June 5, 2016. Quiz Results and Home.

Lauren and Paige Response:

Emory and Miles Response:


1.  Main cabin under construction at Gitche Gumee RV park
2. Front grill on classic car
3. Leather Football helmet from 1940s
4.keys of a Smith-Corona typewriter
5. photo of a mark Twain
6. Hula girl
7. Annie's gloves
8. Snow plow for train tracks
9. Longhorn cattle horn
10. Taxadermy bear nose








Elijah, Levi and Ben Response:

1.  fortress wall

2.  well

3.  old football helmet

4.  smith-corona apparatus word processor

5.  albert einstein

6.  hula girl

7.  sweater

8.  snow plow train

9.  oxen horn

10.  dog nose

June 5, 2016.  Quiz Results and Home.  The Tourtillotts win! They have all the correct answers with the possible exception of the hula girl.  Annie says it is a hula man, but since all three entrants answered the same way, it doesn't affect the outcome.  The Thurmonds are second, which is odd since they and the Tourtillotts worked on the quiz together.  Remind us when you see us that we owe you money.  We are old and forgetful. 


We are home and the spring 2016 trip has concluded.  We'll be off again come fall.  Feel free to drop back by then.  Until then, I bid you a final goodnight for this trip. 

June 4, 2016. Quiz.

June 4, 2016.  Quiz.  You've waited for it.  You've asked for it.  Now, here it is, the Farkley Family Quiz. 

There are ten pictures on this page.  The grandchildren will have until 8:00 PM Sunday to identify the object shown in each picture.  This quiz is not as difficult as some others.  However, there are a couple of objects which may be difficult to identify.  The answers must be specific.  I reserve the right to award partial credit in my discretion.  Hint: many of the pictures are cut-outs of pictures which have appeared in the blog over the past four weeks.  The contest is open to grandchildren only. 

The first place prize is $25, second place is $15 and third place is $10.  In the event of ties, both sets of grandchildren will get the prize money for that place.  Maybe we'll have a three-way tie for first.  Then, each family will get $25.

June 3, 2016. Antiques Archeology and Nauvoo, IL

June 3, 2016. Antiques Archeology and Nauvoo, IL.  Do you watch American Pickers on the History Channel?  It features Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz driving around the US "picking" antiques from barns, hoarders and collectors.  Their base is the Antique Archeology store in Le Claire, IA.  The third player in the TV show is Danielle Cody, a tattooed woman who had prior careers as a burlesque performer and roller derby player.  The TV show features the store in Le Claire and a second store in Nashville, TN. 


The store opens at 10:00.  By 9:45 this morning there were 30-40 people milling about in the parking lot waiting to get in.  Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, none of the TV stars were on the property.  We entered both buildings and looked around but the humans were elbow to elbow.  So, without buying anything, we left.


The football helmet shown above looks like the one I wore in high school back in the 1940s.  The Smith-Corona apparatus is an early word processor.  It looks like the one I used in typing class.  Just kidding.  I am not that old, yet.  Annie may be.  Ouch!


The Mormon Church, Latter Day Saints, were formed in Palmyra, NY.  Annie and I toured the home where Joseph Smith received the Book of Mormon on golden tablets from the Angel Moroni (see entry of October 10, 2012).  The Saints fled persecution in the east and tried to settle in Clay County, MO.  There, they were subject to additional attacks by the State of Missouri so they retreated to Nauvoo, IL.  There, they grew the village from a few hundred people to more than 5000.  A temple on high ground overlooking the Mississippi River was constructed and the Mormons hoped to make the community its home.  But, history repeated itself.  The locals distrusted the Mormons and condemned their policy of polygamy.  Joseph Smith was arrested and assassinated while in jail.  Brigham Young then led the believers along the Mormon Trail to the valley surrounding the Great Salt Lake in Utah. 


The original temple was destroyed in the 1840s.  It was rebuilt in the same location in 2002 by the LDS Church.  It is an impressive structure, much like the temple built several years ago in Clay County, MO. 


Tonight we are camped in Wakonda State Park about 30 miles north of Hannibal.  We will be here several nights recharging for the final 250 miles separating us from home. 

Goodnight.

June 2, 2016. Goose Island to Davenport, IA - 200 Miles of Not Much River, but Lots of Barns.

