Travels with Uncle Carl

There were two side trips with Uncle Carl that “livened” our lives. One was a trip to the Agronomy Field Days at Iowa State University. Ever one to try to raise new crops and learn new farming techniques, he would make the trip to Ames with some of us boys to tour the test plots and listen to the learned agronomy professors. The highlight of the day was to eat our meal at the Memorial Union buffet — a great treat for us who seldom ate anywhere except at the family table.

The other trip was one to the Iowa State Fair. This was also to be a learning trip for agricultural endeavors. The main interest there was in the farm machinery exhibits. Acres of machinery from various manufacturers were displayed and we got to inspect most of them. My interest in farm machinery was heightened by those trips, and probably influenced my college major in agricultural engineering. At the fair was also a chance to eat at some of the eating places if a picnic lunch was not brought along. The trip to Des Moines in Uncle Carl’s Essex Super Six was by present-day standards a tedious trip. At 35-40 mph, it took several house but was a treat from the days of weed pulling that was so much a part of the last days of summer.