DAY #17 – JUNE 26, 2021- FORT DODGE, IOWA – MT. VERNON, IOWA - RAPID ROBERT & THE DUKE

 

For some reason I did not want to get out of bed this morning. The Sleep Inn here in Fort Dodge was not really crowded and I did a load of laundry last night while I was backing up all my photos and videos.  I cost me $5.00 to wash and dry one load but because I am a Choice Privileges Member the hotel provided me with a pack of laundry detergent and fabric softener. I can’t remember when I last did laundry. Maybe it was back in Dickenson, North Dakota, but I got most of my stuff clean and repacked.

So, This Sleep Inn here in Fort Dodge was nice and comfortable and I slept in this morning. I didn’t get out of bed until 8:30 and it was another hour before I got checked out and on the road.

I have a loose plan for today but I am not really sure what’s going to happen or where I am going to end up. Depending on how things go I may leave Iowa today and cross the Mississippi into Illinois. But because I am getting a late start this morning, I may spend another night here in the Hawkeye State.

I was in Iowa back in March 2013 and tried to visit some of the sites around Winterset. But during that trip we had a big spring snow. Some of the areas around here got 8 to 10 inches and some of the road were still rather slick. I also found out that some of the attractions that I wanted to visit were seasonal and didn’t upon until up in April or the First of May.

So, this morning I have decided to make a return visit to Winterset, Iowa and see if I can visit some of the sites that I miss the last time. Before hitting the road, I made a quick coffee stop at McDonald and away I go.

It took me a full hour and a half to make the 75-mile drive down to my first stop of the day in Van Meter, Iowa. When I was in this area back in 2013 one of the places that I want to visit was the Bob Feller Museum.

Back in the 1982, I was umpiring Baseball in the Roanoke/Salem Area. Our Local Minor League Baseball Team at the time was the Salem Redbirds and every year they held and old timers’ game and often I was asked to umpire the game.

Well, one of those games that I umpired the guest of honor was the great Hall of Famer known as the Heater from Van Meter, Bob Feller. Man, what a great thrill to say that I actually called balls and strikes for Bob Feller.  He was a very nice man and even signed my lineup card.

So, when I found myself in the Hometown of Bob Feller back in 2013, I knew I had to visit the Bob Feller Museum. But back then it was closed so I had hoped to have better luck this time.  But I wasn’t thinking and this being a Saturday, the museum which is located in the Town Hall is only open during the week and closed on weekends. So, it looks like it is just not meant for me to visit this museum.

I had hoped to have better luck this but I wasn’t thinking and being here on Saturday, the town hall is not open on weekends. So, it looks like it is not meant for me to visit this Museum.

Just like before, I spent a few minutes taking a few Photos of the outside of the museum and then it was time for me to be on my way. It was just a short drive from Van Meter down to the Hogback Covered Bridge. 

Winterset is in Madison County Iowa, and it was here that the Popular movie The Bridges of Madison County, starring Clint Eastwood and Merle Streep was filmed. The Hogback Covered Bridge was one of several Madison County bridges that was featured in the Movie.

After a quick stop at the Hogback Covered Bridge, I made my way into the Town of Winterset.  There are several buildings including the Courthouse that were featured in the Movie. I spent some time walking around the town and got to see some of the place from the Movie, but the real reason for my visit was to visit the birthplace of my all-time favorite actor, John Wayne.

Yep, John Wayne was born right here in Winterset, Iowa, and the home that he was born in has been preserved as a museum. When I was here before it was seasonal, and I couldn’t take the tour. But today I am going to go inside and see where the Man that played Rooster Cogburn was born.

When I was here in 2013 there was only a large statue of John Wayne in a small park just up the street from the Birthplace.  Since then, a new museum and visitors center has been built. I purchased my ticket for the museum which also includes the house tour and set about exploring the exhibits in the Museum.

The museum is small but packed with memorabilia from all The Duke movies included a hat and eye patch from his Rooster Cogburn Character in True Grit, his shirt from The Cowboys and a rifle from The Searchers.  For such a small museum it really packed a punch and I enjoyed it tremendously.

After spending more than an hour in the museum I made my way down the street to the Birthplace. It a small house with period furnishing but it was awesome just being in the house where my favorite actor was born.

I spent more than two and a half hours visiting the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum. But all good thing must come to an end and it was time to head on down the road. Back in 2013 I made a quick stop in Des Moines and walked around the grounds of the Iowa Capitol.  This time I want to take more time and explore the city and maybe even tour the interior of the capitol building. So, off the Des Moines I go.

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon when I departed Winterset for the 40-mile trip to Iowa’s Capital City. When I got off Interstate 80 and started into Des Moines, I found that most of the streets in the downtown area were closed for some kind of huge street fair. I got caught up in traffic and it didn’t take me long to figure out I should get the hell out of town.

BIRTHPLACE OF JOHN WAYNE

I eventually found my way back to Interstate 80 and headed east. Shortly before 3 p.m. I came to the small town of Newton, Iowa.  Last night while looking through my Trip Book for this adventure, I remember seeing an entry for Union Cemetery. So off I went.

Google Maps took me through this small town of Newton, Iowa and I arrive at Union Cemetery where I had no trouble finding the final resting place of Frederick Maytag. If the name sounds familiar, you are right if you think of Maytag Washers and Dryers. 

Frederick Maytag was the founder and president of the Maytag Appliance Company. He was founded the company here in Newton and many of the buildings in this very small town still bears the Maytag Name.  Some of those buildings have been abandoned and are in disrepair but a I drove through town I had no trouble seeing the impact that the Frederick and his family had on this small town.

FEDERICK MAYTAG MAUSOLEUM

Frederick and other members of his family are entombed in the large family mausoleum near the entrance of the Cemetery.  I spend a little more than a half hour shooting footage for YouTube. Before moving on I took time to make a Hotel Reservation at the Sleep Inn & Suites in Mount Vernon, Iowa.  Mount Vernon is located several miles north of Iowa City. The Hotels in Iowa City were all well over $100. By driving a few miles north, I got a room at the Sleep Inn for $89. 

So I finished up at Union Cemetery and made 100 miles drive to Mount Vernon in a little less than an hour and a half. It was 6 p.m. when I pulled into the parking lot of the Sleep Inn & Suites. This Hotel was on the outskirts of town and nowhere to eat close by.

For some reason, I was tired tonight and didn’t want to drive around looking for a place to eat. Even Looking on Yelp and Trip Advisor there wasn’t anything in town that caught my attention. After getting settled in my room, I just drove across the street to Casey’s General Store and got a sandwich and some fries. That was supper.

Tomorrow I will more than likely cross the Mississippi River and leave Iowa. But before I do there are a couple of places that I want to stop at.  Depending on How long it takes me I will probably be spending tomorrow night somewhere near Bloomington, Illinois.

Anyway, I am getting closer and closer to home, and I will see how far I make it Tomorrow. The Adventure continues.