We have been soooooooo busy the past few days that I haven’t been able to stay awake long enough at the end of the day to update this diary. So I’m going to catch up a couple of days to get back on track. Hope it works!

On October 9, our day began with a visit to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and historic site in West Branch, Iowa. This wonderful place provides a deep look into someone that I have always known as the president of the Great Depression. Not the best thing to have on your resume. I came away with a much better understanding of Mr. Hoover and a great deal of respect for his contributions to humanity. This historic site is well worth a visit if you’re ever in the area.

Hoover was born into a Quaker family in West Branch in 1874. He was raised with deep roots in the value of hard work and the obligation to help those in need, no matter who or where they are. He was orphaned at 11 and sent to live with relatives in Oregon with two dimes sewed into his pocket. He was accepted into the inaugural freshman class at Stanford and graduated with a degree in geology. He met his future wife, Lou Henry, at Stanford. She was the only female geology major enrolled at the time. He started a career in mining engineering after completing his education, and had huge success across the globe.

By the time he reached his 30’s he was the successful owner of his own mining consulting business, and very wealthy. Yet he accepted the request from Woodrow Wilson to run the US Food Administration, which fed starving populations in Europe during the war. This experience began his transition to public service from private enterprise. He successfully managed large-scale aid projects around the globe, investing much of his own resources into these endeavors. His success with humanitarian aid projects led him to politics.

He served as Secretary of Commerce during the Harding Administration. He played key roles in the standardization of such things as electrical current, traffic lights, traffic laws, and federal regulations of many private business activities. The recognition he received for this work helped to earn him a nomination for the 1928 presidential election.

Hoover won the election. but the 1929 stock market crash turned the nation against him. He was voted out of office after one term and marginalized in the world of politics and leadership for decades. Harry Truman called him back to advise his administration, and Eisenhower did as well. His contributions in these roles helped to restore his reputation, although it never returned to the international renown he enjoyed during and after WW1.

Hoover’s presidential library is the first one one ever established. Every president since has one. The historic site is elegant and simple, reflecting Hoover’s Quaker background. It was an impressive experience, well worth another visit if we get back this way again.

Following our visit to the Hoover library, we stopped at the Iowa 80 Truck Museum. This private collection is adjacent to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, although the two are related in name only. There are so many examples of trucks in this exhibit, from their earliest incarnations through the later 20th century, it boggles the mind. Here are a few selections:

October 10, Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day, was also a free day for us. On free days we try to do something fun with Gracie. On our tour days she spends a lot of hours alone in Wanda2, and that’s not a good thing for a high-spirited poodle. So we take her out and give her a run as best we can.

Before we left today, I snapped a few photos of Wanda2 from the inside. I’ve had a few requests so thought I’d respond to those. She’s pretty efficient and simple so it won’t take long 😁

Today we took a walk on a multi-use trail along the river. There were some nice views:

We were soon detoured by the Quad City Botanical Center. It was decked out for Halloween and it was lovely.

We did a little more if the trail after we visited the botanical garden, but it turned into a rather warm day, so we bailed on the hiking and went to Whitey’s ice cream shop for some highly recommended local treats. Even Gracie got a pup cup!

When we returned to camp, the pond across from our campsite gave us this end-of-day gift:

PS – the Quad Cities are Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in Illinois. Sounds like the Quint Cities to me, but I guess that’s not as poetic.