AMANA COLONIES

 

 

 

SEVERAL OF THE WORKAMPERS TOLD US ABOUT THE AMANA COLONIES, AND WE HAD PLANNED TO JUST DRIVE OVER, BUT WE RAN OUT OF TIME, SO, BEFORE LEAVING IOWA AND  AFTER WEIGHING GUSTOW AT THE TRUCK STOP, WE DROVE TWO HOURS TO VISIT THE  AMANA COLONIES.

IN 1855 THE AMANA SOCIETY ESTABLISHED THE SEVEN AMANA VILLAGES ALONG THE IOWA RIVER. LIVING COMMUNALLY UNTIL 1932, THE AMANA PEOPLE, GERMAN IMMIGRANTS,  FARMED, MAINTAINED THE FORESTS, WOVE TEXTILE , BUILT FURNITURES OPERATED BAKERIES, MEAT SHOPS AND SMOKE HOUSES. SUSTAINING THAT LEGACY TODAY, THE AMANA SOCIETY MAINTAINS ONE OF IOWA'S OLDEST FARMS .

  WE GOT THERE ABOUT 2:00.  AFTER WE GOT SET UP AND  MAGGIE & MARLEE  SETTLED IN.  WE WENT TO THE LARGEST OF THE VILLAGES, AMANA, FOR   LUNCH  WE WERE HUNGRY. 

 

 

 

 

 

IT IS SUCH A QUAINT, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE TOWN, BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDINGS.

 

 

 

 

WE BOUGHT AMANA SALAMI AND CHEESE. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

 

 

 

WE FOUND A BAKERY AND BOUGHT BREAD.........AND TWISTED CINNAMON BREAD, A CROSS BETWEEN CINNAMON ROLLS AND BREAD....IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!

 

 

 

 

ALL THE SHOPS WERE DECKED OUT IN THEIR  FALL DECORATIONS......

 

 

 

LOTS OF BRICK BUILDINGS....... AND WEATHERED WOOD BUILDINGS

 

 

WE WENT BACK TO THE RV PARK... TO FEAST AND ANXIOUS  TO VISIT THE OTHER SIX VILLAGES THE NEXT DAY. WE HAD A MAP AND PICKED UP THE CELL PHONE AUDIO TOUR AT THE HERITAGE MUSEUM. 

 

 

 

 

WE WOKE TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES....IT WAS IN THE 30'S ALL DAY WITH A WIND . VERY UNCOMFORTABLE!!!   BUT WE  BUNDLED UP AND HEADED THE   TWO MILES  TO EAST AMANA, THE SMALLEST OF THE COLONIES. EACH VILLAGE HAD A CHURCH, A FARM, MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND COMMUNAL KITCHENS.  THE COLONIES WERE PLACED  ONE HOUR APART WHEN TRAVELING BY OX CART.  

 

 

 

 

THEY RAISED SHEEP HERE FOR THE WOOLEN  MILL.  IT WAS TOO HILLY TO FARM.

 

 

 

 

THE NEXT VILLAGE WE VISITED WAS MIDDLE AMANA. THIS WAS THE LAST VILLAGE BUILT.

 

 

 

IT IS THE SIGHT OF THE AMANA FACTORY, WHICH EMPLOYS THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE.

 

 

 

 

GOING ON DOWN THE ROAD WE CAME TO HIGH AMANA, NAMED

 BECAUSE IT IS HIGH ON THE BLUFFS, AND VERY HILLY.

 

 

 

 

WE STOPPED AT THE GENERAL STORE, LOTS OF INTERESTING STUFF IN THERE.

 

 

 

 

WE DROVE BY THEIR CEMETERY, ALL THE HEADSTONES LOOKED ALIKE , JUST PLAIN STONE MARKERS. 

 

 

 

 

WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY ARE  ALL ALIKE  TO SYMBOLIZE THE EQUALITY OF ALL PEOPLE IN THE EYES OF GOD AND THEY ARE BURIED IN THE ORDER OF DEATH, NOT IN FAMILY PLOTS.

 

THE NEXT VILLAGE WAS WEST AMANA, THE SECOND AMANA VILLAGE BUILT.

 

 

 

 

  THERE WAS A LARGE SANDSTONE QUARRY NEAR HERE AND WAS USED TO BUILD THE STRUCTURES. THIS VILLAGE HAS MORE SANDSTONE STRUCTURES THAN ANY OF THE OTHER  VILLAGES.

