Domestic Journeys

Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Iowa

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Friendship Force Mystery Exchange
Cedar Rapids/Iowa City
By Bob Weissman, ED
June 22-25, 2012

Seven members of the Northern Illinois Friendship Force traveled in two cars about 250 miles to visit the members of the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Friendship Force Club.  We left our area at about 9:30 am and arrived at about 3:00 pm at Coe College in Cedar Rapids where we met our hosts and other members of the hosting club.

After becoming acquainted with our “mystery” hosts, we proceeded to the Coe College Library where we were given a tour of the art collection housed in that building.  We saw many photos by George T. Henry and the art of Marvin Cone along with some paintings by the famous Grant Wood.

 

 

 

 

 

Having had our introductions to our hosts’ homes, we were taken to the Ellis Park Overlook Pavillion on the Cedar River where many members of our host club treated us to a sumptuous pot luck dinner.  Our club president, Joan Harrington, introduced herself and thanked the hosting members for having us.  Yours truly, Bob Weissman, the ED for this exchange, was asked to say a few words, which I did.

Saturday was a very interesting and busy day!  We traveled to a nearby town called Anamosa where we visited the Anamosa Penitentiary.  In the penitentiary museum, we were given to “low down” on the history of the prison and its workings.  We also got to try on prison garb and get an idea of what a cell felt like.

    

We made a brief photo stop at a very old restaurant called The General Store in Stone City before going into downtown Anamosa to see the Grant Wood Museum where we were given a very informative talk about the artist and his art.  Grant Wood is best known for his painting called, American Gothic.  The woman was his sister and the man was a town dentist.  We went past the Stone City quarry, but did not stop there.

From there, we traveled the back roads to West Branch, the birthplace of Herbert Hoover.  Before viewing the grounds, buildings, museum and burial area of this area, we stopped in West Branch for lunch at a small restaurant called Reid’s Beans.

The Herbert Hoover Museum is a great place to find out about all of the good and useful things which Herbert Hoover accomplished.  We should not blame him for the Depression, although he didn’t do much to alleviate the suffering of American citizens during his presidency.

Having left West Branch, our hosts had complete control of where we went.  My hosts took me to Stringtown Grocery, a busy but small supermarket run by the Amish of the town of Kalona.  There were all kinds of fruits, vegetables and handmade and hand packaged items.  I got a photo of a fellow in his buggy!

After Kalona, we went back to Cedar Rapids where we were due to go on a trolley tour of that city.  Being somewhat early, we went to a pub in Czechtown called “The Red Frog” where we had a drink and hung out until it was time to find the trolley.

Our trolley tour of Cedar Rapids lasted two hours.  Mostly we were told about various buildings in the area which had been saved, raised, or rebuilt due to the flood of the Cedar River in 2008.  That was some flood!!

With the trolley ride behind us, we went with our hosts for dinner.  I had chosen to go to a restaurant called, “The Longbranch” since I was hungry for a steak.  Dinner was very good as was the company of Jerry and Phillis Seidl.  Phillis was the incoming ED.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a wonderful experience all around!  We arrived home in the late afternoon.

Jean Wilson:

We always think:  It can’t be better than this!

Every Exchange seems to be even more fun than the last, but we know it’s just because we enjoy each new friend we meet through FFNI, and the more the merrier.

This was a domestic Exchange, meaning within the USA—it’s a great way to get know members in other states and find out more about their lives.

We had super hosts—who could ask for anything more?  Their lovely home was surrounded by a garden just as beautiful as our hosts were. We soon learned that they had traveled all over the world, but when Dianne brought out a few of her many albums, we were astonished!

Each one was a gorgeous, wonderfully detailed work of art.   We exclaimed as we marveled at each page:  “Everybody should see these albums. We think FFI and the whole world should know about them.”

The Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Friendship Force treated us to a busy, happy Exchange.  We can’t wait to plan their visit to The Friendship Force of Northern Illinois soon.

