A very exciting day of travel...

Monday...whew!...the days are just flying by!...I had a bit of trouble today...evidently I left one of my many hook-up wires at the last motel..(where ever that was?)..it was the power cord to repower the battery in my camera...and I would be at a great loss without it...so, We hunted all around the city of Dixon..and believe it or not Wallmart came to the rescue! However we spent a good deal of the morning before the problem was solved...and then we visited the Boyhood Home of President Reagan...The little big town of Dixon is really a very thriving community...and of course they pay great homage to their most important personage...His image and name is all over!...The home in which he lived as a boy was a rental when he was there...and it of course was totally renovated...but yet retaining it's appearance to what it was when he was resident there..In fact I saw a video of a Homecoming he had there several years before he died, when he remarked.."if the house looked this good when I lived here..I probably would never have left"!....He was a real hometown boy...and relished it...He made several remarks as to how indebted he was to his former teachers...and later identified that to them...A story we heard however that he was somewhat michevious..and on one 4th of July...despite knowing that Fireworks were illegal to use in the town, he threw a large torpedo near the prominent mid-city bridge..."threw a perfect strike"...and was immediately picked up by the Police!...His father had to pay $14.85 in fine...and he was appropriately reprimanded... He played on the local football team...and also played football with neighborhood nkids on the side lawn of the house...His mother was devout and a member of the 1st Christian church...taught Sunday school and he and his mother attended services there, while his older brother (Moon) and his father attended the Catholic church.. There were 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor...and he and his brother slept in the same bed in one of them...His parents had thier bedroom and the third on was utilized as as a sewing room where she frequently had her customers come up for their fittings while she altered their clothing....He was the Drum Major in the local mYMCA band and marched in town in their parades...and his real clim to fame was when he served as a Lifeguard some distance from their home at Lowell Beach Park which was on the large adjacent river...He was credited during his service period to have saved 77 lives!...demonstrating "quick decision..and following rapid action"!...That seems to be a good quality to be President...doesn't it? Both of his parents were very liberal and ndemonstrated no prejudicial behavior, ...at one time when a regional baseball team came to plaqy his team in town...their were 2 black players on it and the local Hotel would not permit to stay ther...so...he invited them to stay at his home understanding that it would be perfectly acceptable to his parents!...I bought books...and took lots of pictures...you wil;l see them, I promise!

Next, we drove abot 60-70 miles to Galena, Illinois to visit Grant's Home there...
As you know Daras and I have as our prime purpose to pay homage to all the Presidents that have served to enable this country to prosper...but, we found as we drove along...that we were equally impressed with what a great country this really is!...Just the trip so far has taken us thru so much variety of topography and scenery that we are just about speechless...today was one of those days...Yesterday we drove thru miles and miles and miles of rolling countryside viewing huge green fields of corn,,for as far as you could see in all directions...it was interspersed just a tiny bit with an occasional field of soy beans...and virtually no cattle grazing....we wondered what they did with all that corn...Today was no different...the farms were magnificient..the homes on them were large..kept in immaculate condition..and the Silos right next to thm were huge and bright and shiny silver....It gave the overall appearance of prosperity....We could not believe the amount of corn fields...and in speaking to my daughter Jan, swhe mentioned that she had recently read a book that raised the same questions...This truly is the "Breadbasket of the USA"...and probably the world...It makes you wonder how sinful it was for our pioneer population to force the Native Americans...more and more westward...apparently robbing them of the opportunity to continue living in their homestead... Maybe someday, I'll get the explanation as to why??? My daughter suggested that these farmers are being subsidized by our Gov ernment to grow this surplus of corn...and Cattle and Chickens have been trained to eat it as food nrather than their usual menu of grass??...and I wonder if all these corn crops have been planted to prepare for our proposed Ethanol use as fuel fo our cars??....maybe?? BUt the sight is beautiful....and then as we continued northwood to the most northwestern part of Illinois, near the Minnesota border, the terrain changed rather abruptly...It became extremelly hilly...the hills being like mountains high on the ridges and we found that this area is the highest point in Illinois...The sight looking far down on the farms and small villages m the valleys was breathtaking...and reinforced our gratitude of being able to live in such a wonderful country!....Maybe it was the height and the rarified air that made us both feel it...but ...so be it!
Galena is a bustling, little city with the Historic area being a tourist haven!...All the properties apparently conformed to remaining in the same Victorian like period...and there were an ample number of quality restaurants, cafes and boutiques to nsatisfy every need,,,, Grant's Home which he lived in after the Civil War was given to him by the local citizenry...completely furnished..in appreciation of the success he had during the Civil War...His father had a Tannery ther prior to tthe war also...where he had been employede...but hated the work...The Civil War saved him from that fate...He used the House as today's Presidents use Camp David. When he became President he would return periodically....The house was large and almost all the furnishings are original...I was permitted Picture taking...so I did!

We left to drive southwest into Iowa..after crossing the river and the reverse scening occurred ..
We drove to the Hoover Museum in West Branch, Iowa...after closing...found suitable lodging...and are looking forward to getting to know Herbert Hoover...This will be the 6th National Archive Presidential Museum...leaving 6 more to visit!.....See you tomorrow...and I apoligize for being so wordy...but it deserved it!