Iowa Trip: The Mississippi

The Mississippi is a fascinating river.  It is wider than many lakes, and it is spanned only with difficulty.  Driving from Nauvoo to Carthage you head south along the river, which afforded a great chance to get to know it better.  There are flowers and lilies growing out in the river, and when we stopped we realized the shore was shell lined rather than sand lined.

Wild Flowers and other Fauna on Our Iowa Trip

Utah West Desert Tree

Tree at Utah West Desert Rest Area

Iowa City Handcart Park

These pictures are all from the Handcart Park.  There was lots of brush and lots many different wild flowers.

Nauvoo, flower between the city and the river

Soybean was very common in both Iowa and Illinois

Flower garden pictures at Carthage Jail 

These next flowers were at the Bear Lake over look

thistle

Sun Flower

Quaking Apen

Mom's nursing home

Close to Great Salt Lake, not cattails

Sunflowers Mt. Sterling, Ut

If you identify any of the flowers please comment and let me know.

Iowa Trip Day 3: Des Moines

We started early from Terry's house after an interesting conversation about kids.  We stopped briefly for pictures in Elk Horn where they have a Danish windmill.  The also have an old viking house, circa 900 a.d. replica.

Danish Windmill

Viking House

Adair Iowa

We then hit the road, and were in Adair for breakfast where Jesse James and his gang carried out a train robbery.  The park was very nice, with a small playground and picnic tables.  We were off to Des Moines for our next stop.  

In Des Moines it was the first day of the State Fair, and we thought long about attending.  However, the crowds, my need for a haircut, and the need to pick up Ty at the airport put us short on time so we did not get there.  We drove through down town, no one wanted to get out, but have a couple pictures from the car.

801 Grand, tallest building in Des Moines

church through the bugged windshield

Des Moines Arboretum part of botanical garden

Cow and calf outside dairy

We picked up Ty, and then headed for something to eat.  We chose Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, which was a good choice.  They had breakfast as well as dinner.  I had the chicken fried steak with banana cream pie.  Very good.  

We then checked in to the hotel, and I was able to get in a swim.  Not the largest of pools, but I could get a bit of a swim in swimming diagonally.  The highlight of the day was picking up our Caleb.   This was Thursday August 13.

Trip to Pick Up Caleb Day 2: Across Utah, and Wyoming, and Nebraska

We made an early start, and were in Evanston for breakfast, milk and Chocodiles, and then across the state with only gas and rest area stops.  We followed the pioneer trail, and when we got further on I tried to get a good picture of the Platte River from the window, but it was elusive, darting behind trees or going away from the freeway.  However, I finally got it when we stopped for lunch at Grand Island.  We finally crossed the Missouri into Iowa, and then headed for Sheri's brother's house, Terry.  We were able to set up camp in the basement.   We discovered, 410 miles across Nevada, 400 across Wyoming and 450 across Nebraska.

Pioneer Monument

Wyoming Sky

Location of old fort along Platte River

In the car

Road Ranches

In Nebraska

Car again

Military Vehicle Museum

Fort Kearney Replica

Platte River

froggy

Platte

Missouri River