JoDo Chasing Rainbows
Exploring the US and Canada from our RV
The Day the Music Died…
When we scheduled our trip to Iowa we had no idea that we would be staying in the town where Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens played their last show. I was interested to go to the Surf Ballroom and the crash site. I watched La Bamba so many times when I was a teenager. We first visited the Surf Ballroom because there was a farmers market held in its parking lot on a Saturday. I came back a few days later when the sun was out to get better pictures. We then headed for the crash site. It is marked by large glasses. The farmer who owns the land allows people to walk out to the site. It is about 1/4 mile from the road. I can tell you I would only walk out their when the corn is low. You are surrounded by corn on each. I played music by each artist as we walked to the site.
National Hobo Museum
During our travel in Iowa this past summer I did our normal search of Atlas Obscura to find out what might be of interest in our area. This museum was near the top our our search. We set out one morning to find out all about this museum. The Hobo museum is located in Britt, IA. It is not very convenient to any highway so this is not a place you happen upon by accident. It is not open regular hours so I would call before you go.
I learned that hobo is a term for a person who travel to work. Hobo’s rode (and still ride) the rails. It is a subculture that I found interesting since I also live on the fringes by traveling and living in an RV full-time. There is a code for how they live. They have signs for other hobos to figure out if a community or home is friendly to hobos. I enjoyed the art created by hobos featured in this museum.
