Mid-West Adventure through IA, MN and NE – August 2023

Mid-West Adventure 1

Last month Gene got some unexpected time off (expiring vacation days) and we decided to do a Mid-West adventure through IA, MN, and NE. The first stop on our trip was in Des Moines, IA. Gene doesn’t remember being there, but I still say we were there together in like 2009 or 2010. Anyway, we started our Mid-West adventure there and it happened to be there during their annual State Fair. It was so amazing and it was extremely organized. They had everything, even parking and shuttles to the site down to a science. I was VERY impressed. Anyway, once inside the fairgrounds, I enjoyed seeing all the animals, especially some of the horse shows. I am going to eventually do a post on the fair, but wanted to share a little bit on this post about its history. Continue reading “Mid-West Adventure through IA, MN and NE – August 2023”

US Presidential Statues 1841-1877 – City of Presidents Tour Rapid City, SD

City of Presidents Guide

On a road trip in May of 2022, we found ourselves in Rapid City, South Dakota. We had visited Mt. Rushmore on a previous visit but had never checked out what they call the City of Presidents. This is a series of life-sized bronze statues located among the city and streets of downtown Rapid City. According to their site, The City of Presidents project began in 2000 to honor the legacy of the American presidency. Each sculpture is privately funded, and the pattern of placement was chosen to maintain an orderly structure and eliminate any sense of favoritism or political gain. The City of Presidents is part of the Rapid City Historic District Tour. This is part 2 of a 5 part series on these amazing statues and includes the US Presidential Statues 1841-1877. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed learning a lot of history while doing research. Continue reading “US Presidential Statues 1841-1877 – City of Presidents Tour Rapid City, SD”

Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln – The Cornhusker State

 Nebraska State Capitol - FrontOn a trip to see some friends and visit the State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa, we decided to spend a few nights in Nebraska and check out their capitol in Lincoln.  The Nebraska State Capitol is often known as the “Tower on the Plains,” and its 400-foot tower can be seen as far away as 30 miles. We definitely saw it from quite a distance as we neared Lincoln in May of 2010. Unless I am wrong, this is the 2nd tallest capitol next to the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

Continue reading “Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln – The Cornhusker State”

Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota – A Historical Landmark

Mount Rushmore 1I found it very appropriate that I created this post the day before the 4th of July about a monument that pays homage to four great American Presidents, Mount Rushmore.  Here is a link to their website with more info. This has been a place I have wanted to see for a really long time. Thus I was extremely excited to finally get to see how amazing and grand it really is in person. Pictures and movies don’t do justice to their size and detail. You have to see it first hand to really appreciate its beauty, and what a monumental endeavor it was to create the monument. Continue reading “Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota – A Historical Landmark”

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