I can't make this stuff up!*

In this journey I have encountered some very interesting phrases and overheard some hilarious conversations. Allow me to share a few with you.

In Jamesport, Missouri:
(Man 1 and Man 2 sit outside antique store while the wives were inside shopping)
Man 1: "I hope my wife doesn't spend any money in there, because we don't have any."
(Man 1 gets up to spit in street, returns to original bench near Man 2)
Man 1: "Is there enough room for me?" (Although Man 2 has not moved an inch)
Man 2 shuffles to one side and says, "I think so"

Unique saying from Lineville, Iowa: "Crazier than a pet coon"

A new noun encountered in Missouri and Iowa: "stool," another name for the toilet

Corydon, Iowa: boasts one hotel named Nodyroc. The Nodyroc hotel is the town's name spelled backwards.

See folks, I can't make this stuff up. I hope it gave you a chuckle.

*Without the help of an additive.

Sunshine and shadow

“It was a long story, filled with sunshine and shadow.”

Today I unexpectedly fulfilled a childhood dream: visiting Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home. De Smet, Iowa is located 55 miles off I-80 but well worth the trip. At the site, $8 allows the visitor to drive a Conestoga wagon, make your own corncob doll, and see the home Laura lived in as a child.

The center also explains the Ingalls’ many travels. Now that I am nine days into my trip, it is a little less fun. My moderate frustrations, however, pales in comparison to the arduous journey a family travelling in the 1800’s faced. I breeze along the highway at 85/mph while they travelled 15-20 miles per day. At night, I have a comfy hotel room, rather than sleeping under the wagon.

Anyways, it was great to have a taste of pioneer life. If you ever find yourself on the way to the Corn Palace, do stop at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home.

Styx at first glance

I really don’t know where to begin. I have been in Iowa since Friday and there is much to recount.

I stayed in a little town called Lineville, named for its proximity to the Iowa-Missouri border. No cell phone reception, no internet, no Wall Street Journal – not even any Fox News.

Lineville, however, was not my original destination. I had planned to stay at the Nodyroc Hotel in Corydon, IA. After a brief but horrid encounter with insects in the bed, I decided to stay with our friend in Lineville, IA. Population: 300.

It is interesting to see what a town boils down to: a church, cemetery, school, gas station/convenience store, saloon, and diner. And that’s what I’d like to focus on in this post: what a teeny town in the sticks has to offer.

Though initially convinced I was in the Styx, a little humility took me a long way. The people are decidedly simple. They use cash instead of credit, own modest homes, and live day by day. In the restaurants, they don’t have TV’s. Instead, people sit and talk after dinner.

Though I am a confirmed city girl, it was refreshing to see this unique and simple lifestyle.