At 3,860 feet long and 162 feet above the Sheyenne River, the High Line bridge is one of the longest and highest single track railroad bridges in the United States. The bridge so defines Valley City that the local school teams are named the Hi-Liners. In use since 1908, the High Line is just one of eight bridges that make up the Valley City Historic Bridges Tour.
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It was considered the “Walmart” of its time. Fort Madison, the first U.S. settlement on the upper Mississippi River, was set up as a trading post, also known as a factory. It was the third highest revenue grossing factory in the country. But by 1813 the post was abandoned and burned. A replica of the post, known as Old Fort Madison, tells the story of the rough life soldiers faced at Fort Madison. Read more
The bison has been named the national mammal of the United States. It’s fitting, since it is estimated that 30 to 60 million bison lived in North America in the 1500s before huge slaughters took place as settlers moved westward. The bison was near extinction, down to about 300 head nationally before a handful of ranchers captured orphaned calves and began raising them. Today the population has grown, with bison found in national and state parks, as well as several private herds being raised for food. I toured the Broken Wagon Bison Ranch in Hobart, Indiana, where I learned more about bison and had a chance to meet the herd up close and personal. Read more
Planning to tour Hoover Dam while you visit Las Vegas? Afterwards, why not spend the rest of the day in nearby Boulder City, the town that was built for the dam workers? You can easily fill your day with all there is to do and see. Here are some suggestions. Read more
It began with Cows on Parade, first in Zurich in 1998 and a follow-up in Chicago in 1999. Since then, cities all over the world have done a similar public art project. Moose in Toronto, Pigs in Cincinnati, the Superlambanana in London, and ponies in Santa Fe all followed suit. The projects involve local artists painting the same subject, each putting his or her own spin on it, and placing them around the city. The most fun of these exhibits, Overalls All Over, is going on right now in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during Grant Wood’s 125th birthday celebration. Read more
Like many large cities, Oklahoma City is comprised of many neighborhoods. In OKC the neighborhoods are referred to as “districts.” There are fifteen Oklahoma City districts, each with its own distinct attributes. During our 48-hour stay there, it wasn’t possible to visit all of the districts, but Skip and I did explore several of them. Read more
