Abilene, Abilene

As we headed out of Oklahoma towards Colorado to see my niece and her family in Denver, we decided to go via Abilene, Kansas, a first time in that state.  The attraction was the Eisenhower Presidential Museum.  The plan was to see the museum, spend the night and head out.  While Abilene may not be the prettiest town I have ever seen, it is attractive and the girls ( and boys) are not mean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3RF3nbreBE

Examples of the numerous beautiful Victorians, evidence of Abilene's prosperous past

"Abilene was an obscure, dingy place, boasting of but one shingle-roofed building, the balance a half-dozen log huts covered with dirt roofs" according to Joseph McCoy who conceived the plan to unite Texas Longhorn cattle with buyers in the east.

While the town no longer prospers from cattle drives, it remains a rail center for the transport of grain.  New grain holding facilities are under construction.

We stayed at a pleasant RV Park that was a mile or so down from the major attractions.  It bordered an alfalfa field and was not too far from the trains.  If the sounds of trains annoy you, it wouldn't be your stop but I love hearing them, even in the middle of the night.  I guess they appeal to my vagabond soul.

One unexpected attraction was the Greyhound Hall of Fame, mostly about the racing but also containing some history of the breed.  It is an ancient breed, almost extinct during the famine of the Middle Ages, and then saved and reserved for nobility.  In the 10th Century the King of Wales made killing a greyhound punishable by death and commoners were prohibited from owning the breed.  If caught, they were severely punished and the dog's toes were cut to prevent hunting.  It was tough being a commoner or a commoner's dog.

Greyhounds have been clocked at 45mph

While I don't really have an opinion about the racing industry's treatment of the dogs,  I did enjoy meeting the retired racers "hired" as greeters at the museum.  We have become interested in the group of dogs known as sighthounds after adopting Max, who we suspect may be part whippet given his speed and confirmation, endless watching out the window and prey instincts.

The Presidential Museum is a combination of Ike's childhood, military career, and of course his presidency.  As to the latter, there was a section commenting that during and shortly after his tenure as president he was minimized as a caretaker, golf playing president.  More recent thinking ranks him among the top 10 presidents.  The one thing that struck me was that given his vast military experience during the worst war the world has seen, where his diplomatic skills were a key to much of his success, that "picking one's battles" with patience and the long view was maybe one of his greatest strengths.

Ike grew up with five brothers, his parents and a grandfather in Abilene, Kansas.  His parents were devout River Brethren, a form of Mennonite with pacifist beliefs.

Ike's boyhood home, with a bedroom and kitchen added in later years

The family emphasized education and limited funds caused Ike to pursue an appointment to West Point where he could get a free college education.  All six boys became successful, a banker, lawyer, pharmacist, electrical engineer, college president and of course Ike.

Eisenhower Family

Much of the museum was devoted to his extraordinary career including the D-Day planning.  There were detailed scale models of the Normandy harbor built by the Allies-breakwaters and piers to enable the offloading of the massive shipment of military supplies and equipment once the invasion succeeded.  The Brits did the engineering and the infrastructure was built in Briton and towed to Normandy.  All in secret.  Amazing, conceiving and executing such an effort without benefit of today's technology.  Like previous military engagements, Ike wrote out remarks beforehand in the event of failure.  The D-Day invasion one remains:

Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to give a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops.  My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available.  The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do.  If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.

Fortunately, he never had to use his prepared remarks.

We know much about the Nazi horrors but this was a new one to me.

The section on the Cold War brought back memories of the drills and pamphlets about nuclear preparation.  I didn't realize that the government provided guidance and funding for the construction of bomb shelters.

One of Ike's better quotes:

I was also unaware that Eisenhower was responsible for the first federal civil rights legislation in nearly a century.

One of the really fun things about traveling is meeting people from different backgrounds.
A high point in Abilene was lunch with David.  We met him outside the local lunch spot when we inquired as to the food.  He agreed to join us and with my gentle interrogation,  we learned that his family immigrated from Switzerland, homesteaded in Kansas and he and his wife along with his son still live on the homestead and raise beef cattle.  He answered my endless questions about such activity and explained how modern technology is used in agriculture. As an example,  using GPS,  farmers can plant seeds within 2" of the previously applied fertilizer.  We later learned from the head of the local heritage museum that he has an amazing baritone singing voice.

The Abilene stop is proof once again that the high points of travel are often where you do not expect them.