may have never been done before — we put $5 into a slot machine a nickel at a time, and we never won once. That’s 100 coins dropped into a slot machine one at a time, and we never got a single solitary nickel in return. Down $207 and counting….

Boz and I felt the Bellaggio was the best hotel in Vegas (from what we could see just walking around), with New York New York ranked second. The inside of the Bellagio was just incredible. There were beautiful pools of water surrounded by real flowers; the glass ceiling was incredible; and the woodwork and just everything in the place appeared to be absolutely the best of everything. It was really fun to see the Bellagio.

New York, New York had a wonderful 9/11 memorial that was very impressive, and a lot of people were looking at it.

We were shocked that there were so many people handing out cards for “strippers” on the street. It is hard to imagine that many strippers even exist, but we saw hundreds and hundreds of these people. There must be thousands and thousands of “strippers.”

M&M’s World was fun — incredibly vibrant colors everywhere, and tons of M&M’s and M&M’s stuff.

Our overall impression of Las Vegas was that it was very clean except for the cards people throw on the ground that they don’t want from the people who hand them to them about “strippers.” There was a significant upgrade in the quality of the hotels and overall appearance of Vegas since we were both last here together in 1980.

I received a lovely string of purple dice beads from two brothers who own Nose Rings & Toe Things on the Strip. They saw the beads, heard the Floating Neutrinos story, and the rest is history. If you need beads, a toe thing, a nose ring, or even a toe ring or a nose thing while in Vegas, be sure to stop and tell them we sent you.

The temperature hit 108 today, so Vegas is a pretty good bet to win our Hottest Award.

Bozzie Jane started feeling bad again in the middle of the night, so we will head to the doctor in the morning.

We learned today that the craziest of ideas can become a huge success. Surely many people thought Bugsy Siegel’s idea was the craziest. Bugsy Siegel was a gangster. He envisioned building a large casino and hotel in the desert that would attract gamblers from around the country. His vision was fueled by the fact that gambling had been legalized in Nevada in 1931 to entertain the influx of construction workers building the Hoover Dam. This had launched a population boom, giving the Valley’s economy a significant boost during the Great Depression. Some gambling existed in Las Vegas in the 30’s, but it was concentrated in several downtown casinos along Fremont Street that catered to these workers. The famous Las Vegas Strip area was nothing but desert before it became a glimmer in Bugsy’s eyes.

Bugsy came to Las Vegas in 1941, backed by an organized crime syndicate, to establish a gambling service. He convinced his mobster associates to back his venture. He decided to call the new hotel and casino “The Flamingo,” his pet name for his girlfriend. He opened The Flamingo Hotel on what would become the Las Vegas Strip on December 26, 1946.

Las Vegas is now the center of gambling in the United States and the world. Las Vegas is commonly known as The Entertainment Capital of the World — famous for its massive and lavish casino resorts, availability of alcoholic beverages at any time (as is true throughout Nevada), and various degrees of adult entertainment (including “strippers). The city’s glamorous image has made it a popular setting for movies and TV programs. What a crazy idea, and what a success.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Las Vegas Nevada — Harley Davidson Cafe — Bellaggio — O — M&M’s World — The Las Vegas Strip
 

History Makes Traveling Fun – Day 68

History Makes Traveling Fun

Day 68 – June 7, 2003 – Saturday

Happy Birthday to Bozzie Jane!

I drove from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas today. Boz will be rejoining the trip in Vegas after spending the last 10 days babysitting Miss Madison in Atlanta. I didn’t expect to see much between Salt Lake and Vegas, so expectations were low, which often makes for a good day.

That’s exactly what happened as I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Shrine to the Virgin Mary on a Tree Stump, Anniversary Inn, the Great Salt Lake, the ill-fated Saltair Resort, the Great Tree in the Salt Desert, the Bonneville Salt Flats Racetrack, the Ely murals, the World’s Largest 8 Ball, and the Las Vegas Strip after dark. I had a nice chat with Gladys Knight’s bus drivers, and I encountered the only rude, nasty people I have met on the trip — the inhabitants of Major’s Place, Nevada.

I stayed at the Candlewood Suites in Salt Lake City last night. It had been time for the weekly wash. Unfortunately, the power went out shortly after my clothes went in the washing machine. It took five hours to do the wash as the power went out the second time right after my clothes finally made it to the dryer at 1:45. I finally got to sleep at 2:30 am. With the lights out, the phones were out, so I was thwarted in my efforts to get the web site photos all up-to-date. I spent three hours on the web site this morning and then hit the road.

I met Robert and Lucious, bus drivers for Gladys Knight, when they were checking in the Candlewood as I was leaving. I finally got away after talking to Anthony again at the front desk and seeing his new car — a bright glow-in-the-radar-red Mustang

Salt Lake City is extremely clean with well-dressed people. I’ve never seen so many men in coats and ties on a Saturday. The people here take their religion very seriously. Salt Lake City is a very pretty city; there are a lot of beautiful trees. It’s nestled down in a valley surrounded by mountains, which make it an especially pretty city to see as you drive into town.

I went to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City. I saw the Utah capital building.

After reading about the Anniversary Inn, it was a must-see. The Anniversary Inn has wonderful themed suites — THE place to take your honey in Salt Lake City. I learned that the most popular room is the Romeo and Juliet. Some people were just checking out who stayed in it, and they thoroughly enjoyed their stay.

I met Cheri and Steph behind the front desk. I handed them my card, and Cheri apparently noted that we were writing a book, and she loudly announced that she was famous. Cheri told me that as a little girl, she used to ride a billy goat in parades, and she once had her picture taken by some folks that had a travel company who used her photo in their promotional materials. I asked Steph what was the most unique thing about her. She informed me that she is not a Mormon, though she comes from a strong Mormon family. She chose not to be a Mormom. That makes her unusual. Most of the people in Salt Lake are Mormons, and there are probably very few who come from strong Mormon families who are strong enough internally to make the decision not to be. I asked them which rooms are the most unusual. Steph said “Lake Powell,” and Cheri said “the Mysteries Rooms.” The Anniversary Inn appears to be a really neat place to spend a night. I promised to return with Bozzie Jane someday.

Salt Lake has an excellent street numbering system that makes it pretty easy to find just about any address; it’s similar to Lubbock, Texas, where there is also a very logical numbering system in a city that is set up on a simple grid. So, I found it very easy to make my way from one sight to another.

It wasn’t a Camaro…but I did see the “Shrine to the Virgin Mary on a Tree Stump” in Salt Lake City. It’s right at the corner of 700 South and 300 East in Taufer Park in Salt Lake City. There are big industrial-strength stairs that you walk up to see it. There were a lot of candles, flowers, pictures, and rosary beads that people had left there. I do not even remember how I learned about this, but I had scribbled a note about it in my file on Utah. I learned that it was in 1997 when someone first saw the image of Mary in the grain of a knothole on the trunk of the elm tree. Someone put up a ladder so visitors could climb up and touch it. At the time, believers said water was coming out of the Virgin Mary’s head, and they believed it to be tears. As word spread, the number of visitors grew. Eventually, the city erected better stairs and a platform next to the tree for a safer view. The tree has become known as the “Virgin of Guadalupe” tree. I hate to be a party-pooper, but I wasn’t able to “see” the image that others want to see.

Hires Big H was my choice for lunch. I had the Big H Combo. Hires Big H has the second best fries that I enjoyed on the trip (Scooby’s in Hollywood was #1). Big fat homemade fries. Hires serves their fries with a dipping sauce that’s kind of a thousand island but not really. I love great fries. The hamburger was also great, served on a sourdough bun with that special sauce.

I saw The Great Salt Lake. It’s hard to miss. The lake has vared in size between 4700 square miles and 950 square miles because it is very shallow. I understand the water is much saltier than ocean water. No one could explain to me how it is possible to have a lake that is filled with salt water.

I saw a lot of people walking around in Salt Lake City; a lot more than we’ve seen in other towns.

Saltair has been the name of several resorts located on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake. It is about 15 miles from Salt Lake City. The first Saltair was built in 1893 and was jointly owned by a corporation associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) and the Salt Lake & Los Angeles Railroad Company. Saltair was a family place, intended to provide a safe and wholesome atmosphere with the open supervision of Church people. Swimming in the lake was a major aspect of Saltair. The first Saltair was destroyed by fire in 1925. A new pavilion was built, and the resort was expanded at the same location by new investors, but it was not successful. Another fire did major damage in 1931. Then the resort was left dry when lake waters receded. Saltair was forced to close during World War II. It reopened after the war, but it closed again in 1958. A new Saltair was built in 1981. The new pavilion was constructed out of a salvaged Air Force aircraft hangar. Once again, the lake was a problem, this time flooding the new resort only months after it opened. The waters receded after several years, and new investors restored and repaired the facility only to see the waters continue to move away from the site leaving it dry. By the late 1990’s, Saltair was little more than a memory. It looked terrible. It looked to me like something built by amateurs. It appeared to be falling apart. It was simply a sad-looking place.

From Saltair and the Great Salt Lake, I drove west toward Nevada on I-80 as there were no two-lane roads available. At a tourist information office, I was advised to keep my eyes peeled for “The Great Tree.” I spotted it about 75 miles west of Salt Lake City in the salt flats. It was certainly an odd sight to see. There was nothing but flat, salt-covered land, and then there was this 87-foot tall abstract tree that looked like a pole with giant sports balls appended to it. The official name is “Metaphor: The Tree of Utah.” It was built by a Swedish artist named Karl Momen between 1982 and 1986. The sculpture was made from 225 tons of cement, almost 2,000 ceramic tiles and five tons of welding rod, and tons of minerals and rocks native to Utah. I wondered if Karl Momen had been to Lucas, Kansas.

