Will Rogers, an American Icon

By great good luck, we stayed in Claremore, Oklahoma one night.  Claremore was the boyhood home of the fabled American, Will Rogers.  Cowboy, vaudeville performer, movie actor, adventurer, humanitarian, and columnist, Rogers' life touched millions of Americans.  Know for his homely philosophy, candor, and unbounding wit, Rogers talents were cut short in a plane crash in Alaska when he was only 55.  

We found the Will Rogers Memorial on a hilltop in Claremore, overlooking the city.  At first, we thought we were in the wrong place; the memorial looked like a church.  And, perhaps at some level, it was just that.   The reverence of Americans for Will Rogers is profound; even our 92-year-old aunt excitedly told us what a great man he was, when she learned we had visited the memorial.

The writer in me was taken by the re-creation of Will's study from his home in California.  The homely ambiance, practical desk and comfy daybed epitomized a writer's den.  Keepsakes and photos on the walls showed the personal side of Will's life.  Southwestern-style rugs paid tribute to his Cherokee heritage.

The museum showcased Will's collection of saddles from around the world.  He collected not only standard-sized saddles, but also miniature saddles. 

Different eras of Will's career were showcased in the halls. My favorite showed his early life as "the Cherokee kid".  He was know for his trick roping skills, and even made a movie, "The Ropin' Fool" to demo his technique.  Recently, the museum hosted a roping contest, and no one was able to match Will's roping skills or duplicate all of his roping tricks.  Truly amazing!

Most poignant of all was the exhibit of telegrams sent from all over America with condolences for the family when Will died.  His clothing and personal items had been preserved from the plane crash that took his life.  His manual typewriter, twisted beyond use, was retrieved from the wreck and is preserved as part of the museum collection.

Barns: Chasing the Heart of America

It's arguable whether any structure could be said to represent the heart of America, but in my mind, barns symbolize so much of America's drive west, American's architectural ingenuity, and America's early frugality, that they truly seem to me to be the heart of our land.

So when I read that there was an historic round barn in Arcadia, OK, I really wanted to see it. Round barns are a bit unusual as barns go -- at least in California.  This seemed like a great chance to see something unusual.

After a wild ride through the wrong back roads of Oklahoma, we found the barn, visible in the distance by virtue of the domed roof.  Two stories tall, it was built in 1898 and restored in 1992, after nearly being destroyed by the collapse of the famous domed roof.

 Posters in the lower floor of the barn provided background on the barn's history.  Why was it round?  The story goes that farmers of the time thought round barns might provide better strength in withstanding tornadoes.  This barn, at any rate, stood against everything except time.  By 1992, when restoration began, the old building had no roof, and due to structural changes over the years, had developed a lean.

 To return the barn to an upright state, telephone poles were placed around the building, and a cable attached to turn buckles circled around the poles.  By gradually tightening the tension the building was return to plumb.  Ingenious!

While the downstairs and the process descriptions were interesting, I wasn't prepared for the spectacular beauty awaiting me in the upper floor off the barn.  The ceiling was an amazing work -- so amazing I lay on the floor to shoot upright at the ceiling for this incredible image:

The curve of the ceiling above the high walls was similarly amazing: 

 

Add to this, the building had terrific acoustics.  I could just imagine special events with music in this space.  The sounds resonated amazingly.  The docent told us that if two people stood on one side and whispered, a person across thee building would hear their conversation perfectly! 

Finally, here's an image of the lower floor to show the heavy beams and general space.  Now mostly a curio shop, proceeds help to support further work on the barn.

More on the Arcadia round barn....

Tribute to Trains

First, let me note that this post is dedicated to my brother Jim, a true train enthusiast, known internationally for his skill as a model railroader, and an avid train photographer.  Jim, I'll never match your train photos, but these were taken with you in mind.

Unlike life on the San Francisco Peninsula, elsewhere cargo trains are a big deal.  As we drove across the southwest, we saw a new train every 15 minutes, or less.  Multiple engines hauling double-stack freight containers.  Multiple engines hauling coal gondolas.  Engines in the front of the train, and more engines in the back of the train.  We came to really appreciate the amount of cargo being moved by trains -- a massive quantity of material bound for somewhere.... some project... some need.

With the backdrop of the southwest, train photos become a lovely thing.  Here's a selection of those we shot on this trip.

New Mexico

New Mexico mesa.

Lava beds in the foreground; New Mexico.  This photo was pure serendipity; I was actually trying for photos of the lava beds and the train showed up at the right moment!

