Grand Indian Wedding and the Nature History Museum...Chicago

The “Lady in the box” redeemed herself by finding  the nearest star bucks for free internet. Not only that, it found “Panera” without asking and also E 85 gas stations.

We are in the suburb of Chicago which is totally unlike what I think as “Chicago” should be.  For example, we went for a morning walk, got lost on a pretty trail with wild sunflowers, went through some isolated underpass with no shady  activity and  then when we asked a lady for directions , she not only gave us the directions, but also walked with us( talking about Chicago/San Francisco etc)  for a mile and then said if we had time, she would have loved to show us around…” IS this the Chicago News media talk about”??  We must be in a wrong city or maybe it is just a dream.

Then we decided to drive to the down town ( again no problem there) and spent 8 hours in the Fields Museum of Natural  History. At 5 pm, the guards started to turn the lights off and then I realized I have not seen half of the museum yet and I was not even tired. The place is fascinating beyond any words. Usually, these never ending museums get  very tiring after a while but here there were so many interesting exhibits that we just kept on going.  Four billion years of history  is packed in this three story building. A must see place for everyone .

The Grand Indian wedding has started. The first event was Mehndi. We were told that it is a informal family thing and girls will just get the Mehdi done and there will be dinner. We were hungry and I wanted to get the Mehdi and their house is 2 minutes away, so we went. I should have known better,  I was the only female wearing pants and normal top. ( my mom must be looking down from where ever she is , shaking her head, saying, “you will never learn even after 65 years…) There were at least 70 to 80 people, all dressed up in colorful saris..oh well, I have learned to accept these situations.

Best part was , I met old college friends after 40 to 45 years. I think it is interesting to realize they are still the same person  except they  are just older version of themselves. The face, the mannerism and probably the personality never changes, just few more wrinkles and few new grey hair.

On this thought, good night, I hope to post this in the morning….

 A little bit of Space

 Bride getting the Mehdi done...took four hours of sitting and drawing

 Decorated feet

 Everyone else getting Mehdi

Did you know President Hoover's wife was a Mining Engineer?

The drive from Iowa City to Chicago was boring drive on interstate 80. We drove with hundreds of other trucks, the bigger ones carrying the wind mill blades. It seems like lots of Wind Energy is getting generated in America’s farm land

We did stop at West Branch, a little town outside Iowa City. This is the birth place of America’s 31^st President, Herbert Hoover. They have recreated a part of the town, with his birth home, his father’s black smith shop, one room school  and the Quaker meeting place. The Presidential library and the visitor center have all sorts of information on his life . I find that this is the best way for me to learn American History. I should make a goal to visit all of them.

Anyways I am sure you know are about depression and Hoover Dam and so on but did you know:

1)      Hoover was a mining Engineer, A Stanford Graduate and an Orphan at the age of 7?

2)      Did you know his wife Luo Henry was also a Stanford Graduate, Mining Engineer and the only woman in that dept for 25 more years to come?

3)      Hoover went to Australia to work on Gold Mines and was the highest salaried person in the world. He made $30,000 a year?

4)      He and his family traveled all over the world fixing sick mines? He was the “sick mines Doctor”?

5)      Hoover fed Belgium, fed hungry children and was known for his generosity and humanitarian work before he even got into politics?

Many more stories like this make the presidents more human 9 at least for me). Anyway Hilton is very nice but no internet in the room. Someone need to teach them business  manners or something.  I will blog from the lobby for from Star bucks but it will be a day late….sorry about that, but I will keep you undated.  We are staying at Oak brook, which is about 15 miles from the down town.  Good night…

 A Doctor's at the time of Hoover's childhood

 President Hoover's home, outhouse and Dad's black smith shop

 School President Hoover attended

Captain James T Kirk will be born here on March 22, 2228, Riverside Iowa

The obvious high light was finding the place of the future birthplace of the Captain of USS Enterprise, Captain James T Kirk. It is in Riverside, Iowa, a small town near Iowa City where we spent the day wandering around with Bob and Hyla in 101 degree F temp. I will like you to save this picture so that you can pass it on to future generations ...

Bob is the baby brother of  Leona and because of him and his wife Hyla, we were able to see the famous future all important birth place. They were nice enough to give us the guided tour of the Iowa city and surroundings. We saw working Amish colonies, schools, women at work and kids at play. Beautiful quilt shops in Kalona, Iowa. Did not know Kalona means Chedder Cheese ( now you do) and they make fresh cheese there.

We also toured the new medical facilities and the research places in Bio Medical field. Looks like Iowa city is the hub of Medical research and the hospitals for the mid west and may be one of the best in USA. After the tour and the yummy frozen yogurt, I am convinced that it is a great place to live only if the temperatures were little more cooperative.

