To Iowa and beyond...

When we left Michigan and Indiana behind, we drove straight west all the way across Illinois.  Stopping only once to get out and stretch our legs...

...somewhere in Illinois...

...and get right back on the road.  It made for a late night, but we didn't stop until we were a good ways into Iowa. 

We had an educational destination in mind for the next day...the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.  Bright and early (and more than a little tired!) we headed out to make the most of our day...

The visitor center was a good one, lots of interesting things to see and read about.  We spent a good chunk of time in there before heading outside...

This place was so cute!  Such a picturesque little community...

We checked out the blacksmith shop...

...the church...

...and the tiny little house where Herbert Hoover was born...

After a fun chat with the Ranger and the swearing in of a handful of brand new Junior Rangers, we were back on the road...

...heading to the only other NPS site in Iowa, Effigy Mounds.

The day before when we drove across Illinois the scenery had been very...flat.  Lots of fields.  It got dark before we reached Iowa, but when we woke up and got a peek outside, more flat.  We have traveled the western part of Iowa (and been through parts of Illinois) several times and so I was expecting the level terrain.  Well, there's more to the midwest than just flat farmland.  We were driving north, past the big strawberry...

...when all the sudden the views changed!  The ground started to roll and the hills got bigger and bigger.  We had to pull over and take a picture ;)haha...

Anyway, we were getting closer to the Mississippi River and things were getting really beautiful.  We easily found the Effigy Mounds National Monument visitor center...which is not always a given, sometimes google map likes to take us for a joy ride...

This vc was small, but still interesting.  It didn't take long to see everything inside and then it was time to take a hike...

These mounds and the history behind them are fascinating.  If you ever have the chance to go there, do it.  If not, then do some research and at least read about them (and look at the aerial photos).  If you do go, take along skeeter spray.  You're welcome ;).

one of the mounds...they are huge

always the leader of the pack :)...and yes, the trails get a tad steep...

By the time we made it back to the vc and got all Jr. Rangered up, we were (which means pretty much just me, haha!) exhausted.  Not enough sleep the night before (and many nights before that), lots of driving, and tromping around various trails had taken its toll on my old self.  Since we had spent the night before in Iowa, we decided to cross the Mississippi River and look for someplace to stay in Wisconsin.  Just because. 

The more tired I am, the less willing I am to deal with the smaller hotels.  It's always a gamble as to what you will find when you open that room door...  So.  I set my sights on a Country Inn and Suites in Prairie du Chien that boasted online about an indoor waterpark.  Not counting on getting a reasonable rate and being able to stay there, but hoping anyway, I went inside to see what was available.  Ya'll, this place turned out to be such a blessing for us.  Not only was it affordable, but it was AWESOME!  We got a family suite, which had two separate bedrooms.  One with a king size bed that I shared with my youngest child and the other bedroom was decked out with 2 sets of bunkbeds, a desk, and a TV/Playstation 2.  The front desk had an assortment of PS2 games that the kids could check out (free!) to take back to the room...and all the (also free!) warm cookies their little bellies could hold.  Of course there was the waterpark (which they LOVED) and just past that was a decent little restaurant.  With the onsite laundry facilities added in there, we were set.  We hunkered down for a few days to try and rest up a little before getting back on the road...

looks like a beach, sounds like a beach...

The Great Lakes...

...so vast that they are called inland oceans...

This was our first time visiting any of the huge lakes and I have to tell you, it was a strange experience.  Strange?  Yes...

You see, they really ARE like inland oceans.  There is water farther than your eyes can see...

...there are winds and waves...

...sand dunes and the grasses that grow at a typical beach...

...even the sounds are very much like being at the ocean.  The only thing missing is the smell!  That wonderful salty smell that only the ocean has.  It was a strange thing to see and feel all these things that scream ocean, only there was absolutely no smell.  I caught myself breathing deeply several times expecting salt air and almost choking because it was just THAT weird to me (maybe i'm what's weird, but that's ok too ;)haha!).

Anyway, lack of smell aside, we really enjoyed our time there.  We took a walk along the edge of the water, then we drove back over towards the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center. 

"hello :)"

"look, mom, a water horse egg!"...indeed it is...

The Florida Tropical House on Lakefront Drive

We had stopped by earlier in the day to pick up Jr. Ranger books and while we were over there we paid a visit to the Chellberg Farm.

There are lots of trails in this section of the park, we followed the one that led past the sugar barn where they make maple syrup...

...and on to the farm...

When we were done at the VC, we decided to take a little drive...

to MICHIGAN! 

