The Great Plains

The Great Plains

We did not realize that Western Iowa had such rolling hills and fields.  It is awe-inspiring.  I always appreciated the farmer, but, seeing the fields of corn and beans and hay and cattle....it is amazing!

What a tour that would be to see all the combines running, and the grain semis being loaded and the grain elevators working overtime in month or two!  I always felt that Indiana and Ohio had tremendous fields of grain to harvest, but, in Iowa and South Dakota and I am guessing in Nebraska and Kansas as well, the fields are four times as large...and the fields that we have seen have all looked vibrant, verdant and healthy.  For you farmers out there, the beans are beginning to turn in Iowa.

(I apologize for the car window reflection in the above pictures)

There were many modern windmills west of Urbandale, Iowa.....very similar to the amount we see on our way to Indianpolis at Windfall, Indiana.  We are fascinated by them and I always take too many pictures of them, but, I kept the following picture because it says it all.

"Clean Energy For the Future, Adair Wind Project"

Stockyard in Sioux City, Iowa

We passed a huge feedlot of cattle similar to this picture on Interstate 29.

Roses in Urbandale, Iowa.....Can You Smell Them?  You would need to smell roses after passing a stockyard!

Three Yellow Engines at Sioux City, Iowa

On A Clear Day.....

"On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) (Reprise)"

On a clear day

Rise and 1ook around you

And you'll see who you are

On a clear day

How it will astound you

That the glow of your being

Outshines every star

You'll feel part of every mountain sea and shore

You can hear

From far and near

A word you've never, never heard before...

And on a clear day...On a clear day...

You can see forever...

And ever...

And ever...

And ever more. . .

(Written by Alan Lerner and Burton Lane, Sung by Barbra Streisand)

Scenic Look-Out in Western Iowa

We stopped at this scenic look-out and climbed to the top...(or I did) and took all the following panoramic views.   The feeling one gets from climbing to the top and then seeing as far as the eye can see is amazing even with a little "leg vertigo" going on.  The panoramic shots that I took were not as impressive as seeing them with your actual eyes.....who knew that Iowa had this kind of view?  Not me! This look-out is right on the Iowa / Nebraska western state line.

View looking East

View looking south

View looking west.  

The Missouri River is running north and south behind the horizon ridge.

We did not see the Missouri River until we reached Sioux City, Iowa.  However, we could not take any pictures of the Missouri River due to interstate construction.  Hopefully tomorrow?

View looking North

Tomorrow....Mount Rushmore......