As light was dying, the storm clouds were gathering in eastern Arizona. The darker blur on the right of the photo is an out-of-focus blur of of the car door frame.

Winslow, AZ train depot had two nice older cars. This one was quite spiffy and won a spot in our collection over the more utilitarian silver car.

 

Winslow, AZ -- I'm on the road again!

Wheels just lying around -- Bryan posing. Puddles in the background from the unseasonal rain the night before.

Of Grits and Polenta (New Foods -- Sort of)

This post really should be in my "New Foods" category - or would be if I'd written it last night or the night before.  Happily, I now have more grist for my post.  (Get it?  Grist?)

Corn is one of the most amazing foods I know.  Everybody loves sweet corn, I guess - how can you help loving sweet corn, fresh off the stalk in summer?  It's one of my favorite fresh vegies.

But  for real variety, you need to get into what dried corn can do for you.  On this trip, it was a true pleasure to enjoy dried corn in two ways -- the humble southern breakfast dish, grits, and an elegantly expressed polenta for dinner.

I should probably send apologies to my son-in-law, Charlie, for my previously dubious thoughts about grits.  Charlie is a fan of them - and I was too lame to try them last time I visited. Well, the jokes on me. I tried them and found they are delicious.  Unlike similar grain-based hot breakfast foods (e.g., oatmeal, cream of wheat), they DON'T NEED SWEETENING.  Now, tell me that's not a benefit, eh?  Delicious as they were served, tasty with butter.  I tried some syrup and realized it didn't really add to the flavor.  Go grits -- they may be the healthiest hot cereal I've tried.

Contrast this delightfully breakfast with its bolder cousin, polenta.  Tonight's dinner feature a thick polenta, lightly fried and delicately topped with a simple, thick, herbed tomato sauce.  Absolutely terrific. Sorry I didn't take a picture as the presentation was as nice as the flavor.

Those who know me well know I'm also a fan of southern-style corn bread.  We grind our own corn for it from our "Painted Mountain Corn" (more on this at http://www.seedweneed.com/index-1.html).   With that success under our belt, I need to see if Painted Mountain can be ground finally enough for grits or polenta with our Champion grain mill -- stay tuned for news!

Easily Amused #2

I've seen different versions of this sign before, and heard of a version that offers coffee, candy and a kitten (get it? alliteration?) but had to snap this one at Rourke's Hardware in Vega, Texas. A great place with a terrific collection of old implements and some nicely practical hardware as well.

And now, something completely different

Sometimes, you've got to break the mold.  When you've seen some history, enjoyed some science, tried some new foods... well, you've just got to do something different.

So we went to Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri.  Let me tell you this:  if fishing or hunting were a religious experience, going to the Bass Pro Shop would be like visiting the cathedral.  Stupendous, impressive, fun, educational, and decorated with an attention to detail that interior decorators should study.

From the front -- well, it looks like any Big Box type of story (but bigger).

Now, go in the front door... reverently.  Literally, our jaws dropped.

We jokingly asked the front desk staff for a tour map, and no kidding - they handed us one.  We weakly asked if we could take pictures, and they smiled. Understandingly.  The place is stunning.  I only wish our pictures could do it justice.

 

With huge aquariums, waterfalls, and dioramas of wild animals, it is a wonder that anyone can tear their eyes away to do any serious shopping.  But after gawking for awhile, we were able to get serious and shop.  The selection was amazing.  Even in the knife area, the various types and styles of knives was amazing.  The knife sharpener drew a crowd of observers. 

I have to say, Bass Pro Shop was a great place to stop.  There is only one in northern California, where we live, but I plan to visit and see if it is at all like "the granddaddy" shop in Missouri.

And for a final bit of fun... here I am posing with one of the carved bears, part of the terrifically fun decorations.

Trying new foods - Snacks

I'm pretty fond of pickles... all kinds of pickles!  Dill, bread-and-butter, balsamic tomato pickles, green bean pickles... you name it, I'll give it a try.

But I was pretty surprised to learn of a new treat from the folks at Boomerang Cafe in Chandler, OK.  "Pickle-O's" are deep-fried dill pickle chips:

The breading is pretty similar to that on onion rings -- and the flavor is phenomenal. I found this highly addictive.  Add a bit of ranch dressing and you won't need anything else to eat.  Need I say this is pretty satisfying stuff?

Apparently this is a popular item in Oklahoma -- another reason this state is OK by me!

