Carl Henning

Sometimes small museums in small towns can surprise you with the content. There were two today: Eastern Arizona Museum and Historical Society and Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Museum. The former in downtown Pima, AZ (west of Safford) and the latter in Lordsburg, NM. Yes, we’re on the road again, going places that we’ve never been.

Our epic 2018 Summer journey is over. We’re back home after 54 days away from Phoenix’ heat. Some milestones are presented.

Roadtrippers app also showed us the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, KS. A must-stop for a baseball fan. I’ve had a long fascination with the Negro Leagues and especially its premier pitcher, Satchel Paige. He finally made it to the majors late in life, becoming the leagues oldest rookie. Bill Veeck, the Cleveland owner signed him and provided a rocking chair for him in the bullpen.

On February 3, 1959 an airplane crashed in a snow-covered Iowa cornfield. The pilot and three singers perished in the crash. Today, a gravel road north of Clear Lake has a place to pull over at an oversized pair of black-rim glasses. A quarter mile path through the cornfield ends at the spot where the plane crashed. A small memorial reminds us the Buddy Holley, Rickie Valens, and the Big Bopper died here with pilot Roger Peterson.

There’s a SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota. Who knew? The lady at the Minnesota Welcome Center knew. And said it’s the second most visited site in Minnesota (after The Mall). We were in Minnesota because we took a detour on the way home so Kay could claim her 50th state. I already had mine and had been to Minnesota for work (and Twins’ games) a couple times.

Next time you’re passing through Elkhart, IN, visit the National New York Central Railroad Museum; we did. I’ve never visited a train museum with this much rolling stock and I’ve visited more than a few. Don’t miss the video.

Rutherford B. Hayes was, of course, the 19th president of the US, serving from 1877 to 1881. He had promised to only serve only one term. He had been an officer in the Union army and was wounded five times. He was finally confirmed three days before the inauguration in The Compromise of 1877.

We had time to visit another waterfall before visiting the railroad museum in Saluda, NC at the “top of the grade.”.

Bill and Mary took us on a tour of The North Carolina Arboretum and the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway with a stop at the Folk Art Center where several purchases were made strictly to support the arts.

A guided tour of beautiful downtown Jonesboro, TN was provided by Torsten and Caitlin (who did not want to leave). I took a number of photos but I’m just going with one.