Fair Winds and Following Interstates
August 16, 2025
Each year we make it a point to visit Badlands National Park. This year we went the day after our arrival. The sunflowers were in bloom, and I was hoping to catch some good photos of a field that I remembered near the Wall entrance. The field was not there anymore. Our photos taken on the drive from Mitchell to Box Elder would have to suffice. Even so, we enjoyed our drive through the Badlands.
August 15, 2025
Pioneer Auto Museum is one of those places we kept saying that we'd stop there someday. Since we had a fairly easy travel day from Mitchell to Box Elder and a time zone change was working in our favor, we decided to stop on this trip.
The place is a hodge podge of buildings housing a single family's collection of cars along with some motorcycles and tractors and a few other things such as toys, lunch boxes, pinball machines and other assorted items. The buildings are loosely labeled to indicate what is housed within.
It's somewhat dusty and some of the autos look like they haven't been run in years. Even so, to our surprise, we saw a couple of unexpected and rather unique vehicles. If you like old cars and need a stretch break, you'd probably enjoy walking around for an hour or so.
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| The billboard car |
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| Screen used General Lee |
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| My dad had a '78 Lil Red Express |
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| Early motorhome |
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| Sliding doors on a car |
August 14, 2025
It had been a couple of years since we stopped in Mitchell, SD. The Corn Palace, which admittedly sounds a bit, well, corny, is actually kind of interesting to see. Each year students from Dakota Wesleyan University submit their drawings for the murals. The winning designs are formulated into a paint-by-number art, only the "paint" is corn cobs. Somewhere around 325,000 especially grown corn in twelve different colors are used for the giant murals. Different grains are used to frame the murals. It's worth a stop if you're traveling through the area.
August 12, 2025
With the Jeep finally fixed, we headed further west for a four night stay at Offutt AFB famcamp. The famcamp is actually located off base at the far end of the runways and about 15 minutes from the main gate. We took the opportunity to explore the Union Pacific locomotives display in Kenefick Park. Nearby Council Bluffs, IA, has a former Carnegie library that they turned into a Union Pacific Railroad museum with free admission.
August 4, 2025
From Indiana we headed west towards SD. Our first stop was in the Lake Coralville area near Iowa City, IA. Our stay ended up being an extended stay due to a rather expensive Jeep repair. It's been a rough month for repairs. Ugh!
One of the reasons we stopped in the area is that I wanted to see the Amana Colonies. I had heard of them and was curious at to what they were. They are not Amish as so many mistakenly believe. The Inspirationists fled Germany, settled in Ebenezer, NY, then moved to Iowa as they grew. They maintained a communal lifestyle until the early 1930's. At which point the communal way of living was abandoned. A corporation was formed, and the Amana Colonies preserved examples of their former lifestyle.
Today the area consists of several quaint and picturesque villages with plenty of shopping. I was most impressed with the woolen mill offerings of blankets and throws. Wow, I wished I needed a blanket.
Yes, Amana appliances are from this area. Whirlpool (current owner) maintains a factory in the area. If you say Radarange when someone says Amana, you're right on track.. Amana developed the first microwave oven for residential use in 1967. No factory tours are available, but the Amana Heritage Museum has the first microwave oven on display.
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| American White Pelicans on Lake Coralville |
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| First Amana Radarange |
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| Amana Woolen Mill |