Trying new foods -- Dessert

If you're going to embark on trying new foods, you should start with dessert - that's my motto, and I'm sticking to it.  This trip was made all the sweeter when we found Andy's Frozen Custard, a shop that specializes in a terrific frozen concoction called "concrete".  I know -- that doesn't sound appetizing.  Concrete's claim to fame is its ability to stay in the cup when turned upside down... and yep, it's true, at least while the dessert is still fairly frozen.

I checked Andy's website and couldn't find the difference between ice cream, frozen custard and concrete -- so if you know, please comment and clue us all in!

Check out the peach concrete:

Take it from me, it was delicious.  Thanks, Andy's Frozen Custard, for introducing us to a new treat! Why don't you come to California soon?

Crazy tools... the kind we like!

Part of the fun of this trip has been seeing old farming implements, and kicking ourselves when we passed up buying them.

Here are two we couldn't have bought, but sure enough were cool enough to merit inclusion in this blog.

First -- the bicycle-driven push mower:

You can see it was cobbled together from a push mower and an old bike. What a spiffy way to reuse two old things to create a more useful one!

Next -- well, we love all things of old tractors.  Here's a very cool, PTO-driven (Power Take Off) saw for cutting logs into lumber:

We think most things you can attach to a tractor's PTO are pretty cool. We hadn't seen one like this beofre, and it was a real treat to see this fantastic old tool.

World's Largest Rocking Chair. Really.

Really -- it's huge. Made of metal poles, pretty crazy project for someone to undertake.  We didn't find out why someone built it (but we can guess!) but it was fun to see. Gotta love the "world's largest" theme on Route 66!

From Woodhenge to Stonehenge

We were pretty lucky to see two different types of astronomical calendars on our trip -- the Woodhenge calendar at Cahokia in IL and the half-scale, modified Stonehenge at University of Missouri in Rolla.  It was amazing to see these re-creations of sophisticated calendars, originally created across the ocean from one another, but with similar intent: to discern the society's place in time, and to track significant astronomical events.

The Woodhenge concept is best seen in the poster at the project -- from the ground, the current reconstruction simply looks like posts placed randomly -- but in looking at the poster you see how the posts, placed in a circular fashion, were used to track star events.

Interestingly, the Woodhenge posts were placed over three different time periods, according to research at the site.

In contrast, the half-scale Stonehenge in Rolla is a more solid representation of the famous stone landmark.  Visiting the half-scale Stonehenge provided us a whole new vocabulary and course of study. Thoughtfully, the designers posted plaques at each viewing point to explain what could be seen, and when.

As an example, the analemma, as described in the plaque shown below, enables the day and noon to be indicated.

The marks would be cast on the stones shown below, which have the months of the year marked for easy use.

 

 It may not be as large as the real Stonehenge, but visiting University of Missouri's replica was an excellent way to experience an intricate work of science.  Seeing a similar model at Cahokia makes us wonder about the similarity of cultures, across oceans, that evolve the same models for understanding sophisticated concepts.

Thanks, University of Missouri and the archaeologists at Cahokia!

World's Largest Catsup Bottle. Really.

Way to go, Brooks Catsup company, for turning the company water tower into the world's largest catsup bottle.  Gotta love Route 66. This iteration of "the world's largest" is in Collinsville, IL.

Wagon Wheel Motel - Cuba, MO

We are spending the night at the Wagon Wheel Motel, an historic hotel on Route 66 in Cuba, Missouri. What a treat! Recently remodeled and restored, the charming guest cabins are petite but nicely equipped with internet, flat screen tv, and comfortable pillows and bed. The grounds are large -- with plenty of lawn chairs to enjoy the evening.

The main building houses not only the motel office, but also a charming shop of Wagon Wheel themed clothing and Route 66 memorabilia. Fun, pretty, an easy place to find something cute to wear or a reminder of the trip.

The motel was originally a "Motor Court", and featured a service station as well as the motel rooms. Beautiful stonework on the exterior!

Mayans? In Illinois? No. But similar!

Okay -- we're all ignorant in our own ways, right?  But you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw the reconstruction of the Cahokia mounds outside of Collinsville, IL.  The mounds hid an Indian settlement, which looked astonishingly similar to the Mayan temples.  

This photo from art inside the interpretive center isn't great -- we barely made it to Cahokia with time to view the interpretive center. But you can see the images that look like the Mayan temples.  Cahokia was the largest city north off Mexico, at the time it was inhabited.

I'm sorry we didn't have more time to spend but wanted to share this phenomenal site and a link to more information:  http://www.cahokiamounds.org/.

Not Your Average Joe

I'm still amazed by the murals in Arcola, IL.

