Orange Elementary is incorporated within the Waterloo Public Schools. And yet what surprised me when I drove up to the school was the fact that it was in a rural setting. The school was built in 1914 and once housed high school students.

Barbara Dierksen was my host and she was very excited - excited for her students who hadn't met a real live author until today. The gym was large and its age reminded me of the gym in "Hoosiers". The students filed in and sat in the bleachers. One-half of the entire gym was full with kindergartners having to sit on the floor.

Because I was speaking to K-5, I started out addressing the younger students and the older students sat quietly until I finally called on them. During the 60-40 drill where my baseball infielders do what I call "happy toes" the whole audience got involved - stomping their feet on the wooden bleachers. The stomping sound echoed throughout the enclosed gym and I could feel my chest pounding from the loud banging noise.

But then when I raised my hand to continue the skit the students politely stopped. We had a great time and Mrs. Dierksen was quite pleased with the level of enthusiasm.

As I was about to leave two students asked if I wouldn't mind shaking their hands. Of course I was happy to extend my hand. As I walked out to my car, I overheard one student say to the other, "I'll never wash this hand again."

Today's journey was traveling on I-30W (Lincoln Highway) to Arcadia. Arcadia was once named Tip Top because a boulder on a peak just outside the small town that was placed by John Minchen is the dividing line between how the waters flow east and west and into which river. All waters west of the boulder flow into the Missouri River - the largest river in the United States. All waters east of the boulder flow into the Mississippi River.

I was to speak to three schools in Arcadia, Westside, and Vail and thus the name of the school district is Ar-We-Va. Rosemary Cameron was my guide and did an excellent job of getting students interested in the book. The students dressed in Little League uniforms and several teachers dressed in their baseball/softball uniforms. It made the shadow baseball skit that much more authentic and we certainly had ourselves a fun time.

What was amazing to me was the day before I spoke in a gym with hundreds of students overfilling half court. And today I was speaking to groups of 40 to 60 students. A student's gift holds no boundaries. It doesn't matter if a student is born into a rich family, financially strapped family, or the student attends a small farming community school or a thriving city school numbering students in the thousands. Each and every child is born with a special gift no matter what his/her situation is.

Rosemary suggested I eat at Dem Beanies Coffee House on Main Street in Arcadia. It was a great suggestion. For 6.25 I was offered two pork loin chops, fresh coleslaw, a heaping of mixed carrots/peas/beans, and steamed red potatoes. Ann Lander, the owner, sat down and talked to me. She said she had a story to tell about living out dreams. When she turned 18 and graduated from high school in Wausau, Wisconsin she purchased a one-way airline ticket to Hawaii and lived there until she met her husband who was in the Air Force. After he retired they moved to his home town in Arcadia.

Before leaving the diner, Ann offered me a piece of Shirley's cream cheese raisin pie and said that Shirley was the best pie maker in the state and was going to prove it by entering Shirley's pie in the state fair. After sampling the yummy filling I also became a believer.

After my visit, I stopped at Minchen's boulder and on this particular rainy day I have to admit my loyalty was tilting slightly westward toward Tip Top.

Jordan Creek Elementary is located off I-35 and George Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines. George "Lefty" Mills who the parkway was named after was an honored chief political writer for the "Register" for nearly 30 years. He was also a pitcher in Marshalltown where the nickname stuck, and he got his start as a reporter traveling across Iowa writing about the places he visited. In many ways this blog can be considered a tribute to this well-respected reporter.

Jordan Creek Elementary was opened in 1992 and is the largest elementary school in the district with 770 students from PK-6.

I was scheduled to speak to grades 4-6. Betty Anderson, who had scheduled the event greeted me at the door. She said that the students were very excited to hear me speak and she, too, couldn't wait. She remarked, "You will find these students some of the best kids you'll ever want to meet."

Mrs. Anderson's words were comforting knowing that I had a busy schedule speaking this week.

What caught my immediate attention when I walked past the office were the parakeets housed in this elaborate habitat. It certainly was soothing watching the colorful birds frolicking without a care in the world.

Betty said that the students had a surprise for me. A piano was rolled into the gymnasium and a group of students gathered around their music teacher with big smiles plastered across their faces. Soon, half the gym was completely filled with eager students. And then after the assistant principal introduced me, the choir sang: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"... in perfect pitch. We then joined in song for the second verse as a collective group. It was such an inspirational tribute that I became energized wanting to give these students all the energy I had left to give.

Mrs. Anderson was correct. The level of enthusiasm in the gym was second to none. No matter what I did with the students who volunteered the audience cheered. The student who won the screaming contest cowered to his knees as he gave us his thunderous scream. When I offered my actor the X Games hat the students clapped in praise. The students even clapped when I showed them Erin's Team USA uniform.