Bob Weissman:

This exchange was my first as an ED.  I think everything went very well.  It appeared that everyone had a great time.

I had a super time.  One of the reasons I had such a great time is that I got to stay with two different hosts.  When I arrived at the Seidl’s residence, I was given the opportunity to be with them all day Friday, Friday night, all day Saturday and Saturday night.  I was told that there was another member of the club who had thought he would have an Ambassador.  However, that did not work out as planned.  The Seidls ask me if I would like to spend Sunday and Sunday night with John Geigerich.  John has a friend named Trish, also a member of the club, who accompanied us all day Sunday.

Not only were both my hosts super people, but I got to see Dubuque on Sunday!  This was a wonderful addition to my experience on the Mystery Exchange.  The Dubuque Arboretum was special in that it has wonderful gardens and also had a band which played oldies for at least 1000 folks sitting on the lawn.

Being hosted by two different members has got to be the best!!

Sheila Liao:

It is my first exchange; I am very excited and looking forward for the experience.

Mr. Bob Weissman is very kind to offer the ride for us to drive to Cedar Rapids.

We left 9:30 in the morning and got there right before 2:30pm. The Cedar Rapids club members were there to welcome us. I felt so honored to be treated as VIP.

Coe College has great assets of many local artists’ art collections. Finally, I am at the home town of Grant Wood.

I was holding my breath when I got into my host family’s house. It is a nice, private, wooded area with many custom built houses. Mr. Michael and Dianne Karal have a beautiful big house which has artistic detailed decoration.  They provided me a room with a 4-pole queen size bed.  I had always wished to sleep on a 4-pole bed.

While staying with the Karal family, Dianne shared her recipes, taught me to play “progression” card game, showed us many of their trips photos and scrap books. They had done all photos, placed with great theme and art design. I encouraged Dianne to publish her travel scrap books to promote the Friendship Force organization.

To visit the local art gallery, Anamosa Penitentiary Museum, President Hoover Library, Amanas German town, and trolley tour of their downtown; this trip taught me their hard work attitude and big warm hearts of Midwestern Americans. It also taught me some of American histories.

The trip set a high standard for my future exchanges and it will be the role model to follow to be a great home host.

 

Returning from San Antonio

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Returning from San Antonio on a very snowy and windy day, I am reminded of the bright Texas sun and the warm weather. It was perfect for all that we did. We started out with a Valentine dinner. We had games and enjoyed meeting our hosts. That was the day of our arrival.

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San Antonio, Texas

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San Antonio Exchange completed in July

We had a 5 ½ day incoming exchange with the San Antonio Friendship Force club. They were a delightful 11 participants who arrived either through O’Hare airport or by way of Amtrak through Union Station. We had blazing heat and torrential rains which they took in stride. They are certainly used to heat and hoped we could send some of our rain to Texas. We were sweltering (especially me) in the heat, but they all were great sports. Chicago was very cooperative in that after this heavy downpour and clouds hiding all the tall buildings, the skies magically opened up to a clear view from the 95th Restaurant at the top of the Hancock building. Diana Sanders, ED

San Antonio exchange – comments received and shared by FFNI Home hosts:
• Laura Wilson was amazed at the greenery in our area. She repeatedly commented on the many trees, shrubs, green lawns etc. She said that Texas was dry and brown, so she appreciated all the lovely GREEN. She loved the Botanic Garden and the beautiful parks in Libertyville– very happy with all our visits. Jean Wilson

• Steve Hallford asked me why many of our fire hydrants have an “antenna” sticking up from them. I chuckled and told him the appendage was not an antenna, it was an indicator of their location when buried under 3 feet of snow for the firemen and snow plowers! Jeanne Minorini

  

Flathead Valley Exchange

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Kalispell, Montana

What’s a better way to learn about an exchange than from some of the participants?