Another 15 minutes down the road, and I took exit 4 off I-80 West for the Bonneville Speedway. I had heard about the Bonneville Salt Flats and the Bonneville Speedway over the years, and I was excited to see it. I expected something fancy, but I drove out to the spot indicated, and it was just a dead end. No one was racing. There wasn’t even an old checkered flag on the ground. There was a Department of the Interior sign, but that was it. It is a huge open expanse that appears to be flatter than a pancake. The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the most unique natural features in the country; it covers over 30,000 acres. The salt flats were first used for racing in 1914.

It was interesting to me that the road to the Bonneville Salt Flats gave me a continuous mirage for about a quarter of a mile ahead. It looked like there was water on the road, but it was just an optical illusion. I got out and took a few photos of the salt. There wasn’t much else to do except to imagine how exciting it must be there when folks are attempting to set speed records.

There were signs all the way from Salt Lake City to the Nevada border promoting casinos in Nevada. I stopped at the Red Garter Casino just across the Nevada state line in Wendover. The Red Garden wasn’t one of your bigger casinos; it had one roulette wheel, quite a few slot machines, and a reasonable number of blackjack tables. I went in and placed the maximum allowable bet on red at the roulette wheel. It came up black. I lost $2. I left. Total elapsed time in the Red Garter Casino: 3 minutes. Boz and I have discussed several times that we would be independently wealthy if my chosen roulette color had been black rather than red. But I’m stickin’ with red…no matter what!

It is interesting to me how many character traits are revealed when writing about daily experiences and observations over a significant period of time. Yes, I am stubborn. I can also enjoy the humor of continued bad luck.

I remembered that the squadron that dropped the atomic bomb was from Wendover, Nevada. I’m not sure how I knew that — probably saw it in a movie. I took a photo of the Atomic Bomb Squadron Memorial.

I gassed up. The little girl at the gas station told me it would be 400 miles to Vegas. This would be one of the longest driving days — well over 500 miles. There was 25,103 on the odemeter when I left the Candlewood in Salt Lake City.

150 miles passed, and I saw a sign that said “Next Gas 80 Miles.” Nothing like a gas warning sign in the middle of nowhere! I realized that I needed to buy gas every chance I had.

I stopped briefly at a spot where the Pony Express Trail used to be. Not much to see but dirt and cactus. No gas station there.

Ely Nevada was my next stop. Ely is a town filled with murals, so I drove around and took photos of the various murals that caught my eye. I saw a giant 8-ball. Ely also provided a choice of gas stations, so I filled up.

I visited the historic Hotel Nevada in Ely. When the 6-story hotel opened in 1929, it was the tallest building in the state. Rooms rented for $1.50 and up, “all with private toilet; 85% with private bath.” The promotional material for the hotel claims the hotel building was designed by the same architect who built the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. I assume the promotional material is true, but the hotel appeared to be just a big red brick building to me — nothing Taj Mahal-like at all. Prohibition was still in effect when the hotel opened, and from the beginning, bootlegged refreshments and gambling were available 24 hours a day. “Bathtub Gin” made from raw alcohol, water, and flavorings and “White Lightning” were conveniently supplied by local individuals. When gambling was legalized in 1931, the owners immediately installed blackjack tables and slot machines. Western memorabilia is displayed on every floor. I love old western antiques, so it was a lot of fun to walk around and see all the stuff. There was no roulette wheel, so I figure that saved me $100.

I went to Economy Drug Store to their old fashioned soda fountain; it has been around forever. I had a chocolate malt that was very good. Vaughn served me.

I visited the train depot in Ely. The Ghost Train features exciting train rides powered by authentic steam or diesel engines. I was sorry I didn’t have time to take the ride or see any of the nearby ghost towns, but I figured I would be lucky to hit Las Vegas by midnight as it was. There were a number of ghost towns throughout the area, including Hamilton, the former county seat and mining boom camp; Cherry Creek, a former boom camp where people still live; and Schellbourne, a former Shoshone village site before becoming a Pony Express station.

I was on Highway 50. There are a lot of signs for Highway 50; Highway 50 is kind of a poor man’s Route 66 I guess. It has a following of people who travel Highway 50. It’s called the “Loneliest Road in America” since it was referred to as that in a Life Magazine article.

A half hour after I left Ely, I reached Major’s Place, Nevada. The inhabitants of Major’s Place, Nevada are the only rude, nasty, vulgar people I met on the trip. Scary place. I advise travelers to stay away; don’t dare stop there! It appeared to be basically a bar and a gas pump. I simply pulled in, parked, and got out of my car with my camera. Several men sitting in chairs on the front porch of the place started screaming and cussing at me. I was scared to death when I realized this wasn’t a joke. I drove a safe distance away, and jumped out to snap a photo, and then I drove as fast as I could to try to distance myself from them as quickly as possible. It was certainly one of the worst experiences I had on the entire trip.

Pass number 12 came at 6:38 pm with 25,418 on the odometer. It was just a slow moving car out in the middle of nowhere, and I didn’t want to be any closer to Major’s Place than I had to be.

There wasn’t a gas station between Major’s Place, where I would have gassed up if I hadn’t feared for my life, and Pioche, Nevada. I was extremely relieved when there was one little gas station open in Pioche. I was beginning to worry as I had in Big Bend and Pie Town when I almost ran out gas when there weren’t any open gas stations for hundreds of miles. The gas station attendant told me I had 180 miles to go to Las Vegas. Pioche is the county seat of Lincoln County, and it is a historic town. It is named after Francois Louis Alfred Pioche, a wealthy San Francisco man, who bought the town in 1869. The area was settled just a few years before when a silver mine was opened. By the early 1870’s, it had grown to become one of the most important silver mining towns in Nevada. The town had a reputation for being one of the roughest towns in the Old West. As the story goes, 75 men were killed in gunfights before the first natural death occurred in the camp.

Pioche is also known for its “Million Dollar Courthouse.” The Lincoln County Courthouse was built in 1871. The original cost of $88,000 far exceeded initial estimates and was financed and refinanced with bonds totaling nearly $1 million.

Not far from the Courthouse sits the old Mountain View Hotel, where President Herbert Hoover is said to have stayed in 1930. It was built in 1895. The building no longer serves as a hotel. It has wonderful turn-of-the-century western architecture, but it appeared to me that it was falling apart. I hoped someone would step in and saves it before it was too late.

I loved the sign for Tillies in Pioche. They offer everything “from Vaseline to Gasoline.”

I also saw the historic Thompson Opera House in Pioche. It was built in the 1870’s. I was told it was built to provide the town with some “social standing.” It’s still “standing.”

It was a very pretty drive through the Humboldt National Forest.

Caliente has a really beautiful Union Pacific Train Depot — Spanish-style architecture.

At 8:15 pm, I was at the Oak Springs Summit, elevation 6,237. As I drove down the mountain, I saw a very unusual sight with the sun where there was a big, dark, low-hanging cloud, and the sun was peeking out from under it, just lighting one part of the landscape and some mountains. There was also a dark sky above me, and the view of the road and landscape just ahead and to the side of me was black. I jumped out to take some photographs, but it was impossible to capture it the way my naked eye saw it. I assume a true professional photographer would have known how to set the shutter speed and aperture to more effectively photograph this, but it may be one of those things that just can’t be photographed to deliver the same impact. It was a stunning sight — can’t think of a better word to describe it than stunning.

It certainly was an interesting drive today; I didn’t see many cars or people. There were very few towns, and it was an easy road to drive with pretty scenery — peaceful. Not counting Major’s Place that is.

At 9:13 pm, I noticed the temperature gauge, and it showed 95 degrees as I descended the mountain toward Vegas. I believe this would make it the warmest it has been. I watched the thermometer increase by one degree each minute for several minutes.

I passed my 13th car of the trip at 9:38 pm. Ten minutes later, I was pretty sure the glow I saw coming from the other side of the mountains was the lights of Las Vegas. And 10 minutes after that, I saw a sea of light. It was really an incredible sight driving in…I’ve never driven in to Las Vegas before at night. There’s just pitch black, and then you have lights for as far as your eyes can see from one direction to the others. No other place is like this, at least I don’t think there is. It just appears in the middle of nowhere.

I checked into the hotel at 10:30 pm — a long day of 546 miles. 25,649 on the odometer.

I walked around The Strip for a while. Las Vegas has gotten much prettier and much classier over the last 20 years!

What did I learn today? I guess I was reminded of a lesson I have learned throughout this trip: history is fun. I have really enjoyed learning the history of various things we have seen on the trip, whether historical or Quirky in nature. I never liked history in school. As I think back on it, I feel like the teachers were too concerned with having us memorize dates and places, and they didn’t focus on the big picture or motivate us by conveying to us why history is so important. If my history teachers did so, and I missed it, I apologize, but I just didn’t “get it” back in junior high and high school.

