The Days Start to Blur - haha

After our stop at the USAF museum, I hopped back in the car and drove for a few miles, stopping at Columbus, OH.  So, this far into the trip, I had a little over 400 miles to go and two days to do this in.

The next night, I stopped in Hagerstown, MD, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do the next day - drive on to Washington or visit Gettysburg?  In the end, I decided to head straight to DC.  This was a good call.  

I arrived in DC around noon. I couldn't check into the apartment where I'll be staying with Grant and his children until late in the afternoon, so I had some open time ahead of me.  This was a Sunday afternoon, and the best option that came to mind was a visit to the Arlington National Cemetery.  

This is holy ground.

Though I've been here a few times before, this time I visited Arlington House, the home of General Robert E Lee, as well as the memorial for John F Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

Arlington House

JFK Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Silence and respect are expected at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  While I was there, the changing of the guard took place.  Shortly after that ceremony, the mood among the group broke, and people started talking and even laughing.  When this happened, the guard on duty stepped off of the guard path, faced the people who were there, and, in a loud command voice, said, "Everyone will show silence and respect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier!"  This cowed everyone, and you could hear a pin drop!  Good for him!

Today was my first day with two of my grandchildren.  I'm in DC to spend time with them/watch them while my son receives prep and training for his next posting in The State Department.

The main outing for the day was a trip to the DC LEGO Discovery Center.  That was fun!  And there were some incredible builds, and lots of fun things to do.  Here are a few examples of what you can see there:

Stay tuned for more adventures of Big Al and the Mud Dragons in Washington, DC!

Day 5 - Ft Wayne Zoo and the National Museum of the USAF

The Mud Dragons and I (i.e., me) continued the Wild Things Tour when we made our first stop on Friday at the Ft Wayne Zoo.

This was our family's zoo for 10 years when we lived in Indiana while I was on the faculty at Manchester University, and my children report core memories at this zoo.

This is a medium-sized zoo, and I was able to see pretty much everything as I strolled around for about 1.5 hours.  

The endangered animal carousel was always a big hit with the junior Mud Dragons.

The next stop on our tour was in Dayton, OH, at the National Museum of the USAF.  It was AMAZING! 

This museum covers the entire history of air force military flight.  The exhibits are housed in four huge hangars and include a vast array of aircraft and space vehicles from pre-WWI through modern times.  I was able to see many planes that I've known well from reading and documentaries, but never had a chance to see in person, until now!

This is what you see when you enter the hanger for WWI - and when I saw it, a laughed in spite of myself.  If was a moment of joy.  It was amazing!

The history of early flight was also included.

The Sopwith Camel 

German Fokker DR1 triplane

British Spitfire

The actual Memphis Belle - the B-17 heavy bomber flown by the first crew in WWII to complete their 25 missions in order to cycle back home.

A German Me109 front-line fighter.

P-51D - the long-range fighter that could escort bomber groups all the way to their targets, and helped change the course of the air war in Europe.

This is the B-29 that dropped an A-bomb on Nagasaki

German Me262 jet fighter - could possibly have changed the course of the war if it had been introduced earlier.

Huey used in Vietnam

Mercury space capsule

Gemini space capsule

Apollo space capsule

These two need no introduction - haha.

This was a great day.

Stay tuned for more adventures.

 

  

 

Day 4 - Illinois, Indiana and Manchester University

The Mud Dragons and went on a drive that was an adventure...that's what happens sometimes when you tell your maps program to avoid toll roads when you get to the eastern half of the USA!

The route we were put on cut straight across central Illinois and Indiana.  I think I was on an interstate for a total of 3-4 miles all together.  The path went from US highways to State highways to County roads lacking centerlines, to what I can only call "Farmer Bob's Road" that was unpaved for a handful of miles.  These roads were uneven enough that at times it felt like I was at sea - EEEeeeee!  But in the end, I worked my way back up to State highways that brought us to our primary destination - North Manchester, Indiana, home of Manchester University (formerly College).  

Most A-list groups like mine don't consider a tiny liberal arts college in a small town in northern Indiana to be a prime destination, but I do!  

It's a beautiful campus, and my first job out of graduate school was at Manchester College (now University), where I was a member of the biology department.  I taught aquatic biology (freshwater and marine), zoology and environmental science.  Our ten years in North Manchester were wonderful.

This is the main quad on campus, looking south.  It was so nostalgic being there, especially with the cicadas buzzing in the trees - there are no cicadas where I live.

This is all I have time for today...stay tuned for more adventures of Big Al and the Mud Dragons!

The words for Day 3 of the tour are Zoo and Iowa

The Henry Doorly Zoo is repeatedly proclaimed to be one of the very best zoos in the country, and I have to say that I think they (whoever "they" are) are right. I arrived within 30 minutes of opening, and I spent the next 2.5 hours enjoying the zoo and aquarium.  

Those of you who know me won't be surprised to hear that my first stop was the aquarium! 😎

This sculpture and fountain are just outside of the aquarium building.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the penguins.  There were at least four species, including king penguins - the second largest species of penguins next to emperor penguins!  I never imagined that I'd ever see a live king penguin in person, but there they were!

