Day 5, June 22, 2016 Topeka KS to Ankeny IA

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We were blessed with some luck last night when, having inquired about a confusing $5 off sign in the elevator, which we would not qualify for, the manager gave us the full coupon worth $15, plus we each had a coupon for a free drink…so our whole dinner plus drinks and tips cost us $10 last night.  Score!!! Our young server also worked in a large dog rescue program and wants to be a vet tech.  She was great. And we also got a really fine hot breakfast this morning with a very attentive server guy on duty.  Hoorah for the Ramada Downtown Topeka.  You rocked.

This morning’s highlight was a visit to the Brown V. Board of Education Historical Site in Topeka. This National Park Service site is in one of the four black-only elementary schools in the city prior to 1954.  This school was one that was very nice.  It had highly qualified teachers, a nice facilities, good curriculum and good books.  The “tangibles” there were equal to what was found in the “whites-only” schools. However, tangibles being equal still did not mean it was equal.  The Supreme Court confirmed the students were still having to deal with the fact that they were not allowed to go to a “white school” which had bad psychological and social effects on them, as well as on the white students.    

We arrived in time to look around before going on a wonderful Ranger talk where a highly knowledgeable young ranger talked to us about the fallacy of “separate but equal” as it applied to education as well as to other kinds of public services.

This presentations and displays were high level technological displays with really fine videos.  One thing that was highlighted as sad was the fact that once the schools were integrated, many black teachers lost their jobs because schools did not want white children taught by African America teachers.

We were struck by a mother from New Hampshire who had her 3 children with her, and felt that this stop was a must for her children to understand this part of our country’s history.  This family was taking advantage of the amazing offer that Obama has made to offer any 4^th grade students a year long National Park’s pass for their whole family.  This is normally an $80 value (unless you are over 62 years old…then you can get a life long pass for $10).  We appreciate and honor families who are working hard to pass along to the next generation the enjoyment of our National Parks and our American historical sites.  The teen wrote a thank you note on the blackboard in a classroom.

An hour and a half drive down the road to Independence MO brought us to our afternoon’s visits.

First we went to The National Frontier Trails Museum:  a small museum in a former flour mill which is dedicated to telling the story about the westward expansion that went through Missouri.  This included Lewis and Clark and their voyage of discovery, The Santa Fe Trail, The Oregon Trail, The Mormon Trail, The California Gold Rush.  

 For many years, travelers gathered in Independence to form the wagon trains that would head West. All of these are areas of history and stories that we have followed through out travels and studies. We were pleased to notice, both in watching the movie onsite and walking through the exhibits, how many of these stories were familiar to us. Dick was struck again by how hard it was for people to be on the trail.  Going 900 miles to Santa Fe and over 2000 miles to Oregon….90% of the people who took off for Oregon survived their trip, but 10% did not.  They traveled 15 miles a day. Often walking. 

As we were out in the nearly 100 degree weather today we thought we were glad to get into the air conditioning and were super glad to not be walking alongside a wagon.   We can contrast the fact that we ourselves were in Santa Fe just two days ago, and we have traveled already over 2000 miles in 5 days, in our air conditioned mini-van.  Travel has changed!!!!

We then drove just a couple miles down the road to our second Presidential Library of the trip: The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.  Truman became president in 1945 when Franklin D. Roosevelt suddenly died.  He had been Vice President for only 70 days when this happened, and had met with FDR only twice since the inauguration.   He was president during a very challenging time in our country:  as World War II was coming to the end, he made the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, the Korean War started, he push for the US to recognize Israel as a country, he ordered that the US military be desegregated. Although, as a southerner, he likely never got over some of his personal prejudices, he still took strong actions for civil rights stating repeatedly that he was the president to all.

He had a sign on his desk that said, “The buck stops here.” Which meant ultimately he was responsible for the decisions that were made.  He also took on a “do nothing” congress, and while we was campaigning and talking about fighting them, he said he would “Give ‘em hell.” And he did.  His reelection was one of the closest in the history of the country, with the newspapers already printing the headlines that Dewy (his Republican opponent) had won.    Truman had great fun with those newspapers after it was clear that he had been the winner. 

We stopped briefly at the house Truman lived in prior to his Presidency and for 20 years afterwards.  Each day he would arise early and take a walk.  Once he left the White House, he initiated the creation of the first Presidential Library and Museum.  In fact, for most of that 20 years, he personally guided visitors around the Museum.

Then it was time to get back in the car and drive north to our next stop, just beyond Des Moines, Iowa.