Homeward Bound

We were up at sunrise, with plenty of time to enjoy our morning coffee and a simple breakfast before getting cleaned up, packed up, hooked up and ready to hit the road by 8:00am. Within minutes we were on I-90 East ... homeward bound!

South Dakota seemed to go on and on and on. We saw piles and rows and stacks of hay, many cows to eat that hay, vast fields of sunflowers, sorghum, corn, milo, and native grasses. At one of the rest stops we saw an unbelievable number of grasshoppers all over the ground!

As we approached the Missouri River near Chamberlain, we were impressed by the spectacular sight of  American White Pelicans flying overhead, some circling in pods, some flying in a familiar V-formation. Fall is migration time. These birds will winter along the Gulf of Mexico. 

At noon, we gassed up before crossing the Missouri River, then stopped on the eastern side to view the stunning “Dignity” sculpture, designed to honor the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people. This 50' stainless steel statue is located on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River at a rest stop just off the interstate. Traveling east or west, you can't miss it! 

At 4:25 CDT, we crossed into Iowa.

The countryside of western Iowa was more attractive than we had expected. After traveling across Missouri and Kansas we were accustomed to seeing corn and soybean fields that stretch to the horizon, but these big farms were beautiful. Undulating fields of corn were laid out across rolling hills, all neat and tidy, with green plantings between fields. Interestingly, this was the first time we had ever seen terraced fields in the United States.

I read that wind energy is now Iowa's leading source of electricity, and I believe it after seeing mile after mile of giant wind turbines! Renewable energy ... that's progress! But sometimes a double-edged sword. While reliable income from wind energy can help steady farmers dealing with a turbulent economy, many farmers are concerned about the loss of farmland.

At 8:00pm we stopped for the night just off I-80 at Des Moines West KOA in Adel, Iowa.