by Grania
We have word from Jerry on his progress on the road. I’m sure he will add more detail when he gets a chance (and more stable wi-fi). In the mean time, here are the highlights.
Jerry writes:
I had a lovely afternoon with Hugh and Lynn Britten in Vermillion SD and a gathering of friends last night with great food. We went to the local music museum where I saw a Stradivarius guitar and one of Elvis’s Martin guitars. Pix follow now.I’m now in Holdrege Nebraska eating a Sonic cheeseburger and strawberry limeade. All I’ve seen in five hours has been CORN!!!!!
And here come the guitars:
The Elvis guitar
The Johnny Cash and June Carter guitars
Bob Dylan’s guitar
Chet Atkins’ guitar
And last, something Jerry says is the Weirdest Instrument Ever.
A final word from Jerry.
PS: I petted both of the Brittens’ cats
All is right with the world.
Postscript
We apologise for making you read the signs like this.
But only a little bit.
Off to a great start!
Jerry, you might be interested in visiting the MIM when you’re in town:
http://themim.org/
b&
You went through some of my old stomping grounds. Things were different back then though. We had CORN!!!!! and SOYBEANS!¡!¡!
Cool, isn’t it? And also glad you’ve seen it now, too. But that’s not just the local music museum, it’s the friggin National Music Museum. Being in Vermillion, it’s hard to imagine where you are when you see the kinds of things they have there. I remember seeing more than one tag saying that the only other example was in some museum in Vienna. I only came across it since I once collaborated with someone in Vermillion. The department was small, and so my itinerary had some open time and they sent me off for a visit there. I wasn’t ready for what they had, cutting across the full spectrum (to an Orchestrion and the sort of one-man band apparatus that street musicians/buskers in the Depression would use. Video narrated by Tom Brokaw
As a former resident of SE South Dakota, I must protest the route map shown, since it leaves out Jerry’s trip through Vermillion SD.
Yes, I would say Omaha is more than a little south of Vermillion. 150/200 miles anyway
That’s my fault, I’m afraid. I couldn’t get Google Maps to cooperate on the mobile device I am currently using. My current gaming PC is in PC heaven and the new one hasn’t arrived yet.
I’ll try and improve upon it later on.
~Grania
It’s no problem Grania, for many of us from around these parts and know the areas so well, but it is probably a bit confusing to someone in Norwich UK or Sidney, Australia.
I would just say for those who are not at all familiar with the area or distances, it is roughly a thousand miles from Chicago to Denver Colorado and since Jerry apparently never sleeps, he is making good time. Even from Omaha to Denver is 600 miles and you are going up about 4000 feet in elevation. Denver is the mile high city but you don’t get into the Mountains until you leave Denver going west.
Who is Sidney and what is he doing in Australia?
Prof Pedant
Yes, Jerry will be running out of Corn soon and also people. From there to Denver, not a whole lot to look at out on the grand prairie as they say. However, if you had an altimeter with you, you would see a gradual climb all the way.
Yep, as the wavelength increases and the amplitude decreases, too. At least, that’s the way it is taking I-70.
If he was driving a Duesenberg, he could follow the altitude on the dash-mounted altimeter (upper far rt, here), but if he’s with GPS, that oughtta get it for him, too.
“From there to Denver, not a whole lot to look at out on the grand prairie as they say.”
True. A more northerly route would have provided some better scenery: the Corn Palace in Mitchell, and Wall Drug. Oh, and the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore as well.
Both thumbs up for Rushmore and the Badlands.
And, if he were to sample the Badlands just E of Glendive MT in Makoshika State Park, he’d be on one of the sites that correlated the meteorite impact via iridium layer with the dinosaur extinction.
Another place for Badlands – Medora ND & Teddy Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch.
Absolutely. I have been to all of these places.
The Corn Palace is a… wonder of the world indeedy. I have been there (twice), and I have fond memories of it.
I recall they display past decorations on the palace, and one year it was covered in what look like swastikas. But apparently the symbol was used by American indians, and it was decorated that way back in the ’30s or something.
“not a whole lot to look at”
But that’s one of the great lessons of a cross country road trip. You get to see the ‘nothing’ you never knew was there.
Greetings Jerry,
If you get to Napa Co. CA, come visit the Archer Taylor Preserve. Liz and I will give you some lunch or something and show you some cool Redwoods.
JC
Hey, how about the rest of us? Just kidding.
Considering where he is now, he could use some redwoods pretty soon.
It’s not just the local museum! It’s *THE* Shrine to Music Museum (new name but same museum) with a fabulous collection. It’s on my bucket list (the next stop on that list is Carhenge in Nebraska)
In the other direction is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It is actually pretty damn awesome.
