Category Archives: Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 13: St Louis to New Madrid, MO

October 11, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

Rivers run through our history and folklore, and link us as a people. They nourish and refresh us and provide a home for dazzling varieties of fish and wildlife and trees and plants of every sort. We are a nation rich in rivers. – Charles Kuralt

September 7, 2015 – Day 17 – Cape Girardeau, MO

Every good journey needs a detour or two; a chance to get off the prescribed path and explore new side trails. Lil Jan’s detour was a good thing, an invitation to speak at the Ladies Day at Old Hickory Church of Christ in Nashville. My detour was not nearly as exciting, an invitation to have a root canal in Tullahoma. So we devised a plan to take care of these two commitments and knock out a few more cool stops along the way.

Job 1 was to store our RV along the Great River Road for about 10 days. I had hoped to store it in the RV storage lot at our old stomping grounds, Scott AFB. However, the gentlemen in charge of such things informed me that the lot was full. Sensing my disappointment, he said, “Well, there is another option. You could put your RV up for sale and that would allow you to park it in the used car lot.” Brilliant! Only problem was the RV is our home and we didn’t want to sell it. So, we listed it for $1 million, more then ten times its value. Problem solved. We then closed it up, piled into our spacious Honda Fit, and headed south to a hotel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Not far from Cape Girardeau is the town of Metropolis, Illinois, home of Superman. Earlier this summer we had visited Metropolis with my dad on our trip to St Louis to visit Kyle. We ate lunch at Fat Edd’s Roadhouse and feasted on a chicken kabob and corn nuggets. And, of course, we toured the Superman museum and posed for photos with the Man of Steel himself.

September 8, 2015 – Day 18 – New Madrid, Missouri

Our first stop today was New Madrid, Missouri. If you are ever going to be sucked into a gaping hole in the earth’s crust due to an earthquake, it will probably happen in or near New Madrid. The town is on the New Madrid Seismic Zone, and was the site for a series of over 1,000 earthquakes in 1811 and 1812. One of those quakes was a magnitude 8, the most powerful “non-subduction zone” earthquake ever recorded in the United States. (Don’t even ask about seduction zone quakes.) As we entered the Madrid Seismic Zone and town of New Madrid, I started to get my quake on, and began singing, “You shake my nerves and you rattle my brains…” Just then, Lil Jan suggested we tour the historic Hunter-Dawson House. {Queue the soft, quaint historical music.}

The Hunter-Dawson House is a 15-room, 9-fireplace home built in 1860 by local storeowners William and Amanda Hunter. What sets this State Historic Site apart is that most of the original furnishings purchased by Amanda Hunter are still in the house. Our excellent tour guide explained the family’s history and provided insight on the various antiques inside. As she explained the age and function of the antique chamber pot chair, I just wanted to try it out. However, I showed restraint after being told that would not be “socially acceptable” and might even be illegal. We learned that Amanda Hunter’s husband died before construction on the house was finished and Amanda took over the project right as the Civil War began. She raised 7 children alone in this house and never remarried. As Lil Jan asked questions and soaked in all the history of the place, I paced nervously, wondering when the next earthquake would strike.

We headed downtown and stopped at the New Madrid Historical Museum. The museum contains Indian and Civil War artifacts, many of them donated by local residents with family connections to the pieces. Best of all, the museum documents the great earthquakes of 1811 and 1812. The earthquakes began on December 16, 1811, and continued for over a year. Among them was one of the greatest earthquakes in recorded history because of its severity and length. In fact, some of the shocks were felt 1100 miles away. Fortunately there was little loss of life due to the region being thinly settled. A museum map shows the location of recorded earthquakes along the Madrid fault, and a nearby seismograph eerily shows the continuing activity on the Madrid fault. I just wanted to stick my head out the museum door and scream, “People of New Madrid…get out now! You’re geographically hosed! Save yourselves!”

I composed myself and we walked a short distance from the museum and on to a platform overlooking the Mississippi River. In 1862 Union forces captured New Madrid and gained control of the river by means of a “canal” sawed through a submerged forest to a bayou. The most famous skirmish in the area was the Battle of Island Number 10 that took place not far from where we were standing. The Union victory marked the first time the Confederate Army lost a position on the Mississippi River in battle.

We escaped New Madrid without serious incident, earthquake or otherwise. It was now time to put our Great River Road journey on hold and head east. Our first stop was in Denmark, Tennessee (near Jackson) to visit our niece and her husband (Maegan and Daniel), their adorable new baby (Abby), and Janet’s sister (Cathy). One of the true blessings of full-time RVing is being able to visit with family and friends around the country more regularly than when we’re primarily anchored to one spot and several job responsibilities. We’re thankful for that, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to hold sweet little Abby.

The “family and friends” theme would continue over the next several days. We spent some time on the sprawling and gorgeous Diamond family farm near Dickson, Tennessee. I helped my good buddy Brad Diamond repair a barbed wire fence, and was rewarded with a massive BBQ dinner, some 4-wheeling around the property, and acquiring poison ivy. Those who know the Diamond girls know that this time was also spent listening and watching them sing, make a video, do yoga, dance, practice massage techniques, and do whatever their free spirits led them to do. Meanwhile, Lil Jan did an outstanding job (I’m told) as the keynote speaker for the Ladies Day at Old Hickory Church of Christ. Since I am not a lady I could not attend this Ladies Day. However, Lil Jan did receive a lot of moral support from her two dear friends, Jenny Diamond and Tami Genry. They stayed in a hotel in Nashville on Friday night and just chatted the night away I’m sure. Lil Jan worked tirelessly on her presentation and I’m so glad it went well. Over the years, it has been neat to see her progression from a reluctant Bible class teacher to a confident Ladies Bible class teacher to a Ladies Day keynote speaker in front of a large crowd. Each time, she goes a little more outside her comfort zone and each time, she grows a little more in her faith. Well done, Lil Jan…and a big thanks to Lisa Chambers for providing this opportunity.

After her presentation and a final night at the Diamond farm, we worshipped at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ with the Diamonds and Luke Beggs, a family friend and one of my former students and youth group leaders. We took Luke to Cracker Barrel for lunch and learned he is adjusting well as a freshman at our alma mater, Lipscomb University. Next we visited the Brentwood REI store to pick up a few needed items for my upcoming AT thru-hike. We then headed for Tullahoma to visit my dad for a few days and get my root canal.

Lil Jan Doin' Her Thing — Lil Jan Doin’ Her Thing

With our detours complete, and having visited with lots of family and friends, it was time to head back to Scott AFB, Illinois, to pick up our RV. But we decided on one more little detour…a chance to learn more about and pay tribute to my all-time favorite President. Yes, we were headed to Springfield, Illinois. More on that next time…Honestly…if I’m Able.

Big Steve

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 12: Hannibal, MO to Pere Marquette SP, IL

October 9, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

“I could but esteem this moment of my departure as among the most happy of my life.” – Meriwether Lewis

September 5, 2015 – Day 15 – Alton, Illinois

Our parting gift in Hannibal was a phone call from Jason, our eldest, telling us he and Rachel were alive and well and that he had built his first artificial leg. How cool is that! It’s always good to hear from progeny, even when he calls while riding the Dallas Area Rapid Transit and every 30 seconds a woman interrupts screaming things like, “Next stop, Lake Highlands!”

We said farewell to all things Mark Twain, crossed the Great River, and headed south toward Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, Illinois. This beautiful state park, which we’ll review in a separate blog, would serve as our base camp for the next few days. While heading down the Great River Road toward Grafton at cruising speed, Lil Jan snapped a great picture of two John Deere tractors having lunch in the shade of a tree by a cornfield. There are two things we’ve seen a lot of on our trip: bugs taking on our big windshield and losing…and corn. Lots and lots and lots of corn. There were days when an hour would go by and the only thing visible on either side of the road was corn. The United States produces as much corn as the next three countries (China, Brazil, and the European Union) combined. Illinois is actually forth in U.S. corn production, behind Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. With all this corn, it’s a wonder how anyone goes hungry.

As the Great River Road approached Alton, we enjoyed the high bluffs on one side of the road, and the Mississippi River right next to us on the other. There were sections where you could just about jump into the river from the road. Our first stop was the Village of Elsah, which was established in 1853 and is on the National Historic Register. As we pulled in, Lil Jan commented that she had been here before but couldn’t recall under what circumstances. It finally came to her that she had done a getaway weekend here with two girlfriends (Lynne Gentry and Michelle McDougald) back in the late 90s while we were stationed at Scott AFB, IL. I asked for details, but she informed me that what goes on at girls’ getaways at the Green Tree Inn in the quaint historic town of Elsah stays there. Well, all right, then.

