Walnut 2009 ~ The Journey

Armed with one of my newest and proudest purchases, Dick and I set out for Walnut, Iowa at the crack of dawn ~ at least for me, that means around 7ish. This is either our 6th or 7th year going to the Walnut Antiques Show ~ our first ever with a vintage rolling cart! Collapsible, no less!!! Looks like Dennis the Menace became a businessman ~ I must have missed that episode.

Once we loaded up and headed out, there were some beautiful sights to see along the way ~ gorgeous farms, tilled fields and old fashioned windmills sharing the view with the modern telephone pole and wires.

Stanton is a little town we decided to make a detour through as we didn't want to miss the largest coffee pot and cup and saucer! Not only does Stanton boast these roadside attractions, but it is also the birthplace of Mrs. Olsen of Folger's Coffee fame. We had hoped to dine at Susie's Kitchen in Stanton, but unfortunately, Susie's was closed due to illness ~ here's hoping you are feeling better Susie!

As Walnut is quite a distance for us to travel ~ and the antique show is too large to get through in one day, we usually camp out for one night at Lake Anita ~ in the tiny town of Anita ~ about 20 miles east of Walnut. I'm not a big camper (some day I will tell my spider story), but with views like these below it is quite enjoyable.

{view from our campsite}

{our campsite ~ good old #51!}

{even the picnic table was beautiful ~ love the weathered paint and the moss}

On the way from the campsite to Walnut, we pass through another small town called Atlantic ~ here a beautiful stone entrance to the town's cemetery. I noticed there was a section of the cemetery with a sign marked "Babyland" ~ I don't know that I have ever seen a cemetery with a specialized area like that ~ it made me feel sad for those families that had lost a member so young.

As we drove through Atlantic, we also passed the restaurant we planned to eat dinner at Friday evening ~ I think they knew we were coming! The Feed Lot is known for its prime rib, so that is what we both had ~ it was quite tasty and the place was very crowded ~ we waited just about an hour to get seated.

As we approached the town of Walnut, we noticed some new additions ~ modern windmills everywhere! I don't remember seeing any of these last year, so the windmill builders have been busy. These structures are actually somewhat mesmerizing ~ I found I just couldn't look away ~ they are massive in size ~ I think about 60 ft high ~ at some vantage points, windmills as far as the eye can see. I also found the juxtaposition of the old and new an interesting and quite harmonious contrast.

Finally, the Welcome to Walnut sign ~ time to unload the cart and get shopping! Tomorrow, tune in for some photos at the antique show!