Day 12, Oct 2, Touring the Amana Colonies and John Deere Pavilion

Early start this morning. 14.5C as we boarded the bus at 7:30 and departed for the Amana Colonies, which are similar to the Mennonites.

The Amana Colonies are seven villages on 26,000 acres (11,000 ha) located in Iowa County in east-central Iowa, United States: Amana(or Main Amana), East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead. The villages were built and settled by German Pietists, who were persecuted in their homeland by the German state government and the Lutheran Church. Calling themselves the True Inspiration Congregations (German: Wahre Inspiration's Gemeinden),^[3] they first settled in New York near Buffalo in what is now the town of West Seneca. However, seeking more isolated surroundings, they moved to Iowa (near present-day Iowa City) in 1856. They lived a communal life until 1932.

For eighty years, the Amana Colony maintained an almost completely self-sufficient local economy, importing very little from the industrializing American economy. The Amanians were able to achieve this independence and lifestyle by adhering to the specialized crafting and farming occupations that they had brought with them from Europe. Craftsmen passed their skills and techniques on from one generation to the next. They used hand, horse, wind, and water power, and made their own furniture, clothes, and other goods. The community voted to form a for-profit organization during the Great Depression, the Amana Society, which included the Amana Corporation.

Today, the Seven Villages of Amana are a tourist attraction known for its restaurants and craft shops. The colony was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Marcel was anxious to check this out! Unfortunately, by the time we got in, everything was sold out!











High Amana was the 4th Colony to be built in 1857. We visited the High Amana General Store, the Meat Shop & Smoke House and the Arts Guild Centre.

Meat Shop and Smokehouse

 All kinds of good stuff!




We all went to the Ox Yoke Inn for lunch, which is a quaint, storied restaurant serving hearty German and American food since 1940.

We were served "family-style" coleslaw, cottage cheese, chicken, pot roast mashed potatoes, corn and rolls. Delicious!

This was topped off with apple pie for dessert. 

After lunch we walked around the shops until it was time to get back on the bus.

We went back across the Mississippi to Moline to the John Deere Pavilion, where you can climb into a cab, sit in the driver's seat and test your skills in state-of-the-art simulators. Explore some of the biggest John Deere machines - from combines and dozers, to excavators to swing machines. It was amazing to see these machines up close and realize how BIG they are!

Marcel is trying to operate an Excavator - didn't make any money!

WOW! This is HUGE when you see it up close and sit in the driver's seat!

That concluded our day and it was back to the campground to start packing up to move on tomorrow. It ended up being a beautiful day, warming up to 18.8C

Day 11, October 1, Rock Island, IL

We had a free day today (meaning no touring but catching up with laundry and grocery shopping)
After finishing the laundry, we found the Walmart in nearby Davenport. It had a Murphy USA fuel station so we filled up with diesel for $3.089/gallon.
 It has warmed up to 66F, so changed into shorts on returning to the campground.

At 5:15 everyone gathered at the pavilion for a campground cookout (provided by the Wagon-masters and Tail-gunners). It was wonderful , lots of fun. Open a small bag of Corn Chips or Doritos, add some taco meat mixture and top it off with any or all of the fixins - chopped onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, sour cream & salsa.

Dinner was finished off by a dessert of Sopapilla Cheesecake bars. Delicious!



We broke up at 8:00 when it started raining lightly. However, it remained a very pleasant 24.4C.

Day 10, Sept 30, Touring the Area

We boarded our coach bus this morning at 9:15 under grey skies and light rain. It was 10.8C (52F) as we set off to visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa. During the hour-long bus ride, we watched a fascinating video which described Hoover's life.

He was born in 1874 in a simple two-room cottage in West Branch.
With two adults and three children, there was not much room for furniture.

His Quaker family had helped settle the town. Their principles of honesty, hard work simplicity and generosity guided Hoover throughout his life of service to the nation and the world.
He was educated at Stanford University, earning a degree in geology. Throughout his life, he travelled extensively around the world.

I could go on & on describing his accomplishments, but don't want to bore you! in a nutshell, he was a fascinating, self-made man who embodied the ideal of individualism.








Fortunately the weather improved for us.


At 11:30, we were back on the bus. Our next stop was the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum (which I thought would be boring) However, it was quite interesting, with over 100 very unique restored trucks, dating back as far as 1910.   

This 1939 International  D-15 armoured truck was purchased  new by the Minneapolis Police Department. It features a 1/4 thick armoured steel body that boasts 2-inch thick bullet proof  glass windows with gun ports. The steel plates mounted on the front bumper are bullet deflectors for the front tires All doors are made of armour plate. The D series was introduced in 1937 and was discontinued in 1941 This was the only truck of its kind produced.






This 1930 Ford A Snowmobile paved the way with its innovative skis and mechanical brakes. It was frequently used to get the mail through when the heavier trucks were stuck in the snow. The frame was also used as a Model A car. It consisted of a Ford 200.5 cu. inch 4 cylinder engine, 3 speed Ford sliding gear transmission and had a top speed of 45 mph with tires.

