Checking out the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena

Linda and I have been wanting to see some of the other USHL venues and, being in Cedar Rapids, we stopped in to see them play. When we walked into the arena, the flashing green lights on the police officer's glasses were pretty amusing. The number eight Budweiser car Dale Earnhardt Junior drove at Martinsville in the spring was on display and attracted a decent crowd.

Very early in the first period, the referee took a shot from the puck or stick that drew blood under his left eye. There was a significant stoppage as medical staff worked to get the bleeding stopped so that play could continue. Soon, the game was back on but we checked from time to time.

The game went well and the home RoughRiders got off to a good start against the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. The RoughRiders won four to three but the game was in doubt as the final minutes were winding down. One of the Cedar Rapids traditions is to rattle their cow bells during the last minute of each period; that's some kinda racket!

It was fun to see a new arena and see a good game to boot!

Trying the Ribs at Al and Irene's

Linda and I pulled up in front of Al and Irene's and trusted the list of 100 Things You Must Eat In Iowa. Located a bit off the beaten path and without much exterior promotion, the place looked a little sketchy. When we walked inside, we still had concerns that we were in the right place. Half of the tables still had upside down chairs on them, apparently from close the night before. There were a dozen or so people in the booths and tables set up for customers but Linda observed none of them had food or drink. Nobody came to seat us so we made our way to a booth on the far wall. Soon a waitress, probably Irene, brought menus and shortly returned to take our order. We each ordered ribs and I got the cole slaw and potato salad sides.

As you can probably make out from the impressionist photo (sorry about the blurry image,) a very nice pile of meaty, tasty ribs was soon set before me. About half way through, Linda and I were both grateful we'd chosen the mild sauce. At first, we'd only been aware of the sweetness; as time went on, a little zing had begun to work it's way into the flavor. Not so much as to be uncomfortable but as much as we were really looking for tonight. I'd certainly go back to Al and Irene's.

Shooting the Buchanan County Courthouse

Independence is the county seat of Buchanan County and this is their courthouse... and miniature Statue of Liberty. As Linda and I drove up to the courthouse to find a good angle to shoot, I realized, with a laugh, I'd already shot this courthouse!

On the way home from Wisconsin a few weeks ago, Linda and I had passed through Independence and I was just getting started shooting the courthouses. As we were preparing for this road trip, I'd not really checked to see if we'd seen this one yet. I hadn't published the photo because it was night and the shot was kind of fuzzy but I've got one. Now, I've got a better one.

Shooting the Vinton Carnegie Library

This attractive building is the Carnegie library in Vinton. The trees in the front do obscure the facade but are surely appreciated in the heat of summer.

Linda and I stepped inside to see if this design differed significantly from others we'd encountered. It was very nicely maintained and ordered inside. A few people were in the various quadrants of the library, reading or working with computers. The magazine and periodical section, empty at the moment, looked very comfortable and inviting.

Having been in a few of these libraries now, I've built sense of the design idea that has been consistent throughout. They're not spaces with strict order and regimen and rows and rows of shelves you slip between; rather a place to quietly experience books, with walls lined with shelves open to all, with comfortable chairs and open, lit spaces. Very nice.

Shooting the Benton County Courthouse

Vinton is the county seat of Benton County and this is their courthouse. This handsome courthouse is located near the center of a very well maintained historic business district bustling with activity as we passed through. I'd never been to Vincent and was very impressed with how well maintained things appeared and how much of the old mainstreet look and feel had been preserved while interiors were clearly updated with varied and active businesses.

Pausing at the Preston Station

Driving east out of Tama, Linda asked if I'd ever been to Belle Plaine. When I said I hadn't, she said she had something to show me. We followed the signs and were soon cruising into town. As we swept around the long arc of the highway, she pointed and said "There it is!"

It's the kind of place my Mom probably wondered if Dad, left to his own choices, might have made. Once a gas station, the Preston Station is now a landmark and museum along the Lincoln Highway. As you can see, the exterior has been pretty well covered with various signs from the times. The interior is every bit as plastered with great memorabilia of years gone by. Ron Preston, son of George, came out to show us his father's station and some some of the particulary nice pieces he'd accumulated. One of the prized items was a photo from George visiting with Johnny Carson, March 21, 1990, on the Tonight Show.

Next door to the station in the photo is another building, every bit as covered in signs, that houses several other items too large to fit in the station itself. Ron opened the doors to show us a few of them. It was quite a treat to get the tour and hear a few of the tales.

