5.20.26-5.22.26 Heading West! First Stop-Iowa

 

5.20.2026

Here we go again! First stop, Amana, Iowa. We packed up Mona and left home at 8:05. We were ready to go...or so we thought.

We got all the way into Iowa and stopped to stretch, pee and have a snack. All of a sudden Al looked at me and said, "I forgot the camper keys." I said, "No you didn't." Oh, yes, he did. But luckily his organized wife had an extra set of all keys in the truck. Jessica didn't have to go on a road trip to Iowa! LOL

We got to Amana Villages RV Park Resort and were lead to a wonderful, spacious site! We are so lucky! Then we opened Mona and discovered that I need to review the prep steps and my list again too! Mona looked like she'd been driven though an earthquake! I forgot to close some cabinets and drawers and many items flew out of the cabinets and emptied all over the floor. In the den, I forgot to put up the cargo net to hold everything on the bunk. That's where we store lots of stuff like Marley's bed, blankets, holiday decorations, etc. In the bedroom, I forgot to Velcro latch the cabinet doors and the drawers flew out of the cabinet and dumped everything on the floor and they were full. It took us a couple of hours to get everything set up and the mess cleaned up and put away. Luckily, nothing broke and nothing spilled! 

Amana RV & Event Center

Lesson Learned: ALWAYS double check the list!!! No matter if you think you know it all...you don't. Check again!

5.21.26 A bit of a slow start today. We went wandering to see what we could find and oh, boy did we find some interesting stuff!

We stopped at the visitor center first where we were given the lowdown on places to stop. The visitor center is located in an old barn & corn crib. We left the truck here and walked....and walked...

There were May Poles everywhere!

"Amana Colonies has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935. This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States. ~U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1965"

Heritage Designs Quilting & Needlework was established in 1976 and is housed inside an old granary barn built in 1895 with 14 foot ceilings. The big wheel in the ceiling at Heritage Designs Quilting & Needlework in Amana, Iowa, is an original iron pulley and rope system. During the building's days as a communal granary, these large pulley wheels were used to hoist heavy bags and grain up to the upper levels of the barn. Today, the historic wheel, pulleys, and wooden grain chutes remain suspended from the black walnut ceiling beams as architectural accents, surrounded by the shop's fabric bolts and sample quilts.

The Amana Heritage Museum is located in the original village schoolhouse and includes the doctors residents with a washhouse and wood shed. It also includes the first ever microwave oven!!! There is a $10 entry fee.

First Radarange built for home use in 1967. This is the prototype of the first home microwave. It was given to George Foerstner and used in his kitchen for many years. Then it was given back to Amana Refrigeration. In 2002 it was donated back to the museum. Next year will be the 60th Anniversary.

We stopped at the Chocolate Haus were we had samples of handmade caramels that were so buttery!!! We watched as they were making chocolate dipped cookies for a wedding...and we bought a small piece of fudge to share.

Moving on... we walked further up the street and realized that the whole town is a history lesson!

We walked to the Amana General Store. This was a HUGE multi-level old building. It housed not only the General Store, but the Amana Coffee & Tea Company and the International Christmas Market. 

The International Christmas Market

Check out this handsome German model!

A traditional German felt hat is most commonly called a Tyrolean hat (or Tirolerhut). Depending on the specific region, they are also referred to as Bavarian hats or Alpine hats. These hats have a few distinct features. Typically they are made from 100% boiled wool or felt. The mid-height crown has a brim that usually curves downward at the front. They are accented with a twisted cord, hat pins, or a tuft of feathers at the side (known as a Gamsbart). They are famously worn alongside traditional German clothing like Lederhosen and Dirndls.

If you can dream it, there was a Christmas ornament of it!!!

We forgot to take pictures in the coffee and tea market but they had free samples and we enjoyed them! 

We kept walking...

Fireside Winery

On the way back to the truck we stopped at the Amana Bakery & Coffee Cafe. We had iced coffee and shared a pastry. The upstairs had exposed beams and stained glass windows.

We had iced caramel lattes and shared this super flaky pastry.

This was displayed in the bakery and it made us proud to support them.

We got back to the truck and decided to pick up Marley and to to a town about 12 miles away called Marengo. There is NO grocery store in Amana! We asked where they go grocery shopping and were told they drive to Marengo. Anyway, we needed gallons of water because we didn't set up the Berkey water filter yet.

AUDIO DRIVING TOUR

There was an audio tour we listened to along the way that told short bits of information about things in the area. You can call 319-213-9003 and listen if interested. There are 40 stops on this driving tour and we only saw a few but listen to a few more. There are short 1-2 minutes long. See below for the list of tiny histories.