For anyone interested check out the website:
iowatruckingmuseum.com

We returned to the campground for a quick lunch, then it was back on the bus to attend "Circa 21" Dinner Playhouse presentation of "Mama Won't Fly". This is an outrageously hilarious race against the clock which begins when Savannah Honeycutt agrees to get her feisty mother all the way from Alabama to California in time for her brother's wedding. Savannah's only problem: Mama won't fly.
Prior to the production we enjoyed an excellent buffet dinner of Orange Dijon Pork, Santa Fe Swiss Steak, Texas BBQ Chicken, Louisiana-Style Cherry Snapper, Vegetarian California Lasagna, mashed potatoes, rice and a seasonal blend of vegetables.
With our tummies full and our sides sore from laughing, we returned to the campground for an early night.                       

Day 9, Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin to Rock Island KOA, Illinois

Early start today at 7:05 under clear skies, but only 4.6C. It wasn't long before it became foggy.
At 7:20 we crossed the Mississippi into Iowa.
Just ahead of us, a truck had hit a deer which held us up for a few minutes. We followed the Great River Road which was foggy.

At 9:10 we arrived at Dubuque, home of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. (www.rivermuseum.com)The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is home to museum exhibits on the culture and history of America's rivers. The campus also includes over a dozen aquariums featuring wildlife representative of that found in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico and other river systems and deltas, including giant catfish, sturgeon, ducks, frogs, turtles, rays, octopus, river otters, and more. There are also outdoor exhibits, featuring river otters, a marsh, and large artifacts, such as boats, a blacksmith shop, a stream, and raptor aviaries including bald eagles and a red tailed hawk

The William M. Black was a dredge built in 1934 to dredge the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and is one of the last side-wheeled steamboats ever built. It was a 34 inch pipeline dredge used to deepen the river. It was open for touring.

After spending an hour and a half, we were back on the road, heading to the campground.

 At 2:30, we crossed the Mississippi into Illinois and arrived at the Rock Island KOA . 
Once everyone arrived and got settled, we "ride shared" to the Port of Moline and boarded the "Celebration Belle" at 5:30 for a dinner cruise on the Mississippi. 

Joan & Sharon enjoying their cocktail before dinner

The buffet dinner was wonderful aboard this 750 passenger paddle-wheel boat. The entertainment was "spot-on" by a husband and wife who got everyone up dancing! Unfortunately, it was raining so we didn't venture outside. It was a beautiful evening.
  

Day 8, Sept 28, Travel day Dakota Meadows to Sports Unlimited Campground, Wisconsin

Rather chilly this morning at 5.9C
We departed the campground at 8:00 and drove through downtown Prior Lake. Missed a turn and made a U turn (not easy pulling a fifth wheel!) and got back on track.
At 9:27 we crossed the Mississippi into Wisconsin. It was a scenic drive along the river, however at 10:20 we crossed the Mississippi back into Minnesota.
The next stop was at the National Eagle Centre, Wabasha, where we attended an informative and educational tour & talk about eagles. The National Eagle Center is an environmental interpretive center on the banks of the Mississippi River in Wabasha Minnesota. We offer wild eagle viewing, interactive exhibits, cultural and historical displays. Live eagle programs conducted by a naturalist interpreter each feature a live eagle.

Snack time - the eagle was fed a mouse, which he thoroughly enjoyed!

Three of the resident eagles which were rescued following being injured. They are unable to be released into the wild so are therefore destined to live out their days in luxury.













After departing the Eagle Centre, we crossed the Mississauga back into Wisconsin. It is sunny and 54F. Travelling along 35 South we passed 2 sets of locks & dams.
At 4:20 we arrived at Sports Unlimited Campground, Prairie du Chein, - there is NO WI-FI, NO TV and it is right beside train tracks. There are trains but they do not blow their horns, thank goodness!
It was an early night at 9:00 with the furnace on as it was 9C

Day 7, Sept 27, Dakota Meadows Campground, Prior Lake, Minnesota

13.4C this morning. It was a "free day", but there was shopping to be done.Went to Aldi's with Gus & Joan. Turned out to be the one near Chris' that we used to walk to! Next stop was Walmart. Finally found it and there was a Sam's Club right beside it.
Back at the park I picked up the fax with the questionnaire regarding jury duty. Filled it out & put it in the mail.

Next we went to Fleet Farm for fuel and a walk around the store.
Back to the park and it had warmed up to 16C

Day 6, September 26. Touring the Twin Cities and lunch cruise

At 8:50, we were waiting in the chilly morning for the bus to take us on a tour of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis & Saint Paul). It was cloudy and 9.7C (49F)

At 9:40, we went by he Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, followed by the U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The indoor stadium cost $1.4 billion to construct and opened in 2016.
From there we drove back to Saint Paul and arrived at Padelford Riverboats at 10:15 for a lunch cruise upstream.

Dipping my fingers in the Mississippi River 😊

Approaching the confluence of the Minnesota (L) and Mississippi (R) Rivers

Ready to board the riverboat.

We travelled through the River National Park and went through one of the locks as we enjoyed a delicious lunch. The return trip downstream was much faster! We had entertainment on the cruise, two banjo players! The Ford Parkwaybridge is in the background.

T he day has turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day when we returned to the marina at 3:00.

Our next stop was St. Paul’s historic Landmark Center, completed in 1902, which originally served as the United States Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House for the state of Minnesota. It now serves as a cultural center for music, dance, theater, exhibitions, public forums, and hosts countless special events. 

The Chief Justice Room is the most ornate room in the building and was originally the law library. The intricate wood carvings contain many details, including the symbol for Saint Paul and the United States 

Fascinating place which ended our tour for today.