Day 125: Watching the Rain

We are taking our afternoon break (6 hours long) at Waubonsie State Park about 10 miles inside Iowa on State Road 2, and the rain is peppering down. This is the first rain we’ve seen since we got caught in a downpour in Cambridge, Nebraska while at a farmer’s market. I’m not sure I blogged about that, but we got drenched – Valda twice. But, Valda got her squash and green pepper and BBQ. Ten minutes of sitting in the RV, eating our sandwiches and the place was deserted. Everybody went home, and the guy with the BBQ smoker took off trailing steam like an old locomotive. It was quite a sight.

We got into Iowa today and it makes our sixth state since Bodega Bay. My brother had told me about crossing the Missouri River and I must have had grand ideas of that river because I was sure disappointed when I walked across the bridge. The river was only about 200-250 feet wide and the bridge was a modern steel and concrete structure. I just don’t feel like I’ve been on a bridge if it doesn’t have a steel superstructure above my head. Anyway, we scooted across it and the next thing I knew I was walking the roads of Iowa!

Valda stopped at a Welcome Center at Interstate 29 and the guy there told her that Iowa grew only soy beans and corn. Wrong! I saw hay and am now making it my mission to find other crops just to further prove him wrong.

It’s still hot outside because the sun is out and the steam is rising from the road. I’ve got 5.5 more miles to walk this evening and hopefully the rain will cool it down a little. If everything goes according to plan, I’ll have a surprise for the blog tomorrow, including pictures. Be sure to check out yesterday’s blog, I’ve added the stats and a picture of a sign that can be very discouraging, depending on which side of it you’re headed. By the way, the last mile marker I saw in Nebraska on NE Hwy 2 was 508.

I want to thank Dennis and Angie, new owners of Victorian Acres RV Park in Nebraska City, NE for comping us a site last night. They have a very nice park on their hands. To our RV buddies – check them out if you are ever in the area.