***History and explanation of the Amana Colonies and their way of life if you're interested. Scroll by this section if not! But keep going! There is more after this!

The Beginning

In 1714 a group of men began meeting for small group prayer and Bible study in Germany and became known as the Community of True Inspiration. They were persecuted for their beliefs and eventually sought religious freedom in America in 1843-44. Community members pooled their money and purchased 5,000 acres near Buffalo New York. The Community had 12,000 members and called their community the Ebenezer Society. They adopted a constitution for their communal way of life. The city of Buffalo grew around them so they couldn’t expand and they moved to Iowa in 1855 where land, fertile soil, stone, wood and water were plentiful.

They called their community Amana from the Song of Solomon 4:8 which means “remain true.” Six villages were established a mile or two apart that included about 26,000 acres. Amana, East Amana, West Amana, South Amana, High Amana, and Middle Amana. The village of Homestead was added in 1861 which gave the Colonies access to the railroad.

Communal Life

In the seven villages, residents received housing, medical care, meals, all household necessities, and schooling for their children. Property and resources were shared. Men and women were assigned jobs by their village council. No One received a wage. No one need one.

Each village had its own meat shop, bakery, and apiary while large gardens provided for all villages.

Residents were called to work before dawn by the gentle tolling of the bell in the village tower. Farming and the production of wool and calico supported the community. Village enterprises from clock making to brewing were also important. Amana churches located in the center of each village were built of brick or stone, contained no stained-glass windows, no steeple or spire, and reflect simplicity and humility. Members attended worship services 11 times a week.

Over 50 communal kitchens provided 3 daily meals plus two snacks for over 1600 colonists. Kitchens were operated by the women of the Colony. They were well supplied by the village smokehouse, bakery, ice house and dairy, by huge gardens, orchards and vineyards, all maintained by the villagers.

They are NOT Amish

The seven villages of the Amana Colonies in eastern Iowa are not Amish. While both groups have German roots and originated to escape religious persecution, they have completely different lifestyles and histories.

The key differences between the Amana Colonies and the Amish include:

Technology & Progress: The Amish reject modern technology and transportation. The Amana colonists embrace modern technology, drive cars, use smartphones, and run advanced manufacturing businesses.

Lifestyle & Dress: Amish people live a private, secluded lifestyle and dress in traditional, plain clothing. Residents of the Amana Colonies wear modern clothing and blend right in with the general public.

Origins: The Amish are Anabaptists. The Amana people were German Pietists who believed in "True Inspiration" (God speaking through living prophets).

Core Beliefs of the Amish are:

Believer’s Baptism: The defining hallmark of the movement. Baptism is viewed as an outward sign of a conscious, personal commitment to follow Jesus, rendering infant baptism invalid.

Pacifism & Nonviolence: Anabaptists strictly follow the teachings of Jesus to turn the other cheek. They historically refuse to participate in military service, carry weapons, or swear oaths.

Separation of Church and State: They believe the church should operate as a voluntary community of believers, entirely separate from government control or interference.

Community & Simplicity: A strong emphasis on mutual aid, sharing possessions, and living a humble life free from worldly conformity.

Modern Amish Descendants Today: the Anabaptist tradition is global but best represented by several historic and modern denominations, including:

The Amish: Known for maintaining a traditional lifestyle, simple dress, and separation from modern technology.

The Mennonites: The largest Anabaptist group, recognized worldwide for their focus on peace, justice, and mission work.

The Hutterites: Known for living in communal agricultural colonies (bruderhofs).

The Brethren: Groups like the Church of the Brethren, which combine Anabaptist beliefs with pietistic influences.

Communal Living: The Amanas historically lived in a strict communal society where the community owned all property. This system ended in 1932 when they transitioned to a profit-sharing corporation (the Amana Society) and encouraged private enterprise. They drink alcohol, own wineries and breweries. Today, the Amana Colonies function as a popular National Historic Landmark featuring local wineries, restaurants, craft shops, and museums. Amish own their own home and businesses.

Amana Church Practices

People from all six Amana villages come to service in one church. The church is very simple. There are no stained-glass windows, religious statues, a cross, or paintings on the wall. They believe that people should not be distracted in the church. The benches are made of pine and very hard to sit on for long periods of time. (We can attest to this! We sat on these benches to watch the movie. VERY uncomfortable!!!) People kneel on the floor at the appropriate times. (There are NO kneelers or pads) Heads of women are covered before entering. This tradition could soon come to an end because many young girls don’t want to wear a head covering. I remember being in the fourth grade and refusing to wear a chapel veil on my head to enter the Catholic Church.

