The Final Stuff about our Vacation

I know I promised a story that would beat a 4000 picture slide show.  If you have stayed with me this long, I hope you are not bored to tears.  I have enjoyed telling about what our family did over the last two weeks.  I end with a few more treasures that we are so glad we did not pass by.

Yesterday, I told you about Pops.  Just hearing the word makes me think back to that awesome stop!  Is there anything that could top Pops?  Well...not much but we did try with a trip to see the Kaleidoscope guy in Pocahontas, Iowa.  This was another one of my internet finds through the factory tours site.  This is a lone man operation, and he was kind enough to let us experience a day in his shop.

I was glad we were the only ones there that morning because he laid out the supplies for five scopes with the children in chairs around the table.  As soon as he started, I could see Henry's fingers itching to master the process.  I made the suggestion to allow the children the opportunity to "help" by removing the parts from the plastic bags.  This appeased all but Henry who immediately started his attempt.  Once he was in action, the others followed suit.  And, after a little assistance (Henry refused help!), all the scopes were completed.

Then he showed us how he finished each scope by creating an egg-shaped wooden case.  Once again, Henry loved watching him at the lathe.  While the children and Michael watched this demonstration, I took a stroll around his shop.  Leonard is an amazing artist with many other creations on the walls.  He also shared with us his desire to work with his creations came after many years of time in the computer industry.  He just knew he needed to do something more and this was bringing joy to others.

What fascinated me the most was the small parts and precise assembly needed for it to all come together.  I guess I have never really considered how a kaleidoscope worked.  It was a good experience for everyone, but I think Henry would have stayed if asked.  He told me later that he was going to become the Kaleidoscope guy of Texas!

As we left he showed us a telescope-type kaleidoscope and how it worked by positioning yourself just right in your own shadow.  How awesome!  He tried to get us to back track to see one of his friends (Robby) who builds furniture.  He dresses up in character and shows how to make things the old-fashioned way...to last!  I wish we had more time on this trip to see everything, but it just was not possible.  Maybe we can make it a family reunion in Iowa and see some of the things we missed then.

So...on we go through the wilds of Iowa...we had many detours along the path to Minnesota because of road construction.  We had to miss many side trips because we were making so many just to get through the state.  We were on a lot of back roads that we normally would not have been on...I think Iowa must name their county roads by numbers...we were seeing crossroads with signs like 750th Street and 249th Street....we were not lost but we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and at a four-way stop.  After several of these stops, Amanda decided she needed to get out a take a picture...we dubbed this photo..."Busy Intersection in Iowa."  We mean no disrespect to loved ones in Iowa...it was just different than what we know.

and the Little Sprouts

All of this traveling to get to Blue Earth, Minnesota...home of the Green Giant...ho ho ho!  This really was just about having a break from the van and a photo opportunity.  We were trying to get to Walnut Grove, but who could pass up a picture with a giant!

The next day we were trying to get to Rapid City in time to pick up my mom, but there were a lot of miles in between so we needed some stops along the way.  One of these stops was suggested by my brother's father-in-law.  In fact, we was quite insistent that we stop here...the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.  We obliged as we need a stop around this area anyway.

Supposedly, back at the turn of the 20th century, some town leaders realized they need something to draw people to their town.  What better use of the "extra" corn cobs than to create a piece of artwork.  They must have had the thought, "If we build it, they will come."  And, I guess they were not too far off the mark as the population of Mitchell is a robust 15,000+.  This might not seem that great to some but we were going through towns with a population as low as 20!  I thought it was an interesting drive by location, but we did get out and take a walk around before heading down the road.

We did make it to Rapid City in time to get to the airport...partly due to the fact that my mom's plane was delayed.  The next day we took a short drive to see Mt. Rushmore.  However, the big highlight of our day was the Crazy Horse Memorial.  This is the largest of our small treasures.  In fact, it is so large...Mt. Rushmore can entirely fit into the head of Crazy Horse.  It is just an amazing art form that still has a lot of carving (by means of dynamite) to complete.

However, to me there were several factors that make this a treasure for our family.  First, my mother remembers coming here as a young girl with her mother on an amazing road trip.  When they arrived at Crazy Horse back in the 1950's, it was nothing more than a dream (planning began in 1946).  Almost no one went to visit this site because there was not much to see.  My mother remembers arriving just before meal time, and being asked to stay for a meal with the family.  Her mother stayed and talked about the future of the memorial and living on the mountain, while my mother wandered outside.

The other part of this memorial is that it is a part of our history that we would rather forget.  I guess I want my children to remember that our forefathers did not always make the right decisions and we need to protect the dignity of all life and cultures.  My mother's side of the family can trace their line back to the Native Americans of this area, so there is that connection as well.

To add to the memory of this place, we arrived (unbeknownst to us) on the day "Mrs. Z" was in state.  She had passed away the week before after a long battle with cancer.  We were allowed to continue to the museum (free of charge) because she would have wanted it that way.  We were even allowed into the cabin where my mother had shared a meal with the family even though that is where she was laid for viewing.  For those of you who have never been to this memorial, you must realize that it was the continued encouragement of this woman that kept Korczak Ziolkowski and his children motivated all these years.  She saw the vision after marrying Korczak and found the many ways to continue funds coming in from sources other than government grants.

I guess in the end...this memorial represents all I believe our country should be...the hope of a new beginning....the use of personal funds to produce art without government intervention.  The joy of holding on to a heritage that should be cherished.  And, Korczak saw the true meaning of our American dream to work hard for what is important...God...family...country...which should be protected at all cost.

Later in the evening, Michael took the older three boys back for the light show that happens every night along the side of the mountain.  A new memorial blast in honor of Mrs. Z also took place.  They really enjoyed the show, although they all agreed it was too short.

There were other small treasures along the way...In Cheyenne, Wyoming, we walked through a miniature botanical garden designed for the children to explore plants and special effects.  There was a birthday butterfly that showed the degree of the horizon for your birthday on its wings.  The boys also performed puppet shows at this unique theater.  And the best part...we found another butterfly bench to take a snapshot of Zaira!

And to end our story, I thought I would be fair to all the other states in our nation.  I guess not everything is bigger in Texas.  Everyone knows how much our love our grand state, but we were highly disappointed when we arrived in Amarillo to pass by the FAMOUS Cadillac Ranch with the Cadillac art buried in the ground!  After all the amazing sites we had seen, we could not believe how UN-fabulous this tourist-y spot was to us!  Of course, we are OK with that because after two weeks away from home, we still know that Texas is the best place to be in the world!  God bless Texas!!!!

Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska was A LOT better.  I wish we had had more time to spend in this location.  I can imagine a lot of photo opportunities there.  Unfortunately, we only had a dew minutes before spending the day in my Mom's home town.  Looking back now...maybe I should have left the crew there while Mom and I made our tour around Alliance!  There was a lot more to see there...this portion shown is just a small portion of creations made by old cars!  If you are ever in the western part of Nebraska, it is worth the detour to see.  I am sure it is amazing at sunrise and sunset!