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Million Dollar Toilet
Guernsey State Park, Wyoming, April 2025 Guernsey State Park was a CCC park. One of the structures created was a stone toilet that soon became known as the “Million Dollar Biffy” because of the amount of time it took to finish the project. These are pit toilets, still functional and now maintained by the Wyoming…
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Oregon Trail Ruts
Guersney, WY, April 2025 Guernsey has some of the best trail ruts I have seen so far. The wheels created about 3-foot-high ridges in the rock. I feel sorry for the animals that had to pull the wagons. The area had many signs about what was like and history of traveling west. I thought you…
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The Kansas Capital Building
Topeka, KS There is No Place Like Dome Kate found out that you are allowed to attend a free tour that takes you up to the cupola and balcony at the top of the Kansas Capital Building. John found out that he is still afraid of heights. Kate came out ahead in this deal. Most…
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Oleson Music Pavilion Park in Fort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge, IA, October 2024 One of the sights to see near Brushy Creek State Park is the Oleson Music Pavilion in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It was built in 1938 in a Modernist style with Art Deco overtones. Its construction was part of the Federal Works Progress Administration’s attempt to create jobs and stimulate the…
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Danville, Looking for Lincoln and Vermillion County Museum IL
Danville, Illinois Danville Illinois started out as a hub for 3 Native American Tribes – Kickapoo, Miami, and Potawatomi. In 1827, 80 acres of land was donated and lots sold which started Danville. In 1838, the Potawatomi Trail of Death camped and passed through Danville. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer with the 8th Judicial Court.…
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Pontiac, Pontiac, or Obwaandi’eyaag?
We went to Pontiac, Illinois to get Kate’s National Park Passport Book stamped, but we parked in the wrong place about two blocks away. Instead of the museum complex, we parked near the Pontiac-Oakland Auto Museum that had a bunch of Pontiac cars. Ironically, Pontiac, Illinois is not named for the Pontiac car, and no…
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Kennekuk County Park with 1000 gallon tank!
Vermillion County Illinois used to be known for coal mines and manufacturing. When the coal mining ended and manufacturing decreased, parks were created. Kennekuk Park boasted a 1000-gallon aquarium. This sounds huge but turns out to not be as big as you think. Can you find the fish? The park also boasts Lake Mingo, multiple…
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Fischer Theatre, Danville IL
In 1880 at a cost of $24,000, the Grand Opera House (now called Fischer Theatre) was built and became a hopping place starting out with live shows. In 1912, the building was closed and remodeled. Upon reopening in 1913, the name changed to Fischer Theatre. Later years, movie projector equipment was added along with a…
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Mounds State Park Indiana
The state park is unique in the sense that it has mounds created between 200 BC and 200 AD. They were formed by the Adena culture. Here’s what I’ve been able to glean about the mounds in cliff notes… I summarized the above information from link – plan MDS.indd For me the illustration really hit…
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Mills Spring Battlefield National Monument KY Cont..
Mills Spring Battlefield National Monument Kentucky – CONTINUED… Since the Museum was closed during our original visit… We went again during operating hours on June 5th, 2024. 🙂 The front of the building had two cannons. I tried to shoot one but unfortunately (though fortunately for everyone else) there were a few missing components such…