Travels with Twinkles: Cedar Falls and Des Moins, Iowa

August 28, 2019:

It’s nothing but corn and soy bean fields across Minnesota and Iowa, all quite beautiful with its rolling hills and patchwork fields dotted with farm houses, barns and silos There are many small Norman Rockwell looking towns, all with a grain elevator. I made several stops along the route to wander off onto rural roads.

I'm enjoying these views, won't see this in the southwest where I'm heading

Love these railroad murals

In Calmar, Iowa my dilemma is which angle I like the best

Towns at the crossroads are always more special

Feel like I'm driving into the clouds near Ft. Atkinson, Iowa

New Hampton, Iowa

New Hampton downtown view

New Hampton

I arrive in Cedar Falls and head straight to Main Street where things are looking good. They have a hiking trail next to the river, but no time for that and it doesn’t look very interesting. I see no sign of falls, I think they were probably done in when they added dams and such on the river to prevent flooding. There are several late nice 1800’s buildings and an unusual concentration of of brew pubs and bars. The University of Iowa is here and this area must be party central. I wander a while then head for the library which is very modern.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Falls,_Iowa

This downtown is definitely on the rebound

Old Cotton Theater building

Great name for a Tavern, Honey I'm at the 5 & dime

Great slogan fo a beer, From the land of blue sky waters

Nice architectural detail

Nice sculpture in front of the new library, I know I take many photos of bars, but actually
I have actually spent more time in town libraries on this trip

Not many murals here, the best I could do

It struck me as kind of weird ?

The Cedar River looks pretty tame at present, but it has had many wild times

After a night in the Walmart parking lot, in this area of the country it seems they are allowing RV’s for some reason, I head to the neighboring city of Waterloo, Iowa where the John Deere Museum is located. As a side note I am missing my debit card after last using it in a restaurant last evening. The restaurant does not open until 11 AM, no one is answering the phone, I think it is there, but not sure. As a result, since I have to stick around, might as well learn something about John Deere.

The John Deere Company has a rich history and is headquartered here in Waterloo, Iowa. The museum is in a modern building with the history of the company detailed starting with the plow blade developed in the blacksmith shop by John Deere himself. There are many historic engines and early tractors and the displays follow a time line from the companies roots to the present day.

The Museum's entrance

The Water Boy Tractor was one of the leading gasoline engine tractors of it's time, the
company was eventually bought by John Deere

Great Logo

Johne Deere's success started with the development of the plow blade like this one
that was built by John Deere in his blacksmith shop

A most amazing traveling salesman ?

The displays were done really nicely

Great story of a top secret project

Bryant "Paw Paw" Bells Tractor on loan to the museum that has been left original on purpose, see the story below

The story

A new tractor with sheet metal removed to better show components

The complete tractor

At the restaurant at 11 AM, I'm happy to report that the debit card was there, that’s a big relief.

So with that, it’s time to hit the road for Des Moins, Iowa about 120 miles away. This is another trek through farm country and small towns bringing to mind John Mellencamp.

I must tell of a weird incident at a rest stop an hour later. I get out of the van and am walking towards the restroom when a young man stops me to ask if I know where he can charge his phone. How should I know, but I tell him to check inside the rest area, there may be an outlet. He then proceeds to go into a rant on technology, he hates it and then says; I just did some acid, but you won't tell anyone, Will You ? I wondered later if he was driving ?

Coming into Des Moins, Iowa, the state capital building looms on the horizon and it drew me in like a magnet. I really didn’t remember this one initially but as i walked around I started seeing things that I remembered, like the goofy photo in the senate chamber of a grining Trump sandwiched between stately serious poses of Washington and Lincoln. Then the Library, it is really special one. When I googled my original blog post it was confirmed, we had visited it back in October of 2017.

I shortened the visit somewhat after knowing that, but it was still worthwhile and is a great capital building.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_State_Capitol