October 12, 2013 Travel to Iowa

We woke this morning to rain and a thunder storm.  We got things ready inside and once the rain subsided, we finished the outside work and off we went west.  For the first two hours we went in and out of a few storms.

This looks ominous - kept my eye on the weather underground, just in case we had to find a shelter:

The Mississippi River Bridge:

The Mighty Mississippi:

Barges waiting to go thru the locks:

And into Iowa:

We are officially in the west -.  When we first were planning this trip, we were going to stay at one of the Army Corps of Engineer Campgrounds along the Mississippi.  We figured we would spend a few days just watching the barges go up and down.  But, sad to say, they are closed due to the government shutdown - what a bummer.  (I could say more but this is a travel blog - not a political one.)

Love the colors - notice the sky - we are out of the storms:

Cute:

Our scenery changed so much today from flat areas to rolling hills, from farms to forests - our country is so beautiful:

Love the swirls:

The wind started to pick up late morning and the temperature must have dropped 20 degrees - brrrr.

Check out the flag - the wind holding it horizontal:

Actually, this is where we are staying - Terrible’s Lakeside Casino and RV Park in Osceola, Iowa.  It is $20.00 a night for full hookups and cable.  This casino used to charge $10.00/night with a players card but they have stopped that - Bummer.  The park is really nice - I will get some pictures tomorrow.

After checking in and setting up, we went to town to find the Laundry and Wal-Mart.  After traveling over 500 miles in two days, we are going to sit for a day or so.  Sunday is Andy’s football day and we both need to get a few things done before we head out again.

So stay tuned for our next adventure and enjoy today.

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled:  259 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Illinois:  Mill Point Road; SR-26; SR-116; US-24; US-150; I-74; US-34

Iowa: US-34; I-35; CR-H33