Iowa

Left early so we could quit early. 35 degrees in Iowa on the last day of August. We crossed the Mississippi which divides Illinois and Iowa. It is so low this year that only half the barges are moving on it. Stayed on the interstate: the 90 and 80 as we could not afford to be stuck in lights and heavy traffic in the heat like yesterday. The highway was a blast furnace and with all our gear on we made frequent stops to stay hydrated and cool down. I made Erik stop early at Walnut, a picturesque prairie hamlet near a highway pitstop with the usual service station, convenience store, MacDonald's, Super 8 Motel and a restaurant. Took a while to get our body temperatures and my temper back to normal.