We continued south because it was time to pay tribute to one of my heroes, Meriwether Lewis, and one of my favorite all time adventures, the Lewis & Clark Expedition. I studied this expedition in grade school, but really got into it later in life after reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. I was fascinated with all the planning and preparation that went into the trip, with the correspondence between Lewis and President Jefferson, and by the many obstacles the team had to overcome to reach their destination. I seriously think it brought out a bit of my adventurous nature, which has manifested in things like this crazy RV adventure and one day hiking the Appalachian Trail. So we stopped at the 180-foot Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower, which sits at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It was near this spot that the Corps of Discovery, on May 14, 1804, departed from Camp River Dubois and began their voyage to the Pacific Coast.

A little further down the road we came to the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, which includes a 14,000 square-foot interpretive center and an outdoor replica of Camp River Dubois. The interpretive center contains multiple exhibits and displays, a theater, and a 55-foot full-scale cutaway keelboat like the one used by Lewis’ team. We inadvertently timed our visit with some sort of music festival and encountered a group of rather good musicians in period costumes playing folk music. Camp River Dubois came to life through an informative tour guide who knew his Lewis & Clark history.

Our next stop was the National Great Rivers Museum next to the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton. The highlight of the museum for Lil Jan was discovering what she called “The Steve Fish”. I informed her that it’s actually known as the Weakfish (or Croaker or Grunt) …Cynoscion regalis…of the drum family Sciaenidae. She said, “No, it’s the Steve fish…just listen to it.” She then played the audio of the fish (link attached) and I had no choice but to agree with her assessment. So we renamed it The Steve Fish, of the drum family Big Croaker. Next to the museum stands the towering Melvin Price Locks and Dam, a true engineering marvel that took fifteen years to complete. It’s part of a system of 29 locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River that create a “stairway of water” so that pleasure craft, towboats, and barges can travel the river. We finished off the night with some tasty fried chicken at Castelli’s, an Alton restaurant opened in 1937 and now managed by the 4^th generation of the Castelli family.

September 6, 2015 – Day 16 – Saint Louis, Missouri

We began this Sunday by worshipping with a friendly group of folks at the East Alton Church of Christ. We then changed clothes and headed for the popular Saint Louis Zoo, which consistently ranks among the top five zoos in the United States. It’s technically free, although you’ll pay to park, eat, drink, and for some of the exhibits, like the children’s zoo. Our challenge was not the cost, but the heat index, which was over 103 degrees that afternoon. In fact, the first three exhibits appeared empty, as the animals were smart enough to hide under or behind any object they could find. Things started picking up, though, and the animals slowly but surely started to come out. We especially liked the polar bear and the various apes and monkeys. The butterfly cage/exhibit was amazing, and provided the awkward moment of the day. I didn’t realize one of the butterflies had landed on my shoulder and I exited the exhibit with him riding the Big Steve Train to freedom. I thought about just letting him go, but instead decided to re-enter the exit door and return him to a life of bondage.

We would have done more things in Saint Louis had we not already visited the city earlier in the summer. We went there, twice actually, to hear Kyle preach. He spent the summer interning with the Lafayette Church of Christ and lived with the very hospitable Kevin & Cindy Fields family. During that visit, we hiked the Babler Memorial State Park, visited the Arch, went to a Cardinals game, and dined at Gian-Tony’s on the Hill with Kyle and several members of my family. An even better meal came courtesy of Kevin, Kyle’s host dad. He did a shrimp boil that was out of this world. He had the cooking process down to a science with a boiler, stopwatch, and just the right combination of seasonings. He brought out bucket after bucket of shrimp, potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, and Andouille sausage, and dumped them on the table in front of us. Well done, Kevin! It could only have been better if I hadn’t been on day two of an abscessed tooth, which would quickly result in a root canal. Ugh! We appreciate the Fields for keeping Kyle over the summer, for letting us stay with them on two consecutive weekends, and for the amazing shrimp boil.

September 7, 2015 – Day 17 – Pere Marquette Riding Stables

Lil Jan loves horseback riding. It’s one of her love languages, along with Christian fiction and grits. I promised her we’d go horseback riding at some point during our Great River Road travels, and today was the day. I love and appreciate horses, but riding them is not one of my love languages. In fact, it’s not even a “kind of like” language for me. The first reason is because several years ago I saw a woman (the previously mentioned Mrs. McDougald) thrown from a horse, and I had to pull off my shirt and apply direct pressure to her head to stop the bleeding. Thankfully she lived, although she never fully recovered from seeing me with my shirt off.

The second incident happened about five years ago on an anniversary weekend at a beach near Jacksonville, Florida. I was trying to fulfill one of Lil Jan’s bucket list items to ride a horse on a beach. So we mounted up, and all was well as we set off with our guide and horses down the beach. With the sun setting and the wind blowing through my hair, it reminded me of a Patrick Swayze Saturday Night Live skit. Our guide then had to go and ruin everything by asking, “Do you want to canter?” to which Lil Jan replied, “Yes!” while I replied, “What’s a canter?” Next thing you know our horses took off down the beach and it became immediately apparent to me that something was wrong. Without being too graphic, let me just say a part of my body was not fully strapped in and began slamming against the saddle, causing my eyes to well with tears. These weren’t “oh, Lil Jan is fulfilling a life-long dream” tears. Rather, they were “it feels like someone is hitting me with a sledge-hammer” tears. The pain intensified, and with each bounce I started chanting things like “Oh—this—too—shall—pass” and “Throw—me—in—the—ocean—so—I—can—drown”. Both ladies were laughing and talking, unaware that I was suffering immensely behind them, certain my life was about to end, and asking God to either kill the horse or miraculously deliver a strip of duct tape. To this day, I don’t know what canter means but I’m pretty sure it’s the French word for “to sterilize.” Anyway, back to 2015, our ride through Pere Marquette State Park wasn’t nearly as bad, as I have learned to keep one hand on the reins and one hand cupping myself. This may have looked odd to the Cowboy tour guide riding next to me, but I told him it helped me focus; and besides, I had already been cantered.

Big Steve

Steve Fish video link…

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The Fam Throwin' Down Some Ted Drewes Frozen Custard — The Fam Throwin’ Down Some Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St Louis

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 11: Hannibal, MO

October 5, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

A man’s experiences of life are a book. There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.

– Mark Twain’s notebook and “The Refuge of the Derelicts”

September 4, 2015 – Day 14 – Hannibal, MO

Trying to write about Mark Twain (a.k.a. Samuel Clemens) in Hannibal, Missouri, is like trying to play basketball on Lebron James’ home court. Twain was a master storyteller and Hannibal was his boyhood home and inspiration for much of his writing. The town made an impression on him, and he made an impression on it and the rest of the world through his writing. In Hannibal, it’s possible to drive down Mark Twain Avenue and pass by the Mark Twain Brewery and Becky’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor on the way to your home at the…drum roll…Mark Twain Apartments. Or, you could grab lunch at the Mark Twain Dinette, play some ball at Clemens Field, and then drive by the Mark Twain Lighthouse on your way to the Mark Twain Cave. You get the idea. This place is proud of their hometown hero…and for good reason.

Twain's Boyhood Home & Museum — Twain’s Boyhood Home & Museum

Twain reflects on his younger ornery self

The face of the river, in time, became a wonderful book…which told its mind to me without reserve, delivering its most cherished secrets as clearly as if it had uttered them with a voice. And it was not a book to be read once and thrown aside, for it had a new story to tell every day. – Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

We seem to also have a new story to tell ever day based upon our journey along the same great river that inspired Mr. Twain. Today’s story fittingly began at Twain’s boyhood home, which has been turned into a museum. Through videos, displays, statues, and memorabilia, the museum vividly illustrates Twain’s life and writings. It even features several original Norman Rockwell paintings. We followed the map on our self-guided tour outside and down a path to the modest replica home of Tom Blankenship, Twain’s childhood friend and inspiration for the popular character, Huckleberry Finn. We then traveled back down the path to enter Twain’s boyhood home. His life-sized figure greeted us in each room, behind a viewing glass, along with popular quotes attributed to him.

Doin' work...or is it play? — Doin’ work…or is it play?

“Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?” – Tom Sawyer

That’s right, we exited the home and headed for Tom Sawyer’s fence and posed for the obligatory photo of us painting it. As you may recall, Tom was a bit of a trickster and actor and understood human behavior. To get the fence painted, Tom just needed to convince his friend Ben that the opportunity to paint it was “play” (something, according to Tom, that the body is not obliged to do)…and not “work” (something the body is obliged to do). While that may seem a little deceptive on Tom’s part, it’s a leadership technique that’s been frequently used on me and that I have used on others. An Air Force boss once enthusiastically told our squadron, “Today we get to pick up trash around the base prior to the inspection team arriving.” I, in turn, have often convinced my students that picking up trash on campus (or assembling playground equipment or putting down mulch) is not just a way to get out of class, but also a high honor and among the most important things that would be done on campus that day. The fact that I actually believed that made my pitch all the more convincing. In reality, one’s attitude can make otherwise difficult or boring tasks seem fun…and worthy of being done correctly. That seems to be what Solomon had in mind in Ecclesiastes 9:10 when he wrote, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”

“As he was passing by the house where Jeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl in the garden—a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaited into two long tails, white summer frock, and embroidered pantalettes. The fresh crowned hero fell without firing a shot… He worshipped this new angel with furtive eye till he saw that she had discovered him; then he pretended he did not know she was present, and began to “show off” in all sorts of absurd boyish ways, in order to win her admiration.” – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876

Young Samuel Clemens had a major crush on Laura Hawkins, the lovely girl across the street. Laura was a few years younger than Sam, and they became friends, classmates, playmates, and even sweethearts. Laura was the inspiration for Tom Sawyer’s sweetheart, Becky Thatcher. In real-life, their childhood attraction to each other eventually fizzled as youthful crushes often do. Laura married a doctor, had two sons and later became the matron of a Hannibal home for orphans and indigents. Samuel and Laura did keep in touch, however, including visits with each other in Hannibal in 1902 and again in Connecticut in 1908. In 1915, five years after his death, Laura honored him on what would have been his 80^th birthday by having tea in his boyhood home. In 1926 Laura, at the age of 89 and two years before her death, would honor him a final time by attending the dedication ceremony for the Tom & Huck Statue in downtown Hannibal.

So my lovely sweetheart, Lil Jan, and I crossed the street to tour Becky Thatcher’s home, which was the real-life home of Laura Hawkins. I meandered slowly, reflecting on Samuel’s crush on the pretty young girl across the street. Lil Jan went on ahead and entered the house, apparently lured by the gift shop inside. As I approached the door, the romantic trance I was in came to a crashing halt as Lil Jan pointed to a sign and mouthed, “They’ve got poo here!” (Which, by the way, when mouthed through a glass door, looks very similar to the words, “I just poo’d myself.”) Yes, the gift shop contained odorless products made from the recycled poo of horses, donkeys, sheep and perhaps even Mark Twain himself. I stopped and pondered who was the very first person to look at a pile of donkey excrement and decide to make dinner napkins out of it. Or an even better question, “Why?”

Our next stop was the Hannibal History Museum a few blocks down the street. It was on the second floor of this building that Samuel Clemens began working as a typesetter and writer for the local paper. He found an article about Joan of Arc (Noah’s wife?) beneath one of the windows that caused him to write her story. In addition to more Twain history, we learned about another Hannibal resident, the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown. On April 14, 1912, at 11:40 p.m. Margaret “Molly” Brown was thrown from her bed when the Titanic hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage. She got dressed (to include seven pairs of wool socks), went out on the deck, and immediately began helping other women and children into lifeboats. Disregarding her own safety, she protested when one of the crew demanded that she board a lifeboat. Still, two men grabbed her and tossed her into a lifeboat as it was being lowered into the sea. As the Titanic sank, she insisted that the lifeboat return to rescue those in the water, but the quartermaster refused, fearing the boat would capsize from those trying to climb aboard. As her lifeboat waited for help to arrive, Margaret shared the seven pairs of wool socks she was wearing to help others stay warm. Once on the rescue ship, the RMS Carpathia, Margaret realized that many of the women and children survivors were poor immigrants who had lost everything, including their bread-winning fathers and husbands. She asked the First Class survivors to contribute toward a fund to help the newly widowed women and orphaned children. She raised more than $10,000 ($233,000 in today’s dollars) before the rescue shipped reached the New York harbor. In a time of crisis, Molly’s character was revealed. Well done, Molly…well done.

As afternoon turned into evening, we had one final agenda item…a dinner cruise on the (you guessed it) Mark Twain Riverboat! We had a magnificent time cruising up and down the Great River, walking around the boat, listening to live music, and chowing down on the buffet. The extremely friendly and cute cruise director, Julie, reminded me of a celebrity crush from my youth…another cruise director, also named Julie, who kept passengers happy each week on the Love Boat. The meal was delicious and filling and the guy on guitar was the real deal. Before placing the dinner napkin on my lap, I cautiously sniffed it to determine if it derived from recycled sheep poo. (That would have been baaaa’d.)

After dinner, we met and chatted with Linda and Karen, two sweet ladies from the Chicago area. They told us about their lives and travels and we returned the favor. Of all the great things about traveling around the country, our favorite is the people we meet along the way and the things we learn about them and from them. Most we’ll never see again, but it’s encouraging to cross paths, hear their stories and hopefully encourage a few by our story. You see, Mark Twain was right…every life is inherently interesting, made up of some drama, tragedy, and hopefully plenty of comedy.

Big Steve

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 10: Nauvoo to Quincy, IL

October 3, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln

September 3, 2015 – Day 13 – Nauvoo, IL

Big Steve and I crossed the Great River and rolled into historic Nauvoo, Illinois. This town is primarily known for the 1840s settlement established by Joseph Smith and other early practitioners of the Mormon faith. Although we’re not of the Mormon faith, we do enjoy looking at historic sites to get a glimpse of how people in past centuries lived.

Joseph Smith brought the Latter Day Saints (LDS) to the town of Commerce in 1839 to escape conflict with the Missouri state government. The town was renamed Nauvoo by Smith based on the Hebrew word meaning, “to be beautiful” and Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains…” Although the mountains in the area are beautiful, the relationship between Mormons and non-Mormons in the area was not. After Smith’s death in 1844, most of his followers, now under the direction of Brigham Young, escaped the violence and eventually migrated to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

Joseph Smith's Mansion House — Joseph Smith’s Mansion House

The LDS movement begun by Joseph Smith has evolved into various denominations and sects, and that plays out in the operation of the Nauvoo historical sites today. A group known as the Community of Christ, headquartered in Independence, Missouri, owns and operates the Joseph Smith Homestead, the Nauvoo House, and a few other buildings. The larger LDS Church, headquartered in Salt Lake City, owns most of the other historic sites, including the Brigham Young home. Both groups have done a fantastic job preserving the historic structures with period furnishings and providing excellent tours. It was easy to imagine what life would have been like back then.

The knowledge and passion of the tour guides we encountered along the way was especially noteworthy. Many of them were dressed in period clothing and were eager to share their stories with us. They each gave a spiel about who lived in the house or what activities would have taken place there, like the post office and the printing office. For example, a lady at the printing shop showed us a printing plate used to duplicate typography. So, if you wanted all your 1840 newsletters to look the same, you would need each of them to get the same solid impression. Well, if you combine the Greek words for solid (stereos) and impression (typos), you get stereos-typos, or stereotype…the name of the printing plate held by our Mormon friend. And if you decide to say that all people in a particular group are the same (like Muslims or Mormons or Tennessee fans), then you are stereotyping them…just like a newsletter. The lady at the post office explained that back in those days, postage was expensive and paper was scarce. As a result, letter writers used a technique known as cross-hatching. This involved writing crossed letters, which contained two separate sets of writing, with one written over the other at right angles. And I thought Steve’s handwriting was hard to read.

Several of the volunteers also shared a short snippet of some kind of faith lesson. Although we didn’t agree with everything they said, we admired their passion and excitement about wanting to share their faith. They were not pushy or pious, just sincere and passionate. That’s the lesson we took from this experience. By early afternoon, we had visited several historic structures, to include Joseph Smith’s home and grave, Brigham Young’s home, Jonathan Browning’s gun shop, the Nauvoo temple (a drive-by, only members are allowed in), and Grandpa John’s Café. Although Steve suggested we stay in Nauvoo for the rest of the year and try out a polygamist lifestyle, I reminded him that there’s only enough room in the RV for one woman.

September 4, 2015 – Day 14 – Quincy, IL

After overnighting at the Keokuk, Iowa Wal-Mart, Lil Jan and I crossed the Great River back into Illinois and headed south to Quincy. Our first stop was the impressive Governor John Wood Mansion, the 1835 home of…get this…Governor John Wood. In fact, Quincy has the most impressive collection of restored old homes that we’ve ever seen. We traveled down one street for 10 minutes and there was one beautiful old home after another on both sides of the street.

