Sorry for the Delay

Our blog went on a two-day hiatus after we arrived at the cabin—no wifi. Fortunately, we’re back in business. While we weren’t connected the internet, we spent Thurs. touring the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. We started the day with a quick breakfast at the world’s largest truck stop, the Iowa 80. Located on interstate 80, the truck stop is 225 acres of restaurants, barbershops, cots, showers, and multiple fast food joints. (Kristen speaking: Think of this as the equivalent of South Dakota’s “Wall Drug” without the miles and miles of advertisement.)

After eating at the Iowa 80 Kitchen, we made our way to Iowa City, a unique metropolis that is part college town and part city. On our college tour we became instant celebrities; we had at least three families ask us about our trip and Pennsylvania (and if we were actually serious about applying to University of Iowa). The school was started in 1847 and the school’s centerpiece is Iowa’s old, gold-domed capitol building. After the tour we took some interesting pictures around the city, and we ended up eating at a quaint restaurant called Z’Mariks, which served only noodle-based foods. Kristen ordered the Mac ‘n Cheese while I got an Udon dish; both were delicious.

We made it to the lake house that evening. We made multiple trips into town to look for Sparky’s (mini-mart) and the still-unfound bait shop. By the end of the two days, we could competently find our way to four places in Lakeview: Sparky’s, the grocery store, the park, and the cabin. In the middle of the night, Kristen and I woke to a horrifying scream. Someone flicked on the lights and instead of our suspected ax-murderer, Kristen’s aunt was recovering from a nightmare. (Kristen speaking: In an emergency, Uncle David and Nathan will not save you.) We spent the rest of the night (from 2 am onward) listening as Kristen’s uncle watched the Dave Letterman show while he tried to fall back asleep. The near sub-zero temperatures created by the air-conditioning didn’t help either. The second day at the lake we went boating for what was almost the entire afternoon. Kristen’s Uncle Frank took the speedboat out so we could tube behind it. After two hours of working up courage while being dragged behind a boat at 20 mph, we went at 30 and managed to stay on the tube. After a day on the lake, we were sun burnt, dehydrated, and exhausted. We didn’t sleep very well the second night, as three of us were crammed onto the same air mattress. (Kristen speaking: Mel should have come back to take us to Carroll, but as per usual, she decided to follow her own agenda.) Despite two fun days on the lake, the sleepless nights made us ready to move on.

On our way to Sioux City (our first stop on the RAGBRAI bike ride) we stopped at Ida Grove – a town that consists of mini castles and a downsized sloop constructed by a man who made it big in the aeronautics field – and ate at the Pizza Hut that rests in the center of a moat (“at least we won’t be attacked while we’re eating”). Finally we are in Sioux City minus the Anita Shreve audio book.