Filed under: There and Back Again
Iowa: I already like Iowa more than I liked Nebraska. There are more hills, and lots of trees and water and this morning (that is, last Wednesday) everything is covered in mist. Granted, there is still a TON of corn -an inordinant amount, actually- but there is also another crop…. Question to all Iowans: you grow a lot of corn and a lot of something else… what’s the ‘something else’? (Answer found later, thank you Wikipedia: beans -both soy & green.)
According to the road signs on I-80 E (goodness, I’m kind of getting sick of this blasted highway!) the main points of interest in Iowa are as follows:
a) corn fields
b) John Wayne’s birthplace
c) Covered Bridges of Madison County
d) More Corn Fields
As we got closer to the eastern edge of Iowa we stopped for gas in a truly white-trash type town. I wish I could tell you it’s name, but I don’t remember. Let it suffice, a double-wide trailer home was considered a McMansion and rusty car parts are fancy lawn decorations. That being said, I still have fonder feelings for Iowa than I do for Nebraska. However, we moved East and moved on.
Illinois brought a lot more of the same scenery… specifically, more corn. Please advise. (Two Hundred Miles Later)… Ya know, I’m beginning to understand that famous line in Field of Dreams… If you build it, they will come… Of course THEY will come! THEY have Nothing. Else. To Do.
Lookit! Peoria, IL! A City! With Buildings! And People! And Everything! I think I’ve been in the heartland for Too. Long. A few 3-story buildings and I’m giddy -it’s a civilization high. Now I understand how people from the Great Plains or Mountain Plateau’s freak out in Times Square! It’s such an incredible rush! …And we’re back to the corn…
According to the road signs, a person can serve 14 years in prison for running over a construction workers who are doing their part for the Greater American Good and fixing those blasted pot-holes. These same construction workers, who in broad daylight stop and take a leak, in full view of passing traffic -who have all obediently slowed down to 45 mph, per construction-zone rules. Now, that’s klassy -klassy with a ‘K’.
Continuing east, although now on I-74 E instead of I-80, which brings us to Indiana: home of another 200 miles of corn fields, the Indy 500, last years Superbowl Champions (Go Colts!) and something/someone called a ‘Hoosier’.
Most, if not all towns in the MidWest have water-towers, although what exactly their purpose is I’m not quite sure, I can only deduct that they are a necessity seeing as every. single. town has one, many of which are painted to depict some sort of local phenomena, or whatever. I grew up with tap water that bubbled out of a mountain spring, so I really have no idea of the purpose of water towers. I think they look like trapped hot-air balloons, or UFO’s, or even giant push-pins (is that how Google-Earth got their push-pin idea? I think so!).
Kentucky! Finally! We are meeting up with some of Jo’s friends from college, Lane & Whitney, for dinner and a little relaxation. They live in Cincinnati, just over the river from Newport, Kentucky, which is where we met for dinner. It felt so good to get out and walk around a little; in fact, I walked all the way to Ohio!
The Purple People Bridge is a Cincy landmark, and yes, it really is purple. Dinner was fantastic, conversation was great and I was just happy to be out of the car! After dinner we stopped by a little ice-cream place, Graters, and I had the most divine experience with a scoop of raspberry mint chip. Di-Vine. 
Later that night as we talked about our plans for the next day (that is, Day 3 of RoadTrip America) we decided to X-nay the plans to go to Virginia. It was just too out of the way and another 12-hour day of driving sounded horrible. Come to find out, it is only 11 hours from Cincinnati to Albany (where we would be staying with some of my family). So, Plan B: stay an extra day in Cincy, wander around the city a little, stretch our legs and recharge out batteries for the last leg of the road trip.1 Comment so far
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Poor Iowa. I lived right next door to Iowa for the first 18 years of my life and never visited. I feel as though I probably never will.
Comment by L Sass 2007 September 7 @ 9:36 am