Stumbling onto "The Main Street Across America"

Following our noses south out of Toledo, Linda and I found ourselves in the twin community of Tama looking for their Carnegie library. The address I had turned out to be their current library so that was a bust but ...

Out front of the new library was the concrete post you can see in the image in the lower left. The medallion embedded in the concrete is captured in the center image; the inscription reads "This highway dedicated to Abraham Lincoln." Curiouser and curiouser. As we left the library, I saw an oddly painted telephone pole (wonder how much longer we'll be calling them that!) It had the same red, white, and blue striping as on the side of the concrete post and the same blue 'L' on the white. Having run into a similar use of poles with the White Pole Road, we had a clue.

We stayed on the street with the pole and soon came across the very unique concrete bridge shown in the upper and lower images. The side rails were formed to spell out "Lincoln Highway." Nearby was a plaque with the following inscription:

The Historic "Lincoln Highway" Bridge

This bridge, constructed in 1915, was an early advertisement for the Lincoln Highway, which was the first successful effort to mark, promote, and build an automobile highway spanning the United States. Initiated in 1913 as a memorial to the martyred president, the Lincoln Highway linked Iowa to both coasts and crossed the state by way of Tama. Motorists today can travel the original route through the city by following signs that begin at the bridge and continue west on 5th Street. Guard rails spelling out the name on both sides make this a unique bridge on the Lincoln Highway. On March 30, 1978, the briedge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and community donations paid for its restoration in 1987. It stands as a dramatic reminder of a time when few roads were paved and the campaign to "Get out of the mud" had just begun.

We'd stumbled across the Lincoln Highway! Another nice find!

Shooting the Tama County Courthouse

Toledo is the county seat of Tama County and this is their courthouse. Located in the square at the center of the business district, it's atop a hill a couple blocks off the main highway north through town. The grounds are well tended and an interesting bandstand type stage is prominent on the east side. I'm guessing that certain ceremonial functions may be performed atop that structure.

Trying Cecil's Cafe

Before leaving Marshalltown, Linda and I thought we should try a place mentioned on the RoadFood web site, Cecil's Cafe. A number of items mentioned on the site had been on the list of 100 Foods; RoadFood recommended the tenderloin and omlette so we figured we'd give them a shot. It's not really the kind of place I felt comfortable taking a photo of the food so you'll have to take my word.

Linda said the tenderloin was good but not better than most we've had. The ham and cheese omlette, on the other hand, was noteworthy. The ham wasn't the little cubes you commonly find amongst the folded egg; this ham was nickel sized, thick sliced, and coated with that carmelized layer that forms when it's slowly fried in a pan. It was GREAT! We'll be back.

Checking out Lillie Mae's

Linda and I took a little walk around the Marshalltown square and ran across Lillie Mae Chocolates, a great little chocolate shop. Just walking through the door was a flavorful experience. We wandered around a bit, looking at all the various offerings. Of course, they had a nice selection of fudge and we got to sample a flavor or two. I ended up getting about an inch cube of their caramel apple pie flavored fudge; I think it even had bits of apple mixed throughout.

One of the fun finds was the woman in the red top you can just see behind the glass case at the far end of the room. She was hand dipping the truffles! To her left was a small collection of what appeared to be nougat fillings. She picked up one with her left hand and tossed it into a pool of molten chocolate in front of her. With her chocolate covered right hand, she rolled and tossed the candy until it was covered. She then moved it to an area to her right where she traced the well practiced pattern the put the identifying swirl on top so people knew it was cherry.

Their signature Tor-Tush is their spin on the turtle. It's a tasty variation on the classic treat.

Shooting the Marshalltown Carnegie Library

The Carnegie funded library is still getting good use in Marshalltown. Located about a block north of the town square, it's a nice part of the neighborhood. Linda and I stepped inside to see the interior and it's clearly a well used and nicely maintained structure. It's neat to see one of these libraries still serving the community.

Shooting the Marshall County Courthouse

Marshalltown is the county seat of Marshall County and this is their courthouse. Located on a hill in the center of the business district of the community, it was easy to find. This shot is actually of the east side of the building but the main entrance appears to be on the north. The position of the sun made this shot my preferred.

Shooting the Story County Courthouse

Nevada is the county seat of Story County and this is their courthouse. Located on the edge of the main business district, this courthouse was easy to find.

I'd never been to Nevada but did know the proper pronunciation. For those not familiar, it's not like the state with the same spelling. The 'a' between the 'v' and 'd' is a long 'a' as in 'way.'

Reporting the Phoenix Results

#2 Overdue 206 vs 354 #3 Desert Denny
#5 Blue Bayou 403 vs 470 #1 Bear Down Racing
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 447 vs 290 #4 halffastracing

I'm in a three way tie heading into the last race of the season!