June 2, 2016.  Goose Island to Davenport, IA - 200 Miles of Not Much River, but Lots of Barns.  We settled in at the Interstate RV Park in Davenport when Annie asked, "What did we do today?" 


"Well, we are 200 miles closer to home," I answered. 


"Yes, but what did we do?"


I thought and I thought.  We followed the River Road all day, seeing rolling pasture and cropland.  We saw a hundred or more barns.  We saw many attractive and well-kept towns and villages.  We saw churches and the home of President US Grant in Galena, IL.  But, I couldn't really tell her what we did.  That is, until I uploaded pictures to the computer and then it all came rushing back.  We saw the quintessential America today along the back roads. 


The drive from La Crosse to Prairie du Chien, WI was all it was billed to be.  There were hills and bluffs on our left and the river was on the right.  There were plenty of trees for eagle's nests, but we saw none.  There were large birds soaring high above the bluffs, but we were too far away to say whether the birds were eagles or turkey vultures - the sublime or the repulsive. 


We stopped by Galena, IL to see if we could find President Grant's home.  The two-story brick home was given to the General by the people of Galena following his successful direction of the Union armies during the Civil War.  The Grant family spent time there between 1865 and his move to the White House in 1868.  Following his two terms as President, the Grants settled into the home in Galena.  The home is now maintained by the State of Illinois.


The first two pictures show a veteran's memorial in Prairie du Chien.  The Grotto is behind a Catholic church in Stoddard, WI.  Lastly, the crowded street is in Galena, IL.  I have no idea why there were so many people there.  The town's total population is 3500.  Yet, the shops on the street were bustling and prospering.  It is was the most traffic I've seen in a small town since we passed through Pigeon Forge, TN at the dinner hour.


Tomorrow we will visit the Antique Archeology Store in Le Claire, about ten miles from here.  You have seen the store if you have seen the History Channel TV show, American Pickers.  Annie is hoping to meet Frankie.  I hope to meet Danielle.  Ouch!


Annie just hit me!


Goodnight. 

June 1, 2016. We Conquer The Great River Road.

June 1, 2016.  We Conquer The Great River Road.  Hooray, we spent the entire day on the Great River Road!  I did miss one turn, but we backtracked and picked it up again.  We departed Hastings, MN this morning and tonight finds us just south of La Crosse, WI.  As the crow files, that's a distance of 120 miles.  However, we were on the road for six hours.  We stopped at 4-6 towns along the way and stopped another time for lunch.  As the river widens, the towns are closer together and each has a distinct identity and flavor. 


The first three pictures were taken on our walk last night at the campground.  I don't know the name of the bird on the limb.  I would guess it is a Baltimore oriole, but it has been several years since I made much of a study of birds. 


The upper Mississippi River is home to hundreds of bald eagles.  The National Eagle Center is in Wabasha, MN.  Outside the Center is an interesting fountain and Native American statue.  The statue is of Wapahaska II.  There was a Wapahaska who was a leader in the Dakota War of 1862.  I don't think they are the same person, although they may be related.  The signage didn't clearly say why this Wapahaska in immortalized in bronze.


The center has five live eagles which are on display.  Each has been rescued from the wilds and are often taken to schools as part of the center's education initiatives.  The birds are tethered so visitors can get up close and personal with them.  It is sad that they aren't soaring on the winds and fishing in the river.  However, they are where they are because they are unable to do those things.  I suppose a life in captivity is better than no life at all.  Or, is it? 


The other picture worthy of comment is the one of the tugboat passing through one of the myriad locks along the river.  I've mentioned there are numerous locks and dams along the river.  This one is lock and dam number 5A.  We sat in an overlook and saw the tug pass through the lock.  It was followed by two barges.  However, the tug powered through the lock.  The barges floated through slowly, very slowly.  The second barge just stopped before it cleared the lock.  We waited and watched for it to pass through.  It didn't.  For all I know, it is still there tonight. 


Tomorrow, we will cross the border from Minnesota into Iowa.  The Great River Road crosses the river many times. Since the river forms the border of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, we will be in all those states as we follow the road. 


Tonight we are in The Goose Island Campground.  It is owned by the county and is pretty large, having over 400 campsites.  The nice lady in the registration office told me the next stage of the road is the prettiest.  I don't know how much of the road she has traveled, but her comment encourages me. 


Today was a good day of exploration.  I hope the nice lady in the office was correct and that it keeps getting better.


Goodnight.