6/15 - Kellogg, Iowa

The storms passed over with a last blast around 5:00 am.  Amazing how much more noise thunder makes in the flatlands than at home.  We got off to an early start with the anticipation of increasing heat as we moved west, if the weather forecast was correct.  Unfortunately it was right…….95 when we got to Kellogg at 2:00 pm.  Our AC is still struggling to get the RV’s inside temp down to 80.  (It can reduce the temp only 15 degrees so 80 is all we can expect until the outside cools down.)  

Illinois and Iowa are beautiful farm states.  Western Illinois is flat prairie land.  They make the most of it, using “prairie” in many of the names of places, roads, stores, whatevers.  I’d always thought of the prairies as being further west (ala “Little House on the Prairie” in Minnesota and the Dakotas) but Illinois thinks it has some too.

Illinois is prime wind farm territory but we saw only one along I-74.  We did see three windmill blades being transported on I-80…….they are absolutely HUGE.  Unfortunately couldn’t get a picture of any of them.

The Mighty Mississippi from I-80 at Davenport, Iowa.  Native Americans called it the Father of Waters.  French Canadians Father Marquette and Louis Joliet discovered it for the European world and many places bear their names today.

Goblin, the assistant navigator, likes riding on the console (resting his chin on the cup).  We had no more “cat-astrophes” today……Gwen was captured and put in her carrier without a problem after Jim blocked off her access to the back and underside of the couch.  We’re also catching her before the carrier comes into view.

Iowa farmland, much hillier than we’d expected and fantastically green.  This is a really gorgeous state!

Our campground is behind a gas station, between a cornfield and I-80.  Surprisingly quiet considering how close we are to the road.  The gas station has a combination convenience store/restaurant which advertises itself as Iowa’s Best Burgers.  That’s even their website name.  Three booths squeezed into the back of a c-store does not a restaurant make.  We’re not going to risk their burgers but we may visit the ice cream bar later when it’s cooled off enough to be able to walk over there.  (We’ve got another very level spot so didn’t have to unhook the truck.)

We’re having so much trouble with the truck and its blasted tuner we’re going to have to go an hour out of our way tomorrow to a shop that sells these tuners in Blair, Nebraska, to have the system checked over.  They specialize in diesels so we hope they can solve the problems.  Got the business up on google satellite and found it’s a farm out in the country.  The Facebook page confirms it’s the right place.  This is going to be interesting……maybe like the place we went near International Falls, Minnesota, last July to get our black tank gate valve repaired.  It was down a one-lane dirt road in a barn with the nicest owner/mechanic you’d ever want to meet.  We may be spending tomorrow night in a cornfield instead of the Sioux Falls KOA.  LOL NOT.  One good thing is that we’ve just changed time zones so will be able to get up early more easily than usual.