Well, I'm home! I pulled into our driveway at exactly 1am this morning. The trip was
pretty much everything that I wanted it to be, and I enjoyed myself immensely. You'll
have to forgive me for not uploading pics/blogging on the road; I found out some news
from home that put me in a funk towards the end of the journey.
After getting a speeding ticket in north-central Iowa (DAMN IT!), I made my way to the
Buddy Holly crash site, just north of Clear Lake. It's one of those places that you're
not going to find accidentally; I went down a couple of gravel roads to get to the site.
But you know where to start walking along the fence row when you see a giant metal
pair of Buddy's infamous glasses. I reached the site within half a mile. The small,
metal memorial has the names of the fated musician (Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie
Valens), and "the day the music died", February 3, 1959. It also features titles of some
of their hits.
Their final concert venue, The Surf Ballroom, is just five miles south. The Surf has been
preserved to look much as it did in the 40s and 50s, but still holds concerts for modern
groups. I was impressed with the numerous pictures of famous musicians who have
performed there; it seemed rather glitzy to be out in the middle of Iowa. I'd highly
recommend a stop there if you're driving on I-35.
When planning for this trip, I noticed that my map had a marker for the "Little Brown
Church in the Vale" about fifty miles east of Clear Lake. Curious, I stopped and took
some pictures and was interested to discover that this scenic, country church was the
inspiration for an old gospel hymn.
My final stop for Day Six was at the "Field of Dreams" movie site, near Dyersville, Iowa.
This is a real treasure, and if you're a fan of the movie (or of baseball), it is worth the
detour. The house, ball field, bleachers and farm look almost exactly as it did when the
movie was filmed in 1988. There is no admission and baseballs are provided, if you
wanted to bring your glove and play on the field. I was able to chat a bit with the owner
of the Field, an affable guy who was actually born in the house. He told me that he and
his family enjoyed doing it, even though he neglected to mention what the website said
(it's for sale.) I had a nice time walking around and couldn't resist asking one of the
workers, "Is this Heaven?!" He kinda chuckled but didn't say "No, it's Iowa!"--I think he'd
heard that one before...
Day Seven started with a lot of driving, but I was able to enjoy a visit at the Herbert
Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa. The museum had a
great collection and emphasized Hoover's humanitarian efforts during both World Wars,
as opposed to his unfortunate presidency. His birthplace and gravesite are both there,
and the Park Service was gearing up for an upcoming celebration of his birthday.
My last stop was at Lagomarcino's, a Moline, Illinois confectionery and home of the only
soda fountain that I have ever been to. This place is like a walk back in time; I enjoyed a
delicious (but expensive) Black Raspberry Soda Float. Everything is homemade here;
the chocolates looked heavenly and the shop has been profiled in several magazines
(I discovered them in the book, Roadfood.)
The remaining drive through Illinois and Indiana was largely uneventful. The last fifty
miles of any trip are always the worst, and I found myself getting sleepy but persevered.
I had, for the most part, an excellent trip.
TOTAL STATES TRAVELED: 8 (KY, IN, IL, WI, MN, ND, SD, IA)
TOTAL MILES TRAVELED: est. 2,400
TOTAL TRIP EXPENSE: $819.46
TOTAL TRIP DURATION: 7 days, 7 nights
TOTAL AVERAGE MPG: 28.2
TOTAL STATES VISITED TO DATE: 46
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