Families did not sit together and still don’t. Men and boys sit on one side of the church and women and girls sit on the other side of the church. Services take place twice a day. Most people only attend on Sundays now. The service can last up to two hours. There is no official baptism for members.

Marriage and dating

Men were not allowed to marry until twenty-five years of age. A man expresses his desire to date a young girl. The parents of both the young man and women meet. The young man is banished to a nearby village and only meets his girlfriend three times for one year. They are able to participate in group dances chaperoned by their parents throughout the year. If everything works out, they get married. The records show that 50% of the couples change their minds.

Weddings

Amana Weddings are not anything special. They always take place at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. An elder presides over the ceremony. Only the families attend and the couple does not receive any gifts. They don’t exchange rings. The reception after the marriage includes wine, beer, sandwiches and special cakes. Not a wedding cake. They return to their parents’ home after the wedding until the community finds a room for them. They have no choice in their living space.

In the time of communal living, couples were encouraged to have no more than two children. When a child was born the couple received a “sitting room” in the house. The garden and the cleaning were done by the people living in the house. If a couple wanted to buy something such as furniture or clothing, they had to give a reason for the purchase. The person who was in charge of their living conditions would decide if it was a good reason or not. Money was not exchanged between the people. Everyone had the same amount of credit.

Children attended school six days a week, year-round until the age of 14. Boys were assigned jobs on the farm or in the craft shops, while girls were assigned to communal kitchen or garden. A few boys were sent to college for training as teachers, doctors, and dentists.

The Great Change ended 89 years of communal tradition but opened doors for residents. In 1932, during the Great Depression, Amana residents set aside the communal way of life in order to safe their community and to allow members to achieve individual goals. They established the Amana Society, Inc., a profit-sharing corporation, to manage the farmland, the mills, and the larger enterprises. Private enterprise was encouraged. The Amana Church was maintained through it all. Now residents worked for wages, owned homes and businesses, and Amana Appliances was established (now owned by Whirlpool).

 

5.22.2026 Happy Heavenly Birthday Danny!

Travel Day! We followed all the check lists this time. We moved to Altoona, Iowa. All is well. We will sit tight for the holiday weekend. We went to a hardware store and were able to have a couple of the forgotten extra keys made but not the door keys. We use a keyless code pad on the door but...if the battery goes dead we would have a problem. We are considering ordering one far enough ahead and having it delivered to a campground we will be visiting. Tomorrow we will do laundry and get ready for the move into Nebraska on Monday. 

Al installed a flag pole on Mona's hitch so we can proudly fly the old Red, White and Blue!!!

***Some extra research and resources if you still want to know more! I can write a quiz for you if you like! 

Videos

Main Streets

Love Nesters

Road Trip Iowa

Amana Colonies by RV America Y'All

Web Sites

National Park Service

Amana Colonies Visitor Center

Amana Colonies

09.12.25 Pendarvis

 We went wandering and ended up at Pendarvis in Mineral Point. Here is a little history...

In the early 19th century, lead mining was more promising and attractive than either the fur trade or farming to potential settlers of the southwestern corner of the state. The presence of lead was no secret. Members of the Ho-Chunk, Mesquaki (Fox), Sauk and other tribes had mined lead for hundreds of years before French fur traders arrived in the 1600s. Despite the land that would become Mineral Point in 1827 not being open for white settlement, hundreds of miners and settlers illegally poured into the region, violating the treaty rights of native nations settled there.

The lead mining boom was on, and Mineral Point became a thriving commercial center that housed one of Michigan Territory’s first land offices and served as a territorial county seat. The boom continued into early Wisconsin statehood, when lead and zinc mining and processing became the dominant economic activity in the region.

 A series of treaties eventually ceded all Indian lands south of the Wisconsin River to the U.S. by the early 1830s, and experienced miners began arriving from Cornwall in southwestern England. These Cornish immigrants settled in Mineral Point and throughout the Upper Mississippi lead region and constructed small, limestone homes similar to those they left behind in England.

Neal had returned from London and came to the area to find many of the stone cottages, built by the early 19th-century Cornish immigrants, had vanished. In 1934 he struck up a friendship and eventual relationship with Hellum, who shared his interest in the old rock dwellings. Now partners in both business and in life, Neal and Hellum set out to preserve at least one of these tangible symbols of Mineral Point’s past, buying the first cottage for just $10.