I left Jordan Creek Elementarywith a lump in my throat because I was deeply touched by the students' kindness and deep appreciation. These young adults most certainly believed in dreams and were busy pursuing them.

When all we hear about in the news is how our children all falling behind the rest of the world in terms of educational performance, I suggest news commentators like Katie Couric of "CBS Evening" news and Barbara Walters of the "View" offer their viewers hope by touring Jordan Creek Elementary in West Des Moines, Iowa. I was glad I had had the opportunity to speak to these bright, young minds.

Jordan Creek teachers/students you have inspired me. "For it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ballgame."

Students - keep swinging away to your future glory.

It was refreshing to speak to the students at Indian Hills, a middle school located in West Des Moines School district. Before I was to speak in the auditorium two band students set the stage lighting and the speaker system to my specific needs. The students were very thoughtful and considerate.

My host was Lindsey Aikin. She was so excited about the Principal Park book that she went out of her way by physically bringing several students to one of my Waukee speaking engagements to convince me to speak to her students. I spoke to the seventh grade group on the day they were to attend an Iowa Cubs game, so naturally they were pumped for baseball. Their enthusiasm and zest gave me the energy to stage an exciting presentation. We had some fine screamers and the volunteers I had called on just loved to perform on stage.

After my presentation the students asked me questions like: "What is my favorite pet?" "Is it hard to get a book published?" And "Is the story about Creeper and the glass eye real?"

Ms. Aikin took several pictures of me with the students and I was then asked to autograph books. Many of the students were interested in music, soccer, basketball, and hanging out with friends. I reassured the students that although this book was about baseball they'd enjoy it because this was a book about many of the same adventures they might have had like Fuji and my goal was to get them to start thinking about their own personal dreams - and their dream didn't have to be about baseball for them to enjoy reading the book.

Ms. Aikin is very passionate about teaching and her enthusiasm for the book and reading is why well over half of the students she mentors had purchased the Principal Park book. Ms Aikin enjoyed my visit and asked if I wouldn't mind making this an annual event.

I have to admit that I'd found a home at Indian Hills.

Fort Dodge is a blue-collar community and is located a few miles from US 20 approximately 1.5 hours northwest of Des Moines. Fort Dodge is known for its Gypsum which is quarried and manufactured into wallboard. Fort Dodge produces 75% of all of Iowa's Gypsum and the mineral is one of the most pure in the world. At one time the city was inhabited by 30,000 citizens however with factories moving overseas and the closing of the meat packaging plant Fort Dodge has seen 5000 residents move away to more promising jobs.

I was asked to speak at Fair Oaks and Phillips by Ann Halibur who is Fort Dodge Hy-Vee's marketing representative. Over 95% of the students I have spoken to have treated me almost as if I am a celebrity. And yet in Fort Dodge, I wasn't offered such luxuries. These were tough kids who were used to challenging authority.

When I started my speech saying to these kids that dreams do indeed come true, I was greeted with hisses and a few kids actually whistled as I spoke to try to distract me. But I hadn't spent the last three months talking to tens of thousands of students about living out dreams to be whistled off stage now.

I didn't take offense and I certainly wasn't intimidated. I was being challenged because these kids didn't see the light. All that they believed in their future was trucking or mining Gypsum salts. But they did have a future and I was there to inspire them to believe in their dreams. A gift knows no boundaries. A gift doesn't descriminate between rich, poor, or middle class or by race. But a gift does require risk-taking and this is what these children feared most of all - To take that risk and still fail. These students were comfortable with the status quo and here was this speaker encouraging them to dream big.

As educators what students seek most of all are real stories that can offer children guidance. Video games are a form of entertainment with very little substance, so when I offer students Erin's success story they're willing to listen because they begin to realize that dreams take effort on their part and all children are really asking for is a real shot and maybe then they'll buy into the program. To know that my daughter, Erin, who was bullied and picked on at the age of 8 and then by the age of 12 rose to such heights as to be an All Star Little League pitcher - this is real. I could have heard a pin drop when I then told these students about Erin now being in both Cooperstown and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

All children aspire for greatness. The problem is that most students need a mentor to help guide them along the way. I can't commit to 40,000 students but I can at least create that spark. It is within you students at Fort Dodge if you're willing to believe and commit to the dream that you have been given.

Park View is approximately 10 minutes from Eldridge and is a small town of approximately 2000 citizens. Neil Armstrong was built in 1975 and for a brick school built over 30 years ago I found it in remarkably good shape. The students were in high spirits and my two brave actors performed the Fuji-Dad skit like seasoned pros. Despite the lack of a PA system, these two remarkable students spoke with drama and vigor in their voices and were able to grab the audience's attention because of their skills.

