The purpose of the trip was to attend a memorial service for Owen's Great Aunt Shila, who passed away last November. Shila was a sweet lady who had no children of her own, but took great pride in her niece and nephews, and, later, their kids.
The memorial was in Orange City, Iowa. Shila and her husband, Mel, who passed away in spring 2003, had their ashes laid to rest in the cemetery where Owen's great, great great, and great great great grandparents are buried.
It was a real coming home.
As was much of our adventure.
Friday, July 23
We left Normal right after lunch on with the intention of stopping in to deliver a bag of kids clothes to Jeff, Melissa, and their twins Audrey and Henry. Despite an intense rain storm in the Quad Cities that was so abusive we decided to sit on the side of the road until it passed, we got to the Iowa City area early enough to make a quick stop at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch. I worked as a National Park Ranger at the Hoover site every summer I was in college and had been wanting to stop with the kids for a long time. We had a half hour, but that was plenty of time to show Owen all of the highlights (and test my memory about all of the Hoover information that had been my bread and butter for four years).
We looked at his birthplace.
His grave site.
And I once again admired the beautifully landscaped field that connects the two ...
We also had a look in the working blacksmith shop where I had once made horseshoes and other souvenirs for visitors while explaining how Hoover's father made a living.
After a visit with the VandeBergs and an overnight at Grampy and Grammie Ives' house (we actually got to wave at them across I-74 as they were in Normal with Amy and Maya for the weekend), we headed west. Saturday, July 24
We made it about an hour and a half our of Iowa City before Owen was ready to stretch his legs. Looking across the horizon in Des Moines, I spotted the Iowa State Capitol. I have faint memories of stopping there as a child, but my memories are fuzzy at best. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be a beautiful building filled with neat things to look at.
Not to mention some unexpected punctuation.
"No, that's I-O-W-A, period!"
"No, that's I-O-W-A, period!"Owen's favorite thing in the building was a huge model of the U.S.S. Iowa. We spent a good 10 minutes here, looking at all of the details (especially figuring out where all the life boats were).
Before long, though, it was time to get back in the car and get to our real destination for the day, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
Play on a giant spider web ...
Check out the polar bear ... 
And ride the Skyfari.
Owen really wanted to ride the zoo's train, but it wasn't in the cards. They were only running one train on the weekend and each circuit of the zoo took the train about 20 minutes. From where we were when we got to the line, we were looking at at least three trips before we had our turn.
Before long, though, it was time to get back in the car and get to our real destination for the day, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.I had heard so much about the Omaha Zoo and thought it would be a perfect tourist site on our trip. We had about three hours there, which gave us time to look at the petting zoo ...
Play on a giant spider web ... 
Check out the polar bear ... 
And ride the Skyfari. 
Owen really wanted to ride the zoo's train, but it wasn't in the cards. They were only running one train on the weekend and each circuit of the zoo took the train about 20 minutes. From where we were when we got to the line, we were looking at at least three trips before we had our turn.
The Skyfari, on the other hand, moved much faster. And took us directly over some rhinos, which was completely cool.
The Skyfari deposited us on the other side of the zoo, where we found the aquarium, which may have been our favorite stop of the day.
Owen is very interested in sharks, and he was especially fond of the Shark Tunnel, a 70' long glass tunnel that gave tremendous views of several kinds of sharks.
It was also fun to visit the Desert Dome, and tell Owen a little more about what it was like in Tucson, where he was born.
We left at 5:00 to pick Uncle Daniel up at the Omaha Airport and continue our trip to Orange City.
All the kids got a good chasing (thanks Uncle Daniel). And those who were caught were hoisted up and sent down the "slide of shame" (an invented-by-us, not official feature of the park, although no one can argue it would be a merry Calvinist addition).
Here's Owen checking out the park ...
Cousin Mark and his kids Reid and Isabelle ...
And Owen and Reid on the swing ...
After a morning of play, it was time to do what we came to do.
The Skyfari deposited us on the other side of the zoo, where we found the aquarium, which may have been our favorite stop of the day. 
Owen is very interested in sharks, and he was especially fond of the Shark Tunnel, a 70' long glass tunnel that gave tremendous views of several kinds of sharks.
It was also fun to visit the Desert Dome, and tell Owen a little more about what it was like in Tucson, where he was born. 
We left at 5:00 to pick Uncle Daniel up at the Omaha Airport and continue our trip to Orange City.
Sunday, July 25
We finally crawled into bed at 11:15 on Saturday night, so we all enjoyed sleeping in on Sunday morning. Owen was raring to go, though, as he had a new friend in my cousin Mark's five-year-old son Reid.
Seeing how wound up they were at breakfast, we quickly changed and got on our way to the park.
Our destination was Memorial Park. Memorial, or as we liked to call it "Willie" Park, was a favorite place to play when I was a kid, most notably because of the three-storey ladder/slide/fire-pole jungle gym constructed in the shape of William of Orange (I am so not making this up) that used to be there.
No doubt it was a team of liability lawyers who brought down Willie years ago, but the park was still great fun, and just as Dutch themed as ever.
No doubt it was a team of liability lawyers who brought down Willie years ago, but the park was still great fun, and just as Dutch themed as ever.
