We had a great site in a Corp of Engineers park at Montpelier, IA - just about 10 miles from Davenport on the Mississippi River. We had lunch with Holmbergs the first noon at the Olive Garden...and made plans to get together on the 19th for dinner - as our mail was forwarded to them for pick-up on Thursday. [ We DO have to plan ahead for what we are "up to"...as we get mail only once a week...and have to order the delivery a week ahead of when we want to receive it.]
Way back when Ron was at Parlmer Chiropractic College (which we visited the first day), we lived in IOWA for 5 years. Wendi was born in Iowa city...and in all of the time we were in IOWA, we never visited the Amana Colonies...so... on the 18th...we spent the entire day at the Amana Colonies...had an "incredible" Bavarian Reuben sandwich for lunch...and continued on to DeWitt Iowa (where we lived two of those 5 years), and had a great dinner with Marilyn Venable...she and her late husband Jim were our "bridge buddies" back in the day. Enjoyable time catching up, and viewing all of the improvements to the community.
The woolen mills were the most interesting...but wineries, bakeries, wood shops, furniture shops were everywhere. We were reminded that the Amana colonies have absolutely nothing to do with the Amish communities. Totally different concept in life style. Amana colonies were a "communal type of living" which had nothing to do with any particular religion. They were divided into "houses" of @ 40 people who shared all duties...several families lived together in the same house. Interesting. The "colonies" owned everything. The individuals owned "nothing." This all took on a different flavor in the 40's and now families "own" property, businesses, and life is much like it is in many cities - except there is no industrial commercialization.
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