One particular home that caught our eye was the Villa Katherine, a Moroccan-style home on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. In 1900 wealthy Quincy native W. George Metz had this unique, castle-like home built. Legend has it that he intended to bring his German girlfriend (Katherine, perhaps?) to Quincy but she refused. Another legend says she agreed, but died on the journey over. I’m starting a third legend that she made it as far as the front porch of the house, looked over at George, whispered, “Auf Wiedersehen”…and then died. Either way, he was heart-broken, lived alone, and ended up using the home to host lavish parties for his friends. His only companion in this dream home was his 212-pound Great Dane named Bingo. B, I, N, G, O…yes, Bingo was his name-oh. After Bingo died in 1912 (100 years before Mandy), Metz fell into a great depression and ended up selling his home. It was later restored and in 2010, the Villa Katherine was used as a filming location for Fang, a movie about “vampires, mafia, and racing.” Although that sounds enticing, I would have preferred a film about a rabid dog named Bingo who attacks an old farmer named MacDonald near a castle on a Mississippi River bluff. But that’s just me.

After some antique shopping, our final stop was Washington Park, site of the 6^th famous debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. The two men sparred over the divisive issue of slavery and national union in front of a crowd of 10-15,000 people. Although I haven’t read the entire transcript of their debate, a lot can be learned from just a few words spoken by Lincoln, the Republican candidate, and Douglas, the Democrat. Regarding the morality of slavery, Lincoln pronounced his strongest stand yet against the institution stating, “it is a moral, a social, and a political wrong…” Lincoln would later add, “No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent.” Douglas countered that slavery was not a moral issue and insisted that states “…can exist forever divided into free and slave states.” Those opposing views would eventually plunge our nation into the Civil War, and would ultimately cost Lincoln his life. It’s one of the reasons I consider Lincoln our greatest President. Just as he took a stand to end the national shame of slavery, I hope and pray that some day we’ll have a President (and enough Supreme Court justices appointed by the President) to take a stand and end the even more shameful practice of abortion.

Big Steve and Lil Jan

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 9: Dubuque, IA

September 27, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

Adversity does not build character, it reveals it. – James Lane Allen

September 1, 2015 – Day 11 – Dubuque, Iowa

We left Dyersville and the Field of Dreams movie site and headed east to spend the rest of the day in 182-year-old Dubuque. Our first stop was the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, which offers a little something for everyone. For wildlife lovers, there are over a dozen aquariums with everything from giant catfish to river otters. For Mississippi River lovers, there are all sorts of interactive displays on how the Great River and rivers in general operate. They even have a display on the Great River Road, which gave us a nice visual on our progress to date. For steamboat lovers, there are not only displays but also the dredge William M. Black, a steamboat and National Historic Landmark that we toured. After walking for most of the day, it was nice to sit back and watch James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge 3D which chronicles his underwater expedition to the deepest part of the ocean.

Two tickets to paradise...not so much — Two tickets to paradise…not so much

Our most memorable part of the museum, though, was the 5,000 square foot Titanic exhibit, the largest in the museum’s history and Dubuque’s history. The exhibit, which unfortunately didn’t allow photos, took us on a timeline from the ship’s construction to its final plunge to the ocean floor. It was that rare exhibit where you actually want to stop at each display and read every word. Upon entering the exhibit, we were each given a Titanic ticket with the name of an actual passenger on the ship and their story. We were told that upon exiting the exhibit, we could check a display board to see whether our person lived or died. After looking down at our tickets and noticing that we were both third-class passengers, I looked at Lil Jan and asked, “Do you think we’ll survive?” “Not likely, honey,” she replied. A few minutes later we were staring at the very ornate replica of a first-class cabin, to include an elegant sofa. I got caught up in the moment and without thinking, looked over at Lil Jan and said, “I really want to draw you.” Once again, she replied, “Not likely, honey.”

We learned that a first-class ticket could be purchased for $2500, approximately $57,200 in today’s dollars. The most expensive rooms were more than $103,000 in today’s dollars. Right across from this elegant 1^st class room replica was a third-class room setup. Up to 10 people resided in 3^rd class rooms, each paying $40, which is equivalent to $900 in today’s dollars. Mostly strangers shared these rooms and families were often split up and assigned to rooms based on gender.

Other exhibit highlights included the dinner menu on that fateful night, dishes, jewelry and ship pieces retrieved from the ocean floor, and an actual chunk of iceberg to give a sense of how cold it was that night. The final room was the memorial room, where we read the stories of survivors and saw the names of those who made it and those who weren’t so fortunate. We pulled out our tickets and checked for our names on the board. As feared, the people we represented both died. I conjectured that we probably sank next to Jack, all because Rose wouldn’t scoot over and make room on that piece of wood for the three of us.

Annie Funk...courage under fire — Annie Funk saved a woman and child

As we scanned the stories of the survivors, two of them really stood out to us. It’s interesting how one’s character is best revealed during times of crisis, and that was certainly the case for these two individuals. At one end of the character and integrity spectrum is Annie Funk, an American Christian born into a Mennonite family in Pennsylvania. Annie spent her adult years serving immigrants in the slums of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Paterson, New Jersey. While fulfilling her dream as a missionary in India, she received a telegram that her mother was ill back in Pennsylvania. Traveling by train and boat, she made it to Liverpool, where she learned that the ship she had been booked on to take her to America had been delayed due to a strike. She opted for Plan B, buying a second-class ticket on the Titanic, making its maiden voyage. Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912, and all was well. Annie even celebrated her 38^th birthday while on the ship. However, at midnight four days after setting sail, stewards awoke Annie and told her to get dressed and head toward the lifeboats, because the ship had struck an iceberg. She made it to one of the last lifeboats on deck, which had one seat remaining. At the last moment, she stepped back and gave her seat to a mother and child, saving two lives. Annie ultimately sunk to the bottom of the ocean along with 1500 others, and her body was never identified. She’s honored at a memorial in Pennsylvania at the Hereford Mennonite Church Cemetery. The memorial reads, “She was coming home on her first furlough, when death overtook her in the wreck of the steamship Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland. Her life was one of service in the spirit of the Master—‘Not to be ministered unto but to minister.’” In a moment of incredible heartache and adversity, Annie’s character was once again revealed, and so we, too, honor her today.

Bruce Ismay, who saved himself — Bruce Ismay saved himself

At the other end of the character and integrity spectrum is Bruce Ismay, who goes down in history as a villain and coward. In fairness, there are conflicting accounts of his actions during the fateful Titanic voyage. We know for sure that he was an English businessman and the chairman and managing director for Titanic’s parent company, White Star Line. He was the highest-ranking White Star official on board, and was among the 705 survivors. Prior to the voyage, Ismay ordered that the number of lifeboats be reduced from 48 to 16 to accommodate some of Titanic’s luxurious features. While 16 lifeboats met legal requirements, they were insufficient to save all the passengers on board. There are other reports that Ismay encouraged Captain Smith to attempt a speed test during the voyage, perhaps valuing White Star Line’s reputation over a concern for passenger safety. Later, as the ship was sinking, Ismay boarded a lifeboat and abandoned ship, despite the long-held principle of women and children first. Both the British and American press criticized him and labeled him a coward for abandoning ship while passengers were still on board. He claimed he was the only one near the lifeboat at the time, so he wasn’t taking the seat of any women or children. We will never know exactly what went down in those final moments as the ship sank, or whether Mr. Ismay could have made a greater effort to seek out and save others on board.

After leaving the Titanic exhibit and museum, we headed up a steep hill in order to get on the Fourth Street Elevator, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Place. It claims to be the steepest and shortest railroad in the world. In 1882, local banker and former state senator J.K. Graves built the railroad because he lived on the bluffs but worked down in the town. Although the bank where he worked was only two and a half blocks away, it was a two hour round trip journey by horse and buggy. This prevented him from eating a half hour lunch and taking a half hour nap each day. So he built this railway, known as a funicular, to solve that problem. It has burned down several times in history, a fact that would have been convenient to know before boarding. A later owner, C.B. Trewin, added a second floor apartment at the top of the incline, where he and his buddies smoked and played cards without their wives interfering. It has been said (just now, by me) that they put the fun in funicular.

So you're saying in the original manuscript, Huck was a cross-dresser? — So you’re saying in the original manuscript, Huck was a cross-dresser?

