Corn, beans and windmills
Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 8:46PM We’re home! I’ll post about the APQS factory and training in a day or two. Jim and I spent today unpacking the RV and relaxing, tomorrow I’m headed back up to Stuttgart to pick up my Bernina 830. But I had to share some pictures that will probably bore everyone to tears…
;)
I was totally captivated with the endless miles of lush, perfect corn rows. So incredible peaceful looking! I think the Ozarks are very beautiful, but folks in Iowa show a lot of pride in their towns, their farms, and their homes. Everything is neat, orderly, landscaped and so “American Apple ;)
Pie” looking!
Carroll Iowa, where the APQS factory is located, is about as close to small town Americana perfection as one can get… minus the restaurants. Well, minus the one we visited anyway, it was SO bad we cooked the rest of our meals in the RV!
You’ve all had Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup before yes? You know how soft and squishy the noodles are? Could they be cooked anymore? Picture those posing as fettuccine… with a bit of flour, milk and… salt (????) pretending to be alfredo sauce… BLECH! Pooey!
;)
Otherwise, the town is absolutely charming! In fact they are in the process of ripping up Main street and laying down cobblestones… awesome! And friendlier people I have never met. That’s one of the reasons Jim and I love the Ozarks. Folks are just down to earth and so nice. They’re even nicer in Iowa!
I’ve never seen a windmill farm in my life. There is one in Carroll, and was it ever COOL! I made Jim drive right out into the cornfield so we could get out and take pictures looking up!
You might have guessed we don’t do the typical touristy stuff when we travel. Jim and I like to get a feel for a place, the way life really is there, not the dress up costumes put on for visitors.
We stayed at Swan Lake State Park. I’m sure there were some private RV parks;)
in the area, but this one was just a hop skip and a jump from the APQS factory, and since we could fit, that was all we needed.
It was muddy, and the sites were not spacious by any stretch of the imagination, and I’m not even sure we could have parked had the campground been full, but fortunately it wasn’t (although by Friday it was jam packed!) and we were able to get a full hook up site.
;)
There were some larger (not full hookups) sites right on the lake, but the 5th wheel in front of us managed to get nicely stuck and we managed to avoid doing so and headed back up to the top.
There were actually some really nice secluded spots in the park, but they were meant for much smaller rigs than ours.
Sorry for the boring post, still wiped and still absorbing everything I learned!
Reader Comments (6)
Glad to see you are back! Aren't cornfields amazing? This city gal couldn't believe it when I drove through Iowa. And windmill farms are quite impressive. There is one we pass by driving to San Diego and it never ceases to grab my attention. SoCal has lots of them.
Glad you are home and had a safe trip. You missed a week of 105 degree temps. I think this week is supposed to be the same. Isn't it amazing how traveling can be tiring and relaxing at the same time. Enjoy your day.
Glad to hear that you're back safe & sound. I've seen windmill farms in California & Prince Edward Island, Canada. They're impressive, not too pretty, but we ought to use the wind more. It's clean & free. Hope to hear more about your adventure. Diane in CT
We've found that the older the campsite, the less likely that there will be a really nice spot for an over-sized RV with full hook-up (preferable with 50 amp power), unless they've done some major, major renovations! At least you didn't get stuck! I like your RV; we have a Cedar Creek, too. :)
We cooked all our meals, too. Where we were, people paid $40 for breakfast for two!!! We passed a wind farm as we dropped down into the Colombia River gorge, but none were in action either going over or on our return trip.
Glad you're home. I know the wiped feeling. I'm just today getting back in the swing of things--possibly because there's much to do!
Here's to a good week now gone and to being home! :-)
Ohh, I can't wait to hear of your adventures at APQS!!!
Love your photos! I miss road trips.