Nebraska and Iowa

We've spent this week at the Scenic Campground in South Sioux City Nebraska. This is a city park on the Missouri River right across from Sioux City Iowa. The park has been nice with a great price. $ 17.00 a night for water and electric. And with the bathhouse close by we managed to use our grey tank for a full week without dumping. We were happy about that. Dumping meant moving the house to the dump station. Not a big deal..just didn't want to do it if we didn't have to. So..water conservation were the buzz words for the week. This is the first time we've camped right on the water anywhere outside North Carolina. It was great being able to watch the activity on the river. Mostly recreational boats and jet skis. Commercial boats don't travel this part of the river anymore.




While traveling around town this week we learned about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Our first stop was the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center. The center focuses on a day in the life of the explorers as they traveled through what is now the Sioux City area. The death and burial of Sergeant Charles Floyd on Aug. 20, 1804, is at the heart of the story. The expedition as a finely tuned military operation comes to life in exhibits that use dozens of interactive devices.








Outside the museum is the Discovery Garden that displays native grasses and flowers. The Lewis & Clark Expedition set out from St. Louis, Mo., on May 14, 1804, with instructions from President Thomas Jefferson. Documenting, collecting and preserving plant specimens were among the instructions. The explorers succeeded in returning with almost 200 species. Among them are species collected between Onawa, Iowa, and Nebraska’s Niobrara River.








We also visited the Sgt Floyd Monument. This 100' high stone obelisk memorializes Sgt. Charles Floyd. It is overlooking a breathtaking view of the Missouri River. It was the first historic landmark registered by the U.S. Government in 1960.







Later we visited the Trinity Heights.. Queen of Peace.
The development of Trinity Heights began around 1985, when Father Harold Cooper, then pastor of St. Joseph Church in Sioux City, conceived the idea to bring a statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Queen of Peace to Sioux City. He approached a small group of laymen and generated enthusiasm for the project.
Father Cooper had seen a thirty-foot stainless steel statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Santa Clara, California, and contacted Father John Sweeney at his parish in Santa Clara. This stimulant led Father Cooper to form a non-profit corporation called the Queen of Peace Apostolate, which was incorporated in Iowa on May 20th, 1985.
From such a small beginning, his dream has grown into the development of Trinity Heights, located on a wooded 70 acres, in the northeast corner of Sioux City. People of all faiths come to visit this peaceful area.

Also within the chapel we saw a carved life size rendition of the Last Supper. After winning national and international carving competitions, Mr. Jerry Traufler decided to try the religious theme of the "Last Supper." In 1989 Mr. Traufler asked his wife and friends to pose for photographs, dressed as individual apostles, the Christ figure being the last to be carved. Using these pictures as guides, his rendition of the "Last Supper" soon came to life with his own individual style impressed upon the wooden figures. Mr. Traufler labored seven years to complete his masterpiece.
Jerry and his wife, Arlene wanted to have this religious work of art on display for the public. They also wanted it near their hometown of Le Mars, Iowa so they donated it to Trinity Heights, Queen of Peace where it is on permanent display in the chapel.





One day we took a road trip around the Nebraska countryside. While traveling down Nebraska 20 we ran across this display of windmills. As we prepared to leave, a car stopped and the man inside turned out to be the man responsible for the display. It was a treat to talk to him about his work.
As we went north we came upon the Missouri River again. This part of the river is called the Missouri National Recreational River. In this section the river has been allowed to flow in a "normal" pattern without assistance of the Army Corp on Engineers. It is open for boating, fishing, swimming and generally for enjoyment.