Our final stop of the day was the lobby of the 176-year-old Hotel Julien, which has hosted guests to include Abraham Lincoln, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Mark Twain, and the notorious Chicago gangster, Al Capone. Legend has it that Mr. Capone would hide out at the hotel when things got too hot to handle in Chicago. He would hide his cars at a nearby underground garage, and take over the entire 8^th floor, using guards as lookouts. We thought about running into the lobby and going all gangster on the place, but thought better of it. Sorry, Al.

"So I've brought together all the readers of our blog to get your feedback..." — “So I’ve brought together all the readers of our blog to get your feedback…”

Today was a very full day…enough for two blogs. We began the day with a reminder to dream big dreams and then pursue them, like Ray in the Field of Dreams. We ended the day with a lesson on character, thanks to the courageous Annie Funk and her morally more questionable fellow passenger, Bruce Ismay.

Big Steve

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 8: Dyersville, IA

September 23, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past… This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely come. – Terence Mann

September 1, 2015 – Day 11 – Dyersville, Iowa

I awoke knowing this was going to be a great day, because today we were headed to the Field of Dreams. Some movies hit you at a deep, emotional level, and Field of Dreams does that for me and apparently many others. For some, it’s simply a great story about baseball, our great American pastime. Others may identify with Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) and his troubled relationship with his now deceased father who had been a devoted baseball fan. But as a young newlywed back in 1989, I think I identified mostly with Ray, the young husband being challenged to pursue a dream.

Ray’s dream, or calling, was to build a baseball field on his family’s cornfield. One evening, while walking through the cornfield, Ray hears a voice, a whisper, telling him, “If you build it, he will come.” The voice continues whispering to him and then he sees a vision of a baseball field. Of course, when it comes to dreams or callings, usually not everyone is on board. There are skeptics, and such was the case with Ray. His wife, Anna, is understandably skeptical, especially given the financial ruin faced by the family. Ray’s brother-in-law, Mark, implores him to re-plant his crops on the field to avoid bankruptcy. It’s difficult for Anna and Mark to buy into Ray’s dream until they, themselves, start to have their own supernatural visions.

Although I’ve never heard supernatural voices or had ghosts from my past emerge from cornfields, I’ve had some dreams. With each of my dreams, each big idea for the future, there were skeptics. The skeptics were often people close to me, and were usually very well intentioned. They wanted what was best for me, and were concerned that my vision for the future wasn’t necessarily in my best interest.

One of my first big dreams was to follow in my dad’s footsteps and pursue an Air Force career. One well-intentioned skeptic asked, “Are you sure you want to do that? With your degree and background, you could make a lot of money and achieve a lot as a civilian.” Later in life, I had a dream to try to help plant a church in Honduras. Among the many supporters was a skeptic who basically thought our money and energy should go toward reaching the lost in America and in our own community, not strangers on foreign soil. Even later in life, I felt a calling to retire from the Air Force and pursue dual careers, teaching at a Christian school by day, and serving as a youth minister at night. Once again, some well-intentioned friends questioned the decision, citing the significant pay cut and the potential for even bigger jobs and higher rank if I remained in the military. A more recent dream, shared by my wife, was to unload most of our possessions and travel the country by RV. While most people thought it was a pretty cool idea, there were skeptics who questioned our sanity and ability to live peacefully in such tight quarters. My next pending dream, a calling that has been lying dormant for two decades, is to thru-hike the 2180-mile Appalachian Trail. After explaining the challenges and potential perils of such an undertaking, a person I love (for many reasons, to include the fact she birthed my wife) commented, “Now why in the world would you want to go and do something like that?”

When dealing with skeptics, I recommend listening to their opinions, but also considering the value system behind the opinion. In some cases, they have valid concerns, like not wanting you to get eaten by a bear and then have your carcass thrown off a cliff. Other times, though, critics seem to value making and accumulating money over, well, all else. The thinking goes that the potential for a high corporate salary trumps the patriotic desire to defend one’s nation. The potential for promotions, increasingly prestigious positions, and more money trumps whatever teaching or mentoring might happen in a small Bible class at a private Christian school. In addition to the pursuit of material wealth, another prevailing value of critics is the desire to play it safe and avoid risk. What if the church doesn’t remain open? (It didn’t.) What if you break an ankle running a marathon? (I did.) What if you forget to put your tow car in neutral before pulling it? (Okay, it happened!) People are so naturally drawn to safety and security, to keeping their Maslow pyramids upright, that they recoil at the thought of someone risking failure by not playing it safe. I know this because too often I am the skeptic. Even with my own sons, I have sometimes been inclined to respond to their plans and ideas with skeptical hesitation rather than a more supportive, optimistic approach. They deserve more balanced advice from me, not just “well, nice idea, but here’s everything that can go wrong with that…”

We arrived at Dyersville’s Field of Dreams and I was instantly impressed by it. The farmhouse, baseball field, and cornfield had a certain vibe to them and definitely lived up to the hype. Since it was a weekday morning during the school year, we almost had the place to ourselves. Almost. The first visitors to join us near home plate were a group of five special-needs young adults and their chaperone. These young men were fired up and had huge smiles on their faces, but seemed unsure what to do next. Their chaperone said, “Run the bases, gentlemen…run!” Four of them slowly began meandering about, while the last guy took off full-speed toward the pitchers mound. He ran right by it and touched second base and then made a big loop out in centerfield, laughing all the way. It was the most fantastic, heart-warming running of the bases I had ever seen. Well done, sir.

Next, a group of three women in their 80s approached, wearing pink shirts, accompanied by one of their daughters (their chaperone, also in pink). I told the ladies I came close to wearing my pink shirt today and wish that I had. They laughed and asked if I would take their picture and I said that I would, under one condition. “I want you to take the field,” I said. They looked over at their chaperone, who nodded, and off they went to take the field. So I took their picture. I think if ever I were to coach baseball again, it would be with a team of 80-year women, and I’d call them the Pink Panthers. That’s my dream, and I’m not listening to any critics.

Lil Jan and I took pictures around the property and video of each of us emerging from the cornfield, just like Shoeless Joe Jackson from the movie. I even ran the bases…a little faster than the 80-year-olds but slower than the young man with the special need and big heart. The field is in perfect condition, and I’m thankful that it has been maintained and made available for tourists and fans to see. As we drove away, I reflected on the movie and specifically on Ray’s life-changing decision to follow his heart and build the ball field of his dreams. That decision changed his life and ultimately led to him reconciling with his father. I reminded myself to dream big dreams, and to have the courage to go after them. Not all dreams will come to fruition; in fact, some pursuits may fail miserably. But, in my opinion, an even greater failure is to be so risk averse that you rarely if ever pursue your biggest dreams. I hope my sons will continue to take a bold approach in pursuing their dreams, even if their old man isn’t always on board initially.

In light of some of the cool places and amazing moments we’ve experienced on our journey down the Great River Road, I thought I’d close with another quote from the movie…

You know we just don’t recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they’re happening. Back then I thought, well, there’ll be other days. I didn’t realize that that was the only day. – Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham

Big Steve

P.S. Bonus video: To see Shoeless Janet Johnson, click on the link…

IMG_1803

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 7: Davenport to Maquoketa Caves SP, IA

September 21, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. – Gustave Flaubert

August 30, 2015 – Day 9 – Davenport, Iowa

After a restful night’s sleep wedged between rows of trucks at Wal-Mart, we headed out to worship at the Central Church of Christ in Davenport. Several members welcomed us and, as is customary, asked, “Where are you from?” This is not a difficult question for most people, but we’re not most people. We can claim Tennessee, the place where we met, graduated from college and got married, and where my dad and sisters live. We can claim South Carolina, where our mail is sent, where Lil Jan was born, and where most of her family lives. We can claim Delaware, my birth state, or Virginia, where we own a home. Florida is another option, because that’s where we most recently lived, where our driver’s licenses are from, our cars are registered, and where we keep most of the handful of possessions we own. Of course, a lengthier, more complicated option is to discuss 47 years of Air Force assignments. However, the quickest, least complicated, and most accurate response is to simply point to the RV occupying several parking spaces along the back of the church parking lot. That’s where home is, at least for now. Before saying farewell, I gave a final glance to the four large banners hanging from the front wall at the church building. They offered sound advice, so I thought I’d share them:

Walk faithfully.
Give generously.
Love extravagantly.
Share fearlessly.

