Business and Pleasure–Days Nine and Ten: Change in Plans
I had a very long drive ahead, though thankfully the route was almost entirely on the interstate, specifically I-90, with speed limits up to 80 miles per hour. The GPS indicated that I could stay on I-90 all the way to Maryland. Then, it displayed a message suggesting that I could save 1.5 hours by taking I-35 south. I-35?!? The original route would take me above Iowa, and I was disappointed but tiredly accepting on this ninth day of my trip. Then, with this suggested change, I would not only enter the state, but actually drive through Grinnell after taking I-80 from 35! I knew that on a Friday during summer break, many staff would be off work. Still, I called a friend to see if I could stay overnight, stopped by the Favoli’s in Des Moines since there aren’t any in the DMV (hint, hint), and I bought the…
Bidding a Fond Farewell (Pt. 1)
My 2006 Food 500, which I’ve dubbed the Red Barron (or RB for short) because of the way she handled herself on the road and anywhere I deigned to take her, and I have been through a lot since I bought her in 2009. I’ve noted many of our road adventures on this site and its predecessor at https://singin1.wordpress.com. I’d hoped we would have many more road trips still to experience, but then it turned that RB was in the wrong place at the wrong time during a drecho that hit Iowa on Monday morning, August 10. This New York Times article described the extensive damage throughout the area. I was blessed to be at home inside a structure that provided plenty of protection from the storm’s destructive forces. Other than the experience of being without power for four days, I was just fine. RB was not so fortunate.…