There is a lady behind the guitar in the first picture. I like her dress!
Yeah, that part of the country is all corn, corn & more corn.
Diana, that’s Lynn in the first image – thanks. We were surprised Jerry’s images came out so well since many of them were taken through glass. The Cornscape here is mind boggling. Only about 2 percent of native prairie is left in this part of the world. It is also depressing because the vast majority of the corn and soybeans will be fed to pigs and cows in giant feedlots. Hugh
Ooh! The National Music Museum! As a classical music recording engineer, I have recorded many CDs there, with performers coming from all around the world to play some of their fantastic instruments. It’s certainly not all guitars! Most of my recordings have been of harpsichords and early pianos, also the Javanese gamelan. It’s a very comprehensive collection (with big plans for expansion). It’s really worth a trip to South Dakota to see it, especially if they happen to have a concert scheduled. While you’re there you should also see the local history museum, which is stuffed full of curiosities — a prairie settler’s shanty, a huge collection of antique firearms, a magnificent 1915 touring car, an Egyptian mummy in its sarcophagus, taxidermied African animals — something for everybody!
It’s a shame Jerry won’t be making it to western Nebraska. There is a much different, and nicer landscape than just corn. Maybe on another road trip he can turn north at Kimball on his way to South Dakota and visit some of the nicer things out here, including the Scotts Bluff national monument, Agate Fossil Beds, Carhenge, Ft. Robinson, Toadstool Park and Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed, among other things, on his way to Mt. Rushmore.
What is Carhenge??? It gives me a mental image of a circle of upended cars a la Stonehenge!
Carhenge. In that part of the country, where there are vast expanses of flatness (and beauty) but not many people, the locals get creative about drawing in tourists. Many strange things to see.
Do Druids gather there for the Midwinter sunrise – or Droids?
Natives of Druidia, I think….
b&
Jerry, if you haven’t left Holdredge, and have an extra day, drive to the Sandhills of Nebraska, a unique and little known ecological region. It is about 20,000 square miles (sic) of sand dunes, covered by grass, and containing many small shallow lakes. Wikipedia has a good writeup.
Drive from North Platte to Valentine, and be sure to stop at the Dismal River.
For the best food in Nebraska, ask for the best steakhouse in town. You might find proper grass-fed well-aged porterhouse steaks, the best local dish. On the great plains, steak is usually the best call.
This of your prairie – noms’ recommendation, Mr Johnson, reminded me of Dakota Cattleman Edmondson and his rescue of this past February: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/506655026805565567. O, such the porterhouse as you have described has to be just the mighty finest cut on one’s palate I wholly concur.
Blue
Along with, of course, upon same said palate enough of a glassful of an Argentine MALBEC as to sufficiently accompany that steak – downing all of the way unto its very end: not a wussy volume of wine but a gustatorial one of at least circa 10 ounces or so.
Blue
Excellent choice. We should meet for lunch at the Peppermill in Valentine some day.
O, I shall remember this invitation, Sir.
I actually have been … … through Valentine … … on my solo pilgrimage in to Calgary (its Stampede / that premier ro – day – o o’that particular July and, now too, this upcoming weekend again !), then Yukon, then onto its River’s ferry ‘fore the next 190 of the World’s worst mountain miles on that Top of the World Highway, then in to Boundary, then Tok, then Fairbanks and finally hauling on in to Anchorage.
Valentine as I recall (03 July 1997) was right on the very northernmost Nebraskan border over which my route’s nearly very next rise that my Toyota chassis and I ascended, there appeared outta the Dakota – nowhere with a vastness of starkness all around its 360 – degrees everywhere but, still too, a packed parking lot … … the Rosebud Rez’s glittering / sparkling / spangly neon – lit c a s i n o ! Not ?!
I missed the Peppermill then. Soooo, .not. to be missed again, I declare !
Let’s !
Blue
We had a great time meeting Jerry for the first time yesterday. The National Music Museum is truly a treasure that always amazes especially since it is in such a small, out of the way place like Vermillion, SD. I will leave it to Jerry to post details of his trip to Vermillion, but I will say that we had a great afternoon and evening, the guy really does like cats, and it was a pleasure to share his vacation with him.
Hugh
Come now, Nebraska isn’t ALL corn 😉 If you get to the Western part of the state, you’ll get to see the rugged beauty of the Sandhills.
Have a great time on your trip, Professor! And thanks, Grania, for the posts.
The melophone looks truly bizarre. I’d love to hear it but the internet doesn’t seem to hold any recordings.
Great start!