July 20-21, 2008 The trip from Dewitt to Wapello, Iowa

Well, should we continue or not? There WAS a road here!!! Says so right here on the map!!!
Maybe was, but not any more!!!!!
Being too lazy to backtrack we decided to forge ahead and portage the two areas of river to get to the other side...
And we made it.....

Well, the trip across Iowa has been anything but boring. I still get excited about corn. When we were in Dyersville we learned that as of about two presidents ago (Back when gas was a buck and change a gallon) only 3.4 percent of all Americans are involved with agriculture, i.e. feeding the rest of us and the world and making ethanol for our cars. When we rode from Dewitt to Wapello we saw what the media would have you believe is all of Iowa. It's not and we had a nice chat with the owner of the motel, the "Roy El Motel", in Wapello who set us straight. Most of the state's corn and livestock are fine. The small percent of folks who were hit with the storms were hit hard though and it's easy to feel sorry for them but they are picking up the pieces and going on with life. In Buffalo Iowa there was no power and the tree and electric crews were working to clean up the mess. The gal at the convenient gas station where we got my new power drink, V8, and said they didn't expect any phone service or electricity for a few more days. The stuff in the cooler would melt but everyone was cheery. Cash only though. Credit card machines require phone lines. In Wapello the motel owner, and elderly gentleman, we talked to...and I..couldn't understand how the folks who get flooded out year after year continue to rebuild on the same place knowing it will happen again. Anyhow, today's pictures are on the final leg of our journey on the road from Dewitt to Wapello. Except there was no road!!! It had been washed out. So, left with the choice of backtracking for another hour or so journey or wading across the river, we did the intelligent thing...we waded across, got in, washed down our bikes and lubed them, showered and had our happy hour and map meeting where we reorganized our route to avoid further such diversions. The results were smooth riding into Ft. Madison. After the map meeting we are eating in at the motel. More tomorrow.