Friday, July 21, 2016
Yesterday, Thursday, I had hoped to stop in Dubuque, Iowa and see the National Mississippi River Museum, but a late start out of DeWitt and then some traveling on country roads ate up time from me. With the intention of getting across Iowa yesterday (a 5 hour drive on US-20) I had to curtail seeing sites in what looks like a beautiful city. Traffic was also a bit hectic there, coupled with some construction, leaving me scarce time to spare.
The day was very warm (I won’t say hot, as 92 with 92% humidity is not hot compared to 110 in Phoenix). But it was very muggy. On TV yesterday I learned something about corn and that the plants create their own moisture that is released into the air creating a foggy condition. This did seem apparent as I tried to shoot some morning photos and found everything to be in a haze, as can be seen in the photo above. By the afternoon that haziness had cleared as I neared the western side of Iowa.
Out of Dubuque the land leveled off more leaving behind the rolling hills I found near DeWitt. Nearing Sioux City, Iowa the land again became gently rolling terrain where contour AND terraced farming was evident. Again everythng was awesome green. Several stops along the drive to stretch my legs and revive myself helped keep me alert on that long drive - oh yeah, and the country roads beckoned me to get off the pavement and go exploring into the countryside which always keeps me fresh and alert.
So, in keeping with the farming theme, here are more photos of this part of Iowa. (Joyce, are you getting homesick already?).
Many, many wind turbines cropped up in the fields, an impressive sight.
Some exploring here this morning in Sioux City, then up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to see the actual “falls” which is a recommended site to see from my brother Elwood. If time allows I’ll be heading to the Badlands yet today.