DAY 4–PEACHAM TO PORTLAND–DAVENPORT, IA

Dearest Readers,

Good Morning! It’s 8:00-ish CST at a Best Western “Plus” in Davenport Iowa.

Yesterday I zipped past South Bend and Chicago, observed miles of prairie corn from the corners of my eyes, 

and small farm towns with beautiful water towers, on another day of westward migration along a two-lane stretch of my life.

Mishawaka Indiana town water tower

I slid into Central Time, changed seamlessly from I-90 to I-80, crossed the Mississippi, and inched from 65 miles an hour to the new speed limit of 70 mph across the plains. The weather changed from morning frost in Indiana 

Frost on my Scion's roof in Howe, Indiana

to full blown sun the further I put some miles between me and the blustery, wet weather stirring over the Great Lakes.

I read billboards, road signs, and checked my speedometer ever couple of seconds. (I have no cruise

Des Moines sign near Chicago with my godlike hands and iPhone in the sky 

control). 

I mourned the animal carnage on the roads and shoulders. (What can we do about this senseless, ignored slaughter? Can we as a nation build more fences, or bridges or tunnels under the roads just for these other mammals to cross safely?) 

I failed at finding an NPR radio station, and kept my eyes on the road, occasionally peeking over at the curled up body of Etta James in the passenger seat, whose default mode for boredom is sleep. 

Dog and I stretched our legs in Joliet IL and discovered a pond with resting geese. Flying South?

I finished the day at my first restaurant, with a meaty cobb salad and a beautiful glass of house cabernet at the Prairie Grill in my hotel. Cheers to all!