Random traveling thoughts

World's Largest Truckstop

Some random thoughts and observations:

• Illinois is very flat
• Crossed the Mississippi.  Don't know why, but for some reason it felt like a milestone.
• The Weather Channel wasn't kidding - the Mississippi is running really, really high!
• Roads in Michigan are brutal!  Had to drive really, really slowly so as to not to lose my suspension or damage my wheels.
• A construction worker in Illinois is evidently worth a bit more ($10000 fine if you hit one) than one in Michigan ($7500 fine)
• Des Moines, Iowa looks like a nice city.   
• Omaha's Old Market District is quite charming!  I should've spent more time there...
• I went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, more in homage to the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom - my favourite TV show in my mis-spent youth - than anything else.  It was really rather small and disappointing.  I just wish the lemur exhibit had been open!  That would've made the whole thing worthwhile.
• There one heck of a lot of nothing to see in the Nebraska countryside except for cornfield after cornfield.  Even then, in early May, those cornfields are just brown dirt with just the barest hint of green on some of them.
• Should've checked the conditions in Crested Butte earlier.  Found out the other day that they're still covered in snow, and there's no mountain biking or hiking to be had there.  Went to Boulder as an alternate plan, only to discover that it was graduation week at the local collage and every available accommodation under $150 was booked.  Got stuck in rush hour traffic making my way back to Denver; not pleasant.  Oops.

Omaha zoo lemur