29 February

After a very thorough night’s sleep (I can recommend driving through deep snow with falling snow, on narrow roads, in unfamiliar territory to create tiredness quickly) I got up at 6:30, had my toast for breakfast (no supplied breakfast today!) then got ready to leave. After checking out, I tried to use the scraper the motel had, but while it removed snow, it did nothing for the ice on the windscreen. I poured water I had over the screen as I used the wipers, and that got rid of most.
I gently drove out on the way to Dubuque and then had to fill up with petrol as I left Cedar Rapids. Once out of the town it was okay and the road had already been ploughed, so I was able to make good time to Dubuque. In fact my time was so good I arrived before the museum opened, so I had to wander around and have a look around the area. I was struck by the US Coast Guard having a station there.
Just before 10 a school group turned up so I went in too. I got a quick outline of the museum and the movies playing. I found where the movies were, so fitted my looking around with the playing of the movies. I saw all the indoor displays and a few outside, but the snow outside meant some were cordoned off. I had lunch there, and had to share a table as the school group had taken all the others. I ended up chatting away with the staff of the museum, who were interested to know how I heard about it (from a woman on the train from Chicago to Reno), what I thought of it (good) and whether I had visited any similar (I had at Stoke-on-Trent, a canal boat museum, in 1980). They were surprised I knew much about the river and the US in general, but that changed when they found out I was a teacher (of Geography, amongst other things).
After lunch I set off to call in on a couple I had met on my first day. I had called them but had to leave messages. At their home no-one was there, so I left a note and drove on. Before I left their town, I just had to photograph the Mississippi – and was careful not to sink into the Mississippi as I made six inch deep holes as I walked down to take them (see the photos). The road from Dubuque to LeClaire was part of the Big River Road, the route along the Mississippi I wanted to drive, but time and weather have made me put it off (either if I return at some stage in the future, or otherwise forever).
As I had to pass through LeClaire on my way, I called in to send out an email and post my photos and blog (as I wasn’t sure where I would be tonight). That went well, but then the three ladies working there engaged me in conversation (as at least one recognised me from yesterday) so a brief stopover changed into an half-hour stop. One comment was that both Bill Bryson and Iowa were better off when he left. That ambiguous statement is correct both ways.
When I left I was immediately onto the Interstate so progress improved. The road was better, there was less snow and I passed into Illinois (within a minute, as all I had to do was cross the Mississippi from LeClaire) and then after three hours into Indiana. The Welcome Centre was unmanned, but maps, brochures and coupon books were there, so I found one for a Super8 Motel in Brownsburg ($49.99 + tax) but it had Internet and breakfast, rang them and they had room. Just over an hour later I was there and checked in. Getting everything ready takes a bit of time; find the room, park, unload, set up power, plug in computer and battery charger, change batteries in the camera, set up clothes for tomorrow and then sit down and get the pictures out and named, then shrunk, write up my blog (and although I desperately want to go to bed and sleep, I know once I don’t do it, I will stop doing it and I don’t want that to happen) and post everything.
Now, nearly an hour and a half after pulling in, I’m just about ready to complete my work and go to bed and let the TV put me to sleep.