Indiana was state number 45 that we have visited and Michigan makes 46, woohoo :)!  We basically gave Michigan a "high-five", just to say we've been there, and then we had to turn back around and make some Western progression. 

***Michigan, we'll for sure be back one day when we have time to stay for a while.  Soon, I hope, because from what I've seen and heard you sure are pretty...

More flight lessons...

We found the perfect place to stop for the night just outside of Dayton, Ohio.  One thing I am realizing is that 99% of the time reservations are not necessary (for hotels, not talking about more specialty lodging...definitely get reservations if you can for those).  Anyway, after our scary hotel situation in Asheville, I simply stopped reserving ahead of time.  Two reasons...obviously to avoid scary hotel situations and also because more often than not we change our minds at the last minute on where we want to stop for the night.  With reservations you have no choice, you have to go there.  Without them, you go wherever you feel like.  This time we felt like going to Dayton :).

**I just thought of a third reason...we have found that it's cheaper to just walk-in and request a hotel room rather than reserve online or even call.  Crazy but true!  And definitely welcome :).**

Great nights sleep, free laundry at the hotel (wondermous!), and a Tim Horton's right up the street.  Yes indeed, we were off to a great start to our next day ;).  It's the little things, ya'll :).

Any of ya'll that are familiar with the Dayton area can probably guess why we wanted to stop there for the night.  They have NPS sites!  These really are great for the kids and their schooling.  I don't know how many times they have been doing their regular school books and called out in excitement because there is a picture or a passage describing one of these places that we have visited.  Touched, seen with our own two eyes...there just is no comparison :).

With our box of Timbits in hand, we set off to find the Wright Cycle Company Complex...one part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.  We found it, parked, and as we were walking across the grounds to go into the visitor center we noticed a Ranger just outside the door to the Wright Cycle Company Building.  This building stays locked and is opened up when a Ranger is available to accompany you inside.  He was available, so we went in there first :)...

This building is one of four that the Wright brothers worked on their bicycles in and the only one that remains today.  It still has their tools laid out and everything...

After some good conversation with the Ranger on the contents and history of the cycle shop, we thanked him and headed on over to the VC.  Jr. Ranger books were acquired and then we descended upon the museum.  I say descended because we each got so involved with our reading and looking that we were spread out all over the place.  That's ok, I love seeing the kids so interested in learning :)..(we were practically the only ones there, so I was cool with the spreading out situation).

these old menus intrigue me...and kind of appall...sliced tongue???  :P...

...apparently they thought it was wonderful...

We saw the print shop where the brothers printed their newspaper and life-long friend Paul Laurence Dunbar printed his many poems, novels, plays, etc...

With books complete, we went down to the Ranger desk to finish up.  The Rangers rotate their posts throughout the day and it just so happened that the same guy who showed us around the cycle shop was now at the VC desk.  I liked his style...he challenged the kids to do more/learn more in a way that they thought was just fun and games :).  There was a red line outside marking how far the first flight flew and a sign telling how fast.  He challenged the kids to each run the distance of the line while being timed to see if they could outrun an airplane.  They thought that was big fun :)!  Challenge accepted and conquered (and they learned some great historical facts in the process)...

Jr. Rangering :)

We spent a long time there, but there was another part of the park that we really wanted to visit.  With just enough time left in the day, we headed over to the Huffman Prairie Flying Field.  Here we saw the Wright Memorial...

...and visited the adjacent Interpretive Center.  This place was all about the planes!  The kids had so much fun here and once again the Rangers were awesome.  The man running the desk when we got there was a real jokester and had all the kids laughing (and learning, love it!).  I have to say, though, that their very favorite part was in the back corner of the museum. There they found a 1911 Wright Model B Flight Simulator and one of the sweetest ladies that we have ever met stationed back there to help the kiddos...

This lady (i wish i could remember her name!!!) stayed past closing to let each of the kids have a turn on the simulator.  I never expected that :)!  I had already told the kids that most likely only the littlest ones would get a chance to try it because it was nearing closing time.  Well, she made sure that they all got to do it and let them keep trying until they had successful flights (they are awarded certificates).  Warms my heart right up :).

The VC had closed for the day, we were locked in :), but she also went over the kids books with them and awarded them their badges.  You just don't come across that level of niceness every day :).

more Jr. Rangering

It was time to go, so we left to find some food and decide where we wanted to head off to next.  I asked the kids to vote between visiting the Gateway Arch in Missouri or Lake Michigan in Indiana and Michigan (two states we had never been to).  Their decision?  The lake!  We only made it a few hours in that direction before it was time to stop for the night.  A cozy room in Fort Wayne, Indiana, worked out great...

Good night :)!