Here's the story of Joe Ernst, a WW2 hero.  Look at that row of ribbons -- really, you'd think that was enough for one life.

 

But there's more to Joe's story.  You can read it below -- Joe, working in a restaurant alone at age 17, served a group of travelers who'd been refused service in other towns.  Turns out, he not only served hungry travelers in need of a fair shake, but one of those travelers was Ella Fitzgerald.  Quite a story, and quite an American hero.

Easily Amused #1

What caught my eye in this shop in Iowa was the phrase "Free Ride" -- I thought it might be for drunk drivers and then read the rest... okay, I know:  easily amused!

Arcola, IL -- Wow

Heard the phrase, "you never know what's around the next corner"? Well, did we experience that thrill today -- unexpectedly -- in the town of Arcola, IL.  Turning off the highway brought us to a terrific town, full of character expressed through murals in the town.

We knew we were somewhere special when we realized the streets were made of bricks, like the one pictured at right.  It felt like driving on cobbles -- very cool!  Although the main street out to the highway was paved, the residential streets around the main street were made of these bricks.  Some even were marked for a patent pending!

Now, on to the art. Keep in mind, we hadn't seen any information on Arcola in the guidebooks.  So imagine our surprise at seeing the first, colorful, illustration mural, for the Broom Corn Festival:

We turned around and there were murals on town heroes, on the town's fame for Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, for local businesses, and celebrating multi-cultural growth.

Terrific image here of the mural for Pat Murphy's Garage.  The detail on the face is great!

Or try the image below, which tells the story of John Barton Gruelle, who was born in 1880 in Arcola.   His daughter, Marcella, found Raggedy Ann in an attic chest while visiting her Grandma.  The doll had no face, so her Dad put the famous black eyes, red triangle nose and separated mouth on the original doll. There's a museum here for Raggedy Ann and Andy, although it was closed on Sunday when we visited.

 

And here's one that made us think of the melting pot: Bienvenidos a Arcola!

We realized when we turned off the highway that Arcola is the largest Amish town in Illinois. Sadly for us, since the day we visited was Sunday, all the Amish shops were closed.  We're hoping on another trip to enjoy visiting the Amish furniture stores! They looked like a lot of fun.

But that didn't mean we didn't get to do some shopping. The Primitive Goose, delightfully decorated, housed a variety of pickers' pleasures -- including a large spinning wheel, adorable old children's books, feed sacks, and all the various antiques one could hope. If we'd had a place to put it, there was an antique door... oh well.  It was a great place to wander through and admire the options, choose some things to cherish, and enjoy a good chat. 

Marathon completed!

37 hours of travel time including two stops for sit-down meals, and we have arrived safely in Champaign, Illinois. Matt and Rosie were very happy to see each other and the apartment looks great.  Tomorrow (yikes that's really TODAY) the route 66 adventure begins!

Marathon!

18 hours later we're having breakfast in Cheyenne. Kudos to Matt and Bryan for champion driving skills overnight!

Now we'll push on (my turn to drive) to Omaha, with any luck!

Happy Saturday!

On the Road (again)

Hey, good news -- we're on the road again, enjoying wifi, a sandwich and a soda in Truckee.  Thanks to Budget Rentals great service, we'll see how a Kia Sorrento drives across country!  Also thanks to everyone who has written to wish us a good trip!

Well, that was short-lived

Hmm... keeping a sense of humor... 

Well, the first leg of our trip was short-lived.  We made it 30 miles past Auburn and our "trusty" 2007 Ford Escape broke down.... just didn't have any get-up-and-go to get up the hills.  Thanks to the very nice folks from AAA and Sierra Towing, we were towed back to Auburn and now the Escape is at Auburn Ford for diagnostics.  At right is a photo of the Escape on the tow truck. You can see Matt's duffel bags still on top of the car -- they look like cat ears to me!

A big shout out to the management team at Best Western Golden Key in Auburn for their sincere concern for our situation and offers of assistance to get us back underway.  Not only were the team members, Chuck and Jennifer, terrific, but the facility was extremely pleasant, and the "continental breakfast" was one of the best we've seen outside of an Embassy Suites.  Way to go, Best Western Golden Key.

On the Road -- 2012 to Illinois and Route 66!

On the road to adventure, moving Matt to Illinois and then we'll be off to "get our kicks" on Route 66!  Matt has loaded our trusty Escape with computers, clothes, archaeology equipment and a bike, as seen at right. Bryan and I are along for the ride, a visit with Rosie, and an adventure along Route 66.  Here we go!