Riverside, Iowa

You would be very hard pressed to find anyone in America who has not heard of Captain James T. Kirk. That’s right it is the famous Star Trek hero who has fascinated us with his exploits for many years. The starship Enterprise captain was born in the city of Riverside on the 22nd of March in the year 2228. Just behind a former barbershop location in this town stands a small plaque which proudly marks the spot where the famous captain will eventually be born.

Due to the sticky copyright laws currently in existence the city was unable to display either a bust of their most famous citizen captain or one of his renowned starship. In its place the town has christened a remarkable similar image of their own known as the USS Riverside. This USS Enterprise look alike sites in the local town square for all to view.

In the nearby area you will find local shops with names such as “Flower Trek” or “Future Designs by Carol”. Every year on the anniversary of James T. the area is swamped with Star Trek fans as they make their way from store to store in search of important and valuable memorabilia. The annual Riverside Riverfest has even had its name changed to the Trek Fest in order to cash in on this popularity phase.

It is not unusual to see fans walking down streets of the town with various Starfleet uniforms on or perhaps you will catch sight of a Vulcan or Klingon as well. So involved are the fans that one could easily mistake the town square as being part of the Star Trek filming set at the studio.

Let’s face it, no self respecting Star Trek fan could ever go home without purchasing one of the small vials of Kirk dirt for a mere $3.00. Think how amused your friends will be when you display this container of dirt in your home that was dug up from the captains very own birth place. You are sure to be the envy of any Trek fan out there.

In August of 2008, the city opened and dedicated the Voyage Home Museum to display the history of Riverside and its claim to Star Trek fame. It also contains a Time Capsule as well as a replica of the USS Riverside starship. During its opening ceremonies actor Walter Koenig of Pavel Chekov fame was on hand to examine the two room display and give it his Star Trek blessing.

The Voyage Home Riverside History Center isn’t a lot to see with its mere two rooms but if you happen to be passing that way you really should stop and take a look.

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Illinois State Military Museum

When I travel around the country I try to find unusual sites or those which have an interesting story behind them. During my trip several years ago through the city of Springfield in Illinois, I chanced upon a Mexican generals leg.

Many history buffs will recall the Mexican general known in both counties as Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. That’s right this is the same Mexican army general who had ordered his troops to attack the Alamo and ultimately killed the legendary Davy Crockett and the brave defenders of the Alamo.

Unknown to many people is the fact that the general had a fake leg installed as a result of a war related injury. Santa Anna had his real leg amputated due to an accident resulting from cannon ball fire during his fight with the French in 1838. It wasn’t until 1847 that the 4th Illinois Infantry division solders captured the general’s leg.

During an episode of the King of the Hill cartoon series mention was made of the general’s artificial leg and how it was captured by the Americans. During the cartoon it was shown that the Mexican government was secretly plotting to re-capture the general’s leg and return it to its rightful place in Mexico, although there is actually no truth to this part of the cartoon. The kidnapping story was merely something created to spice up the King of the Hill cartoon.

After the cartoon appeared it seemed like everyone in the country wanted to take a look at the general’s wooden leg but few people realized at the time that it was sitting in central Illinois.

The famous leg is now a part of the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield. The legend states that Santa Anna was having lunch while his troops were busy battling American soldiers and as he was indulging in his food he was promptly surrounded and surprised by the members of the 4th Infantry. In order to save his life he hopped away on one leg leaving behind his wooden leg as a remembrance. Initially the soldier who grabbed the leg showed it off at various fairs around Illinois charging a dime per peek for people to see it but in 1922 it was entrusted to the care of the Illinois National Guard.

Many people inquire as to why there has been no attempt by the Mexicans to retrieve the general’s leg and the answer is simple – the people hated him. The man died friendless and alone while in exile. His people disliked him so much that upon his death he was given a pauper's burial.

You can not tie up a complete day at the museum but it is certainly worth a stop while on your way just to take a glance at the general’s famous leg.