When I have trained managers in my various business enterprises over the years, I have taught that a manager must be a filter. A manager must filter all of the information that he or she receives about an issue, and then make decisions based upon filtering the information against their experiences in the business and as a manager. We all know and have experienced only so much, so we do the best that we can with what we have to work with. We make decisions in life the same way, and I believe the more history that we know, the better positioned we are to make decisions. I’ve mentioned this before, but I decided early on that I always felt it was best to have a gray-haired doctor and a gray-haired attorney. The older guys have more experience, and I value experience. And as I was once advised, the young men know the rules, but the old men know the exceptions. Any way you cut it, history is good to know, and it makes traveling so much more fun.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Salt Lake City Utah — Anniversary Inn — Shrine to the Virgin Mary on a Tree Stump — Salt Air Resort — The Great Tree in the Great Salt Desert — Bonneville Salt Flats — Ely Nevada — Pioche Nevada — Las Vegas Nevada
 

Two Pretty Boring Days in a Row – Day 67

Two Pretty Boring Days in a Row

Day 67 – June 6, 2003 – Friday

I saw two National Parks today…driving from Grand Junction, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a pretty boring day. Two less-than-exciting days in a row. This was a first for the trip.  Two Pretty Boring Days in a Row.

I did enjoy seeing where a huge dinosaur was discovered; some really incompetent rafters; and kids climbing a big, steep dirt mountain for a few seconds of dusty downhill fun. Dewey Service was an interesting find. I was unimpressed with Arches National Park; it had been built up to be really something to see, but it was nothing to me compared to the Grand Canyon and Big Bend. The various roads I drove were scenic and pleasant to drive. The driving day ended with some spectacular sunsets.

I spent several hours this morning working on the website, and then when I was ready to upload, it wouldn’t load. I don’t know what the problem was, but it didn’t work. It was a frustrating way to start the day.

Downtown Grand Junction, Colorado has a number of great sculptures. I took photos of a few of them.

I drove to the Colorado National Monument. The National Park Service seems to have a knack of hiring rangers to greet you who look like they should be actors or actresses. The ranger at the Colorado National Monument should be on TV! She was very funny. I mean this in a nice way: I smiled just looking at her. She was “funny” looking in a Ruth Buzzi, Carol Burnett sort of way.

The Colorado National Monument (National Park) is impressive — basically a good-sized canyon with a number of nice views. Not as grand as the Grand Canyon, Big Bend, or Glacier, but still good-sized and some interesting rock formations.

My next stop was Dinosaur Hill in Fruita, Colorado. A BIG dinosaur was discovered there. I took a photo of the hill and each of the replicas of the thigh bones from the dinosaur that was found there. I saw a big bench that was a replica of one of the small bones found on Dinosaur Hill.

Utah became state #22. This area in Utah is very desert-like. It’s just whitish, tannish ground with many mountains and little short dark green scrubby bushes. There are big mountains on the horizon. I met Helen at the Utah Visitor Information desk; I got a map, and a few suggestions.

I enjoyed a pleasant drive from Cisco to Moab, Utah. Helen didn’t recommend it as it meant backtracking, but the drive was better than what I drove to see at the Arches National Park.

I got a big kick out of some river rafters that I saw along the way. These young people could not pilot the raft to save their souls. They just kept running straight into the shoreline all the way down the river. I don’t know what the problem was, but I would guess these were amateur river rafters without the aid of an experienced guide. Fortunately, this was a very mild river, so it was more of a float. That made it even funnier that this boatload of young folks couldn’t figure out how to keep the raft straight and headed downriver rather than banging into the bank again and again and again….

About 10 miles south of Cisco, I screeched to a stop when I spotted Dewey Service Station. It looked like it used to be a service station, but all it I saw was a series of faded signs with paint that was curled up and peeling. The property was adorned with a variety of spiritual and social messages. There was a sign with the Ten Commandments; The Lord’s Bulletin Board listing the names and numbers for a mental health service, Alcoholics Anonymous, a number for runaway kids, and the Suicide Prevention Hotline; a sign listing all of the churches in the area; and a number of signs denouncing drug use. One of the many anti-drug signs said: “Warning! Drugs Do Kill. Say No.” There was a big sign proclaiming that “Three of the World’s Greatest Problems are (1) Misused Drugs, (2) Greed, (3) Waste” and “When Satan Rocks Your Boat, God is Your Best Anchor.” There was an area out back that I couldn’t quite figure out. It was definitely an interesting place. I planned to do some research to try to find out about this.

The next item of interest was a big, steep reddish sand-covered hill. There were a number of kids “sand surfing” on this hill. It was an incredibly steep hill.  The ride down appeared to be one big dust bath and might be somewhat fun, but the walk up would rule this out as a personal leisure time activity for me.

I met Ranger Janet at the entrance to the Arches National Park. I couldn’t convince her to give me the $50 pass. I told her I had receipts from all of the national parks I had already visited, so I could prove that I had already spent more than $50 on admission fees. No go.

I hiked a long way to see the major attraction at Arches — the Delicate Arch. Well, it was a tiny, disappointing thing, so I left. I’ve seen so many rock formations at this point that Arches just didn’t get my attention. People have been very surprised when I told them my reaction.

I pulled off to take a picture of the Helper City Limits sign. I drove through downtown Helper and it looked like it could use a little helper.

I passed through the town of Draper as the sun was setting. There was an amazingly orange sunset; it was very beautiful.

I reached the Candlewood Suites about 9:30. Wash night. Dinner was a bowl of Campbell’s Soup at the Candlewood Suites Snack Counter. It took five hours to do my wash as the power kept going out in the hotel. I finally got to sleep at 2:30 am. It was a long day.

I did some research about Dewey Service Station between Cisco and Moab. The former service station was once both a business and home of Harry Ballard Harris, an 87-year-old cowboy and an attraction of sorts over the years. He still lived there out back; he’d lived there next to the Dewey Bridge for 40 years.

Following his retirement from the Utah Department of Transportation in 1976, he operated the service station along Utah Highway 128 for many years. He would meet and greet thousands of tourists from around the country and the world.

Mr. Harris also devoted himself to providing a safe and reliable feeding station for hundreds of wild birds — peacocks, turkeys, doves, pigeons, and many others, calling it his “offering to God.” He was apparently a very fine man who was very concerned about the well-being of others, especially kids, and he apparently had reasons to denounce drug use.

The dullest of days can be brightened by a great sunset or the discovery that something you saw on the side of the road had far greater meaning than you first suspected. I have a feeling that if I had been fortunate enough to meet Mr. Harris, today would have been a special day.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Colorado National Monument — Dinosaur Hill — Dewey Service Station — Arches National Park
 

In Cold Blood – Day 66

In Cold Blood

Day 66 – June 5, 2003 – Thursday

I drove from Garden City, Kansas to Grand Junction, Colorado. Colorado is a beautiful state that we have visited a number of times. Unfortunately, the southern route I chose just didn’t have a lot of sights to see other than the mountains. And when you are in the car all day, you don’t meet many people.

I was on a radio program today with three funny DJs — lots of fun.

The day began with a visit to the home in Holcomb, Kansas where the murders took place that Truman Capote wrote about “In Cold Blood.” We haven’t been trying to see places like this, but it was just three blocks off the route, and Sheila at the hotel gave me directions.

I drove into downtown Garden City to see the Windsor Hotel. Pretty sad-looking.

I was on a radio show this morning with JJ, Stephanie, and Mike from Lafayette, Indiana. It lasted for quite a while; they asked a lot of questions, and I told a lot of stories. They said I should have gone to Greencastle, Indiana to see the world’s largest high school gym. They asked what my next stop was, and I told them I was just down the road from the home where the family was killed in the book and movie, “In Cold Blood.” That put a bit of a damper on the interview.

I’d driven Kansas Avenue from Garden City to Holcomb as directed. I turned left on the main road, Anderson Road. I crossed the railroad tracks, and I was looking for the third turn to the right, Oak Avenue. There were signs that said “Keep Out,” but I didn’t. I saw the house, took a photo, and got out.

I visited the Lamar Colorado Welcome Center where Judy Douglass was extremely helpful. This was the best welcome center lady in terms of information. She knew everything. I took a picture of their Madonna of the Trail. She gave me a brochure that explains the twelve Madonnas of the Trail. They were all done to mark different trails. I took a picture of their historic depot and steam locomotive number 1819.

It was raining hard, but the ladies at the Colorado Welcome Center said they sure love it because they’ve had three years of just terrible drought. That’s what Earl said in Kansas.

I determined that I would have to skip Cripple Creek because I couldn’t really get to it easily. It was a four-wheel drive dirt road.

Canon City has some sights to see. I stopped at the Colorado Territorial Prison Museum, and then I went to Royal Gorge. There were a lot of things to do around there — river rafting, camping, stables, tourist attractions.

There’s an amusement park at Royal Gorge. It was $18 to get into the park, but there’s a spot where you could go and just take a picture of the bridge and the gorge, so I did.

One attraction, Buckskin Joe, had only five cars in the parking lot. That would be a little tough to make it work financially I’m afraid.

There were a lot of rafting places. Folks raft down the Arkansas River; it goes through the Royal Gorge. These were big rafts, no little play rafts.

Near Big Horn Sheep Canyon, the river ran right along the road; it was very pretty. I took some river photos from the bridge at Brown’s Landing in the canyon. Then I stopped when I saw some guys rafting without rafts. They were jumping in “body surfing” along with the current. There were kayakers there to kind of make sure they didn’t get too hurt, but it certainly looked dangerous to me. I met three rafter photographers: Tim, Crystal, and Shonna. They photograph for the rafting companies and sell the photos.

I got a photo of the world’s largest mobile fishing fly in Salida. It was at a fly fishing shop.