Lil Jan Doin' Large Things — Lil Jan Doin’ Large Things

Our next stop was about as touristy as they come: Iowa 80, The World’s Largest Truck Stop! It humbly began in 1964 with one bay, two diesel pumps, and a small restaurant in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. Today, this massive, 24/7 complex has grown to 225 acres and 900 parking spaces for truckers…in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. It features…

Iowa 80 Kitchen, a 300-seat restaurant with a 50-foot buffet (surprisingly good food)
30,000 square foot super trucks showroom
24 private showers
60-seat surround-sound movie theater
Driver’s Den with fireplace
Two game rooms
Barber shop and styling salon
Truck wash and truck scale
Truck service center
Dentist
Chiropractor/masseuse
Custom vinyl graphics shop + embroidery center
Upscale gift shop, collectibles store, and travel store
Food court, featuring Wendy’s, DQ, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and more

Big Rig Driver — Million dollar truck…$3 jorts

As I walked around this amazing place, the thought crossed my mind that we could leave the RV parked outside and live here. Think about it. Nightly massages. Adequate showers for family gatherings…or a Hernandez family sleepover. An on-call, 50-foot buffet. Greeting truckers at the Driver’s Den with popular phrases like “Breaker one-nine,” “Hey good buddy,” and “You’re aware of the showers, right?” And when tourists ask, “Where are you from?” I could say, “Right here! Lil Jan works in the embroidery shop and I help truckers pass gas out by the bays.”

Sadly, my idea to live there was rejected, so we headed north to set up a new base camp at Maquoketah Caves State Park. As usual, we will do a campground review of this state park in a separate, upcoming blog.

August 31, 2015 – Day 10 – Amana Colonies, Iowa

Although we were a little west of the Great River Road corridor, I decided to take us even further west to visit the Amana Colonies. I learned about these towns/colonies in the 1000 Places to See Before You Die book and wanted to try to work them in before we die. (Our time is running out…yours is too. Sorry for that mid-blog reality check.)

To understand the National Historic Landmark known as the Amana Colonies, one must go back to 1714 in the villages of Germany. A religious movement began called Pietism, which promoted faith renewal through Bible study, prayer, and reflection. More specifically, they believed God, through the Holy Spirit, inspired individuals to speak. They called their group True Inspiration based on this perceived gift of inspiration, or prophecy. Unfortunately, they were persecuted for their beliefs and sought refuge at the Ronneburg castle and other estates in central Germany. Fast forward 130 years and the group faced severe economic depression in Germany and more persecution. In 1843 they decided to pool their resources and sought religious freedom in America. Working together and sharing their property, this community of 1,200 people established a separatist, communal way of life on 5,000 acres near Buffalo, New York.

German food? We're there. — German food? We’re there.

The community, now called the Ebeneezer Society, thrived and outgrew their land. They needed affordable land with enough fertile soil, stone, wood and water to build their dream community. Those requirements led them to Iowa where their leaders named their new village Amana, which means to “remain true” and comes from Song of Solomon 4:8. They established six villages, two miles apart, on 26,000 acres of a river valley. They shared all resources and properties, working together to provide housing, medical care, food, and schooling to each other. The Village Council assigned jobs yet there were no wages, because no money was needed…nor a police force of any sort. Among them were many skilled craftsmen, and well-crafted products became a hallmark of the Amana Colonies. They gathered for quiet worship and reflection 11 times per week in very simple church buildings. Life was good.

That way of life lasted until the Great Depression. In 1932 they set aside their communal way of life, due partly to a disastrous farm market. They also believed that the communal way of life kept them from achieving individual goals. So, while the communal dream was over, they continued their tradition of community spirit and religious faith. Their expert craftsmanship has been passed on to subsequent generations, which may explain the Amana appliance in your kitchen or laundry room. Thankfully, they also preserved their historic brick, stone and clapboard homes, their gardens and walkways, and their hospitable nature.

Lil Jan and I did a self-guided walking tour of the village of Amana. We perused several antique stores and watched blankets and clocks being made at the woolen mill and clock factories. Lil Jan bought a historical Christian fiction novel set in Amana. (For historical Christian fiction lovers, it’s by Melanie Dobson and titled Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa.) Not surprisingly, we feasted on a fabulous German meal at the Ronneburg Restaurant, named after that German castle that provided the community refuge in 1714. The waitress explained how the original community operated, and offered insights on the close family bonds and traditions that remain today.

While soaking in the history of this place, we learned of another separatist, communal living group that came to Iowa nine years prior to the people of Amana. Settling just 50 miles away, they also spoke German and wore similar clothing, but were different ethnically and religiously. Despite their close proximity and common roots, these two groups…the Amana people and the Amish people…have had very little interaction through the years.

After touring the Amana colony on foot, we drove through the remaining colonies and then headed back to our base camp in Maquoketah. Today, we were transported back in time to a community that shared a common faith, work ethic, and way of life. They shared their possessions and believed Bible study, prayer, and reflection should characterize one’s faith. I think they were on to something there. If my dream of living at the world’s largest truck stop doesn’t work out, we may give communal living a try.

Big Steve

Devotional Thoughts, Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 6: Grand Detour, IL to Davenport, IA

September 16, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com 3 Comments

Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take. – Angela N. Blount

August 29, 2015 – Day 8 – Grand Detour, Illinois

Today was supposed to be just an easy travel day for Big Steve and me. There were no attractions to see or agenda items to check off. We simply wanted to get from Huntley, Illinois to Davenport, Iowa to rest up before continuing our journey down the Great River Road. Sometimes God has other plans.

As we traveled through the aptly named little town of Grand Detour, Illinois, Steve noticed a sign for the “John Deere Historic Site”. Being a history buff and fan of unplanned stops, Steve said, “let’s check this out” and went down a side road and into the parking lot. Honestly, I had my doubts. I’m not all that in to tractors, so I thought we should probably pass on this one. That would have been a mistake. Steve would want me to add here…that for the record he was RIGHT in choosing this stop!

We paid a modest entry fee and began a guided tour of the John Deere homestead. It was incredible…what a pleasant surprise. I quickly became aware that John Deere was an actual person, not just the green and yellow tractor we associate with that name. The tour guide had a firm grasp of John Deere’s story, and walked us around the property and through the main house. He went through key events in family history and pointed out several features of the house and its furnishings. It was like stepping back in time. One of my favorite items in the house was a rocking chair. The tour guide explained to us that they used the rocking chair as a way to dry their hair by hanging it over the back of the chair. How creative is that? We then headed over to the original blacksmith’s shop, which is an archaeological dig and historic site. Our guide pointed out the artifacts that had been dug up and their purpose, and then we watched a video of the John Deere story. Three things stood out to me:

1. John Deere didn’t invent or build tractors. In fact, the first Deere tractor prototype didn’t come along until nearly 30 years after his death. He never used any of the fancy green and yellow farm equipment that is associated with his name. The first John Deere tractors were created by his son.

Deere's Kitchen w/ Hair Drying Rocker to the left — Deere’s Kitchen w/ Hair Drying Rocker to the left

2. John Deere was an innovative problem solver. He noticed that plows that easily cut through soil in the Northeast struggled in the sticky black earth of the Midwest. Farmers had to constantly stop to wipe soil off the plow, which made farming more difficult and less profitable. So John Deere went to work in his blacksmith shop. Through trial and error and perseverance, he built a better plow…a steel one that would easily slice through midwestern soil. That 1837 innovation opened the vast rich prairies to agricultural development and laid the groundwork for what eventually would become the John Deere Company we know today.

Replica of Deere's Steel Plow — Replica of Deere’s Steel Plow

3. Most people aren’t familiar with Captain Benjamin Lawrence, but he plays an important role in this story. You see he was the blacksmith who invited 17-year-old John Deere to apprentice in his shop for three years. He taught John the tools of the trade, like sharpening hayforks and rakes, forming and fitting shoes for horses, and later fixing ironwork for stagecoaches. As a result, John Deere became a master of his craft. Later, he himself took in apprentices and taught them the craft. Our society values and honors the “John Deere’s”, and rightly so because their innovations have changed the course of history. But behind every John Deere there is a Benjamin Lawrence who plays an important role in mentoring, shaping, and encouraging future inventors and innovators. We may never become a famous John Deere, but I hope all of us will try to be a Benjamin Lawrence to someone.

Archaeological Dig of Deere's Blacksmith Shop — Archaeological Dig of Deere’s Blacksmith Shop

Our final stop on the tour was the working blacksmith shop, a recreation of the one John Deere would have used. The blacksmith who gave the blacksmithing demonstration was Rick, who just so happened to be an Air Force veteran. That gave him an instant bond with Steve, and the two of them shared details of their careers using acronyms that only military people can understand. He gave us even more details on John Deere’s life and work as a blacksmith, and then expertly demonstrated how to turn a steel rod into a beautiful, decorative leaf petal. He was really good. In fact, if John Deere hadn’t invented that new plow, I think Rick eventually would have.

