We’ve been traveling U.S. 81 up through the middle of the country on our way to Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The photo above in the header shows a farm in Nebraska, but it is typical of farms we have seen throughout our travels through the heartland of Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
This post is topical rather than chronological. There area number of things to show or tell you and this seemed the most practical way to approach it.
Orphan Trains
In Concordia, Kansas there is a small museum called the National Orphan Train Complex. Between 1854 and 1929 some 200,000 orphans and homeless children from the mean streets of the large eastern cities (mainly New York) were sent across the country by charities to new homes. The trains that carried them became known as Orphan Trains. Concordia was typical of the small towns where the children were sent.
This post is topical rather than chronological. There area number of things to show or tell you and this seemed the most practical way to approach it.
Orphan Trains
In Concordia, Kansas there is a small museum called the National Orphan Train Complex. Between 1854 and 1929 some 200,000 orphans and homeless children from the mean streets of the large eastern cities (mainly New York) were sent across the country by charities to new homes. The trains that carried them became known as Orphan Trains. Concordia was typical of the small towns where the children were sent.
An Orphan Girl Awaiting Her New Family
It is estimated that at least 1 of every 25 Americans is related to a child who was relocated on the orphan trains. Perhaps you have someone — a parent, grandparent, or even great-grandparent who was an orphan train child. It won’t hurt to ask.
Linda In Front Of The Orphan Train Museum
Americana
Whenever we travel we are in search of Americana, and on this trip we have definitely been successful! In Blue Earth, MN we came upon the Jolly Green Giant — all 55 feet of him. He is at the mid-point of I-90 which is the longest Interstate Highway, running from Boston to Seattle.
Whenever we travel we are in search of Americana, and on this trip we have definitely been successful! In Blue Earth, MN we came upon the Jolly Green Giant — all 55 feet of him. He is at the mid-point of I-90 which is the longest Interstate Highway, running from Boston to Seattle.
Jolly Green Giant
Blue Earth, Minnesota
Blue Earth, Minnesota
If the giants aren’t quite your thing, how about Spam? Believe it or not, there’s an entire museum dedicated to Spam, and of course we had to stop for a visit. The photo below proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither of us has any pride whatsoever.
Linda, Spammy, Don
Not enough Americana for you? How about these two items? Here is a statue of Hiawatha along the Mississippi in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is there for no apparent reason other than some guy in town made it and took it down to the park. And here’s Linda standing beside Paul Bunyan outside his restaurant in Wisconsin Dells.
Hiawatha
Linda And Paul Bunyon
Wind Power
I read recently that wind is now over 3 percent of our nation’s electricity. West Texas leads the nation in windpower, but we have sure seen many windmills on this trip. The photo below was taken in Minnesota where some of the windmill farms extended as far the eye could see. They sure beat oil spills! By the way, BP has a lot of service stations in this area, and sometimes I have to a go bit out of the way so I don’t have to buy their gas.
I read recently that wind is now over 3 percent of our nation’s electricity. West Texas leads the nation in windpower, but we have sure seen many windmills on this trip. The photo below was taken in Minnesota where some of the windmill farms extended as far the eye could see. They sure beat oil spills! By the way, BP has a lot of service stations in this area, and sometimes I have to a go bit out of the way so I don’t have to buy their gas.
Minnesota Wind Power
Flowers
Here are some photos of flowers I took at a lovely little garden called Riverside Friendship Park in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. If these were birds, I would have put names on each photo. Unfortunately, the only thing I can tell you about these flowers is that they are pretty. You can enjoy the slideshow right here or click the logo in the lower right corner to see full size photos.
Here are some photos of flowers I took at a lovely little garden called Riverside Friendship Park in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. If these were birds, I would have put names on each photo. Unfortunately, the only thing I can tell you about these flowers is that they are pretty. You can enjoy the slideshow right here or click the logo in the lower right corner to see full size photos.
Who knows exactly what will be in the next post, but I strongly suspect it will be about the Wisconsin Dells.
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