INDEPENDENCE SQUARE

Our next stop was at Independence Square which sounded like it was going to be a neat shopping experience, however the only person who thought that, was the writer of the brochure. It was an interesting area that included the court house where Harry Truman worked, the home where he and Bess returned to, after his term as president, and the Clinton Soda Fountain where he went to work at age ten. We had a sandwich and malt and enjoyed the old pictures of the town. Ralph, the cowboy came in for a soda while we were there-he drives a covered wagon around the area for a unique, but costly tour. Mulert is cheap, so we drove our jeep with a roof!

MIDWEST GENEALOGY CENTER

We decided to take a side trip to Kansas City for a few days, since I don't have to be back in Omaha at the dentist until the 26th, so we drove down on Monday. Yesterday morning, we checked out the brand new Midwest Genealogy Center, which is only a short distance from our campground in Independence, MO. A lady gave us a quick tour and then we looked around for a little while. We'll have to stop back when we have our information with us.

LAKE RED ROCK

We spent a fun weekend at Pella and Lake Red Rock with Collette & Larry Wilson and Pat & Kathy Fitzgerald from Grinnell. We ate out and at the campground (even Larry cooked), shopped, and shared stories around the campfire. We decided Pat's shirt was appropriate. (WARNING-RETIRED - Knows everything and has plenty of time to tell you about it.) A good weekend.

PELLA, IOWA

Pella is another of our favorite small Iowa towns. They're known for Tulip Time, where they show off their beautiful Holland tulips, Dutch architecture and traditions. In summer, the flower beds are full of annuals, in fact, flowers are everywhere.











We visited our favorite bakery, famous for their Dutch letters and other puff pastries and breads. One of the pictures proves what I always say- at any time on any day, you have to wait in line-this is 4 o'clock on Friday.





Another favorite is Ulrich Market, known for Pella bologna and other meats.



Even Wal Mart looks Dutch!

WHAT A WEEK!

We went from Sioux Falls to Omaha so I could go to a dentist and we could give Brian and Dan their birthday gifts. We enjoyed the kids, the dentist not so much. We left on Thursday and drove to Red Rock Lake which is near Pella, IA. The blue flax and Queen Anne's lace was beautiful along the way.

We have a dear friend named Colette who is freaked out by bridges, so this picture is for her.

PIPESTONE NATIONAL MONUMENT

On Sunday afternoon, we took a drive up to Pipestone, MN, to the Pipestone National Monument,run by the National Park Service. It's treated with respect because the Native Americans consider the quarry sacred. In the middle of this prairie are rock formations, a quarry of red pipestone beneath quartzite, and a beautiful waterfall. Your tour starts at the visitors center which is full of exhibits and includes native craftsman working on the pipestone. You can even buy a peace pipe in the gift shop if you feel so inclined.

There was an exhibit of petroglyphs that have been found there.

Then we began our walk along the trail through the prairie, walking by snapping turtle nests, a heron hiding along the bank of the stream, rock formations, quarries, and a waterfall.

My favorite rock formation was called the Oracle, can you find the face?

Then back out on the prairie-a neat afternoon!

FALLS PARK

After church, we took a walk through Falls Park in downtown Sioux Falls. It's an awesome sight!