The first destination on our 2023 Fall Adventure was Marshfield, Missouri, where our daughter, Laura, and her family had settled into their new home. Her hope chest didn’t fit in their moving pod when her husband, Chris, loaded up their belongings, so we volunteered to deliver it. We’d figure out where to go and what to see after the delivery once we made the 7-day trek.
We hit the road on Friday, September 8, 2023. After our awful experience with Interstate 40 during the spring, we opted for highways 50 and 70, also referred to as the Loneliest Road in America.
First stop Fallon Nevada. Thank goodness we missed the deluge that disrupted the Burning Man event 120 miles to the north of us. Then on to Ely Nevada. The wide shoulder outside Austin, Nevada, was a perfect place to take a break. I would have preferred to walk over and explore the gravesites and monuments at the nearby Austin Cemetery. Instead, I snapped a shot from afar. The cemetery earned distinction on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Jon bundled the hope chest inside blankets, covered it with a tarp, and secured it to the rear hitch rack.
Austin Cemetery
We stopped in Eureka, Nevada, and ate delicious giant burgers at the Owl Club Bar and Steakhouse for lunch. I noticed a recurring theme of red paint with white trim on buildings around town. I imagined a group of people with ladders, brushes, and rollers roaming around, painting the town red.
Owl Club Bar and Steakhouse
Eureka historic buildings
Closed sign on the tourist information door.
1879 Court House
The beautiful canyon we drove through from Ely to Green River nearly made me cry. The painted cliffs in rust and orange and yellow were every bit as majestic from the passenger seat as it would have been up close.
On the way to our next stop, we encountered a contrast to the terrain from what we saw in Utah. The Utah rock gave way to cliffs clothed in grasses, bushes, and trees.
And then we gawked at the architectural genius that skirted the cliff like a tutu. Was it really westbound Interstate 70 up there?
Whoa, is that the interstate?
On paper, Denver West/City Center KOA seemed an easy side trip to avoid afternoon traffic in the big city. If I’d only known about the altitude, I might have chosen another location. While Denver sits at an elevation of 5,280 feet, the KOA is nearly 8,500 feet. Although we both had trouble navigating the hill from and to the fifth wheel and the store, it was the hot steamy shower that did me in. The combination of the steam and altitude had me gasping for breath. Note to self, don’t take a steamy hot shower in high altitude.
The hill to the store was steeper than it looks here
On September 12, 2023, we selected Wakeeney, Kansas, for our next stop, halfway between Denver and Kansas City.
We cut it close—I was driving, so I should say I cut it close—the next day when we (I) pulled into the fuel station with only 1.12 gallons of diesel left in the tank. Yikes!
While eating a late breakfast, at Cracker Barrel of course, we discussed finding a spot to stay the night or continue on to Marshfield, Missouri. The back-to-back long drives had worn me down, so I voted to press forward and make our trip six days instead of seven. Jon preferred to park and start off early in the morning. Trading off driving duty made it possible for us to make it all the way through. We won’t do that again soon. Seven hours on the map usually means eight or nine hours after stopping for food and fuel.
As the sun dropped below the horizon, we pulled into C&L Homestead and placed the trailer beside Chris’ workshop. I was so thankful we pushed through because we had two weeks ahead of us without packing and moving down the highway.
Finally, C & L Homestead
Up Next: A look around the homestead and the local area.
Our last post was on December 5, 2023, which featured our visit to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum during our Spring Adventure. Jon’s hernia surgery, my broken arm, and various medical appointments limited my time at the keyboard for several weeks. I’ve been playing catchup ever since. A word of caution: Jetways may be slippery when wet, so hang onto the handrails.
Now, on to this week’s post. A short one as we get back into the groove.
We headed from Salina, Kansas, on May 1, 2023, and traveled to the Goodland, Kansas, KOA. We arrived early enough to poke around close by. Goodland’s claim to fame is the “Big Easel,” a reproduction of van Gogh’s painting “Three Sunflowers in a Vase” by Cameron Cross. At 80 feet tall, it is known as the World’s Largest Easel, according to the World Record Academy.
The Big Easel
Down the road is the High Plains Museum, operated by the City of Goodland. Artifacts include items donated, such as a replica of the first patented helicopter, the Goodland’s Flying Machine co-invented by William J. Purvis and Charles E. Wilson.
Replica of first helicopter to receive a patent
The displays also included a 1902 Holsman Auto owned and driven by Dr. A. C. Gulick, a Sherman County Physician. The car is missing a few safety features compared to our modern vehicles.
1902 Holsman Auto
Dioramas reflect the town as it might have appeared during its founding, along with various machinery, equipment, and household goods.
One of many dioramas
Next door to the KOA sits a historic farmhouse under renovation. I wondered who once lived there and who might live there again some day. According to the owner, they bought the house 37 miles away and moved it to its new location. She was out watering the trees, which were not doing well because of the drought in the area.
Historic home under renovation
If we pass through this area again, we might stay more than one night and take in other roadside and historical sites. I hear the Giant Grasshopper made from tractor parts is a must see quirky tourist sight.
As we approached the Dwight David Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum on April 29, 2023, I tried to remember what I had learned about this man. Only three tidbits popped up: 1) he was a military general, 2) had something to do with the country’s interstate system, 3) and his nickname was Ike.
Eisenhower had been my president for the first eight years of my life as I obliviously watched Romper Room, donned my cowgirl outfit—complete with pistol, holster, and boots—and later played with my Barbie. I also attended Eisenhower Junior-Senior High School in my hometown. Go Eagles! Shouldn’t I have learned more about the man, at some point? Maybe I did and don’t remember, or maybe I didn’t because my dislike of World War II history never held my interest.
Eisenhower as a young boy
Here are the highlights of what I learned about the president that polls rank in the top 10 of all presidents. As with all the presidential museums we’ve visited, we walked through Ike’s life, starting with his boyhood.
Dwight David Eisenhower (nicknamed Ike) was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas. His family moved to Abilene, Kansas, in 1892, where Dwight lived with his parents and five brothers.
Ike entered West Point on June 14, 1911, and graduated on June 12, 1915, as a Second Lieutenant. Although he didn’t make the baseball team, he played varsity football as a halfback until a knee injury ended his sports career.
Ike, the West Point graduate
In October 1915 while stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Eisenhower met Mamie Geneva Doud while visiting friends in San Antonio. Was it fate she and her Denver, Colorado, family had rented a house in San Antonio for the winter? Dwight’s and Mamie’s romance was a whirlwind, announcing their engagement on February 14, 1916, and married by July 1, 1916. They had two boys, the first of which died of scarlet fever within four months. The military family moved extensively from post to post until World War II broke out and Mamie settled in at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.
Fun Fact: Dwight David Eisenhower II, Ike’s and Mammie’s grandson, is married to Julie Nixon, Richard and Pat Nixon’s daughter. Richard Nixon was Eisenhower’s vice president.
Dresses worn by Mamie during Eisenhower’s presidency
Between 1915 and 1922, Eisenhower served in the Infantry and Tank Corps, earning promotions along the way. In 1919, he volunteered to participate as a Tank Corps observer in the First Transcontinental Motor Convoy. The lack of roads that could accommodate the heavy equipment the Army moved across the country made the task difficult.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Eisenhower racked up promotion after promotion while serving in various posts under the command of several generals. Then, on December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor dragged the US into World War II.
The War Years
In May 1942, Eisenhower was designated Commanding General, European Theater, London England. By November 1942, he was named Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, North Africa. In December 1943, he was appointed Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces and commanded forces of the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944.
On December 20, 1944, promoted to General of the Army with 5 stars and after the German surrender on May 8, 1945, he was appointed Military Governor, US Occupied Zone, Frankfurt, Germany.
He held the position of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in Europe and had operational command of US forces in Europe from December 1950 to July 1952.
In Abilene, Kansas, on June 4, 1952, Eisenhower announced his candidacy for the Republican party nomination for president. He won the nomination and the presidency against Adlai Stevenson II and beat Stevenson again for a second term.