Considering the fact that there isn't an ocean within a 1000 miles of this aquarium, the various habitat exhibits were very good.  I have, of course, been ruined for most other aquaria by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but this one, for a zoo, is actually quite outstanding.

There is also a clear walk-through tunnel where many large fishes are kept and swim around you, including leopard sharks - my first time seeing them as well.  

Here are some other favorite sightings from the zoo:

This is the only side the pigmy hippos were willing to share. 

Otters are always a crowd pleaser.

There were lots of reptiles and amphibians.

And I think this was the first time I ever saw an aardvark in person.  I wish I could have gotten a better view of the head, but sometimes all you can see is all you get to see,

There were also large animals that many zoos have - rhinos, elephants, zebras, lions, tiger, snow leopard, cheetahs (though I looked and looked at this exhibit, but they weren't out while I was there), orangs, gorillas and other primates, etc.  

If you ever find yourself in Omaha, treat yourself to the Henry Doorly Zoo.  It is well laid out and can be walked, or you can take a sky tram or ground tram to get around.  I did the entire zoo as a solo walker in under three hours.  The paths are wide, and there is lots of shade and tree cover, as well as misting stations for when you get too hot.  There are also food and snack kiosks and restrooms conveniently located around the facility.  Oh, there's a theater too, but I didn't watch any shows during my visit.  You could easily spend an entire day at this zoo.  

Oh, it also has amazing walk-through desert, jungle, butterfly, etc. houses.

Haha...I planned ahead.  I bought an year-long membership at my local zoo (IF Zoo) for just over $50.  Since my zoo is part of the AZA, it has reciprocal agreements with many other zoos and aquaria across the country, and if my entire trip plan happens, it will pay for itself by the time I get home.

I was hot and getting sweaty by the time I left, so the Mud Dragons and I hopped back in the car and off we went.  Where to?  IOWA.

Though I spent the previous night just across the Missouri River in Iowa, I once again crossed that bridge and entered Iowa with a purpose...to drive and drive.  

Iowa is a gorgeous state, with lots of low rolling hills, and more and more trees, the farther east you go.  

If you live somewhere like the mountain west, southwest, or southern California, your eyes will not believe how green Iowa is.  It's not quite what I'd imagine Ireland to look like, but it's green, green, green!

One other thing...my favorite gas station chain is Maverik.  I used to think that they were found primarily in Utah and Idaho, but I now know that they have expanded and now have stations all along I-80, all the way across Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa.

I didn't know how far I was going to drive after the zoo...maybe Des Moines, maybe Iowa City, maybe Davenport.  But, I surprised myself by driving all the way to Peoria, IL.  

The drive from Davenport to Peoria was the most relaxing and enjoyable stretch of my entire trip so far.  Compared to I-80, the number of semis on I-74 were few and far between.  The traffic was light, and the scenery was largely open, beautiful farmland.

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Big Al and the Mud Dragons! 

And I would drive 500 miles, and I would drive 500 more!

Like the old camp song goes, second verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse.  

Seriously though, day 2 of the tour was another day on the road, and another beautiful 500 miles of the USA, starting in Cheyenne, WY, and ending at Council Bluffs, IA, on the banks of the Missouri River. 

To some people, states like Nebraska, Iowa, etc., are just fly-over-states, but they are truly beautiful.  Over the years, I've lived in America's Deep South, Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, California (which is it's own thing), Hawaii, Midwest and Mountain West, and I visited the rest.  America is unbelievably large, and unimaginably beautiful.  Its deserts, mountains, plains, forests and coastlines each have their own beauty.  And on day two of the tour, I left the Mountain West and entered the Great Plains - Nebraska!

Western Nebraska shifts from the short-grass prairies of eastern Wyoming into the gently rolling plains and farmland of the midwest.  I traveled west to east across the entire state along I-80, much of which parallels the Platte River - about which, I am told, explorers and pioneers used to say, "It's too shallow to navigate, and too wet to plow."  That's about right.

Just to whet your appetite for this great state, here is a shot of what western Nebraska is will treat you to:

As the day went on, I passed some interesting icons.

This is the Great Platte River Road Gateway Monument. And this is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

"The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is a monument on Interstate 80 located three miles east of Kearney, Nebraska, United States. Originally proposed in 1997 and opened in July 2000, it houses a historical experience that tells the story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley in the development of America."

If you are driving along I-80, you might be tempted to think that Nebraska is covered entirely by trees, but in the Great Plains, trees are found where there is water, and its riverbanks are almost entirely lined by them.  The rest of the state is gently rolling hills and agricultural fields.

Nebraska's primary crops are corn, soybeans and wheat.  And this is what a typical rural Nebraska skyline looks like.

The eastern end of Nebraska is defined by the Missouri River, which has its headwaters hundreds of miles away in the mountains of Montana, and joins the Mississippi just north of St. Louis, MO.

I was surprised and delighted to discover the vistas above when I opened the curtains in my hotel room.  The place I stayed in Council Bluffs, IA, was right on the bank of the Missouri River.

The plan for day 3?  The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, NE.  

Stay tuned!