Summer Travel Map

Friday, August 6, 2010

Travel Day: Illinois to Missouri to Iowa

August 6, 2010
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

We finished up our travel preparations last night and were up early on another sunny but hot and humid morning. After a quick stop at the dump station (OK, a little longer than usual but we were here for almost a week), we were on the road again. We followed the route we used the other day in reverse, heading north on IL-100 then IL-96, crossing the Illinois River in Hardin, and soon coming to I-72. We did a little zig-zag, taking I-72 west for a few miles and then I-172 north to Quincy where we crossed the Mississippi. Picking up US-61, we continued north until Wayland, MO, where we switched to MO-27 and had a chance to fuel up. MO-27 joined up with US-218 and we were soon at our destination, Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I suspect that the name is derived from its location at the junction of US-218 north/south and US-34 east/west.

All along US-61 and US-218 through Missouri and Iowa, we noticed specialized road signs designating the "Avenue of the Saints". Sporting a fleur-de-lis emblem, usually associated with New Orleans, we were curious enough to dig deeper. Turns out a Big Easy link couldn't be further from the truth: it's a designated "high priority corridor" linking St. Paul in Minnesota with St. Louis in Missouri. We never even realized there was such a thing as the "Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991", although we did know that "intermodal" transportation involves routes combining truck and rail methods (those long trains with semi-trailers on them). In any event, it was a nice smooth road with minimal construction.

The Crossroads RV Park is small (34 sites) and new (4 years old) and just what we needed: 50 amps, full hookups, satellite-friendly skies, and a laundry room right in the office building. Geri got the majority of the laundry done this afternoon and we'll have a chance to finish up and do some travel planning tomorrow.

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