My Windshield on the World, Nebraska and Iowa Edition

A few months ago, you might remember I drove across corn country and the corn belt (still no idea what either of those really might be) for a race in Iowa. Because I have fast become a trooper on the road (read: have no one to take me places, nor anyone to whine to about it) I decided to drive there. I’ll just save you the mapping and googling time now and say yeah, you’re right, this was a long dang way. I drove about eight and a half hours on my own from Colorado to Omaha, Nebraska and then, after meeting up with a friend and making her buy me lunch and ice cream, we then got in the car for another five hours. It was good times.

I started the drive before dawn, and when I was mere double-digit miles from the Colorado/Nebraska border, the sun began to rise. Notice how awake I must have been, what with forgetting to turn on the camera’s auto-focus.

I got to see how the corn wakes up, too.

Once the sun was up, I did notice the camera wasn’t focusing. And thank goodness I did because the next several miles were nothing but wildflowers. Black-eyed Susans, I believe? That is what we used to call them, anyway.

This was a very quiet, relaxing stretch of road. I ate some breakfast, stopped at two filling stations (bladder of steel!), and waved to the cowboys in the dually trucks. If you’re ever up in Northern Colorado, I’d choose the route that takes you on I-76 through Ft. Morgan. It was purdy.

Soon enough, I was in Nebraska. As far as I can remember, I’ve never spent much time in Nebraska. There could have been a road-trip sometime way back when, but I doubt it. We all know that part of the reason I do this whole hit-the-road thing now is because I was deprived as a child (see installment #1). But Nebraska did seem very nice, although I think they were trying to rival Colorado for The Most Road Construction Possible Across Entire State award.

But did you know they live the good life there?

Of course, it wouldn’t be long before another pit stop was due. In my defense, this time the car needed gas. So it wasn’t just all about me drinking eight gallons of Diet Pepsi before 8:00 a.m. I pulled into a Nebraska gas station and realized I was now two places I never thought I’d be: any place called “Fat Dogs” and, Nowhere.

I made sure to hurry on this stop, because the only thing worse than being in Nowhere is getting stuck there. I blew in and out like the wind that defined Nebraska for me on that day.

Trees bent over with wind. Highway scary. Stop taking pictures, idiot.

Oh yeah, at this point I was now on I-80, which is defined as the “busiest trucking highway in the country” among other things, I’m sure. I-80 is, after having seen it in the opposite direction, only somewhat more exciting to the East. For example, there’s a really big bridge.

This is also the portion of the trip where I started seeing all kids of red. Red cars, red flags, people wearing red in their cars, waving their red flags. It was just red, red and more red. I called my friend to let her know I was in Lincoln, but also to ask “Dude, what is the deal with the red?” Some of you know the answer to this without me saying it. For the rest of you, I was in Cornhusker country. And it was game day. Duh.

And let me just say, you Nebraskans get into it. You sure do.

I still had miles and miles to go, so the red I’d soon pass by and before I knew it, I was in Omaha. Within thirty minutes, we were well on our way to Iowa- yeehaw!

I took this photo right before I got us lost in the Amana Colonies. Guten Abend!

Technically, though, we weren’t really “lost.” We were more just detoured. And if you ask my friend, she might say different but it’s important to remember you shouldn’t listen to her because she lies about road trips.

We eventually did get back on the right stretch of road, though, and were well on our way to Dubuque, Iowa.

That’s right, I said Dubuque, where we’d find the Mighty Mississippi.

And a lot of other mid-America cuteness.

So that was it, about thirteen hours right there. Thanks for coming along. The road trip was good, the company even better.

The trip home, though, was also pretty sweet.

Remember, you can find all “Windshield” posts here.