STILL IN IOWA

Our road trip would not be completed without a few hundred of photos of CP's pony. (Strangers, mostly men, still engaged in important discussion with CP about the Mustang but not as much as when we drove the T-bird). Above is the Lincoln Hotel in Lowden, Iowa. It opened in 1915, had 12 small rooms with one common bathroom at $2 per night. The hotel is currently operated as a bed and breakfast. We did not go inside so we could not tell you how nice it looks. Visit www.lincolnhoteliowa.com for details.

Clinton is the last town in Iowa before we crossed the bridge over the Mississippi River to enter Illinois. I always like these welcoming signs. CP was being such as good husband. He patiently turned around so I could take a good photo since I did not know about the sign and missed it the first time.

At first look, there is nothing special about this building on Main Street in Lowden, Iowa. That was what CP said to me, "What are you taking picture of this ugly building for?" After I told CP to look up to see that it was an Opera House in 1895, he acted so surprise, "You are so observant. How the heck did you see such details?" How else would I spend my time and energy until hockey season starts again in 88 days!

A very nice mural on the side of the building of the American Legion Post 356.

Time stood still - we found "the red, white and blue marks: sometimes painted on telephone poles" exactly the way Effie Gladding described in her book, "Across the Continent by the Lincoln Highway" published in 1914. The above mark must be painted when the road was re-aligned in 1931.

Here is a one lane (and only one vehicle crossing) bridge somewhere in Wheatland or Calamus, Iowa. We slowed down upon approaching carefully crossing the bridge even though there was no vehicle anywhere as far as the eye could see!

I really enjoyed my visit to Iowa. It helps that it was sunny with comfortable temperature. Our next Lincoln Highway road trip will be going West from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming.