Council Bluffs - kinda boring really

  Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

A quick trip to the National Trails Museum back in Independence turned into a longer trip as we ended listening to an excellent guide taking a school party round.

American ownership in 1800

American Ownership post Louisiana Purchase

Pairie Schooner

Provisions for the Journey

Beaver Hat

Beaver

Then we got on 1-29 and drove through an empty yet pleasant landscape which evolved into waterlogged wheat fields of western Iowa - they have had huge rainfall recently.

We're now in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The city was named for the 1804 meeting of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with the Otoe tribe that took place near present-day Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska. The area in northwestern Mills County, Iowa across the Missouri River from present-day Bellevue, Nebraska was later known as Council Bluffs.

We're in a Days Inn - which is ok but doesn't have a pool, and we did get some sun today. Seems it's gonna to get really sunny from tomorrow.

We're about to get out into wide-open spaces soon and CAMPING. Chrissie can't wait!!

We went for a drive round downtown and whilst it was 7pm it was absolutely empty - like a ghost town. We pressed on back to the Interstate and our old favourite Wal-Mart. Managed to spend $100 there but that did include $35 on a teeth-whitening kit that we're gonna try - they are strips you put on your teeth for 30 mins twice a day for a week and you get whiter teeth for 18 months. Hell, what with the fitness regime and the cosmetic stuff we're having you ain't none of you gonna recognise us.

Actually the fitness regime is suffering from lunchtime McDonalds, lack of fitness rooms and now the fact that I pulled a muscle in my left lower leg and am hobbling about like my Dad.

We managed to find a restaurant that was recommended to us by the hotel receptionist that was ok really - the starter soups were a meal in themselves.