MOA & RA Rallies - 3. The Trip Going. Days 2 and 3

3. The Trip Going. Days 2 and 3

Battle Creek, MI was just a stopover, we did not sight-see, and we just ate dinner and then read in an A/C cooled room. We rode in temps over 30 C plus the first day, we were glad to be off the hot tarmac. 

The next day, Friday, we could have made it to Des Moines easily. We were very lucky, we had to go around Chicago but we ran only into light traffic. Normally the traffic around Chicago is very, very, very slow. So there goes our timing, we just gained 4 hours on our trip. I remember the last time we passed through the Chicago area, where we sat for hours in stop and go traffic. It shows you, one can make plans but then stuff happens. Some stuff is good stuff, like no traffic around Chicago. Yippee!

Main Street in Amana

So we made a quick re-adjustment in our plan and went to see the Amana Colonies in Iowa.

We rented a hotel room in Amana for an overnight Friday stay.

Since we got to Amana a bit earlier than expected, we also had time to go sightseeing. The story behind Amana, actually named the Amana Colonies, is 

 a story that needs to be told.

Fabulous Fresh Baked Pastry

Sunflowers As High As an Elephants Eye...

I read the report listed above on Wikipedia and I am amazed as to the way people do the nuttiest things just because they believe in them. I can say that because, I am nutty, too. 

Brought This Home and Made It

To be a ‘tool’ or ‘instrument’ of God; well I have my deepest doubts but believing it does no harm, so it’s ok with me.

Reading this Wiki report made me realize that Germany seems to be a hotbed of ‘different’ thinkers. My home town in Germany was heavily influenced by Mennonites, Huguenots and Jewish thinking. It helped our town grow into a better place to live. Today Germany has invited millions of people from

Lights Inside Produce a Colourful Light

around the world to live in its midst, giving them freedom to exercise their belief system. Well, time will tell if these present ‘immigrants’ are as productive as the people were in the Amana Colonies. 

A diversity of beliefs, of thinking is a good thing in the long run. As long as nobody ‘pushes’ themselves to be the majority and wants to force their belief system or way of thinking on others, all is well. 

We did the tourist thing for the afternoon on Friday and then again for the morning of Saturday. We were in no hurry to leave, ate fantastic food, snooped around the shops, chatted with workers who were building a new ‘store’, walked around a bit and before you know it, the time in Amana was up.

School Bike - Now There's an Idea

Would I recommend Amana? Difficult question, I would say, go and look at the Colonies on your own.  It is not an overwhelmingly religious area today, but it does show you what a common belief can accomplish. It was one of the first communes to succeed. 

Carol wrote a blurb in an email to some club members who were on the road, suggesting they stop here to explore this place.

Packing Up

Saturday, around 11 AM we rode out of town… and stopped just outside of Des Moines, Iowa, we had a plan. 

We would not go into town yet, we wanted to wait until Sunday. So we just idled away the afternoon on Saturday just outside of Des Moines, reading and working on a cross word puzzle.