Drove the scenic road by Devil's Tower but didn't see any aliens or mashed potato scupltures like we hoped. Maybe in Roswell, NM. Mom says we will find loads of aliens there. The fall colors were extravagant and reminded me of jewels in red, green, yellow and some purple. It reminded there would be no leaves soon so we should appreciate the short time these colors are around. I will admit I get bored of staring at trees after awhile but the first state we really saw them was wyoming and South Dakota. The NW is late this year.
B B B B Bad…Badlands to the Bone:
Didn't know what to expect of the badlands or just how bad they'd be. To my surprise it was actually really scenic and we liked them a lot…they weren't so bad! :-) It was cool to see the layers of stone upon stone and tall spires you could drive through, and canyons you could see way into the depths of. It was kind of like being in Disneyland they almost seemed fake. We saw big horn sheep but none of the little foxes we hoped would run out. We did catch a whole acre or two of Prairie Dogs popping in and out of their dens. That was funny to watch as they twitch and wiggle a lot when they run.
Storm in Sundance, Wyoming Home of the Sundance kid (how town got it's name):
We arrived in Sundance minutes before dark and the horrible electric and wind storm that covered half the country. Dad sent us the radar maps as we were blown and tossed in the RV and in exchange we sent him video of it raging outside. We thought we would tip over. Mom didn't sleep until 5am. The winds were so strong the flag pole at the RV park almost blew over. We had just outrun the snow storm in Yellowstone and began to think it was following us or someone was trying to keep us from traveling. But the next day it was nice again and all was well.
The lightning was wide spread and lit up the sky. There bolts and flashes. We turned off all the lights and watched it and managed to get some videos and pics Dad can post. (Check the Flickr Account...watch the video closely...you might miss it and no, the lens cap is not on the camera.)
Battle of Little Big Horn: Custer's Last Stand and monument to both sides:
We weren't sure what to expect at the Battlefield and we knew very little about the fight. But when we got there it was really educational and horrifying to picture the losses on both sides. They did a good job helping you visualize it and we really liked the quotes on the walls of the Native American memorial. Hundreds of men died and they give first hand accounts of what happened and how it ended. It was sad thinking Americans died where we stood but more sad the two sides couldn't work out their differences peacefully. The museum there was unlike any other. It told us about Custer, Sitting Bull, the 7th Cavalry, weaponry and models of the two sides different soldiers. There was so much to take in there. It was also really beautiful.
Walking in Walt's Footsteps:
Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri. Hometown service and nicest people around!
Today we saw Walt Disney's hometown in Marceline, Mo. It looked juts like Main street in Disneyland! That's because he asked his imagineers to come to his town and model it after real buildings from his childhood home. There we saw the museum filled with sketches, cartoons, family history, recordings of him interviewing his parents one Christmas which was fun, movies and memorabilia. The town is sure proud of him. The museum itself is next to the train tracks where 70 trains a day pass by. Walt would have loved it because one quote said he'd rather toot train whistles than carry an armload of Oscars. He loved trains! There's even a window to watch trains go by.
Did you know the only retired ride sent to a different location was sent to the kids of Marceline? The original midget Autopia ride was redone and when it was removed he had it and engineers sent to his home to set it up to run there for families of his town. It's not still in operation today but they have one car left in the museum. He was supposed to attend the opening and dedication of the ride but couldn't due to a cough he developed that three months later he died of. We learned about his famous and not so famous siblings which was the most interesting part. Two of his brothers were not very close to their family and when asked to contribute money in their early poorer days as farmers the two boys slinked off and took a train out of town to Chicago instead of helping. Walt and his siblings had same parents and raising but they all turned out quite different. Roy and Walt were the closest.
Another cool part was Walt's Happy Place barn and dreaming tree. At the barn you can write on the inside of it a message for Walt. We all left messages and two haikus. My message was on the window sill where no one had written and it said: "Your dream became a reality which changed our dreams. Thank you." My Mom's Haiku was:
You taught us to dreamDream Big or Dream Small Just DreamFind our Own TreeThen she signed all the names of our whole family. Our friend Benny signed the famous beam that was once at Disneyland and his haiku was:
Disney the DreamerInfinite InspirationMarceline Magic.The tree was damaged by lightning so only half of it remains. Walt would sit under it for hours and dream up characters and as an adult dreamed of projects and new things setting aside hours and hours on each trip home to reflect and be there for quiet time. The musketeer that owns the home now took seeds and saplings, registered them as landmarks and planted a new tree that was already quite tall. I am glad it will be there for my kids someday to visit. The thing I like best about Uncle Walt is that he didn't want to be a lawyer or President, he just wanted to invent a place where parents could play with their kids instead of watching them from a bench. He loved kids and being young at heart and playing. Adults can forget how to play and be too serious. As a kid he was very energetic and as an adult he liked simple crackers and chili over caviar and expensive dinners.
He had a back yard like no other. He took people on tours of it and rode them around on his miniature train he loved to drive and built a replica of his barn in his California home so he had a piece of Marceline. The town is cute with a great homemade ice cream place and a diner on the corner with meals that were tasty and really cheap. The dinner special of the day was $5.45. I had chicken friend steak, one of my favorites. I've been sampling them all over the states we have visited.
Every Disney fan should go here! Thanks Walt Disney for showing us big imaginations are important and can pay off. You've brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people.
No comments:
Post a Comment