All the kids got a good chasing (thanks Uncle Daniel). And those who were caught were hoisted up and sent down the "slide of shame" (an invented-by-us, not official feature of the park, although no one can argue it would be a merry Calvinist addition).Here's Owen checking out the park ...
Cousin Mark and his kids Reid and Isabelle ...
And Owen and Reid on the swing ...
After a morning of play, it was time to do what we came to do.
We gathered at the cemetery for Shila and Mel's memorial service. It was a decidedly low-key affair, from my dad's informal service plans right down to the Minnesota Vikings tent that kept us out of the sun ...
Nana Aalberts sat down with Isabelle supporting her back, and we all took turns remembering Shila and Mel.
Regrettably, neither of the boys had strong memories of Shila, but they still had their opportunity to contribute.
Nana Aalberts sat down with Isabelle supporting her back, and we all took turns remembering Shila and Mel.
Regrettably, neither of the boys had strong memories of Shila, but they still had their opportunity to contribute.
The holes were dug to deposit Shila and Mel's remains, and when it came time to drop them in Reid was the first to say, "I'll do it!"
Hearing the satisfying thud of the box with Mel's ashes falling down a four foot hole, Owen was quick to assist with Shila.
... and while the rest of us took a tour of the aforementioned four generations of family gravestones, Owen and Reid befriended the cemetery's caretaker, who was happy to let them help fill in the holes.
... it may have been the best part of the morning for both of them.
We then went to lunch, where Owen found a connection to the other half of his family decorating the wall.
And while we looked through the many boxes of photos that had been collected from Shila's California home, Owen found his way up a nearby tree.
By the evening, everyone had mostly left, leaving the Aalberts clan time to go see "Toy Story 3" before heading off to bed ourselves.
... and while the rest of us took a tour of the aforementioned four generations of family gravestones, Owen and Reid befriended the cemetery's caretaker, who was happy to let them help fill in the holes.
... it may have been the best part of the morning for both of them.We then went to lunch, where Owen found a connection to the other half of his family decorating the wall.
And while we looked through the many boxes of photos that had been collected from Shila's California home, Owen found his way up a nearby tree.
By the evening, everyone had mostly left, leaving the Aalberts clan time to go see "Toy Story 3" before heading off to bed ourselves.Monday, July 26
Monday started off just right with a breakfast of Dutch pastries.
We then took a trip by the old Aalberts house where Grandpa grew up, taking a photo of the driveway that still bears the Aalberts name.
While Nana and Grandpa returned Daniel to the Omaha airport, Owen and I continued our adventure, checking out a few more sites in northern Iowa on our way home.
Monday started off just right with a breakfast of Dutch pastries.We then took a trip by the old Aalberts house where Grandpa grew up, taking a photo of the driveway that still bears the Aalberts name.
While Nana and Grandpa returned Daniel to the Omaha airport, Owen and I continued our adventure, checking out a few more sites in northern Iowa on our way home.We started in Sanborn where Owen saw his great grandparents' house in town ...
... and then the old family farm.
The next stop was Owen's special request. When I told him where we were going he asked "Is that anywhere near Spencer, IA?"
... and then the old family farm.
The next stop was Owen's special request. When I told him where we were going he asked "Is that anywhere near Spencer, IA?"As many of you probably know, Spencer was the home of Dewey the library cat. Owen has the Dewey children's book and was very interested in seeing the library where Dewey lived. It turned out to be a lot of fun.
Owen posed with the statue of Dewey at the front desk.
The librarians then took us behind the desk and showed us the book depository where Dewey had been abandoned on a cold winter night.
Dewey lived at the library almost 20 years, and was well loved. Dying in 2006, he's buried outside. Owen brought his book with him, and we spent some time back in the library looking for things in the library itself that looked like the pictures in the book.
Back in the car, we drove another 2+ hours through Algona where we met up with the RAGBRAI riders heading east, and then down to Ft. Dodge, where Owen was ready for another stretch break. Using my phone, I found the local pool and we went swimming.
The librarians then took us behind the desk and showed us the book depository where Dewey had been abandoned on a cold winter night.
Dewey lived at the library almost 20 years, and was well loved. Dying in 2006, he's buried outside. Owen brought his book with him, and we spent some time back in the library looking for things in the library itself that looked like the pictures in the book.
Back in the car, we drove another 2+ hours through Algona where we met up with the RAGBRAI riders heading east, and then down to Ft. Dodge, where Owen was ready for another stretch break. Using my phone, I found the local pool and we went swimming.The new Ft. Dodge Aquatic Center was brand new and "very splashy," said Owen, but not in a relaxing way. We struggled to find activites we could do that wouldn't end up with a bucket full of water hitting us on the head, but got our energy used up nonetheless. After an hour in the pool it was back to the car and 20 minutes later ...
After a good gluten free meal at the Brown Bottle in Cedar Falls, we cruised into Iowa City for another overnight before returning home on Tuesday.
After a good gluten free meal at the Brown Bottle in Cedar Falls, we cruised into Iowa City for another overnight before returning home on Tuesday.All in all, this trip may have been one of the nicest experiences I've had with Owen. I really enjoyed having the one-on-one time with him and having the leisure to stop when we wanted to and explore when there was something to explore. That said, it was also nice to be home and to see Mommy and Maya. We'd missed them much over our four days away.
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