Before me were children in cowboy hats waving flags and catching candy in the air, veterans hearing deserved applause and smiling, fire engines blinking, a bi-plane dipping to say hello and cowboys and cowgirls carrying our flag proudly on their mounts. Such a sense of patriotism swept through me that I fought tears while grinning like a kid. I felt so proud to be an American. The time and place was magical.

DEAN AND MARLENE DI BRITO

What a wonderful time – hooking 5 big trout on Flathead Lake, the family-focused 4th of July parade, an alpine experience in Whitefish, the spectacular symphony performance in Bigfoot and lunch at Norm’s News.

ED AND NANCY EKIS

Our exchange to the Flathead Valley FF club scored 2 firsts for me: my first exchange and my first time in Montana! By far my favorite memory will be the experience of Glacier National Park. Those mountains are massive! I thought about the power that formed them, and it filled me with awe.

LORRIE GASEWIND

One morning looking out the window into the Jenne’s backyard we saw a doe and on closer inspection we saw she was nursing her fawn! Friends of JoLynn and Jerry invited us to their home on Flathead Lake for desert and a terrific fireworks display.

BOB AND ANDREA KAROWSKI

I visited my hosts’ animal reserve which contained bear, lion, elk and a myriad of other wild animals through an immense wilderness, approximately 1,000 acres, which is legally guaranteed never to be used for housing. My host subsidized water and food throughout the bush as one would see in a world-class setting.

BERNICE KRIPPNER

The Flathead exchange shown me the great beauty of America; it is not a high building or busy street. It shows the traditional value of people, how they live as a real hard working American who farm our land, protect our resources and the depth of natural beauty

SHEILA LAIO

Carol Beaudion humored me in our two hikes in Glacier National Park. I knew I was in trouble the first time we went out as she strapped on her gear and grabbed her hiking boots and poles. She was the seasoned Girl Scout leader and I was a mere Brownie scout. I learned a lot about life during those hikes-the importance of being in good physical shape, focusing on the path ahead, getting good footing, being prepared for anything, responding courteously to fellow hikers and having the right equipment.

JEANNE MINORINI

Montana is an amazingly beautiful part of the country. The marvel of Glacier National Park is breathtaking. One couldn’t ask for more warm and welcoming hosts.

BEVERLY NELSON

Three years ago I had the good fortune to host Patty Sevier from Flathead Valley for an enjoyable week here in the “burbs”. Three years later and guess who is hosting me? Patty Sevier. What luck! In spite of the busy schedule, we tucked in time here and there to “just chat” and I’ll leave it up to you readers to guess what we did in spades! I returned with hundreds of photos of gorgeous mountain scenery and the most endearing people ever.

JEAN WILSON

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Mystery Exchange

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Our “Mystery Exchange” was a great trip to Iowa, where we were guests of Friendship Force of Cedar Rapids/Iowa City. None of the travelers knew where they were going until shortly before the trip, so there was great suspense and excitement. Sharing rides, the Northern Illinois ambassadors drove to central Iowa in two cars.

This was a Domestic exchange – within the United States. But for Taiwan-born Sheila Liao, it proved to be an encounter with a different aspect of American life. Read her blog, describing her impressions of her first exchange.
Exchange Director Bob Weissman provided this report and photos:

Seven members of the Northern Illinois Friendship Force traveled in two cars about 250 miles to visit the members of the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Friendship Force Club. We left our area at about 9:30 am and arrived at about 3:00 pm at Coe College in Cedar Rapids where we met our hosts and other members of the hosting club.
After becoming acquainted with our “mystery” hosts, we proceeded to the Coe College Library where we were given a tour of the art collection housed in that building. We saw many photos by George T. Henry and the art of Marvin Cone along with some paintings by the famous Grant Wood.
Having had our introductions to our hosts’ homes, we were taken to the Ellis Park Overlook Pavillion on the Cedar River where many members of our host club treated us to a sumptuous pot luck dinner. Our club president, Joan Harrington, introduced herself and thanked the hosting members for having us. Yours truly, Bob Weissman, the ED for this exchange, was asked to say a few words, which I did.

