I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost
On our trip up north last week, we first went west, across the Mississippi and into Iowa. What a sweet journey it was as we travelled on a scenic route through corn and soy fields, past vineyards, and into small towns.
Our first stop was a visitor center and rest stop just over the Illinois/Iowa border. We both agreed that it was one of the nicest and most interesting rest areas we have seen with attractive pavilions for picnicking, paths for dog and people walking, and this interesting sculpture, which looked like silos and marked the many forms of agriculture in Iowa. Can you find the pig in among the soybean and ear of corn?
We spent the afternoon in Williamsburg, where Tom’s father grew up, and that is the subject of a blog of its own. After walking about and even picking up a few pieces of family history, we angled northeast and through some of the prettiest pieces of America you can imagine.
Cattle and corn, church steeples and farms dotted the rolling hills as the storm clouds gathered toward the west. We could see rain in the distance and long lines of rain miles away. At one point, the rain reached us, with the sun shining in the east. I remarked that there had to be a rainbow out there somewhere, and there was, just as we reached the outskirts of Strawberry Point.
Doesn’t everyone get out of their car, rain falling with the sun shining, and start clicking pictures of a double rainbow with perfect arcs? Did I mention we stopped in the parking lot of a funeral home? That’s us. Death defying travel.
A few miles later, the rain abated, and we were treated to this magnificent sunset.
It was dark and we were tired by the time we reached our motel. We had to wait until dawn to see the Mighty Mississippi flowing just outside our window.
We drove through Iowa in search of family roots. We went to Minnesota to spend some time with a growing family branch. What we found along the way was family all around us. In the rolling hills and valleys. In the rainbows and the sunsets. It really does make a difference when we take the road less traveled.
Thanks, Tom, for the rainbows and sunsets!
Oh, that rainbow is just stunning, Penny! Well done Tom, and glad you had such a beautiful journey.
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It was breathtaking, Kate. We only wished we could have caught more of its brilliance. Some things, I suppose, are just meant to be seen and not photographed. Thank you.
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What a beautiful post; both the pictures and the words! So glad you got to see such beauty and pick up some family history along the way.
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Thank you, Jennifer. I wish you had been there to enjoy it with us. I can’t wait to see you and Jason and share more of the trip. If only I could catch a rainbow in my hands instead of pictures.
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Gorgeous photos Penny. I am a rainbow chaser. I know it is not as exciting as a storm chaser, but I like it more. I always run outside looking for that illusive rainbow. Did you know that technically, because of the refraction, no two people see exactly the same rainbow. They are just seeing a rainbow of their own at the same time. That was in one of our science books. I can’t quite wrap my brain around the concept, but it works in my imagination and I like it. Your rest area, sunset and rainbows are just beautiful memories. You can tell Kezzie someday about the beautiful sights you saw on the way to visit your favorite girl.
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Thank you, Janet. Me too. That’s so interesting. Every rainbow is our own to see. I like it, too. This one was so close to the ground (or so it seemed) and was wider at the base than any I’ve ever seen. Almost like a tornado touching ground, but not violent. I will tell her, Janet. Thank you.
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Delightful post. A great road-trip with a wonderful purpose and some beautiful scenery. And a double rainbow — and yes of course I’d get out and snap pictures of that! Or even of a single one.
We stayed at an RV Park once probably in this general area and I remember a picnic table like that right on the mighty river — in fact we could see the river form our RV — just a wonderful memory.
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Actually, when we got out we thought it was just one, then, the second one slowly became visible. There we were, hopping around in the rain like little kids. Thank you, Sallie.
What a pleasant memory for you, there on the river. Oh, the things you have seen in your travels.
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Beautiful rainbow pictures, I love rainbows, one of natures treasures. Wouldn’t it be fun to put your hand out and touch one, you caught some good ones even if it was just on the camera. Sounds like you had such a great time in a short time, but you always make the best of everything, and having Tom with you made it so much sweeter…
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They are nature’s treasures, Sharon. Yes. This one was so big and seemed so close, I almost felt as if I could. It was such a beautiful sight. We did have a good time, and I’m not even done showing you all of what we did. Tom did make it so much sweeter and that is so nice of you to say. Thank you.
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I’m such a sucker for double rainbows. I never tire of seeing them. And, what a magnificent sunset, indeed. It sounds like a good trip. Thanks for showing us the sights!
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Me either, Teresa. It was a good trip. We managed to cram a lot into a few days. Have you ever visited Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis? A magnificent park with spectacular falls, right in the middle of expressways and city.
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What magnificent skies to accompany on your journey, which sounds more like a quest or a pilgrimage. What blessings, and what gorgeous photos.
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It was a quest for some family history and reminisce on my husband’s side, Juliet, but, in the process, it became much more. We really packed a lot into a few days, and then these lovely events happened, like rainbows. Blessings, indeed.
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This is what I love about the landscape in the Midwest! People who don’t live here often take for granted wide open space where you can see the expanse of the sky and weather as it approaches! This, I think, is one of the reasons I feel so comfortable in County Clare because it has that same openness that I grew up with.
Your post made me want to take a road trip and show Declan a bit of American. Your photos are fantastic!
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So true, Janet. I think the Midwest is often viewed as cornfields and big cities like Chicago, when there is so much more to it and its openness. Eastern Iowa, we discovered, is beautiful, picturesque, and full of surprises and the drama that unfolds of weather fronts coming in is powerful. I can see why County Clare draws you in.
Thank you. Let me know if you and Declan take a trip.
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typo: show Declan a bit of Americana
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How very wonderful. It’s a part of the country I’ve always wanted to visit. Not for me the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. I like the farmlands and small towns. Your pictures are great. Thank you for the little tour. And will you be doing that Williamsburg entry?
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Nan, the eastern part of Iowa is rolling, verdant hills and valleys, small towns and friendly folk. We had not traveled up north to MN where our daughter and her family are and decided to go to Williamsburg first then head up via the river. We are so glad we did. Yes. I am planning on doing a bit on Williamsburg.
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Since you quoted Robert Frost, I though I might share my personal experience with him. He would have loved your photographs.
Monty Joynes Boone, NC
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Thank you, Monty, for sharing your blog and your experience with your readers, and now, with mine. What a remarkable experience you had, hearing and meeting Robert Frost and how interesting to observe the transformation his poetry brought in his demeanor at that time. .
While I remember the Kennedy inauguration and that a poet spoke, I was in sixth grade. It wasn’t until four years later that a wonderful American Lit teacher introduced the class to Frost by playing a tape of him reading his poetry. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Thank you for your kind words.
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[…] left, sated with all we drank in. I wonder if it was why the rainbow found us about an hour […]
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