As the demonstration came to an end, he asked where we currently worked. We told him we had taken some time off to tour the country by RV, but that we had previously worked at a private Christian school. His ears perked up, a smile came across his face and he said, “So, you’re believers, then?” Steve and I nodded and he then proceeded to roll up his sleeve and proudly show us his cross tattoo. In addition to the military bond, we had identified a bond that goes much deeper…our Christian faith. He said, “hold on for a minute…don’t leave…I’ve got something for you” and then politely waited for the other customers to exit the shop. He went back into blacksmith mode and heated up the steel rod with the leaf petal on the end. After a few more steps, this master craftsman presented me with a beautiful leaf petal pendant, forged in fire. It was really touching. And then he said, “Let me tell you one more blacksmith story.” He then told us the following fictional, but inspiring story, which I have attempted to capture from memory. We hope it blesses you as much as it blessed us…

The Blacksmith

There was a blacksmith about 2,000 years ago who was working hard in his shop. He had finally begun to make a name for himself in town and had several orders to be filled. This was good news to him and his wife. One day when he was working in his shop a Roman soldier came rushing in and ordered that he stop whatever he was doing and make his order top priority. When the blacksmith asked him what he needed, the soldier said, “three long nails” and commanded that they be ready upon his return. He turned and rushed out of the shop. The blacksmith knew it was in his best interest to do exactly what the soldier had ordered him to do, hoping this might lead to future jobs for the government. The blacksmith was a crafty artisan and nails were not the most intriguing product, but he knew he needed to do his best and have the nails ready when the soldier returned.

The soldier returned shortly and the blacksmith had the nails ready and waiting for him. He came rushing in again and asked for the nails. The blacksmith presented the three nails to him and the soldier grabbed them, threw some change his way, and turned to leave. As the soldier was leaving, the blacksmith said, “Sir, do you mind telling me what you’re making that you only need three nails?” The soldier turned and looked at him and said, “We are crucifying the King of the Jews today, and these are the nails that are needed for his cross.” Then he turned and left.

The blacksmith had heard of this man that people were calling the “King of the Jews” and his special powers, but he wasn’t so sure what he thought about the guy. So he didn’t think much more about the nails, and went back to work on his other orders. A few hours later, the sky went black, the earth began to shake and rocks were split, the temple’s curtain was torn in two, tombs were broken open and dead bodies were raised to life. This certainly got the blacksmith’s attention. He began to think there might be something more to the story of the “King of the Jews”. Maybe he really was who he said he was? He began to feel bad that he had played a part in crucifying this man.

What this blacksmith didn’t understand was that even though he furnished the nails that were used to crucify this man named Jesus, this was all part of a bigger plan…God’s plan. Jesus had to be the ultimate sacrifice for all and the nails were a necessary part of the event. We should all approach the things we do for a living as a means to fulfill God’s plan. We should choose to do whatever we do with all our might and give God the glory for it. He will take our actions and efforts, however small and meager, and work them into his marvelous plan.

We thanked Rick, our new favorite blacksmith, for the story and leaf petal, and then exchanged hugs and got back on the road. As mentioned in the opening quote, sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take. Today we took an unplanned detour…a Grand Detour, in fact…and it was the most pleasant and encouraging surprise on our trip thus far. We learned about John Deere, an innovative blacksmith who invented a better plow, founded a company, and changed farming forever. More importantly, we were reminded of a Jewish carpenter who, 2000 years ago, selflessly gave up his own life, and by doing so made redemption possible and changed the course of history.

Lil Jan

Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 5: Prairie du Chien, WI to Chicago, IL

September 14, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

Sometimes luck is with you, and sometimes not, but the important thing is to take the dare. Those who climb mountains or raft rivers understand this. – David Brower

August 27, 2015 – Day 6 – Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to Rochelle, Illinois

We awoke in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, but soon crossed the Great River to spend the morning on the Iowa side. Although Lil Jan never expressed this, I could tell she was in the mood to learn something about the Late Woodland Period, 1400-750 B.C. To scratch that itch, I took her to the Effigy Mounds National Monument. The Effigy Mound builders built mounds around the Upper Mississippi River for burial purposes, and perhaps also for ceremonies and to mark boundaries. No one knows for sure. What set these mound builders apart from others is that their mounds were shaped like animals, especially bears and birds. So after a short but steep hike, we began trying to locate and identify some of the more than 200 mounds in this national park. We agreed on the little bear mound, perhaps aided by the sign that said “Little Bear Mound”. However, there was some disagreement and discussion on others, like whether a mound was a chipmunk or squirrel. (It was a chipmunk.) We enjoyed the incredible views of the Great River and pretty much having the park to ourselves.

We're thinking this is the bear-shaped mound — We’re thinking this is the bear-shaped mound

Our next stop was nearby Pikes Peak State Park, one of the most photographed places in Iowa. From atop the Mississippi River’s highest bluff, we got a magnificent, 500-foot high view of the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Back down the bluff, it was time for some antique shopping in historic McGregor, founded in 1847 and hometown of the circus community’s Ringling brothers.

My BFF at Pike's Peak — My BFF at Pikes Peak

We headed back across the river to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin’s second oldest city. It was here where Canadian fur trader Louis Joliet and French Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette became the first white men to enter the upper Mississippi River in 1673. Had they celebrated by jumping out of their canoes into said river, they could have proven that white men can, in fact, jump…336 years before Blake Griffin did so. Next up was the location of the original Fort Crawford, which played a role in the War of 1812. It was also here where Sauk leader Black Hawk surrendered after the Black Hawk War of 1832. Jefferson Davis was stationed at the fort as a lieutenant and Zachary Taylor, our twelfth president, commanded it as a colonel. Our role at the fort was to drive by it.

Our next drive-by was of Villa Louis, the 1870 mansion of the prominent Dousman family that is now a National Historic Landmark. The estate sits on the mostly vacant St. Feriole Island. That got me wondering…why is a beautiful 240-acre island, prime real estate on the Mississippi River, mostly vacant? It turns out that the massive Flood of 1965 submerged the island. It had flooded many times before but never to this extent. After considering many alternatives, Congress ultimately authorized the government to acquire 121 homes and businesses and relocate the people, homes, and businesses to higher ground off the island. In their place, the city eventually built ball fields, gardens, and parks. The flood mostly spared Villa Louis because it was on elevated ground. St. Feriole Island became the second city or neighborhood we’ve encountered on our trip (along with Hibbing, Minnesota) to be completely relocated…this time due to Mother Nature.

This is Where We'll Meet — This is Where We’ll Meet

As we headed out of town, we drove past the Hungry House Café. I felt compelled to pull over for a picture. Then I looked over into Lil Jan’s eyes that looked like heaven. I got a funny feeling up and down my spine, which turned out just to be gas. I said, “Tonight I’m gonna meet you, at this Hungry House Café…and I’m gonna give you all the love I can, yes I am.” And with her heart clearly on fire, she looked deep into my eyes and said, “Giddy up oom poppa omm poppa mow mow, Giddy up oom poppa omm poppa mow mow.” It was a special bonding moment for us. With our credentials as biggest nerds in the world re-validated, I started up the RV and we heigh-ho silvered away.

Chicago-style Pizza! — Chicago-style Pizza + Lasagna!

Needing to get a little warranty work done on the RV near Chicago, it was time to make a detour off the Great River Road and head east. We arrived at the Rochelle, Illinois Wal-Mart to set up camp. While a more thoughtful guy would have taken his wife for dinner and a movie, we decided on dinner and laundry. Yes, it was laundry night and I was more than a little excited to experience my first public Laundromat and get clean socks. Besides, what could be more romantic than watching a black and white TV stuck on the Home Shopping Network, sitting on plastic elementary school chairs, and listening to the hum of appliances? Actually, these places tend to attract a rather interesting, lower to middle-class slice of American people…people like us. One guy put a load of clothes in and then lay down next to the vending machine in the back for a nap. A mother and daughter leaned against the folding table by the driers discussing the daughter’s boyfriend and their plans for the weekend. A sweet, very short Hispanic couple came in with their young son. They laughed a lot and dad chased their son around the rows of washers and dryers while mom did most of the work. Meanwhile, Lil Jan and Big Steve fed enough quarters into the machines to do three loads, and then did our own share of laughing as Lil Jan videotaped me folding her purple panties. Next time, she can fold her own underwear and I’ll go take a nap by the vending machine.