 

 

 

 

 

WE STOPPED AT WHAT USED TO BE THE BLACKSMITH SHOP...WOW!! I FELT LIKE THE SHRINKING WOMAN!!

 

 

 

 

MOST OF THE BUILDINGS IN  THE VILLAGES HAS THIS LATTICE WORK..........

 

 

 

 

 

.....I WAS ABLE TO ASK THE LADY IN THE  BLACKSMITH/GIFT SHOP WHAT THAT WAS...SHE EXPLAINED IT'S FOR THE GRAPES!!! OF COURSE!!! WE ACTUALLY PICKED SOME OFF OF THIS BUILDING...VERY SWEET!!

 

 

 

 

 

WE CONTINUED ON TO SOUTH AMANA.

 

 

 

 

YOU CAN SEE THE AMERICAN/GERMAN INFLUENCE IN THEIR BARNS, THEY WERE BUILT OUT OF WOOD AND LEFT TO WEATHER. HORSES AND HAY WERE KEPT IN THE BARNS AND FIRE WAS ALWAYS A CONCERN.

 

 

 

 

 THE AUDIO TAPE TELLS THE STORY OF WHAT  HAPPENED  ONE HOT SUMMER DAY IN 1912 , THERE WAS A CLAP OF THUNDER AND  LIGHTNING STRUCK THIS BARN AND BURNED, MANY HORSES WERE LOST.  THE NEXT DAY THE HORSES WERE BURIED AND  PEOPLE CAME FROM THE OTHER AMANAS AND MANY CRIED. THE BARN WAS REBUILT BY MEN FROM ALL THE  AMANAS.

 

THE SEVENTH VILLAGE,  THE VILLAGE OF HOMESTEAD, WAS ADDED IN 1861 GIVING THE COLONIES ACCESS TO THE RAILROAD.

 

 

 

 

THE HOMESTEAD GENERAL STORE SERVED THE RESIDENTS AND FARMERS IN THE AREA, AND BEHIND THE STORE WERE TWO BRICK  BUILDINGS THAT WERE USED TO STORE THE WOOLEN AND CALICO GOODS BROUGHT  FROM AMANA.TEAMS OF HORSES WOULD BRING THE GOODS  TWICE A DAY.  THE ORDERS WOULD BE FILLED AND PUT ON THE TRAIN.

 

 

 

 

THIS IS THE HOMESTEAD CHURCH.

 

 

 

 

AMANA CHURCHES HAVE SEPARATE ENTRANCES FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN. MEN SIT ON ONE SIDE, WOMEN ON THE OTHER. ELDERS LEAD THE WORSHIP AND THE CONGREGATION SITS ON SCRUBBED PINE BENCHES. IT IS HARD TO DISTINGUISH A CHURCH FROM A HOME, THERE ARE NO STEEPLES, BUT ARE ALWAYS BRICK BUILDINGS.

 

WE ENJOYED OUR VISIT TO AMANA COLONIES, BUT THE WEATHER WASN'T WARMING UP VERY FAST, SO ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 8 WE HEADED SOUTH TO WARMER WEATHER.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIVING AT ADVENTURELAND

WE HAVE ENJOYED LIVING AT ADVENTURELAND CAMPGROUND, WE HAVE A LARGE LOT WHERE WE SET UP THE X-PEN FOR MAGGIE AND MARLEE.

 

 

 

 

WALT, AN ADVENTURELAND SECURITY GUARD BROUGHT TREATS FOR ALL THE PETS IN THE ADVENTURELAND CAMPGROUND. YOU WOULD HEAR SINGING AND THEN HERE WAS WALT!

 

 

 

MARLEE LOVED HIM AND WOULD GET UP IN THE GOLF CART WITH HIM, BUT MAGGIE NEVER GOT NEAR HIM, HE JUST THREW THE TREATS TO HER.

 

 

I WAS EVEN ABLE TO GROW FLOWERS HERE!!   BOUGHT THESE  HANGING BASKETS FROM THE FFA, THEY WERE PRETTY PITIFUL AT FIRST, DARRELL KEPT SAYING THEY WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL.....JUST GIVE THEM TIME......

 

 

 

 

HE WAS RIGHT....THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

 

 

 

THE GIRLS AND I MET WANDA AND ROSIE RIGHT AWAY AND IT WAS INSTANT FRIENDSHIP.....FOR THE DOGS FOR  AND WANDA AND  I!!

