From Iowa to Missouri

This morning  I left Pella to drive to Jefferson City, MO. But the day started out with breakfast. At the end I helped a guest with a 2 month old baby to clear her table because her hands were full with the baby. Karma came back!

When started to put my luggage into the car, the car keys flew out of my hand and under the car, too far for me to reach. I went back into the hotel and asked for a broom to get them out from under the car. A gentleman at the office came with the broom and did that for me.

I went first to McDonald's to get coffee and to look at the map a bit. My phone was not working for this. Then I started out on following  U.S. 163 until it hit U.S 63 South and then following that. The area was beautiful, gentle rolling hills and still looking green even though the weather is very, very hot and dry.

When going through Bloomfield, IA I saw the courthouse and just had to stop for a picture.

 I'm not the only person who thinks it beautiful. A Google search found that the courthouse was built in 1847 and there is now a preservation group that is helping it to be a wonderful building for more and more years. Click here to learn more about this.

The courthouse sits in the middle of a square with stores around it on all four sides. Many of these buildings are very interesting, too.

And the blue car on the lower left is mine. Notice -- free parking in this city.


I stopped in Kirksville, MO at another McDonald's and had a smoothie about 90 minutes later. Then I continued to Columbia, MO and followed a sign to another McDonald's where I had a sandwich. I was glad to see that my phone now found T-Mobile again and I could use Google Maps for the rest of the drive.

I arrived in Jefferson City about 2:30 and checked into the hotel. I'm on the 12th floor with a bit of a view of the capitol building. I walked to another hotel in the 90 degree heat -- about 10 minutes each way -- to get the map for the walk in this city -- walking in a J city is the reason I came here. I figured out I could start from the hotel where I'm staying and make the whole loop for the walk, only by walking one extra block.

I relaxed after that and then went to the hotel restaurant on the floor above me. I should have taken the camera-- will do so tomorrow for the view is amazing! And the food was wonderful too. So a visit in Missouri is off to a good start.