Photos for Heartland Adventure 2008 

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Being overwhelmed with the scene below on a beautiful morning can only be controlled by photographing it for sharing later.  Each night I put some of the images on this page for you to experience.  I think that works for both of us. 

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Coming through the Banning Pass in the afternoon rewarded us with a 48 mph tailwind.  The moderate turbulence, though quite unnecessary, was a side benefit.  (Day 1 - California)

Windmills on the ridgelines reminded us of Star Wars figures guarding Darth Vader’s secret control area.  (Day 1 - California)

Pretty tough to ignore these volcanic mounds.  (Day 2 - Arizona)

Scooting through this wide valley gave us some perspective of our speed, or lack there of.  (Day 2 – Arizona)

Without a 24 mph tailwind, the train would have kicked our butts.  We’d like to thank Mother Nature for the assist.  (Day 3 – New Mexico)

Brother Mike would have enjoyed this.  He was king of the sandbox construction sites when we were kids.  (Day 3 – New Mexico)

Perhaps we do have something in common with the planet Mars.  (Day 3 – New Mexico)

These crop circles entertained us for miles and miles.  (Day 3 – Texas)

They stretched before us from horizon to horizon. (Day 3 – Texas)

Some artists use a paint brush.  This guy uses a tractor.  (Day 4 – Texas)

Eye-popping colors and textures are the work of the tractor artist.  However, one really needs to fly very low and slow to enjoy this art form.  (Day 4 -  Oklahoma)

This image combines two of our favorite subjects.  Contoured fields and bails of hay strewn about.  (Day 4 -  Oklahoma)

We did a few laps to line up this composition.  With the door open in the Cub we laughed as we shot a dozen images. (Day 4 -  Oklahoma)

Unexpected twenty-five mph headwinds required us to land short and recalculate the legs we would fly today. (Day 5 – Chickasha, MO)

Saturday at the rodeo. (Day 5 – Missouri)

A bovine football game.  The visiting team is in the huddle near the bottom of the photo.  But look, the home team has too many players on the field.  And what kind of defensive line is that?  (Day 5 – Missouri)

Red, muddy rivers invaded the land beyond their banks.  (Day 5 – Missouri)

Recent heavy rains flooded a number of crops.  While the devastation is regrettable, it created some interesting shapes and colors, don’t you think? (Day 6 – Missouri)

The Mississippi was haulin butt after the recent rains. (Day 6 – Missouri/Illinois border)

Look, fields of crops that match the Cub… how thoughtful. (Day 6 – Illinois)

Interesting color of water, however, it doesn’t seem to agree with the trees. (Day 6 – Illinois)

Small lakes lined with trees are quite common in the rural areas of central Ohio. (Day 7 - Ohio)

Nope, this isn’t a long narrow pasture.  Look again, it’s a hill top grass landing strip with hangar and a home. (Day 7 - Ohio)

The race was on!  In the lower right side of the photo is Clarion Co. airport.  In the center of the photo is the behemoth thunderstorm which included dime-size hail.  The airport manager was waiting to help me push the Cub into the hangar just as a microburst followed by heavy rain began. (Day 7 - Ohio)

With the Cub safely tied down at its birthplace, we began to catch up with old friends. (Day 8 - Lock Haven)

After the late afternoon rains, many more Cubs arrived. (Day 8 - Lock Haven)

If it weren’t for this Pink Panther “Pink” Aeronca it would have been a rather colorless day due to the rain.  This one is for Emma. (Day 9 - Lock Haven)

George Logue’s hilltop private landing strip and some of the vintage planes in attendance. (Day 9 - Lock Haven)

Andy and his dad Mike just before departure.  Their pride in the 1940 Cub they restored is seen in the attention to detail. (Day 9 - Lock Haven)

George Logue, a big man with a generous heart gave us a tour of his Cat House. (Day 9 - Lock Haven)

Shhh, the cats are sleeping. This one is for Caleb. (Day 9 - Lock Haven)