#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 22-13
#5 Blue Bayou 20-15
#1 Bear Down Racing 18-17
#2 Overdue 18-17
#4 halffastracing 18-17
#3 Desert Denny 9-26

Trying a Sifers Valomilk Candy

Somewhere, Linda ran across a list of regional candies. Sifers Valomilk is one of these candies. She also ran across a display of the uncommon candies at a local grocery and picked one up so we could have the experience. The wrapper looks like it could have been left unchanged over the life of the treat.

Reading from their website, I found:

The "creamy flowing marshmallow center is made from fresh corn syrup, pure cane sugar, distilled water, pan dried (hand made) egg whites, pure Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar and a touch of salt. Nothing artificial. No additives. No preservatives."

It's my understanding that while these may make the candy more attractive, it also makes for a short shelf life, contributing to a pretty limited production and availability. Fortunately, we got to try one. They're a bit messy but pretty good.

Sending off the Drake Football Seniors

Saturday, Linda and I enjoyed a crisp fall day at Drake Stadium watching the last game the seniors were going to be playing as Bulldogs. The season that had started with Drake as a contender ended with them playing the role of spoiler. The Dayton Flyers came to town in a three way tie at the top of the Pioneer conference. When all the pushing and shoving was done, the Flyers locked it up winning 34-27. Along the way, senior standout Scott Phaydavong closed the book on his career with 5,830 yards in 925 carries. Very nice! Many of the senior names had become familiar and will be missed next year.

Heading Home

I attended as much of the last session that I could before catching my shuttle to catch my plane. From that point on, it was hurry up and wait.

Sunrise was pretty. The light on the palm trees made for an interesting contrast against the brightening sky.

Looking back at my pictures, I see that it was an uncommon day for me: I saw two monorails in use. Both Orlando and Detroit use monorails at their airports. I rode on the pale yellow Orlando monorail train in the lower right image. The bright red train in the center image on the right wasn't really going where I was so I only got to watch it glide by overhead. Pretty cool!

The light show in the lower right image is found in the tunnel between concourses in Detroit. It's a pretty pleasing display.

Strolling around Orlando

Our last evening in town, two co-workers and I decided to get out to do a little roaming and shopping at one of the Disney themed areas. It was pretty amazing. As you can see, there were some pretty impressive Lego sculptures around, several places to eat, be entertained or both, and to pick up mass quantities of things to bring home. We wandered the area, got a bite to eat at Wolfgang Puck's, and picked up a few bits of memorabilia.

Spending Halloween at SeaWorld

Having looked around my hotel enough, I spent the evening at SeaWorld. It was my first time there so I didn't really know what to expect. It was a very memorable treat.

One of the things I'd long heard was a great show was the killer whales. One was scheduled for about thirty minutes after I passed through the gates so I made my way there. The show was titled Believe and was an impressive display of training, trust, and treats. I'd seen video of parts of these shows before but it was really touching to see how the performers all interact so well.

Of course, what's Halloween without costumes and candies? Sea World did an excellent job of positioning people in water related costumes around the grounds, many with cleverly disguised barrels of candies for the kids... and were there kids?! You were never really far from someone under the age of ten but it never really felt crowded to me. It was a very nice promotion.

I didn't put my hand in the water to touch the stingrays. People do ... Steve Irwin did... but not at Sea World.

The underwater viewing of the dolphins was pretty cool but very dark for photography. I was able to pull the lower left image out of the darkness to share a little of the playful nature on display.

The penguins are always good for a photo or two.

The hotel concierge had recommended the Shamu Rocks show as one of the favorite attractions. It was scheduled for the last half hour of the park day and seemed like it could be a nice way to wrap up the evening. I headed over and a block away could hear the crowd and feel the anticipation. This show was after dark and set to some pretty fun classic rock and roll music. Some of the same tricks were performed as in the earlier show but, in the dark, they had a new excitement. Unfortunately, the low light made photography more challenging but I think you get the idea of the presentation.

Looking around the hotel ... again

I know... I've already had a "Looking around the Hotel" entry for this hotel. There's just not much more going on... other than the sessions during the day and those aren't really blog material.

The weather was affected by the tropical storm a few hundred miles away. It was generally windy and overcast. The photo in the top left is probably the best I have for showing the effects of the wind.

The image in the upper right is part of the collection of towels on hand for people using the pool. Both images in the lower half are from near the pool as well. As you can see in the lower right, it did clear off from time to time.