Happy 60th Anniversary

Today is a very special day.  Carol and I were married in Bellevue, Nebraska 60 years ago.  Carol was in the Air Force and I had a job on the base at SAC Headquarters.  We lived in Bellevue for three years and our son, John Andrew, was born in the base hospital.  This year to celebrate our 60 years, we decided to return to the Omaha/Bellevue area and visit some of our old haunts.

Here we are four days before the wedding.  My mom took this picture in the living room our our first home.    We look so young and innocent (and much thinner)!

Our first home was this trailer located in a trailer park right outside of the Bellevue Gate to Offutt AFB.

 

An updated version of our wedding picture.

We drove the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway.  Loess Hills was formed after the last ice age when the melting glaciers ground down the bedrock left from the glaciers into fine silt.  Strong winds blew the dry dust into the tall, steep bluffs of Loess Hills.  This type of soil is found in only one other place in the world and that is along the Yellow River in China.

Pictures from Loess Hills Byway.

After lunch we drove into Council Bluffs to visit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum located in the old Council Bluffs Library.  It was everything trains and was very interesting.

From the museum we walked to the Squirrel Cage Jail of Pottawattami County.  It is a rare 1885 three-story jail used until 1969.  It is the only three-story revolving jail ever constructed.  The cells are pie-shaped.  The jailer doesn't have to walk to the prisoners, he just turns the rotating cells to him.  In 1885 it costs $30,000.

The building that contains the bird-cage jail.

The handle that turns the revolving cages.  One person could turn the entire three-story cell block.

A view of the cells.

After visiting the jail, we drove into Omaha and the Best Western by  Epply Airport where we will spend the next two nights.  Tomorrow we will go to Bellevue where it all began and explore Omaha to see how much it has changed in 60 years.

Our mini-trip begins.

 

This was a nice sunset to begin the day.

This is the information kiosk at the New Philadelpohia National Historic Site.  The site is undeveloped but is under the umbrella of the National Park Service.  New Philadelphia was the first town in Illinois to be plat and recorded as a town by a Black American.  Frank McWorter was born in slavery in South Carolina in 1777.  With the permission of his owner, Frank worked for wages and when he had enough, he purchased his, his wife's and his son's freedom.  The family came to Illinois in 1830 and settled in Hadley Township, Illinois.  In 1836 he laid out the town and sold enough lots to secure thefreedom of 12 additional family members.   Following the Civil War, a railroad was built north of the town and eventually, the town population dried up.

There was a short hike past this old cabin but it was too hot to hike so I had to settle for a picture.

It was very nice to leave the interstate and drive back rural roads to the National Historic Site.

This is the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, Missouri.  Walt's family moved from Chicago to Marceline when he was only five years old.  They lived in Marceline only five years, but Walt said it was during his formative years and imprinted his life.  It was here that Walt developed his love of trains.  This is the old Sante Fe Railroad Depot.  Walt's uncle worked on one of the trains that passed through Marceline and would stop by Walt's home, pick him up, and take him to the train depot.
The depot in Marceline was an important stop between Chicago and St. Louis.  Now no train stops in Marceline; although, 70 trains a day pass by the depot.

This painting on the wall is a reproduction of one that Walt drew with tar on the side of their house.  It shows his early talent as an artist.  He convinced his sister to let him draw with tar telling her it would wipe off...but it didn't!

Did I say it was a hot day?

We stopped for the night in Cameron, Missouri.  We ate supper at McCorkles Eatery and Pub.  Carol had gizzards and marshed potatoes and gravy.  I had a rueben sandwich.  The food was very good.

Now we are relaxing in our room.  I predict a early bedtime for us.

August 22, 2026: Terre Haute Air Show

We took Keegan to the Terre Hauta Air Show.  We arrived at the show about 4:30, found our seats ad spent the nexdt 4-5 hours being thoroughly entertained by aircraft of all kinds.  It was a long day but worth.  We were very tired when we got back to our hotel arond 11:30.

A skywriter opened the show.

Followed by parachuters.

Next were the stars of the show:  The USAF Thunderbirds.

They fly 18 inches apart at 500 miles per hour.

This is out of order but it is the original B-29 that led the D-Day Invasion.  It is still flying after 80 years!

More Thunderbird amazing feats.

A trio of P-51's.

P-51's flew in the twilight portion of the show.

Sunset.

Fireworks ended the show.

It was a great day.  All of us enjoyed the show.  

August 19: Celebrating Carol's Birthday on Route 66

 We decided to check out some Route 66 places.  Route 66 is celebrating  100 years and a lot of the small towns along the road have special displays.  We chose Atlanta, Illinois.

Atlanta is halfway between Chicago and St. Louis on Route 66.

This clock tower was originally located at the high School in Atlanta.

The library of Atlanta is octogon shaped.

This is this the original Route 66 through the heart of Atlanta's business district.

There is a museum featuring "big" advertising pieces.

More "big" advertising pieces.

You don't see these kinds of speakers anymore.  Only found at Drive-ins.

If only we could have these prices today  but with our salaries of today!

Old mill in Atlanta.

After visiting Atlanta, we drove to Springfield to eat at Golden Corral for Carol's 81st birthday.

We always visit Menard's when we come to Springfield.  Got back home around 3:00 p.m.  It was a nice day.