Memorial Day at KOA

Lots of us RVers proudly display American flags to commemorate Memorial Day. Here at the KOA in Gaylord, Michigan, there are lots of patriots. Thank you to all who served.

Welkom

The Dutch culture can be found throughout Holland, Michigan. We enjoyed Windmill Island Gardens where we went up in De Zwaan (the swan), America's only authentic working Dutch windmill. It was built in 1761 and is the last authentic windmill the Dutch government allowed to leave the Netherlands, arriving in the States in late 1964. Other interesting sights included watching wooden shoes being made, and seeing the only production facility in North America for the popular Dutch pottery, Delftware.

Tulip Finale

We didn't quite make the Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan, but we did arrive in time to catch the last hurrah. All around town you can catch a glimpse of these colorful spring flowers, but the most magnificent display was at Veldheer Gardens. In 1950 Vern Veldheer started a farm as a hobby, planting 100 red and 300 white tulips; today the family plants over 5 million bulbs in a rainbow of colors.

Destination: Michigan

Well, we've crossed into Michigan and got our first gander at Lake Michigan near South Haven. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were looking at the ocean on a calm day. The sand is a little coarser and darker, but the sea gulls look the same as back home in Florida.

Authentic Amish

Nappanee, Indiana, is rich with the Amish culture. The local grocery store even has a covered area for parking horse and buggies. We enjoyed a "threshers" dinner under the hand-hewn timbers of the Restaurant Barn, a family style feast of Amish country favorites. This feast is reminiscent of the hearty fare cooked up by the women in the wood fired stoves, bake ovens, and smoke houses of the host farm in time for the noontime break in the threshing day. After dinner we went to the Round Barn Theatre for a fun 50's musical show called "The Taffetas."

Return to Birthplace

Our 34,000 lb., 39 ft. Dutch Star motorhome was born in 2002 in Nappanee, Indiana. This week we returned to her birthplace, the Newmar Corp. We got to see how quality goes in to the building of RV's like the Dutch Star, Kountry Star, Mountain Aire, Essex, and other Newmar models. We saw four men push a 45-foot motor home to the next assembly station. Yep. The rig rests on air cushioned pads and when it's time to move it along, they apply air and the unit literally floats. After the factory tour we got to go inside each model and dream of a newer one one day.

Mid-West Contemporary?

Sounds like an oxymoron, but the American Institute of Architects ranked Columbus, Indiana, sixth in America for architectural innovation and design. Amidst farms and cornfields sit more than 60 contemporary buildings created by world-renowned, prize winning architects. It started in 1942 with the boldly modern First Christian Church, followed by the contemporary Irwin Union Bank (designed by the architect of the St. Louis Arch). J. Irwin Miller, leader of Cummins Engine which is headquartered in Columbus, supported and made possible today's showcase of modern architecture by offering to pay the fees for A-list architects. Schools and churches outnumber other types of contemporary structures, but you will find banks, libraries, and even a jail and some fire stations.

Air Combat Museum

Drew got his pick this day so we went to a local air museum in Springfield, IL. Of particular interest were the P51 Mustang, a famous fighter plane during World War II; the F4 Corsair, a night fighter also made famous in the book and TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep; and several early model drones.

Home Sweet Home

It wasn't Lincoln Logs, but it was Lincoln's home. As a successful young lawyer and family man, Abraham Lincoln purchased his first home in Springfield, Illinois, in 1844. Around 1855 the single story home was enlarged to the two-story 3000 square foot home it is today. Many of the furnishings purchased and used by the Lincolns still remain.

Lincoln Presidential Museum

We spent the afternoon visiting with the Lincolns. Really. The Museum has figures so realistic you expect them to blink any minute. It is truly the most impressive museum we've seen--a wonderful way to experience history. The two theatres have presentations worthy of Speilberg. And as you walk through the exhibits, you feel transformed back into the 1800's.

Lincoln Land

We're making our way from St. Louis to Michigan, with some stops along the way. One is Springfield, Illinois, the adult home of Abraham Lincoln. We actually started at the end--Lincoln's Tomb, an impressive 117-foot structure with a soaring obelisk. The base is flanked on each corner with huge bronze sculptures depicting each of the four Civil War Services--infantry, artillery, cavalry, and navy. Abe, Mary, and three of their four sons are buried in the Tomb.