Neal and Hellum established the Pendarvis House restaurant in 1935. They specialized in serving tea, saffron cake, scones, preserves, and simple Cornish pasties, utilizing recipes passed on from Neal’s own grandmother, a Cornish immigrant in the mid-1800s. They ended up earning a national reputation for authentic Cornish fare and welcomed diners from every state in the Union and many foreign countries. They operated the restaurant for 35 years before retiring in 1970.

 

Pendarvis House

Constructed in 1845, Pendarvis was purchased in 1935 by Bob and Edgar.

The kitchen had very low ceilings and was an add on lean to log structure out the back of the building..

The dining room was small and at street level. It would have been a tight fit!

Pendarrvis House Restaurant was named as a top seven restaurant I the country by the Saturday Evening Post and appeared in publications such as National Geographic and Life Magazines. The restaurant was a favorite of Duncan Hines, who visited twice and listed the restaurant in the early editions of his guidebook, Adventures in Good Eating.

All in all, Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum restored six historic stone and stone-and-log cottages at Pendarvis. They began their preservation work in 1935 by saving the first Cornish miner's cottage from demolition. They later bought and restored additional structures to create what is now the Pendarvis Historic Site.

This is an outdoor stone root cellar/pantry. The guide said that it stays cool all the time because of the stream that runs under it. You could feel the cool breeze coming out of the opening. The front part had caved in and it was gated off.

Polperro

Bob and Edgar bought their second Shake Rag house in 1937 all because of a birch tree. Built in 1842, Polperro was used as their residence while they restored Trelawny.

The Root Cellar- This stone lined room dug into the hillside was a root cellar, used for food storage. Because it was in the earth, it maintained a relatively constant temperature, keeping food from freezing in the winter and somewhat cool in summer.

Trelawny on the left

Pendarvis House Restaurant on the right.

TRELAWNY was the third building bought and restored by Bob and Edgar in the late 1930s and was the home they shared for 37 years. Richard Thomas and James Carbis, Cornish stonemasons, built this house in late 1842/early 1843. The original four room structure housed nine people. The kitchen, located in the back of the house, was added during the 1930s restoration and serviced the adjacent restaurant. Bob and Edgar entertained guests and friends here. The first-floor rooms still appear much as they did while they lived here in the 1940s.

The buildings that make up the site include:

Pendarvis: The first cottage they restored, built around 1845, was where they opened a restaurant to fund further preservation.

Polperro: A two-and-a-half-story house built around 1842.

Trelawny: The third building they bought and restored, which served as their home for 37 years.

Tamblyn's Row: A row of three adjacent stone structures, which includes the Martin Cabin, the oldest building on the site.

They gave the buildings Cornish names to honor the immigrant miners who originally built them. In 1971, Neal and Hellum sold the restored buildings to the Wisconsin Historical Society, and they were opened to the public as the Pendarvis Historic Site.

The site is fairly large and you could walk over a mile on trails if you want to explore it all!

This whole building was called Tamblyn's Row and all the buildings are connected. Part of it is used for Historical Society offices. The Pub is on the far right on the exposed lower level that you can't see in the photo.

MARTIN CABIN

The oldest structure on site, this cabin was built in 1841 and home to John and Christiana Martin and their five children. Both were immigrants to Mineral Point, with John being one of the earliest Cornish settlers in the early 1830s and Christiana arriving from Nova Scotia. Bob and Edgar bought the entire Tamblyn’s Row structure and removed clapboard siding as well as an addition from the cabin.

KIDDLEYWINK PUB

This Cornish pub in the basement of Tamblyn’s Row was created in the 1960s by Edgar and never existed before that time. After visiting Cornwall several times, Edgar was inspired to recreate a pub for Pendarvis. The leather trim comes from his uncle’s shoe factory in Stoughton. This room was most likely originally used as a cellar or kitchen

Must have been a very thin barkeep! The space on the right to get behind the bar was very small!

Al waiting for his pint!

Ahhh...after that we are hungry for a pasty for lunch. The Red Rooster was recommended for their pasties.

Beef and potato pasty...very good!

Figgy Hobbin or "Figgy Obbin"

A "figgy hobbin" is a traditional Cornish pastry that is similar to a mince pie. The name comes from the Cornish dialect, where "figgy" refers to raisins or currants and "hobbin" is believed to be a diminutive of "oven". Historically, it was a humble and rustic baked dish, but today it is often served as a dessert.

We had quite an adventure this day! Mineral Point looked like a nice clean town and the people were all friendly....and we even learned a little something along the way.

Until the next adventure...stay safe, keep exploring and do something that makes you smile everyday!