Vintage earth moving equipment was nicely placed around this 1,000 acre property. (Day 9 - Lock Haven)

This is what it was like in the 1940’s.  This Stearman pilot just put it down on a grass strip, unloaded his gear and hiked into town. (Day 10 – Lock Haven, PA)

Another Stearman touches down.  Probably looking for the one that just landed.  They’ll share some stories, some coffee and sleep under their wing tonight. (Day 10 – Lock Haven, PA)

A half hour before sunset and the long shadows reach to the east; pointing to the place tomorrows sun will rise.  (Day 10 – Lock Haven, PA)

A guy cleaning the oil from his landing gear?  Not a chance.  This is respect.  This little airplane has brought him safely to his destination.  (Day 10 – Lock Haven, PA)

Being last in a three-plane formation has it’s benefits.  Getting this shot was one of them. (Day 11 – New York)

A Willy’s car convention was also visiting the museum.  (Day 11 – New York)

Kinda makes a fella want to put on his red flannel shirt and jeans ‘n go out and change oil in his Ford pickup truck.  (Day 11 – New York)

Perhaps this airplane should consider an intense course in anger management. (Day 11 – New York)

Shallow back waters create a gentle shift in colors that transition to from dark green to light yellow. (Day 12 – Pennsylvania)

Early morning and this family is launching its boat for a Saturday on the water.  (Day 12 – Pennsylvania)

Keeping the Nikon close at hand is the only way to be ready when a scene like this is presented out the open door of the Cub (Day 12 – Pennsylvania)

Once the fog lifted, Frank and I were treated to some crystal clear weather and perfect scenery on every side. (Day 13 – Ohio)

Frank navigates by chart and compass.  He’s better at it than most of us using a GPS.  (Day 13 – Ohio)

Classic carriages restored to better than new condition is an art form handed down from generation to generation. (Day 14 – Amish Country, OH)

Yep, this is done by hand, no vinyl decals here. (Day 14 – Amish Country, OH)

Just can’t seem to get away from these darn things. (Day 14 – Amish Country, OH)

A view from the grocery store parking lot. This one-horsepower, coach class vehicle gets incredible mileage and can handle a weeks worth of groceries a four passengers. Toyota Prius, Look Out!  (Day 14 – Amish Country, OH)

The Dennison train depot was lovingly restored and meticulously maintained.  Servicemen during World War II named it “Dreamville.” (Day 15 – Ohio)

Okay, it was time for a vanity shot of me anyway.  This is one big steam engine. (Day 15 – Ohio)

Mark Dusenberry built a perfect replica of the 1905 Wright Flyer.  As if that wasn’t enough, he now pilots it attempting to become more proficient.  Orville and Wilbur would be very proud of him. (Day 15 – Ohio)

Do the colors on this barn seem to jump out at you also?  We could see it from quite a distance and even though it was off our course, we made the trip over to get the photo. (Day 16 – Ohio)

Perhaps the farmers had a contest.  The one with the best barn paint job won.  You get to vote.  Which one do you like better? (Day 16 – Ohio)

Columbus, Ohio is in the center of the photo.  The dark spot surrounded by red to the upper left of Columbus is where we are located.  Yep, severe weather is as good a reason as any to end the flying for the day.  (Day 16 - Ohio)

The storm approaches Fulton County, IN.  We just made it safe inside.  Note the smile on the Cub’s face.  Okay, maybe it’s just me that sees it.  (Day 17 – Indiana)

The lock system still in use along this Illinois river near Joliet. (Day 17 – Illinois)

The swollen rivers require some quick action to relieve the potential for flooding (Day 17 – Illinois)

The narrow tree-lined runway was carved from Munsil’s farm in central Wisconsin. (Day 19 – Wisconsin)

The Cubs rest while Frank and I sample some Saturday morning coffee and home made peanut butter cookies. (Day 19 – Wisconsin)

Heavy rains flooded many fields this year. (Day 19 – Wisconsin)

The Wisconsin River and its sandbars were an photographers dream on a cool summers morn.  (Day 21 – Wisconsin)