I crossed the Continental Divide in Poncha Springs — 7569 feet elevation.

I saw the Monarch Ski Area.

I have never been in a traffic accident in my 38 years of driving — either as a driver or passenger. Knock on wood. Near Monarch on a treacherous mountain road turn today, a car coming in the opposite direction directly in front of me never turned, crashed into the guard rail, did a 180, and hit it again. The car never appeared to brake or even turn. If there had not been a guard rail at that spot, those folks would have died. Scary. Several of us pulled over to see what we could do. The folks in the car did not appear to be seriously injured, but the folks in the pickup truck behind me went back to check on them, and I drove six miles to the nearest store to call 911.

I met Bill and Cheryl after meeting Bob Meyer and reporting the accident that I just saw.

I did my eleventh pass — a slow moving pick-up truck on a mountain road.

I passed through the Blue Mesa Reservoir area.

I reached Grand Junction, Colorado at 7:23 pm. 24,688 on the odometer. Grand Junction has a beautiful setting in a valley surrounded by big mountains on one side with a river flowing through it; it is very pretty.

It rained much of the day, but I pledged to not grumble about the rain. Farmers seem to always need rain, and we should all do everything we can to support farmers.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
In Cold Blood — Canon City Colorado — Royal Gorge
 

In Search of a Name in a Song – Day 65

In Search of a Name in a Song

Day 65 – June 4, 2003 – Wednesday

The day began in Salina, Kansas and ended in Garden City, Kansas. It was an ugly day — dark clouds all day and rain off and on. And it wasn’t a very exciting day, though I did see the Kansas version of Rock City, Dorothy’s house in Liberal (Wizard of Oz) Kansas, Pawnee Rock, Dodge City, the World’s Largest Hand Dug Well, the World’s Largest Pallasite Meteorite, Midway USA, and a great round barn. I found Earl in Bucklin, Kansas; he was just a name mentioned in a song. I had a delightful lunch and great pie at Granny’s Kitchen in Great Bend. I passed on eating anything or drinking the water in a town named Montezuma.

I left the Candlewood Hotel after telling stories to the ladies at the front desk. That’s happened a lot during the trip. It’s all due to the beads. People see the beads, ask about them, and then it is story time. The beads have become the best tool on the trip by far — much more effective than our shirts, caps, business cards, or the signs on the car. And we have to do a lot less work because the beads meet people for us! I don’t write about it every day, but I give beads to everyone I meet, and I meet quite a few people most days.

I’m heading north on Interstate 135 to connect to Highway 18 to go to the unplanned detour to the town of Minneapolis, Kansas where I’m going to see a version of Rock City. I had my regular weekly radio show this week. Every Wednesday, no matter where we were, we were on the radio in Palm Springs, California.

Rock City contains rocks that were left prior to the Ice Age. In an area about the size of two football fields, 200 rocks (some as large as houses) dot the landscape. There is no other place in the world where there are so many concretions of such giant size.

There are rocks that look like a turtle, steamboat, birdbath, twin sisters, kissing lips, and more. At Rock City, I took a photo of each of the interesting rocks. “The Lips” was my favorite. These are Dakota Sandstone, and these rare concretions range in size up to 27 feet in diameter and have been designated a National Natural Landmark. I met Ray, the man in charge. Nice man.

I bought a Coke, and it tastes like grass. I had a similar experience in Kentucky where every Coke I tried had a grass flavor. Very strange. I had no idea what causes the strange taste.

It was very easy driving in Kansas. It’s just farmland and wide open spaces and straight smooth roads. If it hadn’t been raining, it would have been nice.

I happened to see a sign for the little town of Claflin that said: “If you can’t stop, smile as you go by.” You can guess what I did. Any town with a sign that clever deserves a visit and a photograph. I went west on Kansas Route 4 for two miles. Jackie Stiles, WNBA rookie of the year in 2001, was from Claflin. There was a sign to prove it. There was also a little old weather-beaten sign outside of town with a big list of state championships that Claflin has won. I took a number of photos in Claflin. The downtown is just as cute as can be; it had been redone as an old western town. So, I stopped, and I smiled. Thanks, Claflin!

There were a lot of cars at Granny’s Kitchen in Great Bend, Kansas, so I decided to stop for lunch. I have been tricked before by restaurants with lots of cars…only to go in to find little or no one there. I wasn’t tricked by Granny’s. The place was packed, and I met some of the nicest people who work there, and then a really nice couple with their grandson, Gage. I took a picture of Mona, Diane, Nick, and Rosie; Diana and Nick own it. My breakfast burrito was great and the rhubarb pie was excellent.

Keith, Gage, and Alta were from Pawnee Rock. They suggested that I go there. Alta told me that they’ve lived in Pawnee Rock for 30 years and never had a murder, but they just recently had one.

I drove straight to Pawnee Rock and the Pawnee Rock National Monument. I met Autumn, Ariel, Austin, Dan and Melissa at Pawnee Rock; they were from Hastings, Nebraska. Pawnee Rock was a landmark used for navigation by wagon trains in the Old West.

I met Micah, Dustin Johnson, Denton, Trevor, and Bobby as I headed back to the highway. They were out hunting snakes. I’d guess they were maybe 10 years old. I was a little worried that these little guys were out hunting snakes, but I was somewhat relieved when I looked in their bucket and saw a tiny snake. I asked them how they liked living in Pawnee Rock, and they all said it was a nice place to live; it’s quiet; and they like it there.

When I stopped for gas, I saw a Sheriff’s Van, so I thought I would ask about the recent murder in Pawnee Rock. I met Stephanie and Officer Wyant of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. They were on their way to a state hospital to pick up an inmate who was having psychiatric evaluations. He murdered his mother and his aunt. I think psychiatrists should be required to make house calls at prisons. I wasn’t too comfortable with the idea of a serial killer being driven around Kansas in an old Dodge van.

I saw the Garfield Memorial Wayside Chapel. It was named after President Garfield. It was 6 feet by 18 feet. It’s certainly one of the smallest roadside chapels that we’ve seen.

Kinsley was a planned stop today. Kinsley is midway between New York and San Francisco, 1561 miles to each. Kinsley calls itself the “Midway City.” A 1939 Saturday Evening Post cover showed two cars, starting in Kinsley and going in opposite directions, both bearing a sign saying “World’s Fair or Bust.” In 1939, there were two “World’s Fairs” — one in New York and one in San Francisco.

As I drove into Kinsley, I learned that Kinsley has a special connection to carousels. In 1901, Kinsley area farmer Charles Brodbeck, went to Hutchinson, Kansas, a trip of almost 100 miles. There he was fascinated by a small carousel, but more fascinated that people would ride a horse a considerable distance and then pay someone a nickel to ride a wooden horse around in circles. Brodbeck traded a quarter acre of land, some horses and cows for the little carousel. At first, he kept the carousel at his farm and gave rides to the neighbors. But in 1908, he and his son, Fred, loaded up the carousel and took it to nearby towns to sell rides. Very soon the family concluded that the little carousel with the wooden horses going round in a circle could make more money than farming. The next year, the family went out with the carousel and offered rides at small-town fairs and picnics throughout south-central Kansas. They added a Ferris wheel, other rides, games, and exhibitions, and soon the traveling carnival became a full-fledged “show.” The carnivals of Kinsley would travel throughout the Midwest from April to October setting up amusements for the delight of young and old. By the late 1970’s, the operation of the smaller family carnivals became too difficult. The business shifted to very large carnival companies.

The rich carnival history of Kinsley inspired the establishment of the National Foundation for Carnival Heritage in 1991. Bruce White, a nationally recognized wood carver of carousel figures, began working with the Foundation. Kinsley has a museum that houses a small carousel populated with figures that have been created from the winning entries in the “Design a Carousel” contest run in Kinsley. Carnival games, artifacts, memorabilia, and photos of the historic days of carnival are available to show visitors what family carnival life was like. In Kinsley, the legacy of a man who bought a wooden horse and developed an entire industry in a small midwestern town is being preserved and built upon for future generations. I liked that a lot.

Unfortunately, both the Carnival Heritage Center and the Economic Development Office were locked.

I took a photo of a mural featuring a carnival and a carousel. There was a colorfully-painted trash can filled with rocks next to the mural. I have no idea what the deal was with the trash can. I should call someone in Kinsley to ask.

There is a roadside park in Kinsley where US 50 and US 56 join. It has the Edwards County museum, Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe steam locomotive #3424, an old church, and a sod house.

My focus at this point was to go to Mullinville where I could see the work of a grassroots artist who I learned about in Lucas, and then on the Bucklin in search of “Earl,” a man mentioned in a Banks & Shane song that I like.

I detoured a bit because I saw signs for Greensburg having the world’s largest hand-dug well and also something about a world’s largest meteorite. I met Pam of the Chamber of Commerce at the big well. I took a picture; that’s a big well. I also saw the meteorite.

I reached Mullinville a little after 4 pm. I found the fields where M.T. Liggett has a number of his metal sculptures. Quirky.

I also strayed a bit from my route to see a wonderful restored round barn.

