Thursday August 26, 2021

Day #32

The morning dawned cool, breezy with the sun peeking through the clouds.

We got on the road about 8:10 a.m. this morning which is about an hour earlier than our normal hitting-the-road time. We are facing a 6-hour drive that translates into 7 or more hours on the road when factoring in gas stops, lunch stops and walking stops.

Passing into Iowa, we got off in Mason City for gas and rolls of quarters. Rolls of quarters mean that it will be laundry day. Hopefully this will be our last laundry day on the trip.

Today we are riding Hwy 18 (US 18; S17) east toward Goodfield, Illinois to camp for the night. Above the highway sign for South 27 is a blue sign – “Avenue of the Saints”, it must be because for the past 10+ miles it has be on the straight and narrow!

Fields, no acres, acres and acres of corn flank both sides of the four-lane along with windmill fields!  Twenty – thirty windmills turning out energy.

It is 10:00 a.m. with overcast skies and a cool 73 degrees.

Passing cornfields near Plainfield, some of the corn stalks were laying flat as if a strong wind had blown through a swath of the field leaving the rest of the corn stalks standing. This went on for several miles.

Waterloo, Iowa –home of the Sullivan Brothers. This article in the Navy Times in 2019, explains how this changed Navy regulations.

Spaghetti junctions under construction, high rise buildings, more than one (or none) stoplights, billboards, Dollar Tree and four bars for cell service – we are back in civilization!

Brian look it's Cargill

Civilization

We stopped in Iowa City for gas and lunch at “the Vine”. My portion of a nacho appetizer was huge.

Back lot parking

Gorgeous Sky

Coming into the restaurant, we had to park in the back lot with no out! So Doug had to back up in the parking lot, he did a great job. The sky is gorgeous. 

I drove the rest way into Timberline Campground in Goodfield, Illinois. Through that drive I traversed 5 or 6 construction zones of closing a two lane down to one lane at 45-55 mph. Doug caught this picture of the Mississippi.

Approaching the Mississippi River

Looking more like the Mississippi

Wonder who parked that
crooked camper!

Timberline campground is a huge campground. It is a tired-looking Jellystone.

This was a 9-hour drive, leaving at 8:10 a.m. and arriving 5:00 p.m. all in Central Time.

After supper, I tried baking a cake in the gas oven in the camper! I'll let the pictures tell the tale.