The beauty of the river can quickly be forgotten when flooding takes a family’s home and devastates their property. (Day 21 – Wisconsin)

The river flows easily under an old truss bridge. (Day 21 – Wisconsin

The mighty Mississippi at Harpers Ferry.  (Day 21 – Iowa)

This lone tree is firmly rooted in the middle of the river.  Sandbars and shifting currents paint abstract images. (Day 21 – Iowa)

The flat green agricultural areas were fun to enjoy, but where the heck are all those lakes? (Day 22 - Minnesota)

Quaint churches populated every town, no matter how small. (Day 22 - Minnesota)

Finally, north of Alexandria, MN the lakes begin to appear. (Day 22 - Minnesota)

Oxbow lakes anyone? (Day 22 - Minnesota)

Not sure what these are, but they are very interesting. (Day 22 - Minnesota)

Kind of looks like corduroy, don’t you think? (Day 22 - Minnesota)

The character of this old railroad tressel crossing the Mississippi River is revealed in the soft morning light. (Day 23 - Iowa)

Following the Mighty Mississippi we saw her personality change from a meandering river to a full sized lake.  But what made today's journey so memorable was having a bald eagle fly right past us going the other way as we crossed this icon of the American frontier. (Day 23 - Iowa)

Sandbars on the Mississippi River create ripples and even some underwater caves. (Day 27 - Illinios)

Those patterns and contours evolved from this one very special artist.  (Day 27 - Illinois)

Red barns and white crushed gravel country roads were dramatically contrasted against the ever-present deep shades of green crops. (Day 30 - Iowa)

Finally, weather so warm the backyard pool gets a workout. (Day 30 – Iowa)

For those without their own pool, it was swimming with the neighbors. (Day 30 – Iowa)

You didn’t think we would pass this one up, did you? (Day 30 – Iowa)

Makes me crave a cinnamon bun.  You with me on this? (Day 30 – Iowa)

Our passion for these bales of hay could not be ignored this one last time.  Okay, this might not be the very last time.(Day 31 – Iowa)

These ponds nestled between crops and a tree-lined creek seemed to be an interesting composition.  (Day 31 – Iowa)

Corn growing in these wave-like rows couldn’t be ignored, much less not photographed.  (Day 31 – Iowa)

Soft morning light did this rural church proud.  (Day 31 – Nebraska)

Mom’s garden at its peak.  I’ll be she’s very pleased with her efforts.  (Day 31 – Kansas)

“Little House on the Prairie” (Frankfort's water tower) Verses  “Starwars” (Afton's water tower), these water tower styles are so different yet provide the same function.  Well, not really, the high school class of 2008 would have a heck of a time puttting their graffiti on the City of Afton's tower.

Taking down this old barn was probably not worth the effort.  The farmer decided to just go around it when planting crops.

Chickens !  Yes, you see cows running, but they were frightened by the Cub’s shadow and started running.  See, they ARE chickens after all.

The farms, forests, and lakes of the Heartland eventually gave way to the endless arid ranches of the west.  (Day 32 - New Mexico)

The rich red earth carried by this New Mexico river is a stark contrast to the golden brown sandbars of the Wisconsin River.  (Day 32 - New Mexico)

Tucumcari, NM airport provided turtles as 24-hour security for visiting aircraft.  What will the Department of Homeland Security think of next?  Hey, don't laugh, the turtle made me take off my shoes before I boarded the Cub.  (Day 32 - New Mexico)

Most of the day we flew under cloudy conditions, but when the sun brought out the colors... Whoa!!!  (Day 32 - New Mexico)

We prudently decided that Winslow, AZ would make a good end to the day.  Who are we to argue with Mother Nature? (Day 32 - Winslow, AZ)

High golden plateaus framed the green valleys and silver rivers that carve them just south of Cottonwood, AZ. (Day 33 - North of Phoenix, AZ)

Do you think that smile will last until next summer? ... Probably so.  Thanks for coming along.  Bern Heimos   (photo by Dave Kramer)