Cave of the Mounds

Not Mammoth Cave, but not bad.

Rib Mountain, Marathon County, Wisconsin

The second highest point in Wisconsin

United States Capitol, Washington, DC.

Ah - what to say about this structure than maybe highlight some of the features. The rotunda, the crowds, the painting of the embarkation of the pilgrims in the Rotunda with William Brewster, and maybe a statue of William Jennings Bryan. And let's throw in the honorary American citizen and true hero of World War II, Raoul Wallenberg (who survived the Nazis only to die by the Soviets).

Union Station, Washington, DC

A busy hub of activity on the Northeast Corridor, as opposed to the rest of the Amtrak grid....

Promontory Summit, Promontory, Utah

The Golden Spike Site, the Central Pacific Jupiter, and the nearby Rocket Museum. Quite the collection.

Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah

The traditional dome that covers most legislative bodies in America. But it does have some beautiful views.

Reagan Library, Simi Valley, California

Ah - Marine One, Air Force One, and an unbelievable view of the valley. And the replica of part of Reagan's boyhood home.

Balboa Park, San Diego, California

San Diego, where the weather is always beautiful.

Model Railroad Museum, San Diego, California

Wow, someone put a lot of work into this.

Klondike Gold Rush NHP, Seattle, Washington

And there is some interesting history in Seattle, this fairly new city but with some history of the Gold Rush days. The National Parks are a truly great resource.

Space Needle, Seattle, Washington

Yes they do have a restaurant, and very good views. But this looks very interesting with all the dry ice...

Boyhood Home of Ronald Reagan, Dixon, Illinois

If you can't make it to the California Reagan Library, you can always visit his Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois. There you can see parts of the house that they have replicas of in California.

Kitwe, Zambia

Always interesting on the opposite side of the road. Churches, African prairie, cemeteries, and the view from the edge of the city.

Day 5 - Cologne, Germany and the Netherlands

Dom, Koln (Cologne), Germany

On Day 5 we began in Aachen, where we grabbed a Belgian waffle (having been unable to find one in Belgium). We then took a short drive across the border into the Netherlands, and saw some of the architecture and sights that the Dutch have to offer. To finish off our week, we visited one of the greatest cathedrals in Germany, the Dom of Cologne (Koln). Climbing the stairs on the right, we finally arrived at a viewing deck that takes you around the top of the twin spires, 500-some feet above ground level. After we continued to view some of the unbelievable sights of the Dom, we finished by browsing the streets of Cologne.

Dutch Church, Netherlands

Belgian Waffle, Aachen, Germany

Shopping, Koln (Cologne), Germany

Dom, Koln (Cologne), Germany

Day 4 - Castles of Germany

Travelling the Castles of Germany is a great use of a day. The Mosel River area is home to many castles. Burg Thurant is a small castle in Alken, Germany that can introduce you to the castle experience. Climbing the tower will take you to a beautiful view of the town as well as through exhibits of some uses of castles. The experience will whet your appetite for a real castle experience, and for that you must head to Burg Eltz, Munstermaifeld. A brisk walk downhill will take you to the castle entrance, where tours depart every 15-minutes throughout the massive castle. Many of the guides speak English, and you may meet people from all over the States visiting this castle. The cafeteria and restaurant (depending on what time you tour) provide a great snack after the tour, and a van can take you back to your car on the other side of the hill. Finally you can drive by and visit some castle ruins that also dot the landscape. All in all a wonderful day's voyage.

Burg Metternich Ruins, Beilstein, Germany