Back to Adel, Iowa

     It is always a relief to finally get on the road for a long trip.  There has been so much work as we are packing for hot and cold weather, getting the RV and the towed car ready for a long trip, cleaning out the frig at home, and checking all our lists several times.  We are planners and preparers.  There are plenty of grocery stores and auto shops in Texas, so we really don't have to spend so much time getting ready, but this is how we do it.
    The first day is also very exciting.  Every trip is different. We left Apple Valley in perfect fall weather - sunny, cool and not much breeze.  I am so happy that the big winds we had early in the week have calmed.  Our RV has a tall profile and a stiff side wind really pushes us around on the road.
   Our first real RV trip was in 2005 to Glacier Park.  These years of travel experience mean that many things are easier.   We have developed good routines, so we don't have to think hard about everything we do.  But we are definitely older and we get tired more quickly.  However, after ten wonderful years on the road, we look at each new year of  RV travels as a gift.  The day will come when we can't do this anymore, but not this year!  Today we are on the road again.  Yes!
    We have often driven south on I35 and, as a matter of fact, have stayed in this same campground just outside of Des Moines several times before.  It is a nice first days' drive as we head south or west.  But each day on the road is a new trip.  Today we enjoyed the fall colors and could see lots of farmers in their fields getting them ready for winter.  The rich stink of manure was in the air along with flocks of geese flying south.
    As we entered Iowa we saw a sign for the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area.  I love to be able to turn on the smartphone and Google it. The website says, "National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape."  The Silos and Smokestack area is focused on telling the history of Iowa agriculture.  It includes a series of scenic drives, small historic sites, farms and wineries, museums and art galleries, as well as a calender of events across Iowa which focus on the role of agriculture in the community.  Go to the website if you are interested in planning a short getaway to Minnesota's southern neighbor.
   Darkness comes early in October and the campground is pretty empty.  The sky is bright with stars and we have a grand new mattress on our bed.  A perfect first day on the road has come to an end.