Embassy Suites On The River Des Moines

... to heavy snow. Really, seriously, reality doesn't need to bite this bad. My new employer called twice to confirm plans for orientation, check on the moving status and see what they could do on their side to help with the moving arrangements. All that being said, that was really nice. Today we stopped in Abilene, KS at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and looked around. A bit of a history lesson as I ...

... We reached the interstate and Mark was more comfortable with the surroundings until the GPS told us we were going to Kansas City, two hours away. A minor freak out and we kept on going and eventually reached the road our motel was on and we knew where we were. We got to the chapel, the boys had everything covered so we wandered back outside and headed over to the football field where Simpson College were hosting a game. This was my first gridiron experience on US soil which I loved ...

... re her stories and I know how much she loves stories :p After the introductions a couple of people popped over and had a chat to us which was great as we were meeting people in small doses; far easier to remember names :)<br><br>Dinner came to an end and everyone went there separate ways and we had decided on a big night on the town. I went home and slept for a bit so that was the end of that! Kym woke me up just in time for the highlight of the week (OK, maybe not), the AFL Grand Final ...

... my rhythm against Alicia.<br><br>After the games it was time to head home but not before a trip to Hyvee; basically a large scale version of Coles/Woolworths mixed with Chemist and Liquor store but with way more things and much cooler and cheaper. Mark found the liquor aisle and dragged me down it and we were amazed at the prices. So so cheap! Mark took some photos for proof but the big one came in the form of beer. $6 for a six-pack! Ridiculous.<br><br>Soon it was off ...

... little tougher than I imagined, but not horrible. We then showered and hit the road towards Des Moines. We arrived and parked downtown. After walking around for about 15 minutes, we felt like we had seen all we wanted to see, haha. It was a little bigger than Knoxvilles downtown, but it seemed like noone was smiling and there wasn't anything around except buisnesses. Maybe we were in the wrong part, but oh well. We left after grabbing a bite to eat for lunch and started towards Nebraska...

Isn't it amazing the things that amaze you?! Rest stops, of all things, rest stops become a source of joy and amazement on a road trip. Heading from Minnesota (a beloved state) to Iowa which happens to have the best rest stops we have ever seen in our lives. Beautiful architecture, clean, organised and useful facilities, free wifi and overnight parking is safe and ...

A business trip was scheduled to audit billboards along railroad property in the state of Iowa, so I took this opportunity to spend a few days beforehand visiting with family and friends in north central Iowa. I had developed a list of favorite foods I missed from Iowa that I intended to consume at every opportunity: breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, corn-fed beef, fresh garden strawberries, rhubarb and pie.<br><br>As the plane was descending into ...

... life. Now that she's back in Iowa, she'll be helping the homeless at home. <br><br>Billie's got a long drive ahead of her, so she leaves a bit early and the rest of us go to a blues bar, Blues on Grand. It's open mic night and there are quite a few talented people taking the stage. It's a nice night. No one really dances though, unfortunately I'm alone on the dancefloor again.<br><br>After all the bands, we went back to David's house and promptly fell asleep.<br>

May 27 Up and on the road early today. It seems that the earlier L has to wake up, the younger she appears. Getting up at 5 am put her age at about 3 - she needed help getting ready, and still ended up with her underwear on inside out. We beat most of the traffic getting out of the GTA. Couldn't believe the traffic at 6:30 am though. Long boring trip on the 401 and 402 ...

... computer and check it whenever you like. I'm hoping to update it on a very regular basis, at least weekly. I've been doing a good job of this since I left Korea, so I hope I can stick with it! Another option might be to add my travelogue as a "feed" on your computer. I can't begin to explain the process of that here, but for those of you who know what I'm talking about, there is a link to add my travelogue as a feed on ...