I guess you could say that the oil well and the power lines ruin the picture, but I kind of like the contrast. Living in a high growth area, driving out here is refreshing, and seems to stay constant.
Everyone makes fun of states where you have stretches where you drive through......."nothing." I absolutely LOVE western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. I always have. Heading east from IL, you have the rolling hills of Iowa, and then the corn and wheat fields of Nebraska. And then things start to change. You have rolling fields. Endless coal trains in the distance. Plateaus. The land starts to change as you do this slow steady climb. If it wasn't for your gas mileage, you might not even realize that you are indeed ever so slowly increasing in elevation. Would I love it as much without the knowledge of the breathtaking beauty of the mountains that are just beyond the horizon? You can look out and almost imagine the wagon trains heading this same path. Because nothing has changed. Take out the telephone poles and wires, the oil wells, and occasional cell towers, and you'd see what the pioneers saw. Space. Lots of space.
This is the widest point of the Mississippi River, taken from Thomson Causeway COE campground in Illinois. Fall is beautiful here: The small town of Thomson has a great farmers market and down the road there are several flea markets if you like to go "junking." The best part is that the Great River Bike Trail follows the Mississippi River and you can pick it up right from the campground. My son and I had gone for an early morning bike ride once, and we met the nicest lady who was also out biking. Only she had come from CALIFORNIA!!!! She had a pack on her bike and was killing time as she was waiting for a conference in Iowa. She was in her 60's and might I add she was in excellent shape. She explained she had recovered from a rare brain tumor and I think this biking was part of her recovery. I can't imagine having the guts to go alone. I love camping, but we have been in a few secluded spots where I felt sort of "spooked" so I really admire her coura...
Gibbon, Nebraska........which is by..........ummm......not much.....which is why I LOVE Gibbon, Nebraska. I just love SPACE, and air that you can breathe and sunsets that last forever, and storms you can see coming from MILES away, and cornfields with the sound of the wind blowing throught the stalks. What's not to like???? I LOVE this state!!!
To me it shows the progress of mankind mixed with mother nature.
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