In the morning Jagdish and I went to the Iowa River Gorge, which is 4 miles out of the city. The main attraction there ( besides the river, turkey vultures, hiking trails and the Dam) is Dovinion  ( 350 to 450 million years ago) Fossils in the rocks. The mid west used to be a shallow sea millions of years ago and these fossils are the amazing proof of that. They are literally all over the place. I think, there are so many archaeological digs to be found and so many of us retirees need the entertainment and the activity, someone should put us all old folks to work for digging up fossils, In spite of the heat, it was fun. Amazing to think of the tropical forest and the ocean here but the proof is all here. ( i wonder how one fits in the story of creation 4000 years ago in all this...)

It was only 9 am in the morning and it was already hot ( 85 degrees) . We decided to go to the down town and check out the old Capital  and nature history museum. Main attraction here was "air conditioning". But, i learned that Iowa became a state in 1846 and the Capital stayed in Iowa City for few years and then moved to De Moine. The building is part of Iowa state university and has interesting period furniture including "feather pens, kerosene light fixtures and wood heating stoves etc.

The area around the university is fun, full of student energy and many eating options. Outside the university area are great big malls, nice residential places and few huge California style monsters and nice hiking places.

Overall, fun filled day. Bob and Hyla more than made up for the 101 degree temperatures and i am happy to report that, my two cents say that Iowa City is good place to live, study, retire or do any anything else as long as you know about the 101 degrees and winters and floods...:) I am having a wonderful time...Good night

 Amish Transportation

Amish school in the afternoon in 100 degree F heat

 350 Million year old fossil shells at Dovinion Gorge

 Fossil Hunting

 A great future historic place: Birth place of Captain James T Kirk

 Turkey Vultures ( hundreds of them)  and the River

97 Degrees F and 70% humidity at 7:30 pm......Welcome to Iowa City

Return journey  from Eyota via Eldora to Iowa city. A day of driving but not tiring as most of the drive was on country roads with Leona. She has a great sense of humor and with her help we managed to take country roads in spite of the repeated warnings by the " Lady in the Box" ( GPS).
We learned that "Super Unleaded gas" in Iowa is cheaper than "regular Unleaded",,,see if you can figure this one out :)  Some of us remember the days when , "Leaded" gas was more expensive than "UnLeaded"...some sort of similarly twisted logic applies here too.

Anyways, after dropping Leona off , we drove to Iowa city and are staying at the Homewood suites. The hotels in Iowa are wonderful, lots of room, very clean , free internet and excellent service.

We got here around 5 pm and it was over 97 degree F. The city was a Capital of Iowa state which got moved now. So, the place has a good University, lots of historic and prehistoric things to see and learn and of course a pretty river flowing though the middle. ( almost looks like Cambridge, England).

We went for a walk ( just because needed to do something) at 7 pm and it was still 97. Makes me appreciate why we pay 10 times more Mortgages on our homes in California and live there. It has been a shortage of rain here in mid west ( no, they do NOT water their lawns, gardens or the farms) so things are little dry right now but there is no sign of rain this week.

We will plan a lot of seeing of IOWA CITY ( and Coralville) tomorrow. Bye for now...

 On the way back from Eyota to Eldora

 Soybeans : Used in making Ethnol

 University of Iowa on Iowa river

 Old Cole fired power plant near the University

Bonding Statue at the campus ( one of many)

Old Capital Building

A day in Eyota, Mn: 25 lbs of Green Beans, Giant Tomatoes, Man Mall, Dogs skunked and more

The day started with a oat/apple waffle and home made apple sauce and a play with the boys ( dogs) .The day's  forecast  was hot ( 95 degrees)  and humid so we went for a morning hike at a local state park, " White water park". As all the Midwest does, the park came with a river, green trees and nice trail with wild flowers. I forgot the camera flash card so no pictures for this morning ..sorry.

 First time in my life, I saw a butterfly seeking out poop to eat...

Around 11 am, the day was already getting hot ( in 90's and humid) , we drove through beautiful country roads along the Mississippi river  to Wabasha for an essential visit to the Lark Toy store and then fora  lunch. Unlike IOWA drive, Minnesota has more forests in addition to the corn and Soybeans. This Toy store is rated 6th best in the entire world so of course we had to go and find things for Sonya. Along the way, we learned about the rivalry of the "green machines" vs "red machines" ( two different farm equipment manufacturers) like Apple and Microsoft. Lunch at T-Bones restaurant was excellent, fresh fish from the Mississippi.

On the way back home, we stopped at the ( what seemed like) a world's biggest "Man Mall". It is a  store with everything that you can possibly imagine. From Hunting, Fishing, Camping to all hardware store things to clothes, food and ( like I said) everything else.

It was hot and humid and we were exhausted, or at least we thought we were. It started with we wanting to get some vegetables from the garden for dinner, and become a full blown harvesting fest. We picked giant tomatoes, cucumbers and at least 25 lbs of beans. So, of course, cleaning the beans and then "Snippling) them took rest of the evening while Jim made delicious dinner with all these home grown vegetables and Chicken.

