Pleasant Creek → Kalona

[amw]

I am now in a town called Kalona, amusingly pronounced exactly the same as Kelowna in BC. It's a major center of the Mennonite community and other Anabaptist movements in Iowa, but i didn't come here to buy furniture or pillows. I came here for Star Trek

Comments

[siglinde99]

I rewatched all the Star Trek series a couple of years ago. I remember watching the originals in reruns when I was a kid. They were pretty kitschy. I was surprised to discover that many of them were way better when I watched them as an adult (the costumes and props were still horrific though).

[opakele]

My grandparents had a farm in Columbus Junction, Iowa. We visited them regularly as I grew up. My dad had his first military assignment in Gelnhausen, Germany and my mom was 'too pregnant to travel'. My dad went to Germany, and mom stayed on the farm with my grandparents, until I came. She and I flew to Germany to join my dad very shortly after I was born.

I was born in Muscatine, Iowa.

My mom was born and grew up in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

My parents met at a freshman mixer at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, almost 70 years ago.

I really enjoy reading about your travels, but thank you for this stretch of the journey.

The US has changed so much from my childhood memories...some for good and some for bad.

[amw]

Did you visit Albert Lea? I was there about 5 years ago first time i visited the spam museum and i think found it more interesting than Austin. The whole town was flooded when i was there, with several roads and restaurants under water.

I'm glad you enjoyed my travelogue! Sometimes i feel like i am zooming past so quickly that my opinion of a place may reflect more my own mood at the time than the actual essence of the place. But i do hope it's still fun or interesting to see a place you know through someone else's eyes.

It's interesting that a couple of LJ readers are like "i used to live there" or "my family was from there" but now they are on the coasts. There must be a new wave of migrants in Iowa, though, since the towns still seem to be doing alright. Missouri is a different story.

[mhaithaca]

The ultimate form of the cinnamon roll is GRIDDLED. Sliced in half and warmed-and-crisped on a diner griddle top.

[amw]

That sounds ridiculous. I will have to try it next time i find a diner that does it!

[mhaithaca]

It is ridiculous! Any diner with a cinnamon roll and a griddle oughta be able to do it, even if they don't advertise it that way.