Missouri

Route to southern IN and more family visiting.  We have had some frige troubles and headed south on Monday the 22nd.  We did a little honky tonkin' down on Broadway in Nashville last night.  We will tour Montgomery, and visit our son and daughter-in-law in Tallahassee before arriving in Ocala.  We'll take the motorhome in for repairs shortly after our arrival.

A few miles from St. Joe, MO at a Pony Express Station site.

Pony Express Stables and Museum.

Jesse James' home in St. Joe.  He was killed inside but not at this location.  They moved the house here to entice tourists!  I guess it worked.  Notice the "excellent" framing of the picture?  This is sometimes what happens when offers are accepted for photographing.  Lots of pavement and a cut off roof.

The Patee Hotel.  Home of  the Pony Express and THE happening place of St. Joe at the time.  In the 1850's it had hot and cold running water in the suites.  Now it is one of the top western museums in the country.  It was great.

 

Inside the museum.

Jesse James in his heyday.

The office in the Hotel.

Neat advertisement, but not true.

Downtown St. Joseph, MO.

Nebraska

Route through Nebraska.

The Governor's Mansion.  We stayed an extra (HOT) day so we could tour the mansion.

One of four skyscraper capitol buildings.

Nebraska is the only state where there is only one legislative house.  The "senators" run without party affliation and by law must be an opponent in the election.  Further, by law any senator must meet with any Nebraskan when requested regardless of districts.  And the senators are limited to two terms.

Although the senators are given a salary, they had better keep their day job because the salary is so small.

The city's namesake.  We left a penny!

We enjoyed a great tour, especially the Supreme Court with extremely efficient AC! 

The rotunda floor is mosaic--beautiful and just the center has about 30,000 pieces!

View of the largest train switching station in the US, seen from the observation deck of the capitol.

This is the 50th capitol building we have visited and it seems that 40 of them were undergoing construction.

Notice the crane.

The Governor's Mansion tour.  This is the state dining room.

A magnificiant spiral staircase in the foyer.

Beautiful grounds and fountain in the backyard.

About 40 miles south of Lincoln is the Homestead National Monument of America.

It is on the grounds of the first 160 acres homesteaded.

National Park # 334.

The Heritage (visitors) Center museum.  The state "plaques" on the right wall are all of the states where homesteads were given.  Alaska was the last and stopped in 1986.

The homestead museum.

A 14 x 16 log cabin.  Records verify that this structure housed two families--14 people!

This picture shows nearly half of the interior.  The stairs leads to a loft that is less than 4 feet high.

Exterior of the log cabin and old farm equipment.

The prairie grasses are about 3 feet tall.

Minnesota and Iowa

Route through Minnesota.

Our 49th capitol visit:  St. Paul, MN

The Quadriga.  Lots of symbolism and a handful of gold for gilding.

The House Chambers.

Above the Rotunda.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul--just down the street from the capitol.

The Pieta.  A Vatican authurozied copy of Michaelangelo's sculpture. 

The original was commissioned by a Cardinal for his tomb.

On Summit Avenue.  About 4 miles of beautiful Victorian homes.

An afternoon of shopping at the world's largest mall.

Sponge Bob, near the amusement park inside the Mall of America.

Only in America!

Wall mural in Red Wing, MN.

It leads to the rear entrance of the retail outlet store and museum for Red Wing Shoes.

World's largest leather boot, size 638 and a 1/2!

Guinness book certified in 2005.

Wine and dinner with Sandy in Winona. 

Winona namesake fountain--my name is still Dennis!

Relaxing and enjoying the view of Sugar Loaf Bluff in Winona.

Route through Iowa.

Our 333rd National Park visited.

Atop a bluff, near the mounds, and overlooking the Mississippi River.

The mounds are constructed in shape of bears, eagles, and other animals.  Their shapes can only really be appreciated from the air.

Mamie Dodd's birthplace in Boone, IA.  She married "IKE".

Wisconsin

Approximate route through Wisconsin.

Madison, our 48th Capitol building visited.

Across the lobby.

A vegetable garden on the Capitol grounds.

The Governor's Mansion across the lake.

From a park near the Governor's Mansion.

Lake Michigan, near Door County, WI.

Farm country--Door County.

Lake Michigan,  Door County.

Sturgeon Bay in Door County.

Sturgeon Bay in Door County.

Peninsula State Park's Eagle Bluff Lighthouse,  Door County.

Cave Point County Park.  Long dead coral reefs in Lake Michigan.

The reef.

More reef in crystal clear water.  Water temperature was in the low 70's and there were some swimmers.  Not us.

Atop the old reef.