Saturday was a very interesting and busy day! We traveled to a nearby town called Anamosa where we visited the Anamosa Penitentiary. In the penitentiary museum, we were given to “low down” on the history of the prison and its workings. We also got to try on prison garb and get an idea of what a cell felt like.

We made a brief photo stop at a very old restaurant called The General Store in Stone City before going into downtown Anamosa to see the Grant Wood Museum where we were given a very informative talk about the artist and his art. Grant Wood is best known for his painting called, American Gothic. The woman was his sister and the man was a town dentist. We went past the Stone City quarry, but did not stop there.

From there, we traveled the back roads to West Branch, the birthplace of Herbert Hoover. Before viewing the grounds, buildings, museum and cemetery of this area, we stopped in West Branch for lunch at a small restaurant called Reid’s Beans.
The Herbert Hoover Museum is a great place to find out about all of the good and useful things which Herbert Hoover accomplished. We should not blame him for the Depression, although he didn’t do much to alleviate the suffering of American citizens during his presidency.

Having left West Branch, our hosts had complete control of where we went. My hosts took me to Stringtown Grocery, a busy but small supermarket run by the Amish of the town of Kalona. There were all kinds of fruits, vegetables and handmade and hand packaged items. I got a photo of a fellow in his buggy!
After Kalona, we went back to Cedar Rapids where we were due to go on a trolley tour of that city. Being somewhat early, we went to a pub in Czechtown called “The Red Frog” where we had a drink and hung out until it was time to find the trolley.

Our trolley tour of Cedar Rapids lasted two hours. Mostly we were told about various buildings in the area which had been saved, raised, or rebuilt due to the flood of the Cedar River in 2008. That was some flood!!
With the trolley ride behind us, we went with our hosts for dinner. I had chosen to go to a restaurant called, “The Longbranch” since I was hungry for a steak. Dinner was very good as was the company of Jerry and Phillis Seidl. Phillis was the incoming ED.
When the Seidls and I first met, I was told that there was a fellow club member who had been disappointed that he didn’t have an ambassador to host. I was asked if I would mind spending Sunday and Sunday night with John Geigerich. I agreed to do that. As it turned out, I was hosted by both John and his friend Trish who is also a member of the club.
On Sunday morning, the Seidls took me to their son and daughter-in law’s house for breakfast. The bagels and omelets were delicious!! After breakfast, Phil, the Seidl’s son, took me to see a Frank Lloyd Wright house called the Douglas-Grant House. It was secluded in the woods, so we didn’t get to see much of it. However, it was very nice of Phil to show it to us.
John and Trish had planned a busy day for me! They wanted me to see Dubuque!! We went to an area called, “Mines of Spain” which is a large park with a few educational stations. We then went to Eagle Point where we had a great view of the Mississippi River, a dam and lock. Also, Julien Dubuque, the first European trader to visit the area is buried there.

Having spent some time at Eagle Point, we went back into downtown Dubuque where I became acquainted with various sights, buildings and the walk along the Mississippi. We took a ride on the Fendon Trolley which traverses a fairly tall hill and goes down to the riverfront.
For dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant called Vinny Vanucci’s. Dinner was great! Following dinner, we took in the Dubuque Arboretum with its beautiful gardens and the band which played oldies for several hours.
The last thing we tried to do was to see the site of the movie, “Field of Dreams.” We finally found it when it was almost dark. It had been closed since six! Oh well.
In the morning, Monday, Trish took me for a walk around the track. It was difficult to keep up with her although she was only going one third her normal speed! At 9:30, the Ambassadors and their hosts met at Huntington’s Restaurant for our Farewell Breakfast. So much food!! One could not finish all the food!! Just before having our pictures taken, I presented a check made out to the FFI Legacy Fund to Phillis Seidl on behalf of our FFNI. She in turn gave me a check made out for the same purpose.

We arrived home in the late afternoon. It was a wonderful experience all around!