Arrival

Yesterday the road trip continued across the Midwest. We drove north through Kansas, Nebraska, and finally Iowa. Along the way, we stopped in Topeka and checked out the Kansas Capitol. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. However when we were touring the building and spotted directions down to a tornado shelter, it was time to go. In Nebraska, we stopped at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha where the College World Series is played. I think this is the last year the stadium will host the tourney. They were getting ready for a home run derby, so we were able to peak through the fence and it is definitely an impressive complex.

Finally we reached Iowa, the Hawkeye state! Our destination was Spirit Lake up in the northwest corner of the state. You can pretty much see Minnesota from here, as it's only a few miles from the border. I will say that people aren’t kidding when they talk about corn and Iowa. On the drive in there was nothing but corn fields EVERYWHERE. Though it did make for pretty scenery.

We have decided to camp at the Marble Beach Campgrounds, as Michael will be launching the boat from here to train each day. As a first time camper, I took a lot of time picking the campsite. We drove around the campgrounds three times and checked out multiple sites before settling on one. It is right by the water so we’ll get the breeze off the lake, but not in the middle of everyone (but also not too far from the bathrooms). We pitched the tent and then made a trip to Walmart for a few camping essentials – water, bug repellent, and lawn chairs. Ready or not, here we go!