Colorado with Goldie and Gail - After we left Great Basin National Park we drove across Utah to Green River, where we camped in a state park next to the Green River and went out for mediocre Mexican food. The next morning we got up early to drive to Lafayette, CO. We stopped at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs to let Bob play a disc golf course that was highly rated. It was windy and rough, so I walked with him so that he didn't lose his discs. It was hot and we were going to swim in the Glenwood Springs pool, but time was getting on, so we continued to Lafayette, driving I-70 over the 11,163' pass and down.
It was wonderful to get to Goldie and Gail's air-conditioned house. Due to the over 100 degree heat every day we were there, we didn't do many out door activities. We watched videos and a movie, the Olympic trials on TV, ate wonderful food and played cards. One day we drove up to Lyons (about 20 miles from Boulder) to visit their new house located on 20 acres at the top of a hill with views down to Denver International Airport (when it is clear). Due to all the fires, the view wasn't much. They bought the property out of foreclosure and are doing significant remodeling work. The property has a large 3-car garage, a big barn, and a cistern (there is no water). Our project was to remove the carpet, padding and particle board in the basement in preparation for installing cork. The carpet and padding was easy; the particle board, which was nailed into the concrete, was not. After about 4 hours during which we got a lot of the stuff out, we quit because we were hot, hungry and exhausted. We stopped at an ice cream shop in Lyons for well-deserved ice cream sodas. We learned to play eucher and enjoyed Goldie's wonderful cooking.
We left early Wednesday morning for Lincoln, NB, bringing the heat with us. The wife of Bob's minister in Indiana lives there and we spent the night with her before heading out to Amana, Iowa.
The Amana Colonies - We drove the Amana, Iowa and parked Snoopy in the RV park, ate a quick lunch, and then drove to Iowa City so Bob could play a 4 3/4 chain (5 is tops) disc golf course. It was there I discovered that I had lost my camera. I know I had it in Nebraska, but somehow it got lost with the photos from Colorado. It was beastly hot and humid, but I left Bob to go back to the Amana Colonies and tour one of the museums.
The Amana Colonies date from 1855. The seven villages were settled by the Community of True Inspiration, which began in Germany in 1714. It was premised on the idea that God could communicate through an inspired leader, just like he did with the prophets. The Inspirationists settled in Hessen to avoid persecution, but eventually left Germany because of conflicts with the Lutheran clergy and ended up in Buffalo, NY in 1842. There they developed a communal way of living. When they outgrew their property in New York, they purchased property in Iowa. The name comes from "bleib treu" (remain truthful). Amana means to remain true. Eventually the community owned 25,000 acres and lived communally. No one was paid anything and if you converted, you gave all your property to the church. In return it provided you with a house, food, medical care, clothes, etc. The men worked in the fields and all children went to school 6 days a week all year long. After 8th grade all children went to work (the girls in the kitchens and the men in the fields). By 1932 the rules that the community lived under were abandoned, the members were given shares in a corporation, could buy their own homes and work for wages. Most of the people remained and their ancestors still live in the villages. The corporation has restored the area around the Iowa River and various tributaries and runs several stores. In addition, Amana appliances (now owned by Whirlpool) has a huge manufacturing plant in one of the villages which is still operational.
I visited a communal kitchen. Each kitchen served around 40 people 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. It was run by one woman with various young girls as assistants. They also tended the gardens and canned food. The diet was heavily German. There was also a cooper's house where all the barrels and wagon wheels were made.
I went back and picked up Bob and we sat outdoors until well after dark hoping that things would cool down.
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