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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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May 08, 2012 04:00 PM On the way to Minnesota...
It was a long day - more then 650 kms to drive. We departed from Bismarck - the capital city of North Dakota early in the morning. The day was cloudy. In Fargo - last town on the Dakota's side of the border we visited "Bonanzaville" - one more place with the houses from Wild West era. Interesting, because the houses are all authentic ones - brought here from the different corners of Dakota.
In Minnesota there was already more sun and much warmer. I like Minnesota with the green pastures, small lakes and fresh green of the spring.
Just after 4 pm we arrived to Minneapolis and immediately drove to the sister city of St Paul to see the famous cathedral. It was still open.
There are many similarities between this huge church and St Peter cathedral in Rome...
It is time to have a rest in our Motel6 - I think I can recommend them to the other travellers. The service was OK in all motels of this chain. And the price if you decide to stay in the room is the same like in the youth hostel...
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May 07, 2012 04:00 PM Sunny day at Mt Rushmore
Rapid City in South Dakota has 42 US presidents! In the downtown they have a bronze president on every corner of Main and St Joseph streets! At many crossings you can see 4 of them - one on every corner. From George Washington to Bill Clinton... Wow!
But people from all over the world came here to be photographed on the corner of Rapid City. They are coming to this remote corner of Dakota to drive another 22 miles to Mt Rushmore monument.
We had surprisely strong sum in the morning when we were driving there. Entry to the monument is free, but you have to pay 11 USD per car to park. Then you can go and see the famous 4 faces of the US presidents carved in the mountain. They are uphill from the grand terrace. It is hard to imagine that every face is 20 m high. There is museum where you can see the history and carving process.
There is also presidential trail. I expected that this trail will take me up - to the faces. No, it will take you only to the bottom of the mountain and the studio of artist... Dissappointing...
But Mt Rushmore is still worth to see!
Some 17 miles away they are carving in the other mountain the statue of Crazy Horse - Indian Chief. Much bigger. Polish-origin sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski projected the monument and started works in 1947. So far only the chief's face is ready... In the afternoon we were driving more then 150 miles to North Dakota. We saw the bisons in the endless grassland and experienced very strong wind. Medora in North Dakota is the western-most point on our route. It is the time to turn back to the southeast...
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May 06, 2012 04:00 PM Balls of ice and cold-war missiles
South Dakota is much colder... In the weather channel I saw I forecast for today: a thunderstorms over our I90 highway going exactly west. After an hour of driving we saw big, blach cloud completly covering the western horizon. I saw drivers parking under the highway bridges. Why? It is illegal!
I understood them 10 minutes later when it was already dark around and the first balls of ice started to knock our roof... Some of them as big as the ping-pong balls!... We escaped to the nearest bridge, but it was already full there... The heave storm took like half an hour. I was only afraid to have the windscreen broken - it survived. But do not ask me how our rented car looks like now...
Well, forget it... In the afternoon we saw picturesque Badlands National Park and the cold-war installation: Minuteman II missile in the underground silo. Underground control room too! Can you imagine: they had 450 of them here - misilles with nuclear heads ready to reach the Moscow Kremlin in just 30 minutes!...
Now they have even better ones - in the other locations...
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May 05, 2012 04:00 PM Sioux Falls
We already passed through the Iowa state and crossed the bridge on Missouri River to Omaha. Omaha is the biggest town in Nebraska. But in my opinion there is not much to see in the city. Almost every tourist goes to the Strategic Air Forces museum located 30 miles out of the town. Paying 12 USD entry fee you can see there two big hangars full of fighters and bombers... Some of them are really huge! Those who bombed Hirosima and the other one who shed bombs on Vietnam. I feel to be the pacifist, but those planes are imposing!
From Omaha we drove north to South Dakota. Big distances! But it is possible because excellent US highways system.
In the late afternoon I finally saw the Sioux Falls in the town of Sioux Falls. Falls are not so high. Now I know - maybe they should call them cascades, because the highest is about 6 m high. But since it is spring, there is a lot of water and Sioux Falls were worth an hour walk. See my gallery for more pictures...
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May 04, 2012 04:00 PM Kansas City. The well-done steak is obligatory!
I am already in the State of Kansas! On the way to Kansas City we made the stopover in Wichita. Reason? They have a Cowtown on the bank of the river!
Cowtown is a replica of the wild west town from 19th century. You see horses on the streets, some staff work in the costumes from the old era... You can visit all houses, public buildings, workshops to see, how it was in the past... (but first you have to pay 8 USD entry fee). It is worth to be here.
Proceeding to Kansas City we paid for for the first time for the highway. Because there was "turnpike" highway on the road. You have to study the route before you go. Maybe it will be cheaper to drive the other way... We paid 2 USD from the border to Wichita plus 6 USD Wichita to Emporia.
