Highway 36

After my trip to Council Grove and the great stuff I saw along the way, I started paying more attention to the stuff along my drive home.

We've got a couple of billboards with two cheesy kids dressed in period costume, holding a lantern and gazing at giant words saying "Mark Twain Cave".

Don't forget about Marcelline--the hometown of Walt Disney.

There's the creepy billboard for a church that has a drawing of Jesus. I think He is supposed to be laughing, but frankly, I think He looks demonic.

I didn't see very many cows. The Council Grove drive had more cows than I had ever seen. I guess Kansas is more cow-friendly than Missouri.

One thing I have always wanted to get a picture with is the airplane just outside Chillicothe. I think it's a replica. But it's kind of out there all alone, advertising their aviation museum. There used to be a giant rooster in front of a lawn statue type place that was actually on Highway 61 about 20 miles south of Keokuk or so. Sadly, I think the highway expansion project has eliminated that place. I didn't see the rooster. But it was also getting dark by that time. The creepy church in the middle of nowhere right about that same place is still there though.

My favorite site is this little tiny house that's actually made up to look like an old time gas station with a little tiny gas truck next to it. They're painted red and yellow. They're real cute, they look like great playhouses for kids. It's pretty far off the road, but you can see them real well. I'm not sure that I could be brave enough to go down there for a firsthand look, but I want to pull to the side and take a picture.

This isn't really something you see from the road, but the last few times I've come home I've been pleased to note that the little gas station I used to stop at in Macon has renovated their bathrooms. The station itself is the same, but they've gone from two dirty one-holers to full on bathrooms. The ladies room has four stalls. And they're clean. But they still only have one sink.

Of course there is the Iowa sign--The people of Iowa welcome you! Fields of opportunity, it says. Well, if there was all that much opportunity, I'd be living in Iowa, instead of just visiting. I am still a people of Iowa, I have my permanent address still here. So I welcome myself home each time I cross the river.

Speaking of rivers, they've gone down. The Grand River is still overflowed, but the overflow area isn't overflowing anymore. Everything seems back to normal in the flood zone. I dont' feel the need to take a picture with the rivers, but I wanted to mention them while I was on that topic.

And finally, I am greeted in Fort Madison by the billboard of my sister's ex and his wife, two children, and dog. Gross.

I'm rather disappointed in the lack of fun stuff, however, I swear that I saw a lot more than I can remember. So on my way back to the Joe I'll take a better observation and let you know. But my new mission in life is to take my picture with everything cool I ever see. Even if it's just my thumb.