Monday, May 31, 2010

Time for repairs at the factory

We have been in Forest City, Iowa for a  week to have some work done on our Winnebago.  Will be here for another few days.  Gary bought a 7 day fishing license and has been having a great time fishing.  I have been visiting with others whom are here to have repair work done.  We have been running around and going to movies also.

P1320067 Gary caught a couple of pike here.

P1320085 Union soldier put up in court house square.

P1320074 tank in court house square

P1320090 railroad stations and 1879 telegraph pole.

Heritage Park of North Iowa

Lots of interesting things to see here.  We were lucky to get in as a gentleman told us that they usually open for groups.  The park is a 91 acre outdoor museum dedicated to the preservation of America’s rural heritage.  We were not able to see some of the farm machines and exhibits located in some of the buildings, but really enjoyed the ones we were able to see.
P1320095 1890 church
P1010029 hanging in one of the log cabins
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Friday, May 21, 2010

Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum

Great museum.  Exhibits include classic wooden boats built to use on the Okoboji, swimsuits, rides from amusement parks used in the 40s, old fishing lures, ice harvesting tools, replica of Okoboji store, Sorensen boathouse, antique boat motors dating back to 1917, and the 1939 Chris Craft.  There is a 10 minute video.  Cost: free.  Well worth the time to see this museum.

P1310943 This 1939 Chris Craft is also known as the Okoboji Titanic.  It was struck by another boat in July, 1946 and sank in 65 feet of water where it remained until 1995.

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P1310958 amusement car ride

P1320054 remember those fun house mirrors.  We had a lot of fun here.  Good thing our bodies really do not look like the mirror shows.

Iowa Rock ‘N Roll Museum

This museum is located near the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park, Iowa.  It opened May 2003.  Cost is $1.  Has exhibits of musicians who played in Iowa or were born in Iowa.  Great little museum.

P1310917 Thomas Edison recording machine.

P1310938 guitar autographed by Kenny Loggins, Nelson twins, and BJ Thomas

P1310922 3 songs for a quarter.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Patee House Museum, St. Joseph, Mo

Wow!! what a museum.  This museum is in an 1858 national historic landmark pioneer hotel that was headquarters for the pony express.  The building served as the provost marshal's office for the Union during the Civil war.  The museum shows the development of the American West and is listed as one of America’s top ten Western Museums in the True West Magazine.  We spent 3 hours there and could have taken a lot more time.  Cost:  seniors $4

P1010141 overland mail stage

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P1010187 display of weapons used to murder people

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Remington Nature Center, St. Joseph, Mo

The Remington Nature Center is a great little nature center.  Upon entering the first exhibit you see is a mammoth and it’s baby.  Then you can see some mammoth teeth and bones.  There are numerous Indian artifacts on display.  On display are a few stuffed animals.  Great nature center.  Seniors $2

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Pony Express Museum

The famous overland mail service by horseback from St. Joseph, Mo to Sacramento, Ca., began on April 3, 1860.  The service lasted only 19 months completing 300 runs each way over 600,000 miles and carried more than 33,000 pieces of mail.

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P1010118 Gary pumping water from the well in the pony express museum

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National Military Heritage Museum, St. Joseph, Mo

National Military Heritage Museum is located in a building that was the city of St. Joseph’s first police station.  This museum is still in the growing stages, not very well organized.  Had our own tour guide, the gentleman who started the museum.  I really enjoyed the many dioramas, many of which were entered in contests and took first place.  Cost $3.

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P1010067 cobra helicopter

P1010083 wolf pack sub in dry dock

Monday, May 10, 2010

Fort Scott National Historic Site, Kansas

Fort Scott is located in SE Kansas.  It was established in 1842 to enforce the promise given to the Indians that they would have a permanent frontier.  The soldiers job was to keep peace between white settlers and Indians.  They also helped to protect the settlers who traveled along the Oregon Trail.  Soldiers from the fort fought in the Mexican-American War from 1846-48.

