Day 4

Joy joy, I feel like I hit the jackpot.  I found a hotel room that has a handi-capped shower and allows dogs. For two days, I only found the dog hotel. So no shower. Sponge baths. But tonighte, I am at the American Inn in Ceder Falls, Iowa. . . and I like it.  http://www.americinn.com/hotels/IA/CedarFalls?chebs=ai_gl

Drove more than 400 miles today, so went from the Missouri River in South Dakota (I-90) to Route 35 south in Minnesota, banged a right, and headed south for I-80, which I will take around Chicago. Rather than doing Wisconsin and then hitting all that congestion when you come down from the north. I hope my plan works. .  .I just want a smooth ride this time. We'll see.

East of the Missouri. . . much more muggy, more civilization, more overpasses, more farms rather than ranches. And corn. I got to Mitchell, and had to get off the highway to view the one and only corn palace in the world. It is really a work of art. I've stopped before (yes, with my hubby), but had to see it again. They change the corn and change the pictures. Birds love that corn, I think. What a giant bird feeder! I am having a LOT of trouble uploading pictures onto the blogger site lately, but I will not post this until I have succeeded. Because you must see the corn palace. Nice town, Mitchell. I could live there.

OK, I give up. Picasa, you have failed me miserably for days.  Here is the link so you can see the corn palace: http://www.cornpalace.org/
Scroll to the bottom and see it in all its golden glory. 


I'm realizing one of the things I like about driving through the west is that I'm so off the grid. No power lines, and lots of time, no cell phone reception. Just me and two strips of pavement over the big wide surface of the earth. Cattle don't smell because they have so much room. Well, I'm back. When I came over the Minnesota line, I started noticing the most obnoxious power lines, they looked like giant robots holding the lines. But, hey, my hands are not clean. I use electric power every day. And then, the reason for the powerlines came into view. . .miles and miles of windfarm, over miles and miles of farmland. It is beautiful to see white windmills turning with the breeze. Just the slightest breeze today, and those pin-wheels were making power!

Minnesota: What geeky power lines, I thought.

the reason for the power lines way out in the country, MN

When I turned out of Minnesota into Iowa, same thing!  And when the harvest moon came up, me heading south, I had the sunset to my rght and the moonrise to my left. with a beautiful pastel pastoral farmland background. America is big and beautiful.  So glad I'm here in America. Heard a lot about 9/11/01 today, as I am sure you did. Talked to several of the people I spent time with on that day. Ten years. A long time to be at war. when will it ever end?
So, sorry, this blog entry is boring, the pictures just won't post. How disappointing for me. . . I'd love to show you where I've been. Oh well.  Technology. . . you love it and you hate it.