Thursday, September 03, 2015 – Prophetstown, Illinois to Council Bluffs, Iowa (336 miles)

We needed to eat more raspberries, so we had overloaded crepes again this morning. We topped off the fresh water tank and emptied the holding tanks, and then got underway at 0833.

We drove through the countryside a bit and then got on I-88 and crossed the Mississippi River at about 0916. That means we left the flat land and rode through undulating fields of corn.  Iowa is beautiful.  I was fascinated all day looking at the shape of the earth, as translated by endless corn tassels.  As we traveled west, the hills became larger and more irregular.

We made a stop for diesel and a Walmart stop for some grocery items.  Then we pulled into a rest stop for lunch.  We picked the only one on I-80 that was under reconstruction and there were no picnic tables.  We ate our sandwiches in Sao.  At least the double-decker trailer load of cattle headed for the market next to us pulled out before we started eating.

We bypassed the park where Andy had planned to spend the night and went on to Council Bluffs. Now we are parked behind the Cracker Barrel right next to the interstate.  The weather is warm, but there is a nice breeze.

The interstate in just a few yards away.

And, the back side of the Cracker Barrel is our view out the port side.

While I was taking these pictures, I noticed that we are on the Lewis & Clark trail again.  The sign is on the interstate.

Council Bluffs is where Lewis & Clark had their first meeting with western Indians, the Otoe’s and Missouri’s. They held their council on the bluff and gave speeches, demonstrated their marching and weapons, and, of course, gave the chiefs medals.  Now we all know that the Indians really wanted trade goods: pots and pans, cloth, guns.