The Bridges of Madison County

Yesterday, we left Story City - a sleepy little town with a proud Scandinavia-American heritage. The flags were out because of the yearly Scandinavian Festival that happens this weekend there

Story City History:

Early settlers, primarily of Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish heritage, came to the Story City area in the 1850's. In 1855, Fairview, the original name for Story City, was platted and social and business activitity grew. In 1857 the town was renamed Story City after US Supreme Court Judge Joseph Story. Story City continues to celebrate the traditions of our earliest families with something of interest for every member of your family. As the diversity of our town grows every year, so do the entertainment and food selections of our festival. We invite you to join us for some old~fashioned family fun in celebration of our collective heritage.

If you like old Cowboy movies you will know that the Birthplace of John Wayne was here, in Winterset, Iowa. We have visited the place and also the museum and gift shop where you can buy everything John Wayne.

John Wayne Museum
Hollywood legend John Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Winterset on May 26, 1907. Guided tours of his Birthplace home are available from 10:00am to 4:30pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's day and Easter.

We went into the little pretty town of Winterset, a town that played a role in a movie set to the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.

The more than 100 feet high tower of the court house in Winterset

Roseman covered bridge over the Middle River
Built in 1883 by Benton Jones, it is 107 feet in length and sits in its original location. Roseman was renovated in 1992 at a cost of $152,515. In Robert James Waller's novel The Bridges of Madison County and the movie of the same name, Roseman is the bridge Robert Kincaid seeks when he stops at Francesca Johnson's for directions; it is also where Francesca leaves her note inviting him to dinner.

Also known as the “haunted” bridge, Roseman is where two sheriff’s posses trapped a county jail escapee in 1892. Uttering a wild cry, it is said the man rose up straight through the roof of the bridge and disappeared. He was never found, and it was decided that anyone capable of such a feat must be innocent.

Roseman covered bridge, view of the Middle River

If you have a chance, watch the movie again! I guess, I have seen it 5 times for sure :)

Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) has come to Madison County, Iowa, in order to take pictures of the Roseman and Holliwell covered bridges. He is a professional photographer on assignment to National Geographic magazine in the fall of 1965 and he is lost. Pulling his green pickup into the driveway of a well kept farmhouse, he stops to ask directions. Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) is at home, alone, her husband and two children having departed for four days to the Illinois state fair. She has been married for 15 years and the luxury of time to herself is an unusual break from her daily life, as is the courteous stranger approaching her for information.

These are the opening circumstances for an extraordinary story, adapted to the screen by Richard LaGravenese from Robert James Waller's novel, The Bridges of Madison County.

There are 6 covered bridges in Madison County. This one is the Cutler - Donahoe Bridge in Winterset. I have also photographed the Imes Covered Bridge in St. Charles, that's the oldest remaining covered bridge, built in 1870 and looks pretty much like this one above.

Cutler-Donahoe Bridge
Built in 1870 by Eli Cox, it is 79 feet in length and features a pitched roof. It was originally located over the North River near Bevington. It was moved to its present site in Winterset's City Park in 1970.Cutler-Donahoe was renovated in 1997 for $35,538.

And for the most I loved all those pretty, nasty,cute, funny,crazy graffitties carved into the wooden walls of ALL bridges in Madison County - like this one :)


Hi my friends,

I'm online again.... We have seen yesterday a lot of great things in a short time. I hope you have enjoyed my post about the Bridges in Madison County!

Today we drove towards East to find some Amish people - and we did! I'll show you some photographs about my first visit to the Amish world tomorrow :)

Thanks for all your kind comments and visits to my blog, very much appreciated!

Have a nice weekend - and come back and comment again. Thanks!
Susanne

Mission San Xavier and Old Tucson Filmstudios

Leaving Tucson the next morning we stopped by the Mission San Xavier, one of the most beautiful missions in the whole U.S.

An impressive main altar in the church

The chapel on the side of the mission where people burn hundreds of candles to San Xavier or to the Holy Mary and hope their wishes come true

I wish I could capture not only the colors and the ambiance! It was so (!) warm from all those candles, I could not make a step into the chapel. I'm fascinated to see the strong believes people have in their religion

We left Tucson's skyline...

...drove over many fields more and more up to the hills of the Saguaro State Park

The State Park was named after the Saguaro cactus plant - here in a quick changing special wonderful sun light

Did you know that these Saguaro cacti are already 75 years old when they make their first "arm" ?

View from the high desert hills down into the valley

I have now maybe more than 200 Saguaro cacti pictures in my archives... LOL...

And then we finally climbed up all the step roads and arrived to the main attraction from our trip today: The "Old Tucson Film Studios". A visit that worth's to do and many film sets inside to see and to enjoy the actors playing sets out of old movies.

Just fifteen minutes from Tucson at the base of the Tucson Mountains lies a preserved slice of Americana, Old Tucson Studios. Passing through the gates of an old frontier town, visitors from around the globe are transported back to a time when fearless men with six shooters ruled the Old West. Saunter down the streets of Hollywood's most famous movies; walk in the footsteps of movie legends like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and hundreds more.

In addition to its historic role as a film location, Old Tucson Studios is Southern Arizona's premier outdoor entertainment venue with a full array of live shows, thrilling stunts, Old West dramas, saloon musicals, trail rides and fun for the whole family.

A coffee house that is selling sweets too

I have visited of course also a photographer friend! She was very busy doing portraits from tourists dressed up as Saloon girls :))

Cowboy romantic or "home sweet home"

Who doesn't remember the TV series :High Chaparral", right? This was the set to the entrance to the ranch.

Some stand shots out of the filming to "High Chaparral"

"The Reno" train was used in movies also with Clint Eastwood and in the well known old timer movie "Rio Bravo" - and in lot of other movies too

"Yes I do" scenes and others too were filmed in this chapel

Actors were showing a gun shot scene out of "Billy the Kid"

When cowboys are shooting each other is the coffin maker not to far away either

Miss Kitty and her dancing girls in the Grand Palace Hotel Saloon

The girls were great and pretty!

Can you dance the "Can - Can" like she does? :))

David had a small talk with the sheriff after another demo of actors by the mission

Hi my friends,

thanks you very much again for your kind comments to my last post yesterday.
I hope you'll enjoy the pictures about the "Hollywood in the high desert" like I did! And if you ever have a chance to be close by Old Tucson, VISIT that place! You will NOT regret, I swear! :)

I wish you all a nice coming weekend. I'll try to post every day if my connection let me do that! :)

Susanne and David