Tues. 1.1.08

When I reached to turn off the 7AM cell phone alarm this morning, I was sharply met with a realization that had been building since yesterday - the combination of walking 4 miles and driving almost 800 miles does not make for happy muscles. I had been doing some serious stretching yesterday to try and avoid this, but my legs tell me I didn't do an adequate job. After some morning stretches, I was feeling better and hit the road.

I checked out and headed to the car. I was shocked when I opened the door. I knew it was going to be cold, but I was not prepared for the degree of cold and wind chill. I hurried to pack the car before my poor little body became a frozen mass. While letting the car heat up a bit, I decided to head into Omaha, Nebraska. I had two agendas in mind. (1) Be able to mark Nebraska off my “states visited list” and (2) get a cup of Starbucks. I accomplished both in short order and headed to get some gas. Did I mention it was cold outside? As I got out to fill up, I noticed that the owners of the vehicles surrounding me where warmly ensconced in their running vehicles. With my history where traveling is concerned, I opted for avoiding the exploding car scenario. However, after swiping my credit card, unscrewing the gas cap and setting the nozzle to pump, I quickly got back in my car. I was going to write down my mileage, but I couldn’t get my hands to work. Maybe I should have left the car running!!!

I headed back to my main route , only to get distracted not too far down the road. I noticed on my GPS that I was running close to the Missouri River, and that there was a road that ran out to the river. I decided this would be a great side trip, since I really had no agenda for the day. Evidently in Iowa "streets" can be unpaved. If you click this picture you will note that 305 Street is unpaved. Within 500 feet of the interstate ramp it turned to dirt / gravel, but still had the nice green street signs. I found this funny for some reason, however, having learned to drive on the dirt roads of Butler Georgia, I decided I’d be fine and headed off for an adventure laughing to myself at the irony of driving on a dirt road while headed across the country. With the help of the GPS I found this cool little campground along the river. I soon realized my fascination. Only on TV or in books have I heard of flowing bodies of water having ice in them or being frozen over. So being the Southern girl that I am, I took a video.

From there it was back to the main road, where I took a 10 mile side trip into Minnesota (again just to say I’d been there.) then headed for Wall, SD. The more I drove the more and more my GPS started looking like a piece of graph paper. From the time my brother and I were old enough to think about driving, we began planning a cross-country trip to see the U.S. From that time I’ve always wondered what it would be like to drive on such straight and organized roads. Now that I’ve done it, I have to say it was just as great as I imagined. It might even be better, if only for signs like this one.

I crossed the fold of the map today. You know, on the map of the US in the atlas? I’m now on the left side of the fold. Other than my trip to Colorado, I haven’t spent much time on this side of the fold. I’d have to say it is nice. The scenery is spectacular. I tried to take pictures, but the landscape is to immense to capture all that the eyes and heart can see. In some places the hills were like miniatures of the Rocky Mountains. In other places they were . . . the only word I can think of is gentle and that seems so cliché. I’m so used to the foothills of the Smokies. These hills seem to compete for attention; each getting bigger and taller than the other until they eventually get classified as mountains. In order to better compete with one another they grow trees that are tall. This blocks the view to the other hills unless you are atop another hill. The hills I’m used to are competitive and prideful. These South Dakota hills are not like that. They don’t compete. They don’t block the view of one another. Instead of trees they are covered in a soft brown grass that gives them an even softer appearance. There is something about their refusal to compete, their refusal to be prideful, that makes them beautiful. If I were Gulliver and this were the land of the Lilliputians, I’d find these hills a great place to take a nap.

If you click on the images they will come up much bigger in a pop up window. It might give you a better idea of the landscape.

This snow in the front of this picture is actually the frozen Missouri River.

Since there were about 500 miles to drive and no stops (other than for gasoline and food) I had lots of time to think today. If you are familiar with how much I think, you have probably likely come to the conclusion that you are finished with today’s reading of my adventures. Those of you who read on please do so at your own risk and realize that I ramble when I think. . .

Something about crossing the fold of the map and driving into totally new places is invigorating. I loved every mile I drove today - always wondering was out past the horizon or the space curve. Like I mentioned yesterday, I imagine that is what motivated the early settlers. I can’t imagine another motivator sufficient to cause a settler to walk, take a wagon train, or ride horseback through this landscape and leave so much safety, comfort, familiarity, and family behind. There is that sense in me that I’m not just encountering something new around each bend, but that life as a whole has something new and exciting for me. I had an emotion today that I can’t label, which is not at all uncommon for me. The closest thing I can compare it to is full. Maybe it is the evidence of the Hope thing I talked about earlier.

Oh you are in luck. Halftime in the UGA Bulldog vs. Hawaii - Sugar Bowl is over. I'm going to go watch my Bulldogs win. I'm not arrogant, I'll just edit if they happen to loose, but they do look good with 24 to 3 lead. GO DAWGS!!!!!

MILES DRIVEN: 531.5 today (2094.5 total)

TIME DRIVEN: 7:22 today (1 day 11 hours 8 minutes)

STATES COVERED: 3 today (13 total)