Today started off like many before it, with a cell phone alert buzzing heavy rock music into my ears. This was followed off with a shower and last minute packing. We then, as a team, met up at Cooper Science on campus and met with our vans that we will be riding in the next couple of weeks.
From Muncie we made our way down I-69 to the north side of Indianapolis to pick up the remaining Indiana University students that had not already joined up with us in Muncie. We then grabbed a bit to eat in western Indiana, somewhere, before finally crossing the border and entering Illinois.
There was not much in the way of scenery and exciting destinations, which of course I expected. But we did see a pretty decent gustnado, or small spinning bit of air that picks up dust and light debris, making it visible, but isn't in anyway a tornado, for reasons you can look up if you are curious. Other than the gustnado and several series of signs that promoted "anti-gun control," Illinois was much like the northern part of Indiana.
After a brief stop at a rest stop outside of Peoria, near the western border of Illinois, we headed across the Mississippi River and bypassed Davenport, Iowa. I have never been to Iowa so everything from here was new territory. We then headed due west on Interstate-80 where we soon encountered the highlight of the day, "Iowa-80." No, not the road, rather the "World's Largest Truck-Stop." This, in a way, can be called the "Mall of America," of truck stops, so to say. There are numerous restaurants, and shopping opportunities within the walls of this trucker paradise. Some items for sale included a new horn for your ride, customizable clothing, and other trucker merchandise. There was also a full sized semi and trailer in one of the main wings of the building, which had an artistic rendition of Iowa painted on the side. It was one of the main attractions of the site.
We soon departed after fueling up and kept heading due west towards Iowa City. There is not much in I.C., but we did see a billboard on the way advertising "Bob's Your Uncle - Pizza Parlor." It was nearing 6 p.m. local time in Iowa, or 7 back home, and we decided that it was time to grab a bite to eat, and that pizza would be a good choice. It turned out, however, to be a great choice. Voted best pizza in Iowa City for the past 7 years or so, "Bob's Your Uncle" delivered a delicious punch to our appetites. Their pizzas come in 3 varieties, NY style, traditional and Chicago deep dish, all of which, ironically, have nothing geographically in common with Iowa. Nevertheless, the pies were amazingly tasty. We got two NY style pizzas, and one Chicago deep dish, all three of which were different specialties. These were named after famous Iowa basketball players, of which whom many of us did not recognize. But that did not matter, because the fresh ingredients that were put into the pizzas made them a one of a kind taste that I will miss eating. The "Bob's Your Uncle" name was actually derived from a British and western European way to say, you will prosper or succeed, rather than to imply that you have a pizza making Uncle Bob.
Across the parking lot from our dinner location, there was a ceramic/plastic green dinosaur at a gas station which myself and another Ball State student took a bit of time to pose, ride and take pictures with. It's great to let lose of your inhibitions and let your inner child shine sometimes. After a few good laughs, we boarded the university vans and headed north through Cedar Rapids and Waterloo in central Iowa. A few miles north of Iowa is where I lie in bed, typing up this blog in the tiny town of Waverly. The hotel beds will probably be an improvement to the couch I have been sleeping on earlier this week in Muncie.
Well that has been an in depth look at all the happenings of today, the first day of our travels out here on the plains. As for our near future, tomorrow will be another full day of driving, or that's what I know at this time. We are headed north, in the way of the Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore. We won't see these things until Sunday, but we will be having a good time on our way there for sure. If you want to see some pictures that I took today, limited because most of the day was driving, you can find them on my facebook page. I'm always open to comments and suggestions and again, I thank you for reading.
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