I reached Bucklin, Kansas just before 5 pm. I came to Bucklin in search of Earl, a man named in a song by our favorite singing group in Atlanta, Banks & Shane. Banks Burgess and Paul Shane started singing together in 1970, and they have been together and performing regularly ever since. Boz and I love them; they are wonderful singers, musicians, comedians, and entertainers. We have always been amazed that they didn’t become huge international stars. We sincerely believe they are that good. They have self-recorded some of their concerts and shows, and on one of their albums, they sing a song about the tough life that farmers have, and they talk about their friend “Earl,” a farmer from Bucklin, Kansas. I didn’t know Earl’s last name. I had no idea if he still lived in Bucklin, Kansas. But when I spotted Bucklin, Kansas on the map, I decided to drive to Bucklin in search of a man who I knew only by his name in a song.

As I drove into Bucklin, I didn’t have a clue how I was going to go about finding “Earl.” But the clue hit me right between the eyes. I saw big grain silos in “downtown Bucklin,” and I figured the local farmer’s co-op would know every farmer in these parts. So, I parked and walked in.

Bryan, the young man at the counter at the Offerly Co-op, asked if he could help me. He was probably trying not to laugh as he saw me walk in wearing my Mardi Gras beads. I’m guessing they don’t see a lot of beads in Bucklin. I told him I was looking for a farmer named “Earl;” I needed his name and phone number. The young man went to get the manager.

The manager took one look at me and my beads, and I suspect he was thinking he wouldn’t be telling me anything about anyone in the area named Earl. I handed him my business card with the story of the trip on the back, and I told him who I was, what I was doing, and this crazy idea about trying to find the man in the song. He asked me about how old did I figure this Earl was, and I told him he was probably about my age, 55. He decided I was probably okay, and he said he would dial the number of Earl Platner for me. He handed me the phone, but all I got was a recording. I left my cell phone number for Earl with a message about Banks & Shane.

I thanked Bryan and the manager, gave them beads, took a few photos of Bucklin for Banks & Shane, and I headed “Down the Road.” (That’s the title of one of the songs that Banks & Shane does so well.)

Well, it was a good try. I at least made it to the town, found out the full name of Earl, and made contact by recorder. I felt pretty satisfied, though it would have been great to actually meet Earl and enjoy some pie together. Maybe next trip.

I visited Old Fort Dodge and then Dodge City. Dodge City is a famous old west town. I was turned off by Dodge City because they wanted me to pay $8.00 to get into the town. If you want to see the buildings and artifacts, you have to pay. I wasn’t sure it was even the original thing; it was not very original-looking. It looked like a little amusement park street, so I didn’t pay the $8, and I headed to Liberal, Kansas to see Dorothy’s house of the Wizard of Oz.

The sky was very nasty as I drove to Liberal. All of a sudden I realized that the Wizard of Oz was all about a tornado. This was certainly the kind of sky that could produce a tornado.

I drove past windmills for at least five minutes when the cell phone rang. It was Earl Platner calling from Bucklin, Kansas. Earl got my message, and yes, he is the Earl in the Banks & Shane song! He asked where I was, and I told him I was in a windmill orchard. He advised me that this was a new thing that we would see more and more of where they’re harnessing the real strong power of the wind to generate electricity. If I had been closer, Earl said he would have given anything for me to have come back, give me a tour of the farm and the whole nine yards. I really enjoyed talking with him. He said to be sure to tell Banks & Shane that he’s still drinking beer and whiskey and chewing tobacco. He met the guys in Steamboat Springs, Colorado when Banks & Shane was performing there. He has stayed in touch with them. We talked at length about how rough it is on the farmers. They’d had two terrible years, but this year they’d had so much rain that it looked very promising for them to get a good crop. He said an awful lot of farmers would go out of business if they didn’t get a good crop this year. He said he wished the farmers could have a fair market, but he said the market isn’t fair. He said it makes it awfully tough on the farmers. Earl invited me for a visit the next time I happened to be in Bucklin, Kansas, and I invited him to come see us in Atlanta. I was really pleased to get the call from Earl. Not quite as good as it would have been to see him in Bucklin, but all in all, a pretty good adventure.

I reached the town of Montezuma just before 7 pm. I looked for some Mexican food, but then decided I should pass on eating or drinking water in a place called Montezuma.

Montezuma is home to the Stouth Memorial Museum. It is a place where some folks who traveled all over the world put all their artifacts on display for people to come and enjoy a trip around the world without having to go around the world. Great concept! Maybe I’ll write a book about this trip so folks can enjoy the trip without having to make it themselves…. 🙂

I made it to Liberal, Kansas at 7:45 pm — still a little daylight. I was able to get some photographs, including Dorothy’s house. I also got a photo of a building that had been recently demolished in a tornado here. It struck just a few feet from Dorothy’s house, but her house was spared.

I called it a day at the Comfort Inn in Garden City, Kansas.

I do not understand how we can allow farmers to earn so little from their hard, hard lives. We all depend on farmers. I just don’t understand how lawyers can get paid ridiculous amounts of money because of our badly flawed legal system, while hardworking farmers make little or nothing. It’s just not right. I wish the government could do something real to help farmers. I’d vote to give some of my tax money to farmers rather than give it to people in some foreign land who don’t even like us.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Rock City — Claflin Kansas — Pawnee Rock National Monument — Garfield Memorial Wayside Chapel — Kinsley Kansas — World’s Largest Hand Dug Well — M.T. Liggett Grassroots Art — Bucklin Kansas — Old Fort Dodge — Dodge City — Liberal Kansas
 

Dont Get Much Better Than This – Day 64

Don’t Get Much Better Than This

Day 64 – June 3, 2003 – Tuesday

I had looked forward to seeing the World’s Largest Ball of Twine more than any sight on the trip. I saw it today, and I loved it! I also visited the Geographical Center of the Continental United States, saw an amazing museum developed by the man who invented baggies, visited the National Roller Skating Museum and the Garden of Eden, and saw unique art and artists at a world-class art gallery in the tiny town of Lucas, Kansas. Oh yes, there was also the Prairie Peace Park, a highway built out of a zillion recycled tires, a wide variety of bicycle sculptures, a husband and wife entombed in glass-topped coffins in a pyramid-shaped mausoleum in the yard of their home, the Geodetic Center of the Continental United States, a home with every wall and ceiling covered in shiny aluminum foil, and a space ship. It don’t get much better than this! It was one of the most enjoyable days on the road.

The day began in Lincoln, Nebraska. I had written two notes — one to Desk Clerk Beth to thank her for sending me to Misty’s for a fabulous steak dinner last night, and one to Misty’s to introduce Beth and to thank them in advance for showing her the same great hospitality that I enjoyed. I gave the notes to the General Manager at the hotel with the money to buy dinner for Beth at Misty’s. It’s always such a nice feeling to do something special for someone as a complete surprise. My sister, Marty Windsor, introduced Random Acts of Kindness to us during the holiday season a few years ago. We got into it. My gift to Beth would qualify as a Random Act of Kindness, and it felt great.

Today was packed with two major destinations, but all the nice people I had met in Lincoln asked if I had seen their fabulous state capitol building, so I HAD to go by to see it. It was very nice.

A must-see was the football stadium at the University of Nebraska — what a history of national championship teams! There were signs noting that the Nebraska football team won the National Championship in 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997.

I tried to find the Museum of the Odd, but the street it was supposed to be on just ended. Odd — I had to give up trying to find it.

I had checked my list of things to see in Lincoln, and I noted the National Roller Skating Museum was on the way to the Capitol. What a hoot. I had to go by.

The National Roller Skating Museum was easy to find, but the door was locked. Bummer. I drove around back, but those doors were locked as well. I saw someone inside, but her back was to the window, and I couldn’t get her attention. I went to the car to try calling them when four young folks walked out for a smoke break. They asked Sandra, the receptionist, to open the door, so I finally entered and walked through the exhibit. I was surprised by all that I saw. As with so many things, you may have no idea how big or significant something is until you look more closely. It was somewhat reminiscent of the lesson I learned from my two hours with the two chicken farmers and one rancher in Maysville, Arkansas. Roller skating isn’t just boys and girls with strap-on skates, there’s inline skating, roller derby, skating competitions, roller hockey, and Olympic roller skating events. Tara Lipinski, Olympic champion ice skater, began her skating career as a roller skater. There is a big staff at the National Roller Skating Museum, and many of them are involved with the Olympics and competitive skating activities. I was glad I went and a little embarrassed that I originally went thinking it would be kind of a laugh stop.

I saw the Haymarket Square area in downtown Lincoln. I also saw bicycle sculptures all around town promoting Tour de Lincoln. I didn’t know what it was all about, but I enjoyed seeing the sculptures everywhere.

As I headed down the road in the direction of Minden, Nebraska and Pioneer Village, I spotted some strange-looking stuff on the side of the highway. I exited and did a U, and I found myself at the locked entrance to Prairie Peace Park. Quirky with a Capital Q. Lots of peace stuff. Kind of an amusement park. Someone into peace big time. It sadly reminded me of Eloy World.

On the road, I drove on a highway built out of 47,000 recycled tires.

Pioneer Village is really something. Harold G. Warp invented the baggie, and he developed Pioneer Village. His wife gets the award for the most understanding wife of all times. He spent a fortune buying and gathering up all the stuff that’s in Pioneer Village. There is building after building filled with stuff. All kinds of stuff. There doesn’t appear to me to be rhyme or reason to the interesting assortment of things, but I am very sure it was crystal clear to Harold Warp. Harold’s stated goal was to create a museum with a huge variety of items showing the progress of those items from 1920 to 1960. What he built is amazing. It would take perhaps a week to see it all and read all the little typewritten sheets that are posted next to many of the items.

