We begin...

For the next 3-1/2 weeks, John and I are on a road trip that will cover 12 states and many miles.  We’ll be driving through parts of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.   Because we’re both retired now (!), time isn’t much of an issue for us.  We thought we would be able to wander along our intended route, stopping whenever we wanted to.  But, of course, that’s not how we roll.  As it turns out, I’ve made arrangements for hotels for nearly every night, and we have lots of scenic drives highlighted on the maps.  The suggestions for the scenic drives came from several sources: a Reader’s Digest book about the most scenic drives in the country; a motorcycle magazine, “Rider,” that has great routes for bike trips; and, the experiences of friends. 

Sat., 9/24—We left home this morning in our truck, easily making our way SW through Michigan.  The first interesting thing to note was, unexpectedly, in a rest stop in Indiana.  In the women’s room, on the shelf above the sink, someone had put a small vase of flowers.  Someone else had left a small, red teddy bear.  Because of those two sweet things, a woman had written a brief thank you note for the smile these things gave her.  Other women left notes, saying where they were on their way to or from, and expressing appreciation for these small “gifts.”  One note said the woman’s family was in the middle of moving back to Michigan from Iowa.  Another note said she was driving to the airport, to fly to San Francisco for a vacation.  There were probably 20 notes on that counter, all written on random pieces of scrap paper.  I was quite amazed.  On we went, through that tiny corner of Indiana, across Illinois, and into Iowa.   And that’s where the second interesting thing happened.  Just across the Mississippi River, where Iowa begins, is the small town of LeClaire.  We watch a History Channel show called American Pickers, in which two guys drive around the country, picking through old barns and junky yards, looking for rusty treasures that they can buy and then resell.  Their home and their shop are in LeClaire.  I decided I wanted to go to that shop.  Thank goodness for the GPS, that easily directed us to this very small shop that sits in an alley.  There were several tourists like us moseying around the place.  The “stars” of the show weren’t there—no surprise.  However, the young woman at the counter resembled Danielle (from the show).  That is, she was heavily tattooed and whimsically dressed.  We recognized several items in the shop from the TV segments we’ve seen.  We took some pictures, and then were on our way across Iowa.  The countryside was really pretty and looked just as I had expected it to: mile after mile of corn and bean fields in various stages of harvest.  The third interesting thing we experienced was in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.  Joe gave John a book about the best hamburger restaurants in the country.  One of them is in Iowa City, and is called The Hamburg Inn No. 2.  Since 1949, it’s been a popular spot for the students, and also for politicians.  It’s cozy and charming, and we both enjoyed a delicious hamburg.  Plus, we got to see Iowa City, which is a pretty college town.  After driving about 550 miles today, we’re ready to relax in Des Moines tonight.