 

 

 

ROSIE REMINDED ME OF OUR  BELLA......THE GIRLS ALL LOVED EACH OTHER....

 

 

 

WE TOOK LONG WALKS IN THE EVENING TOGETHER AND WANDA AND I WALKED TO WORK TOGETHER EVERY DAY  ALL SUMMER LONG......

 

 

 

SHE WORKED IN DIPPIN DOTS.....WE WORKED ALMOST THE SAME HOURS....AND ENJOYED EACH OTHER'S COMPANY. SHE LOVED  M &  M AND I LOVED  HER ROSIE.

WE ENJOYED IOWA CORN ON THE COB.....WOW!! THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD....NAMES LIKE PEACHES AND CREAM.....VERY SWEET!!!

 

 

 

AND I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE IT......OVER AT BANDANAS BARBECUE IN ANKENY, IOWA, I FOUND BOILED GREEN PEANUTS....HAVEN'T HAD THOSE SINCE I LEFT FLORIDA IN 1961 AND STILL LOVE THEM AND HAVE TRIED TO EAT THEM AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK ALL SUMMER LONG.....

 

 

 

ANOTHER WORKAMPER, BOB,  WOULD WALK AROUND THE CAMPGROUND AND GIVE ALL THE PETS TREATS.....M & M LOVED HIM....HE PLAYED BALL WITH MAGGIE!!

 

 

IT'S A WONDER MAGGIE & MARLEE DIDN'T GAIN WEIGHT, BUT WE WALKED ALOT!!!

 

BEV CAME IN JUNE AND WE GOT TO BE FRIENDS...SHE LIVED TWO DOORS DOWN, SHE HAD A VERY NICE DOG, ABBIE. AFTER ADVENTURE BAY CLOSED  LABOR DAY, SHE CAME TO WORK AT RIVER CITY.

 

 

 

 

IT WAS HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO ALL MY NEW  FRIENDS AND WORKERS...BUT IT'S PART OF THIS LIFE, WE ALL PROMISED TO STAY IN TOUCH, AND  WE PLAN ON MEETING UP WITH SOME THIS WINTER IN TEXAS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IOWA STATE FAIR 2012

 

 

EVER SINCE WE WERE HIRED FOR ADVENTURELAND FOR THE SUMMER, EVERYBODY THAT KNEW IOWA TOLD US TO  NOT  MISS THE IOWA STATE FAIR... THAT .IT WAS SOMETHING TO SEE.
 WE LOOKED FORWARD TO IT ALL SUMMER, WE HAD NEVER ATTENDED A STATE FAIR. THE FAIR OPENED THURSDAY, AUGUST 9. ON SUNDAY AFTER WORK, WE DROVE OVER TO SOUTHEAST POLK HIGH SCHOOL AND CAUGHT A BUS OVER TO THE FAIRGROUNDS TO SEE ELVIS IMPERSONATOR, TRAVIS LEDOYT ON THE BUDWEISER FREE STAGE.

 

 

HE WAS VERY GOOD, EVEN BETTER THAN THE ONE WE HAD SEEN IN BRANSON IN APRIL. WE REALLY ENJOYED HIS SHOW.

 

 

 

 

WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO LOOK AT ANYTHING. WE DID NOTICE THERE WAS EVERY KIND OF FOOD AND DRINK IMAGINABLE.  WE WANTED GOOD SEATS, SO WE GOT TO THE STAGE PRETTY EARLY.  IT IS SO HUGE AND THERE WERE ALOT OF PEOPLE!

 

 

 

 

WE WENT BACK TO THE FAIR ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, OUR DAY OFF. WE WENT IN THE AFTERNOON, RODE THE BUS AGAIN, BUT HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF WE WANTED TO LOOK AT.

 

 

 

 

ROWS AND ROWS OF CORN ENTERED IN THE FAIR!

 

 

 

 

AND WATERMELON!

 

 

 

 

WE HAD READ ABOUT THE "BUTTER COW"

 

 

 

 

AND SNOW WHITE......ALL CARVED OUT OF BUTTER!!

 

 

 

 

IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING!!

 

WE ACCIDENTLY FOUND THE MASTER GARDENER'S GARDEN, WHAT AN OASIS!!  NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT THE KIDS WERE HAVING A BALL!

