Dexter Sign Photo by Jody Halsted www.havekidwilltravel.com
About 30 miles west of Des Moines is the “one horse town” of Dexter. It’s a small town, easy to bypass; if you did detour through you wouldn’t think much of it.
Which would be a shame. Within this town lies history, entertainment and some of the country’s best chocolates. Let me show you around… Read More »
By Jody at Have Kid Will Travel
“Our state fair is a great state fair…”
The Iowa State Fair is legendary: with a book, movies and musical written about it millions of visitors descend on Des Moines, Iowa every year in August for the 10 day ag-stravaganza.
Iowa State Fair Butter Cow 2008
Whether you’re coming to see the butter cow- sculpted from 550 pounds of butter- or the largest bull, to ride pulled by a soy diesel powered tractor or glide over the treetops, or to eat food on a stick, the Iowa State Fair has something for everyone.
by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut
The historic Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, built in 1874, was the first United States Life-Saving Service station in North Carolina. All along the coast, these stations were dedicated to rescuing anyone whose life was in peril from the sea. After the U.S. Life-Saving Service evolved into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915, Chicamacomico continued to see service until 1954. Not only is it today one of the nation’s most complete remaining life-saving stations, it was home to one of the greatest rescues in early Coast Guard history.
One of the wonderfully restored structures of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station. Photo courtesy of esc831976 at http://flickr.com/photos/disbelief/1002932684
On August 16, 1918, in the middle of World War I, a lookout at the Chicamacomico Station watched as the British tanker ‘Mirlo’ was hit by a torpedo. Instantly the six life-savers went to work to save the crew of the doomed vessel. For their efforts, they were awarded gold medals by King George of England and the Grand Cross of the American Cross of Honor. The award citation best tells the story of the rescue:
“In a heavy northeast sea that caused the lifeboat to be tossed back upon the beach and the crew washed away from the oars time after time. Undaunted they returned to their task. After succeeding in getting their boat through the surf they were compelled to steer into a blazing inferno where the flames leaped at least 500 feet high, and were in serious danger of being burned to death if not drowned. They picked up a number of the crew of the Mirlo and towed four of the ship’s boats … They anchored the boats beyond the breakers and then made four trips in their surf boat bringing the entire 42 survivors safely ashore.”
The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station still sees service today, although it is of a different kind. Every Thursday at 2 p.m., active members of the U.S. Coast Guard perform an historically accurate reenactment of the rescue method utilized from the late 1800s through the mid-1950s. Commonly referred to as the “Breeches Buoy Rescue,” the reenactment consists of a live demonstration of the rescue equipment, including firing the Lyle gun (small cannon) and “rescuing” a victim.
Active members of the U.S. Coast Guard perform a life-saving reenactment every Thursday at 2 p.m. between mid-April and November. Photo courtesy of esc831976 at http://flickr.com/photos/disbelief/1002085303.
Located on Hatteras Island, in the village of Rodanthe on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m., between mid-April and November. Admission is $6; seniors and students pay $4. In addition to this intriguing bit of history, visitors will discover that the Outer Banks offers dozens of attractions and a myriad of outdoor activities, from kite flying, to sand dune climbing, to sun bathing along miles and miles of unspoiled beaches in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut
The store as it appeared around 1910. Photo courtesy of Mast General Store.
On any morning, stop into the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, grab a 5 cent cup of coffee, sidle up to the pot bellied stove, and join the locals who gather each day to argue politics and exchange news from around the valley.
Isolated high in the Appalachians, with unreliable roads even during the best weather, residents of this town have relied on general mercantile stores for their every need since pioneer days. One of these, the Mast General Store, began as the Taylor Store in 1883. By 1917 it had been purchased by the Mast family, who owned it for anther 60 years. Although today no longer owned by the Masts, the current owners continue to operate the store as a historically accurate general store.
The Mast General Store exerior. Photo courtesy of Ken Thomas, http://www.kenthomas.us
Step through the front door and you are instantly transported to a bygone era. The walls are lined with dry goods, overalls, and every imaginable hardware implement. Hand-hewn wooden display cases rest on plank floors polished smooth by generations of footsteps, offering everything from stone ground corn meal to locally canned preserves. In another room, rows of wooden barrels overflow with old-fashioned hard candy, licorice, and sugar-coated gum drops. Yet another cubbyhole features handmade local crafts. Upstairs, customers find an extensive selection of sportswear and sporting gear.
Photo courtesy of Mast General Store
Indeed, there seems to be no end to the rooms at the Mast General Store; the facility goes on and on like a giant maze. Even the Valle Crucis Post Office is still located in the corner of the original store’s front room, complete with antique boxes and a postal window. The store not only sells wares made by local artisans, it regularly sponsors demonstrations of making bread, corn husk dolls, and herbal remedies; construction of birdhouses and gout rockers; basket weaving and hand-painting of thimbles and Christmas ornaments.
Because it was considered one of the finest remaining examples of an old country general store, in 1977 the Mast General Store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which seems fitting, since it is located in the countryside of North Carolina’s first and only Rural Historic District. No visit to the charming hamlet of Valle Crucis is complete without a stop at the Mast General Store, where customers can buy everything from plows to cloth and cradles to caskets. The locals will gladly tell you that, “If you can’t buy it here, you don’t need it.” Just ask any of them as you warm your hands over that pot bellied stove.
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