After my speech, a teacher congratulated me and said that her son was in fourth grade and attended Ed White. She said that he came home excited and couldn't wait to read the Principal Park book. She said he had never wanted to read before that. She asked me to keep on speaking because I needed to encourage other children to read.

After quite a long journey in Iowa the teacher's encouragement did lift my spirits. I can only hope more students learn how important reading is in terms of building strong character skills that can be used later in life.

Thank you from a tired Ohio traveler.

I've been to over 60 plus schools in Iowa and it isn't every day I am initially greeted by a grill cook barbecuing chicken and hamburgers at the front of the school. In a show of appreciation for the teachers, PTA members were offering these teachers a free lunch - talk about your timing. I opted for the cheeseburger.

My host at Virgil Grissom was Amy Lamfers who had earned many merit badges along the way as a teacher at Virgil Grissom. The school is located about a half mile away from the Mississippi River west of Highway 67. The school's river charm conjured up notions of Tom Sawyer, one-room schoolhouses, and rafting at a leisurely pace on the Mighty Mississip'.

These students, though, loved their baseball and hitting a home run was more on their mind than catching bullfrogs. Still, I included fishing at Creeper's Pond because fat, juicy nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and camping out is still a pretty cool thing to do even in an age of text-messaging and face-booking.

I call on many volunteers when I speak to students because I want all children to have an opportunity to shine in front of their fellow classmates. However, I can't call on all students. This will naturally leave a few students frustrated when they aren't called on. I had one student lower his head and cry when he realized my speech had ended without his being called on. I pulled the young man aside to offer him my own personal attention and this worked until I had to shift my focus to a few new students who had additional questions to ask me.

When is enough enough? I have driven over 6000 miles in Iowa and have spoken to over 30,000 students and I never quite feel I have given enough to each student. I am sure my dilemma is a constant reminder to many teachers as well. I guess in the end this is what drives us all who are willing to give of our time to help our youth who cry out the loudest. And yet what concerns me the most are the students who refuse to ask for help because like one male student said today rings clear in the mindset of many boys: "Don't expect me to scream like a girl."

Schools today have turned to computers believing the computer can give more one-on-one attention time to students. Why is it we believe that technology is what is needed most to solve the ills of our society? Too much of our time already is shared with these impersonal devices.

I'll let you in on a little secret that my dad taught me. Have more moms and dads volunteer to take a kid to the ballgame. Nothing makes more of an impact on these kids than a little one-on-one time. I'll never forget Dad placing his massive hand on top of my head and reassuring me that like Pete Rose or Johnny Bench I could be anything I wanted to be in the good old U.S. of A just like Pete - Charlie Hustle. You know what, I still believe you, Dad.

Eldridge, Iowa is in the northen part of Iowa and North-Scott High School has aprroximately 1000 students. Eldridge is included as part of the Quad Cities. One bit of confusion I had was locating S Fifth street where Ed White is located. When you're on LeClaire St. coming in from Highway 61 you'll find Fourth and Sixth Street in proper sequence but S Fifth Street is past First Street. I made several attempts to find the phantom street to no avail. Finally, I had to call the school to locate Fifth Street and was told to find the "Big" stop sign and turn left - of course going past First Street. Whenever in doubt, I've learned to call the school's secretary.

My host for the morning session was Neala Arnold. Many of the students confessed their dream was to hit a home run at a major league stadium. I was a bit confused as to why so many students wanted to live out Fuji's dream. I guess - like skipping Fifth Street and placing in on the other side of First Street - sometimes there aren't easy answers. I hope reading about Fuji's dream will help these students believe in their own unqiue dreams.

I ate at Del's restaurant and enjoyed my California cheeseburger. The bun melted in my hands like the buns I remembered when I was a kid. Halfway through the sandwich I was down to tomato and hamburger patty but enjoyed the grease and mayo sliding on my fingertips. The nostalgia and charm of Del's where a group of diners had gathered to talk about current events was electrifying. I should have asked what the deal was about South Fifth Street? I'm sure I would have received many different responses. Del's is the central hub in Eldridge and like South Fifth Street is where truth and fiction lies somewhere in the middle.

Sunday was another sunny beautiful day in Iowa without much wind. Like scouts of old I was determined to find Buffalo Bill's homestead which was 20 minutes from I-80 and located on 230th Ave. and Bluff Road. The Cody Trail is well-marked but it does take a roadmap to get you back to the highway.

