Our last full day on this trip!
A beautiful sunrise greeted us as we drove toward home. Our phones moved forward one hour as we traveled east, leaving Nevada and entering Iowa. The landscape didn’t change, still flat with farmland full of corn and wheat. If I were a farmer I am sure I would appreciate the miles and miles of prairies because it would be much less hassle than the farmers back home face with the rolling hills and steep inclines. But the sameness gets to me. I like the forests, the lush green grass, the streams, mountains, hills, and complications of Appalachia.
We drove to Kalona Iowa, taking only two quick restroom breaks, before stopping for lunch. At one of those breaks we met someone Paul had visited with at our hotel this morning. He had just bought a classic Trans Am and was driving it to his home in NY. I heard someone say, “Are you following me?” and I recognized the heavily tattooed, pony-tailed man immediately. Laughing and a few words were exchanged between him and some of those who had spoken with him this morning.
We stopped for lunch in Kalona whereaA local Amish family served us the best meal we’ve had since we left home. Meatloaf, ham, mashed potatoes, real ones. Thick slices of fresh baked bread with strawberry jam. Peas that I think might have come from their garden. Salad with vine-ripened tomatoes. Tapioca pudding. And home-made pie for dessert. It was a challenge to control my intake but I was moderately successful.
After lunch we had a tour through the local Amish community with our host acting as our step-on guide. It looked much like all the other Amish settlements we’ve been through, the only difference being that they have a lot of goat farms rather than cows. Neat-as-a-pin farms dotted the flat landscape and our guide explained how goat farming works. Since milkers have four suction cups and goats have two teats they can be milked two at a time on one milker. He explained a few other things but I was so full of lunch and drowsy that I didn’t hear it all. I admit, somewhat ashamed, that I fell asleep.
For our first rest stop after leaving the Kalona area we spent an hour or so at the “World’s Largest Truck Stop.” It was unlike any I’d ever seen with a food court and multiple chain options along with a full sit-down restaurant. Their food court had a Wendy’s which thrilled Paul since he’s been craving a frosty for days. A sign at the bottom of a large stairway told the truckers there were showers, a theater, a barber, a dentist, a public laundry and a chiropractor.
The Iowa 80 Truck Stop claims to serve 5000 customers each day and that it has never been closed since it opened its doors in the 1960s. I don’t believe they were exaggerating with these claims. The place was crazy busy. Paul got his frosty and bought me one as well.
We got to our hotel around 6:30 and after supper on our own, seven of us actually played cards. And laughed til we cried. I won by the way.
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