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Florida Alligator Hunt!

Wanna go alligator hunting? Then head for the Florida Everglades. If you are an outdoors type person and you enjoy the sport of hunting as I do, you should sign up for one of the alligator hunts that are available.

These hunts will provide you with a full time, very experienced guide that has accumulated many years of familiarity in this type of work. Often times the guides that you get have been active hunters and fishermen in the state of Florida for several decades and have handled many alligator hunts over the years.

Usually the programs are conducted on private land such as cattle ranches, sugar cane and farm operations as well as around the citrus groves. Many of the guides have access to leased wetlands which are the preferred habitat of alligators. In addition you can find several that offer legal hunts conducted on either private or public waters located on federal or state owned land.

If you should elect to participate in one of the public water hunts that are conducted through out the state on a variety of public rivers, lakes or wetlands you will find that these hunts are encouraged by the Florida conservation commission. This commission designates what areas the hunting can be conducted on. Naturally state permits are required and the state provides over four-thousand Alligator permits annually. Keep in mind that these permits are generally issued on a first come - first serve basis.

The hunts are usually conducted around the Southern Florida area near Lake Okeechobee or in the Florida Everglades depending upon the permit obtained. The only time that these public hunts are conducted is during the months of August to November of each year.

In order to add to the excitement of the hunt they are usually conducted in the evening and by airboat. The guide will arrange all the necessary paperwork such as the permits, licenses and tags while all that is required from you is to be there. The legal weapons that can be used for these hunts are bows and crossbow, harpoons and a bang stick.

Depending upon the type of weather for the evening of the hunt the client should see several hundred different alligators on their airboat trip. Since most of these hunts are close up you are certain to experience a thrilling adventure that will last you a lifetime.

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New Orleans, Louisiana

Of all the cities in Louisiana there can be no doubt that the most popular one of all has to be New Orleans. The city is prominently known worldwide for its historic architecture, fantastic food and its Bourbon Street nightlife. And over the years I have enjoyed them all numerous times.

However, recently we are all familiar with the devastating effects that Hurricane Katrina has had on the city and the people themselves. When visiting New Orleans you can see how these proud people are slowly putting their life back together again in an effort to normalize their day to day activities.

It is hard for us to imagine the emotional upset that these people have gone through. I can not even begin to think of sitting on the roof to my home waiting for someone to possibly rescue me as the water levels continue to rise. It was devastating enough for me to watch the situations unfold on the television let alone to be there in person. However, they are proud and strong people and are making a great comeback.

Don’t just make a quick glance at the devastation but take one of the Hurricane Katrina Tours. Here you can be presented with an opportunity to experience firsthand what this horrid weather phenomenon has done to this city. This demoralizing natural disaster can be followed from its entry into the city to its hasty exit as well. You will be afforded the opportunity to follow the New Orleans timeline of events as your knowledgeable tour guide explains each location to you.

The Katrina tour begins with a normal New Orleans where you learn about it rich history and get to sample some of its excellent culture. You will visit the colorful French quarter which is located along the banks of the mighty Mississippi river. Your tour guide will take you past the actual levy that drowned the city in water during the hurricane and resulted in the devastation which displaced thousands of New Orleans residents to areas across the country.

Your guide will recount the chronology of events which led up to the actual hurricane as well as the days after. The tour will take you for a view of all the major areas that were damaged as a result of the hurricane such as Lakeview, New Orleans East, Genrilly and St. Bernard.

This particular tour will instill a new found perspective on the events which occurred as a result of the hurricane several years ago. The complete tour will last for approximately 3 hours and is well worth the time to travel around the city. This is a popular attraction to the city and when planning your visit you may wish to confirm reservations for the tour prior to arrival.