Campaign memorabilia
During Eisenhower’s presidency, the economy boomed. I suspect the pent up demand after the bans, restrictions, and rationing during the war had as much of a hand in the bounce back as the president in office did.
From 1950 to 1960, the number of cars on the road increased by nearly 22 million and home ownership increased from 55% to 62%
Eisenhower occasionally drove the car below. It belonged to Mamie’s mother, Elivera Doud. It cost $4,300 when new and the driver could use either the front or rear seat controls.
1914 Rauch & Lang electric car
The National Interstate and Defence Highways Act (1956) was one of Eisenhower’s notable achievements as president. This display claims, “No public works project comes close to equaling its impact on the country’s economy, security, people, and culture.”
Map of projected Interstates by 1971
Eisenhower’s foreign policy focused on reducing military aid and preventing the spread of communism. These policies ended the fighting in Korea with the Korean Armistice Agreement signed in July 1953. They also increased the country’s nuclear weapons and delivery systems and prevented other countries from acquiring or using them against the US.
Eisenhower relied on secret CIA missions to fight communism in Southern Asia, South America, and the Caribbean instead of using the military. Some critics argue these actions have left the US with unresolved foreign policy issues that continue to cause havoc to this day.
Desegregation was another contentious issue his administration dealt with. Eisenhower continued President Truman’s orders to desegregate the federal workforce and armed forces. The Supreme Court decision in Brown vs the Board of Education, came down in 1954, which led to the Civil Rights bill.
The bill established a bipartisan congressional commission to investigate civil rights violations, created a civil rights division in the Department of Justice, and gave the Attorney General authority to pursue contempt proceedings against violators of civil and voting rights.
After exploring the museum, we took a break outside and discovered a statue of Eisenhower in the “Champion of Peace” circle. In the background are memorial pylons. Phrases on the pylons commemorate Eisenhower’s life from birth through presidency.
Across from the museum is the library building. During our visit, we found the Women’s Suffrage Centennial exhibit upstairs. It celebrated the women who campaigned for Eisenhower and those who served in his administration. His was the first presidential campaign to focus on the vote of women.
Library entrance
Eisenhower and troops in the library
Below is the chapel, or mausoleum, where Dwight and Mamie are buried.
Inside are quotes from Eisenhower’s speeches. The one on the back wall is from his Guildhall Address, London, June 12, 1945. It says, “Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in blood of his followers and sacrifices of his friends.”
Also outside is Eisenhower’s boyhood home, which we toured with a guide. Under the National Archives website, is a video tour of the house and historical detail for those who are interested.
Eisenhower painting of his boyhood home
A few photos of the surrounding area in Abilene, Kansas.
Is that Ben Franklin reading the paper?
Well, I finally learned about my first president and I’m not sure what to think. He impacted the country in positive ways when you consider he ended the Korean War, authorized the construction of the Interstates and signed the Civil Rights act, among other good deeds. Yet the use of the CIA for covert operations has left lasting damage to relationships with other countries.
Analyzing all of his actions to determine if Eisenhower deserves a top ten rating would require more research than I wanted to do. So I read the Farewell Speech he gave before leaving the White House. He made several points I found interesting and relatable to current affairs around the world and in today’s political climate:
1) He talked about how the President and Congress need to work together to find the best solutions to shape the nation’s future.
2) He said, “America’s leadership and prestige” does not rely only on our “unmatched material progress, richs and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment.”
3) He spoke at length about the buildup of the country’s military-industrial complex during the previous years and the importance to “guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” And he recognized that “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.”
4) On conservation, he said we must, “Avoid the impulse to live for today, plundering … the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”
And his parting prayer at the end of his speech asked for a utopia for the world I fear will never exist. However, that doesn’t mean we should stop striving for the dream.
“We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to diappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”
Reading the speech brought me closer to agreeing with Eisenhower’s ranking in the top ten of all presidents. I like how he laid out the threats to the country that existed then and gave warnings or advice about the future. And I’m sad more people didn’t pay attention.
Up Next: We stop in Goodland, Kansas, for a few days
The Traveling Todds 