This picture (short of shots today) displays the downside of wearing a full face helmet with the visor up (I only put it down when it rains - obviously not much). Looks like I fell asleep for a few days in a face tanning machine (doesn't help that I have not shaved for a few days). Oh well, it's a good conversation starter!
Today started out threatening to rain. So George put his rain jacket on to ensure it didn't. And, lo and behold, shortly after an uninspiring lunch (hamburger on plain bun with nothing else except 3 quarter-sized pickle slices) at a roadside diner (The "Pine Cone" - not a tree to be seen, which should have been the first hint!), the clouds dissipated. As we drove west through Iowa along I-80 the sun became hotter and hotter (it was 90 degrees F at 5 pm when we crossed the Missouri River and pulled into Omaha, Nebraska). It had been 55 degrees F when we crossed the Mississippi earlier. Tomorrow we are likely to experience the opposite of what we have had as the weather reports indicate that the rain and thunder storms are going to give us a few day's break.
Due to the fact that we decided for timing reasons (we want to be in Gothenburg Nebraska by early afternoon tomorrow - check tomorrow for why) we would jump on the Interstate 80 north of Peoria, Illinois, and make better time. This is the first concentrated freeway time we have chosen for a long time, going with more colourful and charactered routes through little towns and rural areas. We did the freeway most of the day and polished off 808 km (502 miles) before stopping for supper and overnight in Omaha, Nebraska. Supper was good (steak house with lots of variety) but we could not help but laugh at the geographic naivete of our otherwise excellent server (on Canada Day yet). She asked where we were from. George told her about the fact that we were on motorcycles and headed back to Vancouver, Canada. She then asked if we would be back home tomorrow. She was amazed when we told her the distance and obviously had no clue, retreating to the kitchen to check on our meals. Despite all apparent ignorance of their northerly neighbour we have proudly flown our Canadian flags (I put a new one on today) and even got a few waves from a Americans as well as a Canadian vehicle or two we encountered.
It was a great day despite quite a head wind and an enormous number of 18 wheelers creating their own wind eddies as we passed or were passed (about half the time). Every day seems filled with ever changing scenery (despite the now predominate corn fields), interesting people (having a motorcycle attracts strangers like holding a baby) and adventures. What a wonderful privilege this has been.