09JT Day 6 Malcolm X, Gerald Ford and the Bohemian Cafe

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28 June 2009 Sunday

Although I once again planned to get up and get home early, it did not work out that way. I was tired in the morning and moved the alarm back an hour from my original plan. Then there was this movie on TV I didn’t wait for the end of it, but I watched way too much of it as I fixed the route to home. Carol told me to eat at the Bohemian Café on the way home so I needed to find it and plot a point to add it to my route. Carol had promised a great German meal if I should stop there for lunch. She said it would one that you would remember, in a good way, for a long time after that. I had around 300 miles to get home with 3 tourist stops in between along with a couple gas stops.

I was around 90 miles from Omaha so it did not take long to be cruising the streets looking for the Malcolm X birthsite. Years ago I had read the Malcolm X biography written by Alex Haley. Malcolm had agreed to let Alex Haley write the book, under a long line of conditions. It was toward the end of the process of writing the book that Malcolm was killed. It is a very interesting and moving read and I would highly recommend it to everyone. His youth was a bad one, but he was surrounded by people that loved him and wanted the best for him. It wasn’t until recently that I found out there was a memorial at his birthsite in Omaha. I don’t think the neighborhood had improved any since he had lived there. It was still a bad part of town. The memorial is actually behind a tall fence and locked gate, opened only by appointment. But I could go to the top of the hill and look down into the area. I stopped for a picture and wondered what was written on the marker in the center of the complex. But I had other places to see so off I went.

Next stop was the birth site of Gerald Ford. Now it was unlocked but under contruction. Although the neighborhood that this birthsite was looked better, there was no one at the memorial. However there were some young men milling around the streets talking to cars that would briefly stop. Not a good sign, I did not want to dally in the area. Locking everything up I went inside the gate for some quick pictures. After looking around and snapping some pics I got back to the bike and headed toward lunch.

I found the café was in a better part of town and I felt comfortable leaving my bike parked on the street. Lots of couples walking the streets shopping or out for a stroll. The café was not very busy for it being one thirty on Sunday afternoon, that’s usually not a good sign. The waitresses had the traditional German clothing on and the atmosphere was welcoming and ethnic. My waitress all of 85 was very diligent and suggested the days special. I had wanted some pork and kraut and sure enough the special offered that along with some dumplings and soup. The chicken noodle soup was fast coming along with a small loaf of rye bread. They were really good and hit the spot after going about 24 hours without a real meal. It wasn’t until I was sitting there gobbling down the soup that had realized I had only had lunch yesterday. I had not eaten since the popcorn chicken and poppers I had eaten on the run for lunch yesterday.

The meal came on an oblong plate. The dumplings had been fixed in a loaf like bread, then served as 2 thick slices covered in gravy. Next to the large portion of dumblings on the plate were the pork slices and then last but not least was a generous helping of German kraut. There was not a need for a knife except to butter my bread the pork was tender and absolutely delicious. I was offered the opportunity for desert but declined it as I was already stuffed to the rafters. The meal itself was around $14 and worth every penny.

I wanted to make it home in time to go to a 40/8 meeting that was advertised as starting at 8PM. One gas stop in St Joe MO and I pulled into the garage at 5:30pm. I didn’t even unload the bike just grabbed a handful of stuff and headed into the house. Calling Betty, then Bill, then Tom I began to think that something was amiss. Tom called me back shorty after I left the message for him and told me to call 8-Ball. When I called 8-Ball he was at the meeting eating. The 40/8 meeting always start with a meal. It started at 5PM not 8PM. So much for the event calendar on the KS grand website.

Effie’s Odometer: 116048
2682 Trip Miles
283 Miles for the Day

Trip Stats I got off the GPS:
2682.3 total miles for the trip.
Moving time was 50 hours and Moving MPH Avg 53.6
Overall average 40 MPH
Total time the GPS was on: 67:08
Max speed was 76.3mph.

So here is my list of things I missed this trip and will be on the list for next time:
Wounded Knee Museum - for some reason it is not anywhere close to Wounded Knee.
The Minute Man NP - they have a launch site and control site open for tours.
Malcolm X birth site - I am driven to read what is on the plaque. Now I know the phone number to call.
The Little Village Farm - A round barn is worth a ride twice this distance.
Blue Bunny factory - I actually want to tour the factory and eat ice cream in the shop.
De Smet SD - the Laura Ingalls Wilder stuff there.
USS Dakota in Sioux Falls. -- They have replicated parts of the ship so it looks like it is coming up from the ground.

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Photos

The Bohemian Cafe
Awesome food.

Malcolm X Birthsite
View from afar. The gates were all locked up.

Comments

[Alec sharp]

FUN
Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for the read!

[Lizabet]

Malcolm X Memorial
appreciate you taking the time to visit the site. Unfortunately the fence is a trade off for the dumping of furniture, trash and debris but we are working steadfast to improve accessibility and beautification of the area. We have raised over half of the funds needed to purchase the building that sits at the gate's current entrance and will be building a community garden the first of May this year (among other projects). Hope you come back to see us. Keep up by checking our website www.malcolmxfoundation.org and any support you can send our way would be immediately put to great use.

[Harley Mom]

Malcolm X Memorial
I read his biography many years ago. Amazing man. Alex Haley did a nice job of it. Malcolm was very forthcoming with things many people would not have chosen to share. I will be back to view it. Reading those historical markers is on my bucket list. :)

[Sharif Liwaru]

Malcolm X Marker Inscription
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was born Malcolm Little at University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, May 19, 1925. He was the son of Earl and Louise Little, 3448 Pinkney Street. Reverend Little helped organize the Universal Negro Improvement Association. After threats by night riders, the family moved to Milwaukee and later to Michigan, where Reverend Little allegedly was murdered. During his mother's illness, Malcolm was sent to Boston, then to New York, where he committed burglary. While serving a six and one-half year prison sentence, he became self-educated and converted to an American sect of Islam. After leaving prison, Malcolm took the name Malcolm X, studied under Elijah Muhammad, and became outspoken abut mistreatment of Blacks. His Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in 1964. During a pilgrimage to Mecca, he converted to orthodox Islam. He abandoned concepts of racial antagonism and counseled the need for human brotherhood and international cooperation. Malcolm X formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity in 1964 and became renowned as an articulate spokesperson for human rights. Malcolm X was assassinated February 21, 1965, in New York City. His teaching lives on.