The
United States of America
California
June
3, 2000 -- California here I come, right back where I started
from! Hey, we stopped off at Susan and Andrew Deax-Kierns to
play with Baby Clara, and then we started up I-80, ahh, beautiful
I-80!
Nevada
June
3, 2000 -- Outside of Sparks, we stopped off at a truck stop,
and on the menu, under the International section, and there was
the exotic Chinese Broccoli and Beef, and Japanese Chicken Teriyaki,
Lasagna, oooh, tell me more about this, Lasagna, and finally,
Spaghetti and meatballs. I say we take it, I say, officially,
spaghetti and meatballs is an AMERICAN DISH! Who's with me!
Utah
June 4, 2000 -- Woke up in scenic Wendover! Oh, what a beautiful
morning, oh what a beautiful day. Laura saw the Great Salt Flats
and she was impressed! Ate at the Salt Flats Cafe, very nice.
Aaron had oatmeal.
Wyoming
June
4, 2000 -- Little America, we stopped and washed the windows.
And remember, the distance between Little America and Laramie
is a long, long way.
On our way to Minnesota, we stopped at Aaron's childhood vacation spot, scenic Guernsey, Wyoming. And we took some pictures. We also stopped at Register Cliff, where pioneers signed their names throughout the 19th century. And I think our trip is going to be rough! It is amazing to think that all these people, 55,000 left to find new opportunities and a better home out here in the west. Five thousand died along the way.
Aaron on the shore of Sandy Beach
Laura at Brimmer Point, the lake in the background
Colorado
This
is where we were! Aaron's homeland, where he grew up. If you
want pictures, well, we have pictures! Click on the links to
go to the pictures! My mom still has to work, unlucky her, but
we got to play!
This is Aaron's parents house,
This is Aaron and Laura in love
A
quiet dinner...
Aaron's old gang, some of them anyway
Illinois
June
9 - June 12, Springfield, Illinois, Laura's family reunion. Lots
of relatives! Do you want a list? Let's just attack this by name
then...
Sister Thomas - it was her fiftieth anniversary as a Catholic
Nun
Uncle
Tom - He came with former wife Juanita, and then all of his kids.
He had five kids, Cathy, Maria (husband Mark, daughter Elizabeth),
Ken (wife Lisa, son Andy, daughter Katherine, daughter Julia),
Charlie
Aunt Rose - married to Laura's uncle Bob who has passed. Rose
has six kids, four of which showed up, Bob and Joni couldnt'
make it. Rose's kids here, Andy (with wife Lola), Clara, Ann,
Tom (wife Janice, son James)
Aunt Anita - came with husband Bill, kids are Bill (wife Jerri, son Miller, son Jacob, son Nathan, son Drew), Laurie (daughter Faith), Bobby
Carol - Laura's mom, brought Laura, Julie, and Aaron showed up at some point
Yeah, lots of Bills, Andrews, and Julies
South Dakorta
Hot Springs, South Dakota is
a nice little town, but Laura and I don't think we'll be moving
there just yet. Wyoming is pretty, I think, but I have to agree
that once you get out of Wyoming, the views get more scenic.
South Dakota was nice, more trees, hilly and forested, and we
tore through and saw Mount Rushmore. We were only fifteen miles
away! We ate the Flying J Truck Stop, and then started across
the Badlands. We'd like to go back.
After a night in the Motel 6 at Mitchell, we got in around midnight, we stopped at the Corn Palace and after we saw the sign, at Laura Ingalls Wilder's family home in De Smit, South Dakota, named after the famous Jesuit missionary priest. The Ingalls family moved a lot, and Pa looked a helluva lot rougher than Michael Landon. They ended up in De Smit, where Laura met her husband and moved. We saw a real Sod house, and Laura got to pet a little pony. A lot of wind!
Aaron and Laura at Mount Rushmore
At the Corn Palace (God bless, Thomas Yohn)
Minnesota
Foley
Fun Days ended with a parage and we showed up right on time!
The marching bands were great, the food good, and Dennis, Laura's
dad, had two brothers in the parade. One was the king, Al, the
other took a wrong turn and drove behind the Coborn's float,
and we cheered them on. Speaking of food, we had Funnel Cakes,
Walking Taco's, and Cheese Curds. A little description is order.
Take a bag of nacho cheese Dorritos, cut it in half length ways,
add some seasoned meat, lettuce, nacho cheese salse, some onions
and salsa and you have a walking taco. Funnel cakes, well, they
are like the purist form of doughnut. They take batter and pour
it directly into the grease, and then take out the grease saturated
dough and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Some call it
elephant ears, some call it heaven, some call it heart trouble.
Finally, a cheese curd is deep fried cheese. Good eats!
The next morning we went to Jax at around 11:00 and yeah, after the feast the other night, we ate some more with more of the Lewandowski clan. Laura's dad, was the youngest of thirteen kids. Six, including Dennis are still alive. Irene, Tom, and Norbert were at the table, along with Tom's wife Opal. We chatted until 3:00 and then we went to visit Norbert's wife Florence at Coborns, the local grocery store. I bought Ding-Dongs. Norbert was in the South Pacific during World War 2, and he told us some old war stories. He was on the beaches of Okinawa, and was handy with a flame thrower. Unbelievable. Dennis grew up in a different world, and to think, this farm boy was fighting the Japanese across the world while his brothers worked the farm.
Laura and I collapsed today after fishing. In true Lewandowski fashion, we have been going too hard, and tonight we have a little break. We fished today, caught thirty-three Sunfish, three Bullhead, cleaned them, ate them, and now we take a break. We're helping Dennis move out of his brother's house, and Al Lewandowski, well, he had quite a collection of things, and Dennis has added his own managerie to the pile. We worked on Saturday cleaning out the house, and we made quite a dent.
Yesterday was a day of visiting, yesterday being Sunday, June 26, 2000. We visited with relatives, and then Laura and I went to see July at her new job. It's very cool. She works as a live action character in a refurbished 1900's home. The skeeters ate us up, but we took pictures and July showed us around. Saw some fancy stoves, and really, we saw how Dennis grew up, in a house, no electricity, no indoor plumbing, lots of kids, lots of work. Laura and I joked, say to each other that someday they'll have a traditional 1980's suburban home. "Why did they wear gaskets on their wrists? Why the alligator on the shirt? New Wave is centuries old, how did they think it was New Wave?"
Pictures follow:
Tommy, Denny, and Me. My father-in-law and his brother.
Sisters in front of the Minnesota River
Laura and Aaron finished off the trip in Minneapolis, with Nancy and Henry. Nancy was married to Herman, one of Dennis' many brothers, and she and Henry were wonderful! Aaron got to see his old friend Peter and his girlfriend Kim, and it was just a lot of fun, all the way around! Aaron also got to spend time with his brother and his girlfriend Nancy! What a treat!
Brother Scott and another Nancy
After the first grueling month, Aaron and Laura are back in Santa Clara, getting ready for the next phase of the trip. Boxes everywhere, details abounding, they are just on the cusp of their true adventure. Click here to see the main page, then check out their itinerary to see where they are off to next.