Oh Deere!: Palisades-Kepler SP Mt. Vernon, Iowa 10/14/09

(Ned again) We enjoyed our morning with Marc, Sheila, Owen, and Brian, until everyone had to leave for work, school, and daycare, respectively. Debi was particularly pleased when Brian emerged this morning wearing his Obama t-shirt, which matched the PJ top that Debi was wearing. The two of them rejoiced in this fact with the traditional fist bump. We left soon afterward headed toward the Iowa border. We reached Lowden State Park, on Marc’s recommendation, where we admired a beautiful view of the Rock River, along with the very impressive 50 foot tall statue of an Indian warrior overlooking the river below. Soon after we came upon the John Deere Historical Site. We decided to pay the $5 entry fee and check the place out. Much to our surprise, not only does this place contain the archeological digging site of the ruins of John Deere’s 1837 blacksmith shop, and a reconstructed version of his original home, but there is also a very entertaining onsite blacksmith, named Rick, who does a showman-like job of demonstrating the art of blacksmithing. (See today’s pic) I’ve always associated the name John Deere with farm tractors, but John Deere himself was dead and gone long before tractors were invented. His landmark accomplishment was to develop a very specially shaped and highly polished plow, which cut cleanly through the sticky black earth beneath the tall grasses of the Great Plains, allowing farmers to utilize the fertile soil of the prairies. Soon his ploys were so popular, that he moved his operation to Moline, Illinois, to exploit the shipping advantages of the Mississippi River, where the John Deere Corporation is still headquartered and which now employs about 56,000 people worldwide. Not a bad accomplishment for a young blacksmith from Vermont. Our next stop was for lunch at a good Mexican restaurant in the town Dixon (which also happens to be Ronald Regan’s boyhood hometown). From there we took Highway 30 (the old Lincoln Highway) across the Mississippi River into Iowa, where we are now camped at the very beautiful Palisades-Kepler State Park. The weather remains cloudy, and a very chilly 47 degrees. However, we are pleased that the Winniemobile has such an efficient little furnace, and we’re hopeful that our propane supply will last until morning. Debi is cuddled up with her “Born Fighting” book, by James Webb, which she has been quoting to me with great enthusiasm as I’ve been righting this. Yes, her fascination (obsession?) with the Appalachian people continues…