Tuesday, October 20, 2015

DAY 5–PEACHAM TO PORTLAND–LINCOLN, NE



Dearest Readers,
It’s 8am CST in Lincoln, Nebraska
 
Driving like a zombie in a white haze
Yesterday was my second day of hardcore zombie driving through the wonderful Great Plains. Out of the corners of my eyes I glimpsed big sky, relentless fields of corn and wheat, and dry, dust-filled air thrown up by pickups on side roads, and agricultural machinery in the fields. 
Windy and warm across Iowa-the ghost of big-brother the iPhone through the  side window

A wild whipping wind shook my poor toaster of a car while I hunched over the wheel. I know why I encountered great clusters of modern wind mills along yesterday's route. Wind must be the norm.

I glimpsed patches of the famous tall prairie grasses that covered the plains before white men arrived, but I could not find a safe place to take a picture. So here’s one from the web.

By the end of day I had eased my way around Des Moines’ beltway, crossed the Missouri to big, sprawling Omaha, and later pulled into Lincoln the capitol of Nebraska and home of the state university–Go Huskers!
 
Setting out in the morning toward Des Moines
Wild sculptures on a bridge as I approach Omaha on I-80 West

Des Moines is a capitol city too. It sparkled in the sunlight, clean, fresh and very contemporary-looking from my view on a little rise on I-80 descending and circling half the city. The State Capitol’s gold dome shone like the Emerald City. Road signs for gardens, museums and various art centers were impressive. The picture below is from the web. People drive fast here. I did not dare to snap a picture while fighting the wind, reading signs, and staying on course
 
Des Moines Iowa State Capitol building-a gem sparkling on the prairie 

You may be wondering how Etta James, my dog is doing…She’s a bit confused. This morning she sniffed around a window at the end of a hallway in our hotel, trying to get outside. 

Mostly she sleeps.

See you all tomorrow further west.

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