We had been home not quite two weeks, so I was ready for another road trip!
Carol and I have been friends for.…let’s just say since Ain’t
No Mountain High Enough hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. During my first semester in college a logic
class was offered that met at 8:00 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays -- one
of the college’s attempts to keep students on campus over the weekends. That I was willing to sacrifice my Saturday
mornings was a clear reflection of my desire to avoid – or so I thought – a
math class. The very first thing the
Professor said was, “If you are here to avoid math, re-think taking this
class.” As I slunk down in my seat, I
made eye contact with another young woman whose countenance clearly indicated
she, too, was in “math avoidance mode.”
We have been friends ever since.
So when Carol suggested a visit to her house and then a stay
in a bed-and-breakfast in Davenport, IA to see a Princess Diana exhibit I was
ready to go. I managed to get to
Hannibal, MO before stopping. I grabbed
a latte at Java Jive and made my obligatory stop at an antique store where I
limited myself to one tiny piece of Syracuse china. Another “must” stop was Hickory Stick Quilt
and Gift Shop. It has three rooms of
beautiful material in every imaginable pattern, shade, and hue. I always find a piece of material that I “must”
have because of its intricate pattern or fanciful color. I used to fool myself that I would create
something from these lovely bits. Now I
know they will simply remain pretty pieces of cloth, but that’s OK. Of course before I leave town I must pay my
respects to Tom and Huck. Walking down
to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and
the whitewashed fence is like visiting an old friend. You can meet them at http://www.visithannibal.com
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| My "finds" from Hannibal - Syracuse china and pretty material |
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| Mark Twain Boyhood Home, Hannibal, MO |
After an enjoyable visit and overnight stay with Carol
and her husband Frank, she and I motored on to Davenport. I had been to “Diana: A Celebration” several years ago in Kansas
City and at that time the two most memorable pieces were a broken china figurine
and the royal wedding gown with its yards and yards of train. These two items still capture my
imagination. The Beatrix Potter figurine
of Peter Rabbit is missing one ear. I
found it endearing. That broken figurine
helps me picture a sentimental young girl and gives insight into a caring woman
who supported so many charitable causes.
As I viewed the royal wedding gown I remembered being with friends in
Colorado in 1981 when we stayed up all night to watch a fairy tale wedding, along
with over a billion other television viewers.
The wedding dress makes me feel sad because we are now aware of all the
unhappiness to befall the young woman who wore that magnificent royal gown. The Princess would not have a “happily ever
after.” Hopefully, Diana’s son William can
create a “happily ever after” for himself and his Princess, Kate.
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| Princess Diana's portrait behind a diamond tiara |
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| Diana's Peter Rabbit figurine from her childhood |
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| Diana's school uniform and other mementos from childhood |
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Diana's wedding dress of silk and taffeta with antique lace.
The train is 25 feet long. |
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| The next generation: Diana's son, Prince William and his Princess, Kate |
“Diana: A Celebration”
is currently on exhibit at the Putnam Museum in Davenport, IA, through January
5, 2014. There will be two more U.S.
stops before the global tour ends in the summer of 2014, although the web site
does not yet have the remaining locations or dates listed. Following the final exhibit, the items in the
collection will be returned to Diana’s sons.
For more information, log on to http://www.dianaexhibition.com
Once upon a time Davenport’s “royalty” lived along the
historic “Gold Coast” where the Beiderbecke Inn is located. The mansion was built in 1880 by Charles and
Louise Beiderbecke. This elegant
Victorian mansion has a commanding view of the Mississippi River and is
furnished with gorgeous antiques.
Today’s owners and innkeepers, Pam and Dennis LaRouge, are very hospitable
hosts. When you greet me at your door
with warm chocolate chip cookies you’ve won me over! Guests are welcome to use the billiard room,
library and parlor. The en-suite rooms
are very spacious and have gas fireplaces.
Some rooms have river views. A
gourmet breakfast beckons you in the morning to the formal dining room. The morning we were there breakfast included
yogurt with fresh raspberries, individual soufflés with sausage links, and almond
French toast. The whole experience was a
sheer delight that deserves another visit.
Beiderbecke Inn
532 West 7th Street, Davenport, Iowa 52803 (563) 323-0047
http://www.bbonline.com/united-states/iowa/davenport/beiderbecke.html
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| View of the Mississippi River from the Beiderbecke mansion |
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| Dusk, with the lights lit on the Mississippi River bridge |
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| The Victorian Beiderbecke Bed and Breakfast |
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| Another view of the mansion |
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| Tile floor in the entrance hall. As I've told you, old tile entrances fascinate me. |
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| The mansion's library |
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| The grand staircase |
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| Bed in The Tower Room |
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| In true "bed and breakfast" fashion, breakfast was a formal affair |
After saying farewell to my college friend, I headed
home. I stopped at Loraine, IL for gas, a
bathroom break, and coffee. Approaching the
door of the station I spied two men dressed head to toe in camouflage, including
hoods that covered their faces, with just slits for the eyes and mouth. Hmm…hunters or robbers? I mentally flipped a coin. I don’t know if it was the need to use the bathroom
or for coffee that made me conclude they were hunters, but I pushed
forward. A few minutes later, as I was
pouring my coffee, I found myself standing between the two hunters. I broke out in giggles. They looked at me
askance. Perhaps they didn’t see the irony
in the fact that I was wearing brown jeans and a leopard print hooded
raincoat. I mentally read the caption
“hunters and prey.” They just saw the caption
“silly woman” or perhaps “crazy woman”!
I drove on in a fine mist and a light fog that veiled the
russet colored leaves. Later I made a
stop at the Thierbach Apple Orchard near Marthasville, MO to buy Damson Plum
Jam and some of the last apples of the season. http://www.thierbachorchards.com/
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| Thierbach's apple trees in magnificent fall color |
Perhaps it’s one of the vestiges of being a retired teacher,
but fall to me always means the start of a new year. Even as the leaves fall I’m looking forward
to another year of adventures and more Road Stories.
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