- Page 50 of 99 - Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

Three Midwest Shrines: Following the Passion of Christ

During Lent, the time from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter, Christians often retrace the events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion by following the Stations of the Cross. Stations of the Cross are a series of fourteen devotions that depict Christ’s last day. Stations of the Cross are commonly found in Catholic churches but can also be set in larger outdoor spaces, oftentimes at Shrines. Following the path of the Stations of the Cross is a prayerful and meditative experience. I have visited three Midwest shrines in the past few years that include outdoor Stations of the Cross and have written about them previously. Here is a summary and links to the original articles.

Harley-Davidson Museum: Exploring an American Icon

I have been on a motorcycle exactly once in my entire lifetime—and that was as a passenger on a ride around the block. With that said, I still loved the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Harley-Davidson is an American icon with a rich history, a history that unfolds as you navigate through the museum exhibits. Read more

Seed Savers Exchange: Passing Heirloom Seeds through Generations

Seed Savers Exchange co-founder Diane Ott Whealy fondly remembers passing summer days sitting on the porch of her grandparents’ farmhouse, the porch surrounded by morning glories. So when Diane and her ex-husband, Kent, married and started their first garden in 1975, she wanted morning glories. She asked her grandfather about the ones that he grew. He went into the back bedroom and came out with a little white pillbox filled with tiny black seeds. He explained that the seeds came over with his parents when they emigrated from Bavaria around the turn of the century. Her grandfather also gave them seeds to a German Pink tomato that his parents had also brought with them from Europe. Those two seed varieties were the beginning of the Seed Savers Exchange. Read more

Everglades Holiday Park: Touring the Everglades on an Airboat

I saw my first alligators in the wild while zipping through the Everglades on an airboat. Sure, I’ve seen alligators before in captivity, like in zoos and at Reptile Gardens in South Dakota, but I had never seen one in its natural environment until my visit to Everglades Holiday Park near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Read more

Oklahoma City National Memorial: Powerful and Somber

“Just like communities everywhere, it is the start of a day like any other day.” This is the opening point as you enter the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum tour. A timeline goes on to outline what was going on that morning in downtown Oklahoma City: people starting work, children being dropped off at the daycare inside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, an Oklahoma Water Resources Board meeting about to begin in the Journal Record Building directly across the street. A typical Oklahoma City day. No one had an idea of the horror about to occur. Read more

With renowned travel professionals like Rick Steves and Samantha Brown, entertainers representing countries from Ireland to Fiji, cooking demonstrations by noted chefs, and booth after booth of exhibitors offering information and guidance on exciting travel options, the Travel and Adventure Show is a must experience for travel lovers. I had attended the Chicago Travel and Adventure show three years in a row and looked forward each year to learning about new places to visit, checking out the latest travel gadgets and enjoying the entertainment and speakers. I had mixed feeling this year when my husband and I decided to escape the Midwest winter and head west, as I would miss the Chicago show. It turned out the timing was right to attend the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show instead, giving us a chance to check out new destinations and compare the two shows. Read more