I am so grateful to be able to watch the sun rise from my bedroom window. This day we would be making another trip to Wisconsin.
Before making a trip, we look at our atlas. What new roads can we take? As the roads we have traveled are marked in yellow marker, we look to see which way we have not been on before. I had marked the road north of Abilene through Clay Center when I had come back from Wisconsin, but Allen had never taken that road. And we had not gone north on 99 into Nebraska. We decided to do that.
We had just been through Abilene less than a week earlier when we went on the Smoky Valley dinner train.
Wonder what would possess a person to put a train car on his property? Guess it would be a fun place for a child to play!
We went under I-70 and continued on Highway 15. The guy in front of us was weaving all over the road. Texting? Drunk? Medical problems? Luckily he turned off.
Farmers were busy in their fields.
I love the open roads!
We went inside to use the restrooms and look at the old architecture. They had pretty neat wooden sculpture!
Our grandson carved this one a couple of years ago. If he continues, maybe he'll make one like the one above!
We came across this sign and changed our minds about what road to go on. Instead of turning north on 99, we went north on 148. It took us past the town of Hanover and then we turned east on 243.
There was a little welcome museum that was going to close in 5 minutes!! The curator told us to take our time as it would take her a bit to close up.
Going up the stairs.
This is where people would sleep for the night.
The little store for immigrants going west.
Look how warped the floor board is!
While walking around that house, I just thought about how people really did live and work there. How the pony express riders would ride through and exchange for new fresh horses and keep going on, or perhaps spend the night and a new rider would take over. And I thought about the immigrants debating what supplies to purchase for the journey west. What a difficult trip it must have been!!
Fortunately for us, we could just get in our air-conditioned car and continue on our trip. We drove into Nebraska and caught highway 8 to 99.
Big Blue River
It was so hot outside. Over 100. The cattle were found under trees for shade or in the ponds.
We did have our share of road construction this day. Terribly hot for the poor road workers.
O, little lamb who has lost your way,
Jesus is seeking for you today.
One from the hundred has gone astray,
O, could it be you?
Are you a man who has lost his way?
The Spirit's seeking for you today.
From ten gold coins one has rolled away,
O, could it be you?
O, wand'ring soul, is there peace within?
How we'd rejoice if you'd but return!
For His lost son does the Father yearn
O, could it be you?
We 99 north to highway 4; up 75 to Nebraska City and got onto highway 2.
Crossing the Missouri River.
This brought us into the place between the bluffs.
We had been on the road going north from Hamburg on one other trip recently.
But we were headed east and crossed over the "dotted road" we had been on.
We decided to take 2 all the way across Iowa to I-35. We had not done that before! I highlighted it yellow.
When we passed through Clarinda, I saw that it was the birthplace of Glenn Miller! We used to listen to him when I was a kid! It was getting late so we couldn't stop at the house he was born in. Another time!
Surprisingly we had not come across these windmills along the way until now.
The sun set just before we got to Des Moines for the night.
