From Lewis & Clark in 1804 to a 2009 Pipedream

We look out the window of our RV from our beautiful campsite on the farm where Gregg grew up near Sioux City, IA, across the cornfields, at a long stretch of Silver Maples. Cottonwoods, and Willows. The trees line the Floyd River that runs through the property of Gregg's brother Gary and his family.

We canoed this years ago and should have done it more often, intriguing river that it is.

More than 200 years ago Merriwether Lewis and William Clark and their crew made their way up the Missouri River through what would become Sioux City, IA, and there experienced the only loss of life on their two year mission, Sergeant Floyd who died of what was probably appendicitis. He is buried there with a river, The Floyd, and a town, Sergeant Bluff, named after him.

The Floyd River meanders through this countryside. We've seen it from a small plane in the sky over us, winding its way south to the nearby Missouri River. It nurtures the flora and fauna. Some of the trees must be closing in on 80-100 years old now, shading a magical place.

It is here that a modern day enterprise, the Pipedream of a young man from Sioux City, will make its public debut this week. He has designed and carved a little bit of heaven for kids and families, a natural playground. Gary and his son Brad have granted him use of their property along the river and he has turned it into campgrounds, beaches, and waterslides. The highlight will be tubing the Floyd. Rent his tubes. float an hour of so and get a ride back upriver to do it all over again.

The Grand Opening is Monday this week and we plan to be there!

Learn more here http://pipedreamcamping.com/

You can see the Schindel family farm in the distance across the cornfield.

This is where one of the waterslides will be. Gregg is on this side talking on his cell phone to Gary on the tractor on the other side of the river. Gary's working, spraying fields. Gregg's retired...

Cottonwood branch fence is sending out sprouts and leaves.

Bridge over the Floyd is on the lane to the Schindel farm.

Beaches and bends in the Floyd.

Jordie Marie Schindel

What can I say? She is absolutely gorgeous and the most well-behaved baby ever.

Born April 7, Christened May 31

Her parents, Brandon and Katie, are wonderful with her and are living in a beautiful little corner of Nebraska with peace and quiet, green grass and cornfields surrounding them. What a joy to see them all together.

Tough work - Grandparenting!

But, someone's got to do it and we will be happy to volunteer!

We've been camping, hiking, horseback riding, paddleboating, swimming, water-sliding, playgrounding, playing games, doing Origami, playing tag and more. Gregg always says "Parenting is a young person's sport." We've enjoyed every minute of it. Fun kids. Hannah, 8, Taylor, 12, Jake, 10, Nick, 13, Josh, 15, Brandon 18.

In Iowa

In West Amana

In Des Moines with a bunch of Gregg's family

Playing with Photoshop, one of my new retirement activities...

The Iowa State Capital - one of the most beautiful in the nation. Copper, gold, marble, mosaics, frescoes, statuary and on and on. The inside is incredible. We got to climb stairs up almost into the very top of the center dome.

Amana Colonies

My third post tonight...

I have found this Blogspot to be very difficult to work with to get text and captions in the right places around pictures so I am officially giving up (at least for tonight). Who knows when I'll have good Internet again so I'm trying to get a lot on tonight.

So here are just a bunch of pictures from around Amana:







Amana is historically fascinating, peaceful, unusual. Most of the buildings are brown, tan, white. That's why this old train depot caught my camera eye.

They were completely communal until 1932 when they voted to separate church and state. They needed more industry so started attracting tourists in 1935 with quality woolens and other crafts. They thrive on this tourism now. We biked to a bakery this morning that has a sign out - Open at 7:00 until day's baking is sold. We were there at 8:45 and there was only one Danish left to be sold. I think they said they sell about 350 items every day.

There is live theater here. We saw Always, Patsy Cline yesterday, a great production about Patsy's music and her sad plane crash death at age 30. Hear her here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzq5X-p2C0Y&feature=related

I love the names of the Amana Colonies towns – Amana, East Amana, West Amana, Middle Amana, High Amana, South Amana, and Homestead (the town they bought because it was on the railroad track).

This one is from nearby at West Branch, IA - Herbert Hoover's gravesite. Beautiful place.

We'll be on our way again tomorrow but have really enjoyed relaxing here for a few days in dry weather. Now we'll head west toward nephew Brady's state track meet Sat. and to see grandkids by Sun. And, yes, there is rain in our weather forecast in the next couple of days!

Springfield, IL

Springfield, IL - my second post for tonight. Couldn't find my pictures earlier!




I grew up in IL so had already rubbed Abe Lincoln's nose for good luck many, many years ago but this was Gregg's first time... That's Lincoln's tomb behind Gregg - huge and deep to prevent grave robbery. He was not a popular president at that time.











The Lincoln Museum is full of fascinating displays, wax characters, amazing theater shows and lots to think about and ponder on. Springfield has so many museums and things to see and do, I could have spent a week there.




The actual home Abe and his family lived in is restored with much of their furniture and belongings. It is the only National Park in all of Illinois. Much of the neighborhood is owned by the park to prevent the hotels and restaurants from moving onto Lincoln's street.





One of my favorite Springfield tours was of the Dana- Thomas House, a Frank Lloyd Wright renovation of an historic Springfield Victorian home. It is fascinating and has made me want to search out more of his work to tour.

Virtual tour here:
http://www.dana-thomas.org/tours.htm




Always the best part of our travels -
searching out friends from the past. Allicent was my college roommate in 1968-69 at WIU. She and Don were dating then. They live in the home that she grew up in - a beautiful, peaceful place.

Catching up...

Catching up on a whole bunch of things...

This is back a couple of weeks ago in a very unique park in S. IL - Garden of the Gods State Park.

We were there the day after this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tu1WTfrK78

Then we spent some time in Springfield, IL and saw my college roommate and her husband, Allicent and Don Smith, for the first time in about 40 years. Had a great time there and got some good pictures but they seem to be temporarily lost somewhere in my computer. I'm sure they'll show up somewhere soon.

Our next stop was Rock Island, IL - the Quad Cities - for our memorial service for Mom. Here we are, sheltered from the storm. Our cousins Joan and Diane from IL and their husbands, our cousin Barb from IN and her Mom, our Aunt Marge from FL joined our family. Diane and her husband Terry hosted a wonderful get-together at their beautiful home in Bettendorf, IA after the service.

Jeri and Bill with Marge and Barb in a
100 year old ice cream shop in Moline.

Next it was niece Kelsey's high school
graduation in Minooka, IL

I love a cap toss - see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2QJHuQCfGc

We Blakslee girls

Great to have Sarah and Andy there with us