hiking clothes check
tools check
computers check, check
bikes nope, we decided not to take them this year. We used them only 4 times last year and we thought we’d leave them at home and see if we missed them
food check, double check and quadzillion check
About that food - I envision a trek across endless prairies, a climb over towering mountains and a journey across the deserts of the Southwest. I see two pioneers in a conestoga wagon, living off the land and the supplies they have packed to take with them. Thus, I buy food for this 4-month trek, forgetting that we are only 2 people and that we will be stopping in a Walmart trading post parking lot for the first night. Do I have too much food? I’m not answering that question.
We arose at what is often called ‘0 dark thirty’ so we could close up the house, get underway and still get to our destination, Kearney, NE before dark. Since we are mostly packed, we decided not to eat breakfast at home and dirty dishes that I would only have to wash, dry and put away before we left and use the fine coupon we have for a 2 for 1 breakfast at Hy-Vee. Hy-Vee? Well, it was quick - and surprisingly good.
Back at home, while Gary worked some on the RV, I made a final tour of the house to see if we had forgotten anything, I opened the door and immediately knew this house was going to be lonesome for a while. Blinds closed, upholstery covered, water turned off, counters clean, knick-knacks put away, quiet, like a deserted town.
Several neighbors came out to wish us safe travels. Others we had said good-bye to yesterday. Several we will see in Phoenix this winter, where they have a second home.
We hooked up the Jeep and were off, heading West down Interstate 80.
We certainly have seen lots of highway construction in our travels over the last 2 years. Obvioulsy the stimulus money working its way through the system. There were not many shovel-ready projects when the money was originally available but we’ve seen new rest stops, cloverleafs, long stretches of roads that have been repaired, replaced and redone.
Here’s a new rest stop in Iowa west of Des Moines. Not only is it utilitarian but it is also beautiful. Wi-fi, vending machines, picnic areas, parking for cars, trucks and RV’s, and beautiful tile work throughout. Above is a tiled light bulb in the entrance to this rest stop west of Des Moines. Below are the tile work on the entrance to the rest rooms. The theme is the types of energy coming form Iowa, wind and biofuels. We certainly have seen forests of wind turbines crop up along highway 80 since I began traveling it to get to Sioux City for business several years ago.
Nebraska has also built several new rest stops. Rest stops used to be only utilitarian made out of glass and cinder block with all hard grey edges. They didn’t beg you to rest, just stop for a minute and hurry on. Now, they have wi-fi, large picnic areas, play areas for kids, dog walks, sculpture and some even have staffed visitor centers. It’s much easier to ‘rest’ in the rest stops of today. I remember ‘stopping’ in the old rest stops but not ‘resting’ in them. Here is a new style picnic area with a sculpture in the shape of an old windmill vane. Entices you to rest, rejuvenate, eat and enjoy the Iowa countryside.
We also met this little character at the rest stop, on a wall 5’ off the ground. How did he get here? We don’t have a clue. But he enjoyed basking in the sun and giving me the weary ‘I’ve been in thousands of photos’ eye.
However, even after all the highway building we’ve seen, do I think that our infrastructure is in good repair? Heck, no. At the way we’re going, we’re going to leave our children a cracked highway, a broken bridge and a stocking full of coal.
80 through Iowa is always busy.
We traveled 310 miles today, a bit long but we are on our way. We stopped in Walmart, asked if we could stay overnight and parked at the edge of the lot. We were joined by several other RV’s. We relaxed in the evening so we’d be fresh for the second leg of our journey.
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