Geography
by BIZ MAILANDER
March 24, 2009
On Tuesday, February 24, Mr. Dea's Cultural Geography class went on a trip to the heavily influenced Danish town of Elk Horn, Iowa. The first stop was the Danish Immigrant Museum, where there was an in depth tour of the building and an overview of Danish heritage. It was a great experience, full of Danish history and culture. There were many displays, including authentic artifacts brought over by real immigrants from years ago.
After touring the inside of the museum, we explored the rest of the campus and visited the Morning Star Chapel and the Jens Dixen House. The Morning Star Chapel was a miniature version of a typical Danish church. The Jens Dixen house was once used as a home and school where troubled youth were taught arithmetic, reading, and Bible.
The next stop was Kimbalton, Iowa to view a re-creation of the famous Little Mermaid Statue originally from Copenhagen, Denmark. We learned that Disney's Little Mermaid was actually a fairy tale story written by a Danish author.
The next stop was the authentic Danish windmill back in Elk Horn. The wind mill was disassembled in Denmark and brought over to the United States piece by piece and reassembled by volunteers from Elk Horn and the surrounding area. Inside the windmill is a small gift shop that carries souvenirs from Denmark.
Finally, the trip concluded with a visit to the Danish Inn Restaurant. The entire class ordered the buffet which offered authentic Danish cuisine like: cabbage, Danish meatballs, sausages, and potatoes.
The trip was a memorable one to say the least and we all learned a great deal about the Danish culture and their historical backgrounds. It was a real treat to visit such a unique town.
