From Iowa to Illinois, just over the Mississippi

Thursday, 10/4

Our Walmart camping spot, just before dawn

We spent a good night at the Atlantic (IA) Walmart, even though we were far from the Atlantic (Ocean).  It continued to be quite windy in the night, and even sprinkled a little early in the morning, but the driving conditions were good--overcast skies kept the sun from glaring.  The traffic was pretty reasonable BUT there were a lot of trucks with wide loads who drove like crazies.  One of the wide loads had a proper caravan, with a little truck in front and one behind it, all with signs and lights and acting responsibly.  But there were three similar trucks all with sections of pre-fab houses on their trailers, and they were not only passing regular traffic, but passing the aforementioned well-behaved wide load truck.  It was incredible, there were maybe 18" between them, and only because the outer truck wheels were practically driving on the rumble strips so that they wouldn't knock into each other.  Fortunately the three house haulers decided to cool their jets at a rest stop and we didn't have to worry about them passing US anymore either.

We arrived in Moline, just over the Mississippi, at 2pm and parked ourselves in the driveway of friends Janice and Richard (Janice was one of Erika's first Waldorf nursery school teachers and Richard was pastor at the church where I was choir director for two years, all in CT).  They have a gorgeous maple tree beside their house which has turned New England red---my first red maple of this Fall.

As usual, the picture doesn't do it full justice.  It is a gorgeous red.  I missed my maple trees!!

We will be here for two nights, and can plug into their outlet.  Thank goodness, as it's going to be very cold at night and without our little electric space heater, we would be freezing.