In 1854 Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act which brought about popular sovereignty- the people would decide the issue of slavery in their territory.  This act brought about the event known as “Bleeding Kansas” where violence and destruction prevailed.

During the Civil War the fort served as a major supply depot for Union armies in the West, a general hospital, and a place for the refugees- Indians, escaped slaves, and white farmers, many of whom joined the Union Army.  One of the first Africa American regiments-the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry- was the first such unit to engage the Confederate Army.

After the Civil War ended, the railroad began to lay tracks across the territory.  The railroad workers were faced with opposition from the squatters, so the military had to step in and protect the railroad workers – a rare time when U.S. troops took up arms against American citizens to protect the country’s business interest.

Be prepared to climb lots of stairs to see all the exhibits.

The tour is self-guided and helped along by using your cell phone to listen to information at 10 points of interest. 

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above, hospital and visitor center.

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above, originally the infantry barracks, but was later sold and became the pro-slavery hotel.  The anti-slavery hotel was just across the parade grounds.

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above, stables that housed the Dragoon unit horses.

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Bunk beds.  2 to a bed, so 4 soldiers slept here. 

Mine Creek Battlefield

On our way home from Fort Scott, Gary and I stopped at the Mine Creek Battlefield, Civil War.  It was late so the museum was not open but I snapped a few pictures of the battlefield.

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Saturday, May 08, 2010

Precious Moments, Carthage, Missouri

I have passed the sign for the Precious Moments turn-off many times as I traveled from Ca. to Missouri.  My folks went to the Precious Moments many years ago and mom would keep telling me that it was something that I need to see.  Well, I finally got around to going and must say it was worth the trip.

Gary and I toured the chapel, grounds, and museum.  We camped at Big Red Barn campgrounds, a Passport American campground for $15 per night.  The tour did not take long so we were able to go the the Civil War Museum located in Carthage on the same day.

The Precious moments chapel shows off the art work of Samuel J. Butcher.  The chapel is 9,000 square feet of inspired artwork, 84 Biblical hand painted murals and 30 verses and stories in Stained Glass.  Cost of tours was zero.

Took lots of pictures so if you click on the Precious Moments link above you can see more than I have posted here.

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above, Hallelujah wall, This wall is dedicated to those who have died.

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P1310632 grandchildren’s playhouse

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Carthage Courthouse

Building took place from March 1894 to October 1895 with crews working in the stone quarries 6 days a week 24 hours a day.

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Friday, May 07, 2010

Civil War Museum, Carthage, Mo.

Small museum dedicated to the Battle of Carthage.  Great painting showing the battle as it took place in town.  There is a diorama showing the battle which took place over 10 miles.  We watched a short video about the civil war in the Ozarks.

The artifacts in the museum are from the battle.  Lots of information to read about the battle.

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Boy have stethoscopes come a long way.

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home made canteen

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double barreled shotgun and homemade bowie knife

Battle of Carthage State Historic Site

This is the first time I have heard about the Battle of Carthage.  This battle took place on July 5, 1861, 16 days before the Battle of Bull Run.  This site is the location for one of the last skirmishes of this battle.  Both the union and the confederate armies camped here, the union the night before the battle, the confederates the night following the battle.

The battle took place over 10 miles.  The Union army consisted of 1,100 men who faced a Confederate Missouri State Guard of 4000 armed and 2000 unarmed men.  The Confederates won, but the Union troops managed to escape with only minimum losses.

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Thursday, May 06, 2010

Bear’s Den, Grove, Oklahoma

This is our third visit to this park.  We enjoy this park because of the fishing.  Gary gets to fish for crappie (my favorite), catfish, and bass.  Not very many people here this time.  Usually the park has close to 40 campers, but this year maybe 20 rigs are here.  This is an AOR park so we only have to pay $9 per night.

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space #301.

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Gary’s fishing house.  He fishes through a hole in the floor.  On this day, the wind was really blowing and the fishing house was rolling with the wave.  Gary almost got seasick.

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