 

 

 

 

WE ENJOYED WATCHING THE CHAIN SAW ARTIST.

 

 

 

 

COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS CARVING.....AND THEN....

 

 

 

 

THERE IT WAS AS PLAIN AS DAY....A FROG SITTING ON A TOADSTOOL!!!

 

AT 7:30 WE WENT TO A BEATLES TRIBUTE... ANOTHER FREE SHOW....IT WAS OK, BUT WE DIDN'T STAY FOR THE WHOLE SHOW.

 

 

 

 

WE WERE TIRED AND NEEDED TO GET HOME TO MAGGIE AND MARLEE....AND TOMORROW ANOTHER WORKDAY.

 

ON SUNDAY AFTER WORK, THE LAST DAY OF THE FAIR, CHRISTINA INVITED ME TO A RASCAL FLATTS CONCERT, HER DAD HAD FREE TICKETS AND SHE COULD INVITE 10 FRIENDS. I RODE WITH HER MOM, ANDREA. THE MUSIC WAS AWESOME!!! AND IT WAS A SOLD OUT CONCERT!!

 

 

 

 

AGAIN, LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE!!

 

 

 

WE WERE SURPRISED AT HOW LARGE THE STATE FAIR WAS......THE SLOGAN FOR THE FAIR  THIS YEAR WAS "NOTHING COMPARES"....WE CERTAINLY WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED!!

 

 

ANOTHER CHECK OFF "OUR BUCKET LIST"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLAYING AT ADVENTURELAND

IT WASN'T ALL WORK AND NO PLAY AT ADVENTURELAND.  WE ENJOYED THE ACTIVITIES THAT ADVENTURELAND PLANNED FOR THE WORKAMPERS. ONE DAY WE ENJOYED ICE CREAM AND MILK SHAKES.

 ANOTHER DAY A WATERMELON FEED.
 

 

 

ONE OF THE PERKS WORKAMPERS ENJOY AT ADVENTURELAND IS FREE ADMISSION TO THE PARK FROM MAY 19 TO AUGUST 19.SEVERAL TIMES ON OUR DAYS OFF WE WENT OVER AND RODE SOME RIDES.

 

WE LOVED THE RAGING RIVER!!!

 

WE GOT SOAKED EVERY TIME WE RODE IT!!!

ONE DAY, WE RAN INTO PAUL AND NANCY AT THE PARK, FELLOW WORKAMPERS, AND THEY TALKED ME INTO RIDING THE SPACE SHOT. THEY TOLD ME IT WASN'T BAD, THEIR 85 YEAR OLD MOTHER RODE IT. 

 

 

I WAS SO SCARED, DARRELL STAYED BELOW AND HE COULD HEAR ME SAYING THE WHOLE TIME......."OH MY GOD!!!" I DECIDED I'M VERY GULLIBLE, AND WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT IN THE FUTURE. THEY TRIED TO TALK ME INTO ANOTHER RIDE, BUT I  TOLD THEM THEY HAD LOST ALL  ACCREDIBILITY WITH ME.

AND ONE EVENING  ADVENTURELAND HAD A BINGO NIGHT FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES.

 

 

 

 

AND I WON!!! I WON $20.00 IN COMMISSARY BUCKS AND 4 MOVIE TICKETS.

WE FINALLY MADE TIME TO GO OVER TO ADVENTURE BAY, THE WATER PARK, AND WE HAD A BALL!! WE RENTED TUBES AND JUST FLOATED AND RELAXED ON THE LAZY RIVER.

 

 

ADVENTURELAND  HAD PLANNED AN IOWA CUBS GAME FOR US, BUT DUE TO NON-PARTICIPATION, IT WAS CANCELLED. WE WERE DISAPPOINTED. BUT THE DAY BEFORE THE GAME, JOHN AND NANCY, FELLOW WORKAMPERS, TOLD US WE COULD GET FREE TICKETS TO THE GAME COMPLIMENTS OF HYVEE SUPERMARKET.   JOHN AND NANCY INVITED US TO GO WITH THEM.

 

WE HAD A GREAT TIME! WE ATE SUPPER THERE..................

 

 

 

DID A LITTLE SHOPPING...........

 

 

ENJOYED THE IOWA CUBS MASCOT.........

 

 

AND THE IOWA CUBS WON THE GAME!!!!!