Crossing Midwestern America

We left Tulsa and started off across the Midwest. Surprisingly, I'd never actually driven across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Theoretically I knew that the 'Midwest' was considered the first real agricultural heaven of the country, but for some reason the farmland surprised me. I realize that makes no sense.

First, we came through Joplin right after the tornado that destroyed about 50% of the town. We didn't stop because the very last thing those people need are looky loos. However, driving Interstate 40 we actually drove across the path of the tornado (the pathway of destruction was about a half a mile wide). There were buildings flattened, as well as very large trees simply uprooted as if a giant hand came down and plucked them out of the ground like annoying weeds. The large green interstate signs were snapped at the base supports looking just like they had been chainsawed down. I saw the pictures of the town on CNN, and I'm just as glad to have not seen that area of the town.

We've been staying on the Interstate highways because it's easier to pull the trailer on these types of roads, but we've run into a fascinating road that I'd love to drive. It's U. S. 40. This is called the 'National Highway'. It is a road that was commissioned by Congress in 1806 and signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson. The purpose was to fund the building of a road from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ohio River to facilitate settlement and commerce. It was extended across Ohio (where we have run into it in Zanesville), and was originally planned to cross Missouri, but the railroad expansion and extension across the country made the National Road obsolete. It wasn't until 100 years later that President Eisenhower signed into law funding for the Interstate Highway system. Interstate 70 through the Midwest parallels U. S. 40, and the purpose of the Interstate system was pretty much the same goals that were set forth in the early 1800's.

We came straight through downtown St. Louis, and we saw the Arch in the distance, but didn't stop since dragging the trailer on a Saturday down into the heart of the tourist district is really a non-starter. It seemed that immediately upon leaving St. Louis and crossing into Illinois, we were in farmland. For some idiotic reason, I never paired 'Illinois' with 'farms'. I guess I thought Chicago covered the entire state. The land in Illinois was really flat - and the farms were covered with yellow rockets - a type of opportunistic wild mustard that covers the fallow fields in a glorious blanket of creamy yellow. They were really gorgeous, but the locals consider them a big nuisance and a 'weed'.

We saw one interesting thing in Illinois - the homestead of Abraham Lincoln's father. Drake jokes the name of this blog should be "Abe Lincoln Never Lived Here". That is true. This homestead of his father's was taken up after Abe had left home. However, he visited there frequently when his lawyer circuit took him close. This site (further off the road than Drake really wanted to drive, but it was worth it.) shows the contrast between two types of farms common in the 1840's. Lincoln's homestead was subsistence farming which raised only enough food to feed whoever lived on it. The planting was by hand, and usually only covered a few acres. The cabin was constructed of rough-hewn logs and was small (two rooms). The whole point of this type of living was to be independent and to owe no one.

As a contrast, another 1840's home was brought to the site which modeled the life of a 'progressive' farmer who has invested in the new steel plow, subscribes to agricultural journals, lives in a clapboard house, and is interested in making money from his farm. His house is larger and full of items that can't be made on the actual farm. We talked to the 'farmer and his wife'.

We were lucky enough to tour this place during historical re-enactment. They had several people dressed in period costumes hanging around the buildings and pretending that you were visiting them in 1840. When we told them we were from Texas, they commiserated with us over that dreadful 'Santa Ana'. It was fun, and you should check out the pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/jalyss1/2011DriveToNewYorkCity?authkey=Gv1sRgCKTCipfVpfeLCA##

Back on the road we encountered an appalling situation in Indiana. First, the worst road we have driven on during this trip. Interstate 70 across Indiana is horrible - full of potholes and buckled road surfaces. I've driven on the lowliest farm to market road that was a better surface than this Indiana Interstate. Even worse, they have closed their 'welcome' center - even stopped people from being able to use the restrooms. There were actually travelers (men) peeing against the back wall of the building! If you are a woman, then you were just SOL.

We skipped Columbus, Ohio and pushed on to Zanesville because I was very excited about the pottery in this area. This is the home of the Weller, Roseville and McCoy potteries (to name but a few). This area is known for its clay, and the pottery industry (both functional and art pottery) was centered here for 100 years. Zanesville is where the Licking and Muskingham Rivers come together it is known (especially by aviators) as the home of the Y Bridge that spans both Rivers. We were disappointed to discover that in small towns EVERYTHING is closed on a holiday, so it being Memorial Day we couldn't see the museums and still functioning potteries.

This trip across the Midwest has convinced me that I wouldn't want to live here for any period of time - it's all just farmland. The winter weather is super cold, and the summer weather isn't a picnic either - it's about 93 today and the humidity is topping 80%. Is there no happy medium? I seem to either be enduring 7% humidity or 80%. Tomorrow we will be in Pennsylvania and the day after that, New York. It's going to be fun!