Lazy Acres RV Park

    We have been searching the Internet for the campground closest to home that is still open.  The warm fall worked in our favor in that this really nice park just north of Cedar Rapids which usually closes October 31,  is open until Thanksgiving this year.  It's going to be below freezing tonight so we drained our water hose and are using water just from the tank.  Tomorrow we will dump for one last time and head for home.
     If Minnesota weather had been cold and snowy by this time we would have had the camper winterized in Iowa before driving our last leg.  But, wow, it is supposed to be almost 60 on Sunday so Rick can doing the winterizing in our driveway and we get home two days earlier than originally planned.
   Our drive today was mostly on a four-lane divided highway along the river - U.S. 61 - The Great River Road.  This highway starts in New Orleans and goes 1400 miles to Wyoming, Minnesota.  Until 1991, when I35 replaced a section, the highway extended north on what is now MN 61through Duluth to the border at Grand Portage.  We have driven the Minnesota sections of this highway many times and drove it in New Orleans and Memphis as well where it is called "The Blues Highway."  We were happy to discover that there was very little truck traffic on the Missouri/Iowa segment.  The wind was still fairly strong today, but more steady with fewer huge gusts, so we managed to stay on the road.  Tomorrow, the winds should be fairly calm, thank goodness.
    When packing for this trip we prepared for much colder weather.  Only today did we finally wear our warmer jackets.  My long underwear, stocking cap and gloves remain packed.  We run a little space heater besides our RV heater to keep us warm.  I'm keeping the bathroom door open tonight to keep the heat moving in there as well.  Tomorrow, we will pack up for the last time in our camper this year and THEN WE WILL HEAD HOME, YEAH!