There are 28 buildings crammed full of antiques at Pioneer Village. Most of the buildings are huge. There are hundreds and hundreds of cars, trucks, wagons, tractors, horse-drawn vehicles, thimbles, salt shakers, wrenches, kitchen appliances, etc., etc. I thought Pioneer Village might be a little funky, but it was really interesting to see.

As interesting as it was, I have to say that Pioneer Village had the least courteous employees of any place I had yet been. The lady at the cash register was just plain rude. I came in contact with five or six of the people who worked there, and they all shared the same totally unfriendly unhappy-to-be-there attitude. For the late Mr. Warp’s sake, I hope someone has the sense to get some nice folks in there so the place doesn’t die of apathy and rudeness.

As I was leaving Pioneer Village, I grabbed Nebraska and Kansas maps as I was altering the route to spend the night in Salina, Kansas. As I considered the various two-lane options to hit the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, and the Geographical Center of the Continental United States in Lebanon, Kansas, I happened to see “Garden of Eden” listed on the map — next to the town of Lucas. I’d have never noticed such an entry on the maps of busier states like California or Florida — just too many towns to list and too much print, but on Kansas, the wide open spaces made it jump off the page. We’d been to the Fountain of Youth, so I figured the Garden of Eden was a must-see. Off I went.

I had a poor lunch at the Southfork Drive Inn as I drove out of Minden. Bland food and unfriendly people. Not even a napkin. Minden, Nebraska will be in the running for the most unfriendly people and worst service. What a contrast between Lincoln and Minden.

Next stop was Cawker City. I really have looked forward to seeing the World’s Largest Ball of Twine more than any other sight on the trip. Everything from the Grand Canyon to the World’s Largest Ball of Twine — that’s how I’ve summed up the trip for folks. There isn’t anything much in Cawker City except the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, so I had no problem driving right up to it on the main street through town. This sucker is BIG. It’s housed in a very nice open-sided building where you can walk right up to it and smell it and touch it. Frank Stoeber started the ball of twine on his farm in 1953. By 1957, it weighed 5,000 pounds, stood 8 feet high, and had 1,175,180 feet of twine on it. Stoeber gave the ball to Cawker City in 1961. He died in 1974. At last count, the ball weighed 17,554 pounds (that’s almost 9 TONS). It has a 40-foot circumference, and it consists of over 7,009,942 feet of sisal twine. If stretched out, it would extend 1,325 MILES. Like I said, this baby is BIG.

Frank Stoeber created it, and since he died, folks bring balls of twine, and they are weighed and measured and added to the giant ball. I bought a ball of brown “sisal” twine (the only type of twine that is accepted), and I left it in the box that’s there for that purpose, so my twine would soon be a part of the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. Be sure to take your own ball when you visit! It was wonderful to see that the townsfolk stepped in to build this special place for the Ball of Twine after the creator passed away.

The Cawker City Community Club is now the official owner/caretaker of the Ball of Twine. Each year a Twine-a-thon is held in conjunction with the annual Cawker City Picnic and Parade, so the ball never stops growing. The picnic and parade are on the third Saturday in August, with the twine winding held the Friday before. The Ball of Twine is located in “Downtown” Cawker City right along Wisconsin Street (Highway 24) on the south side of the highway. It is half a block west of Lake Drive, but you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it (small town and big ball).

I looked for something else exciting in Cawker City, but when I didn’t find it, I headed for the center — the Geographical Center of the Continental United States. It’s on a farm near Lebanon, Kansas. I took a photo of the monument, and I took photos looking north, south, east, and west. Nothing too earth-shattering. The photos look a lot like four photos of a field on a farm in Lebanon, Kansas.

According to my fact-filled State of Kansas Road Map, the Geodetic Center of the Continental United States was perhaps 10 miles away. I had no idea what a Geodetic Center was, but I drove to the spot, and there were no signs or anything, so there didn’t appear to be many people who really cared what a Geodetic Center was. I would have tried to find a human to ask, but the sun was heading down, and I still needed to see the Garden of Eden.

I searched “Geodetic Center” on the Internet, and I learned that the “Geodetic Center” is the point at which all measurements for North America are taken. While the plaque is in Osbourne, Kansas, the official marker was on Meade’s Ranch, off the highway. The Geodetic Center of the United States Plaque – posted on a historical marker sign reads: “On a ranch 6 miles southeast of this marker a bronze plate marks the most important spot on this continent to surveyors and map makers. Engraved in the bronze is a cross-mark and on the tiny point where the lines cross depend the surveys of a sixth of the world’s surface. This is the Geodetic Center of the United States. The “Primary Station” for all North American surveys. It was located in 1901 by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Later Canada and Mexico adopted the point and its supporting system as the base for their surveys and it is now known as the “North American Datum.” What Greenwich is to the Longitude of the world, therefore, a Kansas pasture is to the lines and boundaries of this continent. It must not be confused with the Geographic Center of the United States, which is 42 miles north, in Smith County.” – Erected by Kansas Historical Society and State Highway Commission.

When I reached Lucas, I saw a flying saucer hovering over a LUCAS sign at the city limits. I knew this was going to be a great stop.

Lucas is tiny (population 300), and there were plenty of signs directing me to the residential area that is home to the “Garden of Eden.” On a quiet little street with small homes, there it was on the corner of Kansas and Second. A small home with a giant sculpture filling the yard. What must the neighbors think! When I learned that it was built from 1907 to 1929, I figured the neighbors knew what they were getting into when they purchased their homes. I didn’t see any “for sale” signs. It wasn’t quite as bizarre as the Orange Show or the Beer Can House.

113 tons of concrete. Adam and Eve and the bright red apple. Okay, it’s pretty Quirky. I was very surprised to learn that it was so old. It was almost 100 years old!

Samuel Perry Dinsmoor, a retired schoolteacher, Civil War Veteran, farmer, and Populist politician, began building the Garden of Eden and Cabin Home in 1907 at the age of 64. Over 22 years, he fashioned 113 tons (2,273 sacks) of cement and many tons of limestone into his unique “log” cabin-style home with its surrounding sculptures. He opened his home to guests, conducting tours on the first floor and through the yard from 1907 until a few years before his death in 1932. Now owned and operated by a group formed to preserve it, the site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and welcomes more than 10,000 visitors annually. Mr. Dinsmoor and his wife are both entombed there in a pyramid-shaped mausoleum that he built right next to his home. I understand his casket has a glass top. I’m not into seeing dead folks, so I was glad it was closed for the day. For more information, see www.garden-of-eden-lucas-kansas.com/index.html.

I thought the quality of the sculpture was quite good. It hadn’t been a particularly pretty day, but the clouds disappeared as I arrived, and I had a beautiful blue sky that gave me some nice photographs. It was closed for the day, so I was only able to see the outside. I took so many photos at Pioneer Village that I had to pull the laptop out at the Garden of Eden and download photos to free up more space on the memory stick in the camera.

As I turned after the last photo to go back to the car and head for Salina, I happened to notice a little sign that said “Grassroots Art Center — 2 blocks.” I didn’t know what a Grassroots Art Center was, but I was sure going to invest two blocks of my time to find out. Two blocks took me to “downtown Lucas.” Just a few buildings on the wide main street. I parked in front of a building with a small sign that said “Grassroots Art Center.” It appeared to be a museum. I tried the door, but it was locked. I peeked in the windows, and it looked really interesting. Disappointed, I hopped in the car and planned to hit the highway.

As I was pulling out, a lady came out of the Grassroots Art Center and opened a car door. I stopped the car, jumped out, and asked if she was an artist. She replied: “No, I am the director of the museum.” I responded that I was writing a book, that I really enjoyed seeing the Garden of Eden, and that I wished I had gotten to town earlier in the day to see the museum as well. I met Rosslyn Schultz, and I was delighted when she agreed to open up and give me a personal tour!

In we went. I was blown away just inside the door. Here we were in the little bitty town of Lucas, Kansas, and I was standing in a world-class museum. Quirky, but absolutely world-class.

“Grassroots art” is defined as art made by people with no formal artistic training — usually done by folks of retirement age. Some folks call it outsider art, naive art, primitive art, folk art, raw art, recycled or trash art, intuitive art, art brut, self-taught art, and probably a few other terms. As I looked around, I immediately realized that a lot of the Quirky stuff we had seen over the last 64 days would qualify as “grassroots art.” I learned that grassroots art environments tend to be rather ephemeral, with ninety percent of the sites destroyed at the death of the maker. As I thought about Paradise Garden in Summerville, Georgia (Day 45) and how much Boz and I have hated to see the past gone or decaying, I immediately became a big fan of grassroots art and the work being done by the Grassroots Art Center and other groups to preserve this art.

The Grassroots Art Center exhibits and promotes the appreciation of the work of self-taught artists, especially those whose work tends toward environments rather than individual works. Its galleries display the work of local artists as well as regional self-taught or “outsider” artists.