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Atomic, Idaho

Our recent trip through Idaho took us into some very interesting areas. Along the way we chanced upon the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, an actual drive in movie theater that features the world’s largest potato in the city of Driggs but the most impressive item that we encountered on our trip was the small former nuclear town located at Atomic, Idaho. This town was directly on US 26 as we headed west out of Idaho Falls.

I had to search my memory high and low trying to determine when and where the government conducted any of its earlier nuclear experiment in Idaho. Previously Atomic City was known as Midway more then likely due to its location between the towns of Arco and Blackfoot. Initially the town was home for the government’s experimental breeder reactor and it is the site of the first nuclear reactor to ever generate electricity. The nearby Pickle's Place cafe is the home of the "Atomic Burger".

Atomic City was once the most impressive city actively promoting a nuclear future however today it is nearly a ghost town and the only remains of its past glory lies in its name. There are currently only about 25 people that still reside in the town for most of the population has long ago moved elsewhere or past away. Those families that remain are retired and therefore do not need to actively work. The main street of town remains unpaved since there are not enough citizens to actually accumulate the necessary funds to repair public roads and streets. Since the median income of the town is less then $10,000 dollars it certainly doesn’t have any extra money to go around.

This isolated ghost town has an old gas station which no longer is permitted to sell gas due to the underground tank regulations established by the government. It also has a post office as well a local bar. The old abandoned Atomic City Raceway is now nothing more then weeds although occasionally in the summer you may find a few stock car races taking place. If you are a photo nut then you will certainly enjoy the many opportunities to take pictures of the past age signs that are abound as you enter the town.

As we entered the ghost town we saw several of the locals that were casually sitting on their porch and they waved to us in a friendly manner from their double wide trailer. We stopped to talk to several of the locals and they certainly seemed friendly enough in fact they even offered us a cool beer from their nearby cooler which we graciously accepted.

Although there really is nothing of value to see here it is well worth the drive merely to talk to some of the local citizens and get a different view on the area.

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The Lighthouses of Delaware

Since the state of Delaware is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean one can discover a vast assortment of lighthouses if you look closely. In the Lewes, Delaware area you can find boat tours that have been put together with the specific purpose of visiting the many lighthouses that have been protecting ships for over 100 years. The tour around the Cape May lighthouse area generally lasts for 7 hours. It is in all reality a multi-lighthouse tour of the area as you get to visit nine of the most popular lighthouses between New Jersey and Delaware. Those lighthouses include the Cape May lighthouse, the inner and outer breakwater lighthouses, Brandywine lighthouse, Miah Maul lighthouse, Fourteen Foot lighthouse, Elbow of Crossedge, Ship John Shoal and the Crossledge lighthouse. In total there are nine lighthouses that you will get to see on the grand tour.

The tours are generally conducted aboard very luxurious ships with cushioned seating and plenty of air conditioning or heated cabin space. The upper decks are usually partially covered as well and present a wondrous view of the surrounding ocean.

What could be better then to enjoy your breakfast on one of these cruise ships as you slowly pass one of the lighthouses that is on your itinerary? You and your family can sit and enjoy a delightful meal of Danish, Bagels, Donuts, Toast, Tea, Coffee, and Hot Chocolate and of course Juice. According to the time of your tours departure it is possible that you will be able to enjoy a lunch consisting of a Cheese or Veggie Tray as well as a selection of fresh local fruit and a variety of sandwiches. At certain times of the day hot menus are readily available for those who so desire then and are composed of Spiced Pork Tenderloin or Stuffed Tilapia. Eating on your lighthouse cruise is a culinary delight.

The series of lighthouses that you will see during the cruise were constructed between the 19th and the 20th Century. All the lighthouses are still intact and fully operational although they are unmanned and completely automated at this time. Many of them are constructed on pedestals and the nearest land can not be seen from the lighthouses.

All the trips include the necessary narratives to further explain the area and the lighthouses. Here is your opportunity to enjoy a visit to the first state and indulge in some great photos to enhance your album when you get home.

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