August 28, 2015 – Day 7 – Chicago, Illinois

We dropped our RV off at the dealership west of Chicago and had about 7 hours to kill. Our options were to find a nearby mall and walk/shop all day, find a coffee house and rest/read all day, or head further east to take on Chicago. Chicago is too cool of a city to pass up, so we took the Fit to the nearest train station, and took a 1.5-hour train ride into downtown Chicago.

Click on following link for video clip…

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Trying to do Chicago justice in just a few hours is really impossible, so we had to make some choices. We had toured the city years ago with our boys and visited the Navy Pier and shopped on Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile. So this time, our priorities were simple: (1) eat a Chicago-style pizza, and (2) hang out at Millennium Park. We headed to Giordano’s for lunch, where I feasted on pizza and Lil Jan had the lasagna. After glancing up at the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), the second tallest building in the United States, we walked to Millennium Park and did some people watching. The highlight for me was the giant video display of people’s faces, with water shooting out of their mouths onto little children. Unfortunately, we had a train to catch, and an RV to pick up, so we headed back to Union Station and said farewell to Chicago. Despite the high murder rate, Chicago is a beautiful and interesting city to explore. I kind of wish we had taken the time to visit one of their Laundromats.

Big Steve

Click on link for final video clip…

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Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 4: Minneapolis, MN to Prairie du Chien, WI

September 9, 2015 thebigsteve66@gmail.com Leave a comment

I started out thinking of America as highways and state lines. As I got to know it better, I began to think of it as rivers. – Charles Kuralt

August 25, 2015 – Day 4 – Minneapolis to Frontenac State Park, Minnesota

We disconnected our Honda Fit from its RV mother ship and headed toward Minneapolis, the first of four large cities on the Great River Road. While many know Minneapolis for its art, theaters, and outdoor recreational activities, I mainly know it as the home of the Twins, Vikings, and Prince. With no agenda or must-do list (other than to find a “raspberry beret from a second-hand store”), we decided to park the car downtown, get out, and just start walking. We immediately noticed the 7+ miles of glass-enclosed skyways that link various downtown buildings. So we went up some stairs, entered the skyway system, and randomly traveled around the seemingly never-ending maze. The idea to have shops, restaurants, and businesses of all types connected along the skyway is brilliant, especially for a city with cold, snowy winters. It reminded me of the Crystal City Underground in Virginia, except it’s larger and above ground. We spent an hour speed walking around the labyrinth, darting in and out of corridors, and passing over city streets down below. At one point we stopped and took a picture of the Minnesota Viking’s new stadium, which is under construction. Little did we know that less than 24-hours later, a construction worker would die after falling from the roof while working on this project.

After googling “best Minneapolis lunch restaurants”, we walked another mile and crossed the river to Kramarczuk’s East European Deli, a legendary Ukranian eatery. In the late 1940s, skilled sausage maker Wasyl Kramarczuk and his skilled baker wife Anna left Ukraine in search of the American dream. They founded this Minneapolis landmark restaurant, and lunch was indeed legendary, the best meals on our journey thus far. Lil Jan had the Varenyky, aka pierogi…dough dumplings stuffed with meat, cheese, and potatoes. I ordered the polish sausage sauerkraut dish, as my dear mother would have wanted me to. Both dishes were wonderful. While there, we met a nurse and her grandmother from Canada. They were interested in moving to Florida so we gave them suggestions based on our 7 years of experience living there. As we were finishing up a superb, borderline romantic sidewalk lunch on a beautiful sunny afternoon, Lil Jan was stung by a bee and dropped her glass of water on to my plate. Startled, I looked down, as the few remaining sausages floated across my plate, like rafts on the nearby Mississippi River.

Kramarczuk’s Deli, Minneapolis

Lil Jan and her doughboy decided to work off lunch by walking through Pillsbury Park, and then out onto the point for a beautiful view of Saint Anthony Falls and its lock and dam. The walk to the point has a number of interpretive displays on how locks and dams work. As I stood alone on the point, I looked up at the massive I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge, which stood in front of me. I wondered what it would have been like to be standing on that point on the afternoon of August 1^st, 2007. On that tragic day, during the busy rush hour, the bridge’s predecessor suddenly collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The National Transportation Safety Board cited a design flaw of a too-thin gusset plate as the likely cause of the crash. What would it have been like to witness this tragedy? How would I have responded? Would I have jumped into the water to try to save people? Or would I have rushed to the school bus carrying 63 children, which was resting precariously against a guardrail of the collapsed bridge, near a burning semi-trailer truck? Or would it have been enough to simply dial 911 and let the professionals handle the unfolding situation? Most of us like to think that we would rise to the occasion and do something heroic; but what would we actually do? I also thought about the victims who woke up that morning, unaware that this would be their last day on earth. Were their family relationships in a good place? Had they left anything unsaid? Were they right with God? We just never know when our time will come.

We returned to our RV, hooked the Fit up to it, and headed southeast toward Wisconsin. We decided to spend one final night on the Minnesota side of the river at the beautiful Frontenac State Park. Please see our next blog for a review of the Frontenac State Park campground.

August 26, 2015 – Day 5 – Frontenac State Park, Minnesota to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

After a restful night at Frontenac State Park, I got up early for a solo hike around the park, while Lil Jan opted to work on her Ladies Day lesson. (She’s speaking at a women’s retreat in Nashville, Tennessee in September.) We then headed out and crossed over the Mississippi River to Wisconsin, to begin one of the most scenic stretches of the Great River Road. There are a series of small quaint river towns (Prescott, Stockholm, Pepin, Alma, etc.) that offer history, antique shopping, and amazing views. One highlight for us was having lunch at the Stockholm Pie & General Store, which was named “One of the 100 Best Places to Eat in America” by Roadfood Guide.

"Top 100" Roadside Eatery, Stockholm Wisconsin — A Top 100 Restaurant in America

A little further down the road we entered the town of Pepin. On the outskirts of town, a little girl was born in a log cabin on February 7, 1867. Later she would write a book about her early childhood experiences in Pepin… “Once upon a time…a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin in a little gray house made of logs.” The book was Little House in the Big Woods and the author was Laura Ingalls Wilder. Like Charles Lindbergh, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s early formative years shaped the person she would become. As she looked backed on her early years on the frontier, she wrote, “It has been many years since I beat eggs with a fork or cleaned a kerosene lamp. Many things have changed since then, but the truths we learned from our parents and the principles they taught us are always true. They can never change.” There’s a lesson there for parents…and children. Another thing we can learn from her is that late bloomers can be great bloomers. She didn’t begin her writing career until she was sixty-five. She had only planned to write one book, Little House in the Big Woods. But it was an immediate success, and children who read it wrote to her begging for more. She said, “I was amazed because I didn’t know how to write. I went to little red schoolhouses all over the West and I never was graduated from anything.” She ended up writing eight books before passing away in 1957. Of course, those stories would come to life in the 1970s television series, Little House on the Prairie. A big fan of Laura Ingalls, Lil Jan insisted we pay a visit to the replica “little gray house made of logs” that Laura grew up in.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Wayside Cabin — Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Wayside Cabin

Only four days into our journey along the Great River Road, we’ve already been inspired by the people we’ve met, both living and dead. Today, we’re glad the Kramarczuk’s immigrated to the U.S. and opened a restaurant. We’re hopeful the two delightful Canadian women we met are able to find a new home and life in Florida. We’re thankful for the first responders and others who helped save lives following the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. And we’re glad that, at age 65, a woman took the time to write a book about her experiences growing up in a log cabin in Pepin, Wisconsin.

Later that evening, we rolled into Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and took up residence in our new home, the Wal-Mart parking lot, with several of our trucker buddies. Whenever I start to feel manly like my fellow “big rig” drivers, Lil Jan brings me back to earth by reminding me…we’re pulling a Honda Fit.

Big Steve

Big Steve & Lil Jan's XL Adventure

Category Archives: Great River Road

The Great River Road, Part 13: St Louis to New Madrid, MO

The Great River Road, Part 12: Hannibal, MO to Pere Marquette SP, IL

The Great River Road, Part 11: Hannibal, MO

The Great River Road, Part 10: Nauvoo to Quincy, IL

The Great River Road, Part 9: Dubuque, IA

The Great River Road, Part 8: Dyersville, IA

The Great River Road, Part 7: Davenport to Maquoketa Caves SP, IA

The Great River Road, Part 6: Grand Detour, IL to Davenport, IA

The Great River Road, Part 5: Prairie du Chien, WI to Chicago, IL

The Great River Road, Part 4: Minneapolis, MN to Prairie du Chien, WI

Not All Who Wander Are Lost