Can you imagine that most of the Kansas City is not in the Kansas State, but in the State of Missouri? Funny isn't it? I found this city very difficult to drive - the multi - level highway system is very complicated. Well, Kansas is another cowboy state and they have plenty of cattle here. The well-done steak is obligatory for the evening meal!
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May 03, 2012 04:00 PM Real Sheriff on the way to Oklahoma!
On our way to Oklahoma City we decided to make the short stopover in the border town of Van Buren - on the Arkansas side... They advertise they have interesting "old district" in the town. Yes, they have, and also old train station where you can board excursion train in the season...
We were walking the streets taking pictures. Local sheriff in the uniform stopped the car next to us. -Why you are taking the pictures of the cars and buildings? Dont you think it is stupid question in the democratic country?... After polite explanation we boarded our car and drove fast to Oklahoma.
If in Oklahoma you have to go to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Entry cost already 12 USD, but you can spend there hafl a day studying the West from Indians to western movies and rodeo... In the big hall they built a part of the old cowboy town so you can walk house to house in the evening's lights...
I like Oklahoma City...
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May 02, 2012 04:00 PM Did you hear about Arkansas?
In the past this was the country of cotton and slaves... Who knows about Arkansas now? Mr Bill Clinton - they love him here despite his love affairs. In the capital city of the state - Little Rock he has the library named after him and the the front street which goes close to the river...
In the Little Rock I saw the great capitol building. On the northern suburb I also found the old mill, who played the role in the famous "Gone with the wind" movie. Do you remember Scarlet O'Hara? I like this story and I was very happy to spend there few quarters - far from the noisy streets.
Motel6 where I stay offers free wi-fi internet. Tomorrow in Oklahoma I will be probably forced to pay 3 USD to get a password from the reception...
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May 01, 2012 04:00 PM Are you lonesome tonight?
Memphis in the Western Tennesee is known as a bithplace of the blues... But many people from all over the world dream to come here to see Graceland - the home of Elvis Presley. It is converted into museum of the famous singer and his grave is also in the Graceland garden...
Do I like Elvis? Yes, but not his hard rock pieces but the charming ballads. Well, who does not like "Love me tender" or "Sentimental me..." ? Graceland is now prosperous institution - they charge 10 USD for parking and 32 USD for the last expensive tour around the property. Video cameras are not allowed.
I was a bit surprised: Graceland is very small regarding the fame of Elvis - just few rooms! You are walking around listening to the comment from the audio set which is provided. But you also listen to many songs of Elvis. In the courtyard buildings there is enormous collection of his gold and platinium records, his costumes and pictures.
In the evening I went to the famous Beale Street to listen to the blues. Nice atmosphere, but the performance for me was too noisy.
I did not find any restaurant or a cafe with Elvis songs. So coming back to the motel by foot before 11 pm I was singing for myself: Are you lonesome tonight?
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Apr 30, 2012 04:00 PM Nashville - the capital of country music
Do you like country music? I do! It is very relaxing... Especially I like Jim Reeves...
I am in Nashville - the world capital of country music. On the lower part of the Broadway there is a "District" - a quarter of music bars, restaurants, cowboy shoe shops...
As you walk the sidewalks the music is coming from every door. Just go in and listen... There are also amaterur singers performing on the corners, expecting the tip, horse carriages wondering around and from time to time harley-davidson motocycles passing by (I hate them!)
Most of the bars have stages inside and some of them advertise themselves: *live music day and night!*. I spent few hours in different places. Probably the best is "Stage" they do not push you inside to buy beers or food. But from time the musicians ask for a tip... There is great atmosphere - people are singing and dancing country songs. That's what I expected!
But Nashville has also other places then "District" to see: they built in the Centennial Park a full-size copy of the Parthenon of Athens with a gold-covered Athena statue inside! And there is state Capitol since Hashville is the capital of Tennesee.
It was warm evening when I was strolling along Cumberland river with a head full of country... Good night!
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Apr 29, 2012 04:00 PM Chattanooga Choo - Choo!
I love this Glen Miller's melody! Do you?
Can you believe I am in Chattanooga?
Chattanooga is a lovely city on Tennesee River. Yes, there is an old railway station (now converted into Holliday Inn hotel) and on the platform you can see and enjoy the old Choo Choo locomotion... A picture with Choo Choo is obligatory. I will bring you one!
For the railway fans there ale old carriages on the platforms to sleep. Not very luxury, but what a place!
After a visit to Choo Choo we went to the Lookout Mountain for the great view of the meandring river and the downtown.
But the real highlight of Chattanooga is underground Ruby Fall.
It is under the Lookout Mountain. First you have to pay hefty 18 USD of entry fee, then you will board the elevator to go 260 feet down. Then there is a 700 - m walk throu the stalactite and stalagmites rooms. Finally you will enter in the dark a high hall. They will switch on the music and color lights and you will see in front of you 44 m high underground waterfall. Oh, yes! I saw many caves in my life but I did not see such a high underground fall. They say it is one of 7 tourist wonders of the USA. Definitely worth 18 dollars ticket!
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