ILMOTOUR 2010-- Part 2

I-88 joins I-80 and then on to Iowa. Still I-80 to Iowa City where we picked up US-218 to Mt. Pleasant where we got on US-34. Along US-218, we saw lots of barns with those neat designs on them.

Once heading west out of Mt. Pleasant on US-34 we saw lots of roads named after trees. One named Varnish Tree Road particularly was an interesting name. We also saw a sign for the American Gothic House made famous in the painting by Grant Wood. That would definitely be worth a trip some time. Maybe even have to find me a pitchfork and do a little posing. "I'm a farmer and I don't know how to speak in front of a roomful of people, much less 400,000." Who said that and where?

We got to the City of Bridges, Ottumwa, Iowa, and checked into the Stardust Motel along the original US-34 east of town. There is another small motel , the Royal Rest) across the road as well, definitely what you'd expect to find along the old US highways, motels at the far sides of any town.

Mostly construction workers stay at the Stardust Motel as the rooms are around $50 a night. The place is getting a bit run-down, but is still clean and there is a bar right on site. (AND, IT HAS NTN!!! even a better deal for us.)

We drove around town and way out west (about three miles) to another bar that has NTN. We then went back to the bar by the motel.

I wrote about these back in June on NTN Cruisin'.

MASH's Radar O'Reilly was from this town on the show. We always kid and say we're looking for Radar.

Never Have Seen Radar O'Reilly in Ottumwa, However. --RoadDog