DAY 18 - VISITING AN OLD FRIEND

Today, we were going to visit a childhood friend.  Ron lived across the road when we were kids. Ron, my brother, and I were "the three musketeers". We shared PB&J sandwiches in tree houses and got into all sorts of mischief, but that was many years ago so let's just think positive thoughts here.

Ron moved to Texas, then to western Iowa.  He has a beautiful log home that overlooks the rolling area around Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Ron and Viola also have a Winnebago motor home that makes our Roadtrek look pitifully tiny. 

These really are beautiful motor homes. Extend the slides and there is so much room.  Maybe some day we will want something larger, but for now our wants and needs are to be on the move and see the country.  Our Roadtrek can be parked in any parking space and can go two or three times as far on a gallon of gas.

After a great lunch and a nice visit, it was time to move on. Thanks Ron and Viola for the great visit.  We thoroughly enjoyed the fresh onions, cucumbers and tomatoes from your garden on our homeward trek!

Our next stop was a Corp of Engineers campround near Ankeny, Iowa.

We decided to stay on two lane highway to Ankeny so we drove Hwy 44 through the Iowa country-side.  We were rewarded with a few great views like this one.  Certainly, it is much different than the mountains we were driving in just a couple days ago but rolling corn and soybean fields have beauty too.

 If you are ever passing through Iowa and need a great place to camp for the night, I would suggest one of the Corps of Engineers campgrounds just north of I-80.  The campgrounds and facilities are very nice, and if you have a Passport America card, the cost is the same as national park campgounds.