The first thing I noticed at Cody's Homestead was a simple log cabin near the entrance to the property. An inscription noted that Bill Cody and his sister attended a pre-school in a log cabin structure like this one, and Bill's trusty three-legged dog named "Skip" followed the young lad everywhere he went. As I drove up to the main house, I saw buffalo grazing on sweet green shoots that had recently sprouted. Bill Cody was nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" after shooting 4280 buffalo in 17 months for food during the civil war.

Isaac Cody - Bill's father - had moved his family from Cincinnati, Ohio to LeClaire in 1841. Bill had been born in a log cabin that overlooked the Mississippi River. The original log cabin had been moved to Cody, Wyoming and all that remained on the site was a marker located on highway 67 in LeClaire.

When Bill was one his father moved the family from LeClaire to the current site where the family lived for three years. The home was constructed of yellow limestone cut into blocks. The underground well water is very hard, so rain water was collected from walnut gutters into rain barrels because wealth during this era was measured by who claimed the whitest wash.

When you tour the house, you'll see the kitchen with a cornshuck broom hanging on the wall. The child's bed next to the kitchen is filled with straw. As you climb the upstair's steps you'll notice the deep indentations in the walnut steps from years of use. There is a middle bedroom with a rope bed and a cylindrical tool to tighten the bed strings. This is where the popular phrase "Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite" originated from.

There is a sewing room, victorian bedroom, ladies' parlor used for greeting lady neighbors and where women sipped tea and gossiped, a downstair's parlor for the men, and a pioneer parlor and small organ used for entertaining guests. The men would use the Galena day bed to rest after lunch and a hard morning of working in the fields.

In 1883, Buffalo Bill started his Wild West show when he was 37 years of age and it lasted for 30 years. One of his final shows was in the summer of 1911 and was held in Davenport. Dime novels written by Ned Buntline were highly sought after during Buffalo Bill's era. Buffalo Bill had a son named Kit Carson Cody but unfortunately passed away at the age of 7 of scarlet fever. In 1917, Buffalo Bill passed away at the age of 70 and is buried in the city of Golden, Colorado.

Buffalo Bill's legacy of the Wild West will remain and Iowa should consider itself proud to have such a historic figure a part of its prominence.

I had some free time and decided to hop in the car and drive north on highway 61 to Eldridge, Iowa. Six miles from Eldridge was Scott Park. With the weather sunny and warm, I opted to hike the trails. Then I saw some dead elm trees, mayflowers, and Jack-in-the-Pulpits. I veered from the trail to hunt down the elusive morel mushroom. This time of year is when the grey sponge is replaced by the yellow sponge. Both wild mushrooms coated in egg batter and seasoned in peppered flour and then fried in olive oil make an excellent appetizer. For over an hour I hunted but alas came up empty-handed. I did catch a glimpse of a blue jay, which renewed my spirits that spring had indeed finally arrived.

I followed the signs to Walnut Grove Pioneer Village. The crown jewel of the historic village was St. Ann's Church built in 1852. The white clapboard church had a cross on its tall steeple and beautiful stained glass windows. Next, I explored the village cobbler and leather harness maker's shop with its many leather soles and old-fashioned granny shoes.

Butler #2 one-room schoolhouse sat next to the leather shop. The school was built in 1875 and what I found of interest was that the school with its ancient desks and goose-feathered quills and ink bowls was used as a school up until 1965. An ornate pot belly stove sat in the middle hallway and a glazed crock pot with a metal spout must have at one time held cool well water for the kids to drink out of after recess. The dunce cap was also a nice touch along with chalked multiplication tables on one of the many blackboards.

It was noted that Sam Cody - Buffalo Bill's brother - had fallen from his horse and had died tragically. His gravesite was in Long Grove.

There was so much to see at Walnut Grove. There was a blacksmith shop that had been managed by the Ehler's family from 1860 up until the mid-50s. There was a post office, genral store, Tobin's 1837 log cabin that had been re-located from Long Grove. In addition, an original CB&Q train caboose along with the "Ox", a 22-ton locomotive. Walnut Grove Savings bank built in the late 1800s with authentic 1890 teller windows and walk in safe looked the same as the day it was used.

Additional storefronts were the Walnut Grove Firehouse, Bison Saloon where a sleeping bed was 25 cents. There was a barber shop where a haircut was 25 cents, a bath 15 cents, and a shave 15 cents. The doctor's office also had a dentist's chair. In small towns, the doctor also served as the dentist.

Finally, what I had found interesting was a 1926 Model T. An old photo showed some carpenters who had taken the rubber wheel off the rear of the car and had mounted a long belt to its right rim. They used the motor power of the car to cut logs for building materials.

I suggest you stop at Pioneer Village and sample root beer from the original soda shop and have yourself a hamburger and lounge away the day during a defining moment in America's history.