Across Middle America

So, we’re still working on our map. The easiest route east is I-70, across Kansas, Missouri etc. We’ve camped in those states, so Jim figured a route a little out of the way, taking I-80. We left Grand Junction early, down off the mesa and headed east toward Denver. We’d never driven that route and drove through Glenwood Springs and Vail. There were exits for Aspen, Breckenridge and Golden, but we had a ways to go. It was fun to hit snow and evergreens and aspens. We crossed the continental divide in a tunnel at about 11,000 feet. From there it’s downhill all the way to the Mississippi!

We stayed at a Harvest Host distillery in Wyoming, parked in the shadow of huge grain hoppers. We had our first camper problem of the trip. As we were opening everything wide to cool down our hot trailer, a massive rogue gust of wind came through and snapped our rear camper window off the hinges. It didn’t break and lower clamps were intact, so we put it back as best we could and duct taped the top back on to get us home. We needed a drink after that. We sat on the porch of the closed distillery, ate our dinner and used their Wi-Fi to watch the Celtics get killed. I tried for a cache in a park as we were leaving, but couldn’t figure a way around the barbed wire, and we had another long travel day ahead. It wasn’t until 200 miles later it hit me that Wyoming was one of the six remaining states I did not have a cache in, duh! We didn’t go back.

Our next stop after a long day of travel was at Eugene Mahoney State Park, southwest of Omaha. Finally a shower! Life is good! I picked this park because it had Nebraska’s Cache Odyssey cache. We were the only campers on our loop: Green grass! Humidity! Bugs! Poison ivy! I can feel like we’re closer to home. The biggest problem for us was traffic noise, it was very close to I-80. Got our cache in the morning, then backtracked about six miles to get the oldest in the state. Almost made up for missing Wyoming.

Next, Iowa! With a shorter driving day, I stopped at a Trader Joe’s in Omaha, to stock up and get my Nebraska TJ bag. I have a collection. Jim got a book from his brother when he retired, 1000 Places to See in the US and Canada Before You Die. We use it often and have found interesting spots. We camped at our first Army Corp of Engineers campground of the trip, on Coraville Lake. We were going up to Cedar Rapids to do Grant Woods stuff, but his workshop was only open on weekends. We went to Amana and explored the Amana Colonies, a religious group that lived a communal lifestyle from the mid-1800’s to 1932. They were German immigrants worshipping as the Community of True Inspiration. It was fascinating. We had lunch at the Brau Haus. While we were here for our two nights we both had hair cuts, phew. Quiet campground that got busier on Thursday evening. A nice man across the way invited us for BBQ over the weekend, but we were heading on.

Well if it’s Friday it must be Illinois! Another book find, Nauvoo, on the Mississippi River. We camped at the very quiet Nauvoo State Park for two nights to give us a day to explore. It was a fairly short trip from Amana. I’ve included a picture which gives the history of Nauvoo, but in brief the Mormons settled here in 1839, built a large prosperous community and temple, then were exiled in 1846, leaving in the middle of the winter for parts unknown (Utah). Their leader Joseph Smith was murdered, and the temple was burned down, then done in by a tornado a few years later. Somewhere along the line, a few Mormons came back and started buying back land their homes were on. There is now a large Mormon presence, a new temple, built as a replica of the old, many rebuilt homes and a visitors center. The community brings college-age missionary Sisters for 6 months to work here, they staff the replica shops and homes and explain the 1840 life. There are retired couples who also come for eighteen months and represent couples from that time. It was pretty fascinating, and they really didn’t try to convert us. We enjoyed our visit and day. Went down to the bank of the mighty Mississippi, the wind was howling and waves were high. We did laundry in Nauvoo and I drove north along the river to Mass in Hamilton. The only mass in the big beautiful Catholic Church in Nauvoo was 10 AM on Sunday and we were on the road again!

Indiana! Jim found a nice park for one night in New Castle. It was on a reservoir, lots of fishing folks and kayaking folks, not many at the campground. It was a public park, quiet and clean. We never unhitched, just stayed for the night. A good dinner and a fire and on our way to Pennsylvania the next day.

We luckily missed all the big storms in Kentucky and St. Louis that week. I guess it was good we took the high road I-80 instead of I-70. We have a week in western PA, finishing with GeoWoodstock on Saturday. After that we head to Watkins Glen with Alto folks, then HOME!