If you do not know what "snippling" is , do not feel bad because I had no idea either and turns out not many people do. It is an old German way of saying " french cut beans". The fun part was the interesting Gizmo that Leona had from her childhood days. This must be an antique but it does snipple the beans. I am attaching the picture below. All of us did our share but still Jim and Becky have their work cut out for them for rest of the week,

Oh, I also got to see the Compost making Worms busy eating and pooing compost. It is an interesting little can contraption that makes wonderful compost from vegetable waste.

If all this activity was not enough, the " boys" got sprayed by a skunk while trying to play with it outside...

So, all of this on a hot and humid day and the most amazing part of it was that Leona went along with all this activity, enjoyed it and had a very inspiring and humorous attitude. Good night after a wonderful day in Minesota, USA

 Leona and Becky Harvesting Beans

 Boys are happy to see me back

 Composting Worms at work

 Tomato Harvest

Snippling beans with an antique German Gizmo

Eldora to Eyota via Orsage and country roads

Leona ( 91 years old) had the breakfast ready when I got up. We had breakfast and went for a walk through the town. Walked right in the middle of roads, did not see a single car and in two miles walk covered the whole town. Everything is green, colorful and fence-less. I love the yards ( front and back) with no fences, one patch of green blending with the other and so on.

Drive to Eyota was an adventure in that Leona guided us though the country roads ( the lady ( she used the other word for the lady:)  in the box...translation GPS) wanted to take us on the freeway and Leona insisted on country roads...she has to know, she grew up here before there was electricity, indoor toilets and such.

I wish i had taken pictures of rolling hills of farms of corns alternating with Soybean. Yes, Soybean is the "other" money making crop for the corporations. It does make the green colors rich and varied. We stopped for lunch at a famous restaurant called "TELUWAT"..excellent food and  lots of it.

Drove some more relying on the "lady in the box" and paid price for not listening to Leona by getting lost at random places,  but finally made it to Eyota where Jim, Becky,three dogs and twenty chickens were waiting. Had a wonderful dinner of home grown vegetable and fresh killed Deer...you read it right...Jim killed the Deer and we had it for dinner. I had Venison for the first time. My two cents is that , " it tastes like meat...nice flavor".

Lots of catching up and talking followed and now everyone is sleeping. So, good night...

Check out the pictures of giant tomatoes and chilies.....

 Two of many Jim's Chickens

 Hydrangeas in the front garden

 Peppers

 TELUWAT   restaurant

Tomatoes from Jim's garden

More of Americana..From Moline to Eldore, Iowa

Bright and early went straight back to John Deere Pavillion and were greeted by super friendly retired Mechanical Engineer. He told us all about the history of the company, family and the machines. Did you know the company was started in 1837 and is SECOND oldest company in USA. Guess who is number 1?
It is a wonderful place for kids and kids at heart. They let you climb on most of the equipment....really and it is so empowering to sit in the driver seat of this huge COMBINE and pretend you are harvesting 1000s of acres of " high fructose corn syrup..( corns).

One can also have actual factory tour but we decided to see other stuff first ( may be go back on the way back). The Rock Island, which is right there is a military installation and only US citizens are allowed to go there. ( how did they know we were US citizens...i have no idea but they did ask and checked the license) . Anyways interesting place for many things: 1) It has oldest Lock and Dam system and not only that but also one of the only two operating bridge that swings open for boats to pass and if that is not enough, this bridge has trains going on top deck and car at the bottom...America did wonderful engineering in the Past....
2) It has the FIRST home build by Europeans on the west of Mississippi. Island was a native American Paradise, was taken over in a treaty and then was turned into a fort.
3) Has the oldest and still operating Arsenal Factory in America. The Museum has weapons and stories to go along with them, from civil war, world war one, all the miscellaneous wars ( Korean, Vietnam etc) , world war two and even Iraq war...

Interesting place but we needed to move on. The fun part of all this is , I had not planned any of this. After the first place, someone suggested something and it turned out to be a wonderful suggestion..that is one of the reasons I love this part of the country

So, when three women suggested we should check out President Hoover's birthplace and library, we had to do it. It is in West Branch and is definitely a worth while destination. More on that later. His birth home is exactly how and where it was..a very tiny two room home. Only new thing on it is a hanging that says, " this is a living proof of all dreams are possible in America"

We drove to Eldora and of course Leona was waiting with warm smile, wonderful home and a great inspiration. Drive there are uneventful, miles and miles of " high fructose corn syrup waiting to be harvested by John Deere's equipment" . I asked Leona , " So what does the little farmer do"..and she said , " he does not farm"  or there is no such thing any more...( those machines are $200k or more)

Here are few pictures..

 Davenport home: First home on the west of Missisippi

 Guns, Guns and more Guns at the Arsenal Museum, Rock Island, Moline

 Lock, Dam and Swinging Bridge at Rock Island < Moline

 The River

President Hoover's birth home