From the excitement of discovery along 20 in Nebraska to a long drag across Iowa where we only stopped for two nights, one in Sac City. It surprised us how the nature of the route changed at the state line. Our first disappointment was right at the line, South Sioux City in Nebraska meets Sioux city IA. We followed signs and GPS to a water front campground in South Sioux City only to be met at the entrance by clear evidence that the camping area was still underwater from the flooding in June! There was no room to turn the entire rig around without some backing and filling which meant disconnecting the car, maneuvering and then reconnecting. We are getting good at this, second time in two days.
We decided to cross the Missouri into Sioux City, IA and visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Site on the eastern bank. It is right next to a casino which was fortunate as the Interpretive site is currently underwater. In neither case was there any signage to tell the unwary stranger about the flooding, sure we knew the area had flooded, but that was two months ago and we would have no idea that these specific sites were involved.
As we tried to figure out how to continue east we learned that I 29 was closed due to flooding to the south, someplace, the information was not particularly useful to us and we struggled with 2 GPS and maps to return to US 20 in a very industrial part of Sioux City. We located a public campground outside Sac City, Hagge Park, which was almost full, but had one clear site for us. It is a beautiful, quiet place and we were sad to move out in the morning, but move we did. We stopped at Walmart in Cedar Falls, IA for the night. The only truly memorable stop in Iowa was Fort Dodge at the recreation of the original fort, well of a fort that might have been but never really was. The recreation has stockade walls that never existed. Given our experience with the Missouri in Sioux City we were concerned about trying to find anything in Dubuque above the Mississippi, but found that the area was in much better shape, flood wise in any event. We decided to press on to Grant River Park, a Corp of Engineers park on the river above Dubuque in Wisconsin. By now we had contacted cousin Mimi in Madison and decided to venture off 20 for a family visit. Grant Park is lovely, right on the river with extensive area to explore. It is, however, bordered by a busy freight line with a grade level crossing at the entrance to the park. Having crossing bells, and whistles within 100 feet of your window may be fun for serious train buffs, but it does make for disturbed sleep and conversations broken while waiting for a 100 car coal train to clear the area. We moved on again in the morning.
Our first extended stop in eight days is Mendota Park in Middleton, WI just outside Madison. We have been here twice before to visit Cousin Mimi. We have enjoyed Shabbat together at the home of a member of their congregation who welcomes guests four times a year for Shabbat dinner and experience. We enjoyed the Shabbat immensely and on Saturday we went to Madison’s wonderful farm market and after a kayak on Lake Mendota we enjoyed the bounty of the farm market. Great corn and other vegetables as well as fresh rainbow trout for Mimi and me. Sunday, as I write has been quiet. Weather permitting we will attend an outdoor showing of the 1920’s silent “The Golem” with live music performed by Yid Vicious. I may report on that in a later post.
Tomorrow’s plan is to move on to Elkhart IN, assuming we can get through Chicago, where we plan to stop for some routine maintenance and six new tires for the coach.