Yuki (and Brody's) RV Adventures: The Vast Midwest

Hi,

Again I am very late in updating my blog - so hard to find the time when you are constantly on the go. It is even hard for me to get in my dog naps.

After Chicago we headed to Iowa, stopping first at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. Here is the small cottage where he was born.

and his library.

Mom told me she had no idea of his early history prior to becoming President and said it was quite impressive. He graduated from Stanford as an engineer and then spent the next 20 years or so abroad in many different countries. The day after he married his wife, the first woman to graduate with a degree in geology, they left for China - and that was in 1900! He made a huge fortune and was responsible for a large humanitarian effort to get food to Eastern Europe during WWI. The stock market crashed a few months after he was elected and unfortunately he was blamed by many for the Great Depression.

From there we drove to the Amana Colonies in Iowa and stayed for 2 nights.The Amana Colonies are a National Historic Landmark, founded in 1855 by Germans fleeing religious prosecution.

They originally settled in Buffalo, NY, then moved to Iowa to run a very successful communal living colony, even the meals were taken together. Here is a building here they would store their corn.

We toured the seven towns that make up the Amana Colonies and saw many beautiful old brick homes

even a place for Dad to have a beer

and me to take a leak

I even saw a John Deere parade

so many beautiful farms

and old markets and homes

The next day we were in Nebraska

Here is where I sleep when we are on the road, although I would prefer to be in mom's lap

Glad to see his eyes are on the road!

We stopped in North Platte to see Buffalo Bill Cody's home

and huge barn filled with memorabilia from his Wild West Shows.

Then on to the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, the largest train yard in the world, where 10,000 cars are handled each day on 8 miles of land. Mom and Dad went to the top of the tower while I sat in the car - quite an impressive sight.