Rossyln informed me that Lucas is home to not one, but four unique grassroots art environments. Two sites, S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden and Florence Deeble’s Rock Garden still survive in the town. The concrete and stone sculptures of Miller’s Park on the west edge of Lucas were sold and removed from the site. The Grassroots Art Center exhibits an extensive collection of work by Ed Root which has been preserved from the original environment south of Lucas. I learned that Kansas ranks third among the states in the number of grassroots art sites, after Wisconsin and California. You could understand California, but Kansas and Wisconsin???? Perhaps it is because there is not so much to do in rural Kansas or Wisconsin, and it causes retired folks to turn to art and their yards to occupy their time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, and I was fascinated by what Rosslyn showed me and told me. Each artist was unique. I found Leroy Wilson’s work to be especially interesting. I couldn’t wait to hear the story after I saw a display that seemed to consist of some kitchen cabinets and a section of a wall. It turns out that Leroy farmed north of Luray, Kansas, and like many farmers, he moved to a comfortable house in town after his retirement. But Wilson liked to paint, and he spent the next 12 years transforming the rooms in his basement with colorful mosaic and quilt-like patterns on every available surface. One after another. He’d dream up an elaborate design in his head, and he’d start painting. When he completed every room, he immediately had another design in his head, and he started the process again. He did this over and over and over again for 12 years.

The grounds of the Grassroots Art Center includes a display of Postrock Limestone art in the Courtyard.

After the great tour, Rosslyn mentioned that I might be able to catch one of the artists at Florence Deeble’s home. Rosslyn told me to go back toward the Garden of Eden, turn left, and it was the second house. I did as she said, but when I got to the “second house,” there were houses on both sides of the street, and they both had some Quirky stuff in the front yard. I picked the Quirkiest and walked up and knocked on the door. (The Shanklins, my dad, and others who have expressed concern about my newfound penchant for just walking up to strangers in the middle of nowhere will just croak when they learn that I did this.) Bingo. Pilar greeted me with a big smile. She had no idea who I was or why I was there, but she immediately commented on how much she liked my “happy beads.” I told her Ros had sent me, and she welcomed me in like a long-lost friend.

It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a home with every wall and every ceiling draped in shiny tin foil. For the next three hours, I really enjoyed speaking with Pilar, seeing her wonderful “assemblage art” work, learning how she works, and more. Pilar loves junk, and she just “listens” to the junk she has, and it tells her what to put together to create her pieces. I picked up some of the junk, but the only voice I heard was one somewhere inside my head that told me I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. Pilar kept telling me I’m wrong about that. Maybe I will magically get some artistic ability when I get older like most of the good grassroots artists, but I doubt it.

Pilar’s latest creations were “Re-Barbs.” She adorned Barbie dolls with all types of junk to create elaborate costumes and personalities.

Pilar is an amazing artist and a most interesting and delightful person. I REALLY enjoyed spending several hours with her, and I will be on the lookout for some good junk to send to her.

Regretting that I had not reached Lucas earlier in the day, I finally left the tin foil, the Re-Barbs, and Pilar, and I drove to Salina for the night. Even though I didn’t have a single piece of pie and had just one poor meal, Day 64 ranks as one of the best days so far.

When my sister challenged all of us in our family to practice Random Acts of Kindness during the holiday season a few years ago, I got with the spirit. I paid the toll for people behind me at a toll booth. I gave a big tip to the lady working the drive-through window at Whataburger. I scrambled to open lots of doors and carry things for people. There were some funny experiences. I have forgotten all that happened, but I remember trying to pay for the baggage cart for a lady at the airport, and she screamed at me to get away from her. I guess she thought I was a dirty old man up to no good. With rare exceptions, it was a very gratifying experience, and we have encouraged friends and business associates to try it. The challenge was to try to do at least one Random Act of Kindness every day during December. It would be wonderful if we all made it a conscious effort to do Random Acts of Kindness.

Dont Get Much Better Than This

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Lincoln Nebraska — Nebraska Capitol — National Roller Skating Museum — University of Nebraska — Prairie Peace Park — Pioneer Village — World’s Largest Ball of Twine — Geographical Center of the Continental United States — Geodetic Center of the Continental United States — Garden of Eden — Grassroots Art Center
 

He Aint Heavy – Day 63

He Ain’t Heavy

Day 63 – June 2, 2003 – Monday

I saw the Bridges of Madison County, Iowa today, but the highlight of the day (and a highlight of the trip) was my tour of Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. One of the boys, Vu, gave me a wonderful tour. What a special place! I also enjoyed two delightful meals with especially nice ladies. I had pie for breakfast at Wes’ Restaurant in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and I had a fabulous dinner at Misty’s in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Additions to the World’s Largest List include the world’s largest ball of postage stamps at Boys Town and the world’s largest coffee pot — also in Omaha.

Nebraska was state #19. In terms of mileage, I estimated that the trip is probably half over. We have now visited 1,185 towns.

Sandy at the Comfort Inn joined Pat in recommending Wes’ Family Cafe as the place for me to have breakfast and pie.

I checked out of the hotel and drove immediately to Wes’ Family Cafe. The restaurant burned down and had just recently rebuilt. It was packed with locals, and everybody knew everybody. Great place! The manager at Wes’ Family Cafe took excellent care of me. I had Coconut Cream Pie and Raspberry Pie. Both were excellent…even if it was breakfast.

I left Oskaloosa bound for Winterset, Iowa. John Wayne was born in Winterset. I photographed his boyhood home.

Winterset is the county seat of Madison County…as in the Bridges of Madison County. This was another highly anticipated sight to be seen on this trip. I enjoyed speaking with two nice ladies in the Madison County Visitor’s Center. I got the scoop on the bridges, the movie, as well as directions, and off I went.

Originally boasting 19 covered bridges, only six remained. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridges were covered by order of the County Board of Supervisors to help preserve the large flooring timbers, which were more expensive to replace than the lumber used to cover the bridge sides and roof. Usually, the bridges were named for the resident who lived closest. “The Bridges of Madison County” was made on location in Madison County, and several covered bridges and various buildings and locations were used in the movie.

Roseman Covered Bridge

Built in 1883 by Benton Jones, it is 107 feet in length and sits in its original location. Roseman was renovated in 1992 at a cost of $152,515. In Robert James Waller’s novel The Bridges of Madison County and the movie of the same name, Roseman is the bridge Robert Kincaid seeks when he stops at Francesca Johnson’s for directions; it is also where Francesca leaves her note inviting him to dinner.

Also known as the “haunted” bridge, Roseman is where two sheriff’s posses trapped a county jail escapee in 1892. Uttering a wild cry, it is said the man rose up straight through the roof of the bridge and disappeared. He was never found, and it was decided that anyone capable of such a feat must be innocent.

Holliwell Covered Bridge

Built in 1880 by Benton Jones, it is the longest covered bridge, measuring 122 feet. It remains in its original site over the Middle River southeast of Winterset. Holliwell was renovated in 1995 at a cost of $225,000. It is featured in The Bridges of Madison County movie.

Cedar Covered Bridge

Built in 1883 by Benton Jones, Cedar bridge was 76 feet long and was the last bridge open to vehicles. It was built over Cedar Creek north of Winterset on what is now U.S. Highway 169. It was moved to its present location over the same creek in 1921. In Robert James Waller’s novel The Bridges of Madison County, Cedar Bridge is where Francesca Johnson goes to meet Robert Kincaid to help him take photographs. Cedar is also the bridge on the novel’s cover. It was renovated in 1998 at a cost of $128,073.

Cedar Bridge was destroyed by an arsonist on September 3, 2002. I was able to photograph some of the charred wood that was in a pile where the bridge used to be.

For more information, see www.cedarcoveredbridge.com.

Cutler-Donahoe Bridge

Built in 1870 by Eli Cox, the Cutler-Donahoe Bridge is 79 feet in length and features a pitched roof. It was originally located over the North River near Bevington. It was moved to its present site in Winterset’s City Park in 1970. Cutler-Donahoe was renovated in 1997 for $35,538.

Hogback Covered Bridge

Hogback Covered Bridge was built in 1884 by Benton Jones; it measures 97 feet, and it is in its original location in a valley north of Winterset. Hogback gets its name from the limestone ridge which forms the west end of the valley. It was renovated in 1992 at a cost of $118,810.

Imes Covered Bridge

The oldest of the remaining covered bridges, Imes Covered Bridge was built in 1870 and is 81 feet in length. It was originally located over the Middle River west of Patterson. In 1887, it was moved to a spot over Clinton Creek southwest of Hanley. Imes Bridge was moved again to its present site over a natural ravine just east of St. Charles in 1977. It was renovated in 1997 for a cost of $31,807.

About “Bridges Of Madison County:” When her family is off at the state fair, vaguely discontented Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) meets National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), who is in Madison County to photograph Iowa’s covered bridges. What begins as a guarded friendship soon erupts into an intense affair that rekindles Francesca’s forgotten passions, but she finds her emotions in conflict when the time comes to choose her future. The movie was adapted to the screen by Richard LaGravenese from Robert James Waller’s novel, The Bridges of Madison County.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, produced by Eastwood and Kathleen Kennedy, it is the visual representation of two people coming to terms with their own lives through each other. The film is a narrative about love and choices and consequence.

A reconstructed farm house provided the key set, with additional sequences shot in the towns of Winterset and Adel, along with the actual covered bridges.

The Northside Cafe — In existence since 1876, is the restaurant in the film where Robert Kincaid stops for coffee and offers Lucy Redfield a stool. You can still take a seat where Clint Eastwood sat; it’s the fourth stool from the front of the restaurant.

Stone Bridge — The gracefully arched stone bridge in a park where Francesca and Robert go for their “getaway” picnic is actually located right in Winterset’s City Park, just south of the Cutler-Donahoe covered bridge. I visited each of these spots, and I had lunch at the Northside Cafe. The cafe was packed, but the staff wasn’t particularly friendly, and the Blueberry Pie was the worst pie on the trip. It was like someone took a purple magic marker and rubbed it between a pie crust. Bad pie, but a good movie.

