The day started with some confusion - what was this UFO hovering over the freeway?
A little while on, we were disappointed by the Hastings Museum in Hastings, Nebraska. We were led to believe there was an awesome exhibit about the origins of Kool-Aid, but it turned out they just had Kool-Aid stuff in the gift shop. Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings by one Edwin Perkins, who wanted to call it Fruit Smack.We got as few items there, but it was not all we were expecting.
In case you were wondering, it is CRAZY windy in Kansas. I think they shot the Kansas scenes in The Wizard of Oz on location along US-81. No gunshots in the stateline sign this time.
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| What, no bullet holes? |
Fun Facts about Dwight Eisenhower (according to the film they show you):
Dwight Eisenhower cured polio.
Dwight Eisenhower ended racial strife in the US by signing the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Dwight Eisenhower convinced Sen. Joseph McCarthy to tone down his rhetoric.
Dwight Eisenhower kept the cold war "cold."
We started with a short tour of Eisenhower's boyhood home (where it always stood), that seemed much too small to have had parents and 6 boys living in it.
The Museum was very impressive, with an excellent timeline exhibit of his military and political, and post-political careers. The architecture of the whole site was very cool, very modern.
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| The Museum |
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| The Library (duh!) |
The political career displays were also neat, especially this sign that was on the Eisenhower's campaign train from 1952.
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| Why don't they use trains anymore? |
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| DDE's final resting place |
