Coralville, Iowa August 11 - 17

We made the trip to Coralville, Iowa because we wanted to experience the John Deere Classic Golf Tournament. John Deere uses this golf tournament to show off their farm machinery.  The sheer immensity of these farm machines just cannot be described.  It is fun just to climb around on them as you can see Mark did in the lower photo.

Even the tee markers are models of John Deere tractors.  They store them after every round so there was no getting my hands on one.

We got really close to the action when a ball was hit on the edge of the cart path.   The pro hit a "driver off the deck" from this location.  You don't get a chance to get quite this close to a pro hitting a driver.  It was quite loud when the driver made contact with the ball.  I couldn't take a photo when he was hitting but I did get a quick one of the caddie standing by the ball location.

 

We splurged and bought a pass that included access to the Green Club.  It was nice to be able to eat and relax in an air conditioned area.  We went outside to watch the final groups coming in and met a fun couple who own a dairy farm in Iowa.  We now know amazing facts about dairy farming.  The golf channel replayed the event and we saw ourselves on television.  This is the shot from the tv.  We are that group in the red on the right side.

 

 

 

We had a great view of the Ryan Moore's final shot to win the tournament.  Here he is waiting for the last putt.

 

 

And it was fun to watch the bagpipes come in at the closing ceremonies

 

One spot I really enjoyed were these air conditioned benches.  You just sat there and enjoyed the a/c blowing out from the back and the bottom of the bench!

How can we go to Iowa and not make a stop in the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library? We were shocked at how much of the history of Herbert Hoover was omitted from our history lessons.  We were both told that he created the great depression.  But he was only in office a short time when the depression happened.  What we weren't told was how amazing he was.  In 1891 he entered the first class of Stanford University.   When he was 28 years old he was such a successful mining engineer that he was making $33,000 a year.  Compare that to the President of Stanford University making $10,000, the Governor of California, $6,000 and college professors $3-4,000.   

 

 

In 1917 he was the United States Food Administrator for President Wilson. In 1918 - 1919 Hoover served as the Direct General of American Relief Administration and, as a result, fed 350 million people in 21 Countries.   In 1946, Truman sent Hoover to 38 nations to beg, borrow and cajole enough food to avert starvation among victims of World War II.  Hoover worked tirelessly and was incredibly successful.  This statue of the goddess of magic and life was donated by the Belgian School Children in gratitude for his work on their behalf. 

 

We also toured the 2 bedroom cottage that Herbert Hoover's father built in 1871 as well as the school house Hoover attended and the Friends meetinghouse where the Quakers held their silent services.

 

 

 

Herbert Hoover also created the Federal Farm Board and the Veterans Administration, worked to regulate stocks and securities after the market crash, and helped to found children's welfare organizations.

 

Okay, we really enjoyed Iowa but now its time to head to Kansas.