Next stop: Nebraska. I drove to Omaha and Boys Town. I had emailed with some folks at Boys Town, so they were expecting me. It was important to them for me to take a special tour that they had arranged for me.

Vu was one of the boys at Boys Town, and he gave me a wonderful tour of “Girls and Boys Town.” He explained the history, the rules, took me on a special tour of Father Flanagan’s former home, showed me the various facilities, and accompanied me through the exceptional museum. Girls and Boys Town, the original Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, is a leader in the treatment and care of abused, abandoned, and neglected girls and boys. Since 1917, the nonprofit, nonsectarian organization has provided these children with a safe, caring, loving environment where they gain confidence to get better and learn skills to become productive citizens.

Vu was an outstanding tour guide, and what a fine young man. Boys Town is a very inspirational place, and I encourage you to see it when you get anywhere near Omaha, Nebraska.

I took some great photos at Boys Town. The “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother” statue is a really well-known statue.

Vu also took me to see the World’s Largest Ball of Postage Stamps at Boys Town. Built in the 1950’s by the Stamp Collecting Club at Boy’s Town, the World’s Largest Ball of Stamps is very impressive. The Leon Myers Stamp Center is a museum and office located at the Visitor Center. The Stamp Center promotes stamp collecting among youth and adults and supports Girls and Boys Town programs by selling many donated stamps. Exhibits in the museum show stamps designed by kids, children on stamps, and children’s fairy tales on stamps, and a variety of educational and philatelic topics.

As I drove out of Omaha, I saw the World’s Largest Coffee Pot.

I drove to Lincoln, Nebraska. I checked into the hotel, and I asked Beth at the front desk where I should eat dinner. She suggested Misty’s Restaurant. She explained that she was a college student paying her way through school, so she couldn’t afford to go there herself, but she assured me that she had heard many times that Misty’s is great.

Misty’s Restaurant in Lincoln is a landmark. There can be up to a four hour wait on football weekends. Bob and Grace Milton began Misty’s as a “bottle club” in 1963 known as Club 63. When the liquor laws changed in 1965 allowing restaurants to sell liquor by the drink, a small propane grill was added. The restaurant grew, and it was named Misty’s Restaurant, named for Bob and Grace’s favorite song, “Misty.” Misty’s may be the original “sports bar.” The Miltons’ support for the University of Nebraska Cornhusker football was huge, and the restaurant was filled with Husker memorabilia.

The bar is shaped like a football. There was an original Leroy Neiman painting on the wall, which I was told was insured for a lot of money. The restaurant has booth seats that have very fancy tufted leather, and Bob paid $3000 each for 12 of them many years ago. He said when he saw them he saw 12 cars because you could’ve bought a really nice car for $3000 when he had those made.

The food was wonderful; I had a filet. The flavor was as good as I’ve ever had. It very much reminded me of Del Frisco’s (one of the best steak houses in America) in terms of the quality. I had cheddar potatoes that were delicious; my Caesar salad was probably the best I’ve ever had. I had a spinach artichoke appetizer that was wonderful. I would say it was the best meal of its type. Certainly one of the two best meals when you take into account all meals, but Lambert’s is in a different category.

The staff at Misty’s was a delight. I met Laverne, Colleen, Melisha, and Toni at Misty’s. Toni was one of the best waitresses on the trip, and the dinner was fantastic — nominated for Best Meal.

I had some fun today and saw some interesting sights, but my thoughts at the end of the day were how in the world anyone could abuse, abandon, and neglect children is just the saddest of thoughts.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
Wes’ Family Cafe — John Wayne’s Childhood Home — Bridges of Madison County — Northside Cafe — Girls and Boys Town — World’s Largest Ball of Postage Stamps — World’s Largest Coffee Pot — Misty’s Restaurant
 

Mark Twain – Day 62

Mark Twain

Day 62 – June 1, 2003 – Sunday

Month three begins.

Today was a pretty uneventful day. It took me a lot longer to get out of the greater St. Louis area than I expected. In Alton, Illinois, I saw the life-sized statue of Robert Wadlow, the 8-foot 11-inch world’s tallest man. I then rode on not one but two ferry boats as I crossed the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers from the long peninsula area that extends down toward St. Louis — unusual area. I spent some time in Hannibal, Missouri seeing the Mark Twain sights. Iowa became the 18th state we’ve visited. I was also in Louisiana today — Louisiana, Missouri. As always, I met a number of very nice people.

Unfortunately, today will rank as one of the least enjoyable days. Nothing bad — just long and pretty boring.

In Alton, I drove to the campus of the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine because it is home to the life-sized statue of Robert Pershing Wadlow, the 8-foot 11-inch world’s tallest man. Robert was born on February 22, 1918, and weighed a normal eight pounds, six ounces. He drew attention to himself when at six months old, he weighed 30 pounds. A year later at 18 months, he weighed 62 pounds. He continued to grow at an astounding rate, reaching six feet, two inches and 195 pounds by the time he was eight years old. At 16, he was 7’10” and weighed 374. He reached 8’11” and 439 pounds when he was 22 years old. His height of 8′ 11.1″ qualifies him as the tallest person in history, as recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

His clothing required three times the normal amount of cloth, and his size 37 shoes cost $100.00 a pair (a lot of money back in the 1930’s). His shoes were later provided free by the International Shoe Company. When he turned 20, Robert traveled for the shoe company, visiting over 800 towns and 41 states. His father had to modify the family car, removing the front passenger seat so Robert could sit in the back seat and stretch out his long legs. The father and son team traveled over 300,000 miles on their goodwill tour for the shoe company.

Robert’s unique size was attributed to an overactive pituitary gland, which produced much higher than normal levels of growth hormone. Today’s medical science can compensate for such problems – but in the 1920’s, there was no therapy available.

As a youth, Robert had enjoyed good health, but his large feet had troubled him for many years. He had little sensation in his feet and did not feel any chafing until blisters formed. While making an appearance in Manistee, Michigan in July 1940, a fatal infection set in when such a blister formed. Robert Wadlow passed away in his sleep on July 15, 1940.

Robert’s body was brought back to his hometown of Alton for burial. The 1,000-pound casket required a dozen pallbearers, assisted by eight other men. Out of respect for Alton’s Gentle Giant, all city businesses closed for the funeral. Over 40,000 people signed the guest register. Robert’s gravestone simply reads “At Rest.” Robert Wadlow holds a special place in Alton’s history. He is remembered as a quiet young man who overcame a unique handicap, and who was an inspiration to all who knew him.

Just outside of Alton, Illinois, I saw a home built to look like Noah’s Ark. This proved to be one of the major sights that I saw today. Yes, it was a snoozer.

The car and I rode a ferry across the Mississippi River from Illinois to Missouri. This ferry crosses the Mississippi River near the small town of Batchtown into St. Charles County, Missouri connecting with Route 79. I wanted to ride the ferry for the experience and to save some miles. I met a number of nice people before getting on the ferry.

I made my way to Hannibal, Missouri — Mark Twain’s hometown. Mark Twain is one of the world’s most beloved authors. I saw the Mark Twain Riverboat, Mississippi River, Mark Twain Memorial Bridge, Mark Twain Lake, Huck Finn Mall, Mark Twain Home, Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse, Mark Twain Cave, Mark Twain‘s childhood home, statue of Tim Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and more. Tom Sawyer’s fence was a highlight. Just about everything in downtown Hannibal is Mark Twain-related.

I climbed up to the top of Cardiff Hill to see the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse and to get an overview of Hannibal. Steep hill.

When I drove through Nauvoo Illinois, I saw a big church, and I pulled over for a photo. I met two young boys (probably 11 or 12 years old) on the side of the road. They told me the church is a Mormon temple and that Nauvoo is a big Mormon town.

I learned that in 1839, Joseph Smith and his followers, the Mormons, settled in this area after they were forced out of Missouri by religious persecution. Within three years, Nauvoo was one of the largest cities in Illinois and the tenth largest in the United States. Nauvoo was famous for its beautiful homes, its many fine shops, and its magnificent Temple on the bluff overlooking the city and the river. Soon internal dissension, religious antagonism, and the fear of the political power of the Mormons exploded into a fury. In 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother were assassinated, and the Mormons were forced to evacuate the city in 1846 when the temple was burned.

In April 1999, Gordon Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that the Church would rebuild the Nauvoo Temple on the original site on the Hill in Nauvoo. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in October 1999 and a cornerstone ceremony was held in November 2000.

Iowa became state #18. I saw some barns and a nice sunset, but there wasn’t much to see in eastern Iowa. There also wasn’t anywhere to eat dinner. I finally settled for Mr. Quick’s Hamburgers in Ottumwa, Iowa. Mr. Quick in Ottumwa, Iowa is now the #1 contender for Worst Meal. And I can’t imagine how any place can top them for absolutely the worst service!

I finally stopped for the night at the Comfort Inn in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Pat suggested Wes’ Restaurant for pie for breakfast. Pat also told me where I should have eaten a “loose meat sandwich” in Ottumwa. Loose meat sandwiches are a special cut of ground beef cooked with special spices, and the ground beef is cooked and put on the bun “loose.”

I was reminded today of the lyrics of a John Denver song, “some days are diamonds, some days are stones.” Today was a stone. No problems, just not exciting.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

 

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:
World’s Tallest Man — Hannibal Missouri — Mark Twain