Chicago --> Lincoln (via Iowa)

Road Trip Day 8 (June 20): Chicago, IL --> Lincoln, NE 

(stopping in Iowa City, Des Moines, and Waukee along the way)

Flickr Pictures: Iowa flickr pictures

Songs of the Day: 
Chicago: Kanye West -- Family Business
Iowa: Mumford and Sons -- The Holland Road, Counting Crows -- Round Here

(These two bands were the perfect road companions to take in the Iowan sunset through the state's beautiful gently rolling hills and flat plains.)

24 hours after arriving in Chicago, it was already time for me to hit the road. It's hard to believe that I had just left Pittsburgh about 32 hours ago, considering how eventful the trip has been. Perhaps my favorite thing about road-tripping is that no drive ever goes exactly as planned. Maybe I have to use the bathroom, get hungry, get a tip about a cool place to go, hit traffic or treacherous weather, or simply need to stretch my legs, but regardless of the reason, where I stop usually isn't planned, and I think that adds a layer of fun and excitement that I appreciate. The drive from Chicago to Lincoln was one of these types of drives. 

About two hours after picking up I-88 W from Oak Brook, I merged back onto I-80 W and left Illinois, entering Iowa around 5:30 pm. I had originally planned to drive straight through to Lincoln, stopping just for gas and bathroom breaks, but Aunty Malini had recommended Oasis, a falafel spot in Iowa City, IA, branding it as the best falafel she had ever tasted. Avash, my brother-in-law, originally discovered Oasis and found it mouthwatering enough to recommend to my aunt when she and my uncle were in Iowa City. Reaching Iowa City around 6:30, I decided to stop off for dinner and boy, was this a good move. Not only was the falafel sandwich (-->)

(filled with delicious hummus, baba ganoush, mediterranean salad, and of course, crisp and crumbly falafel balls) the best I've had, but the town was really neat. Home to the University of Iowa, Iowa City has a collegey/hippie/progressive feel and includes a couple of charming, walkable streets that I was able to explore: Dubuque and North Linn streets. 

With this drive already off to a good start, I got back onto I-80 W towards Lincoln. Already behind schedule, I really wasn't going to stop again, save for gas or a bathroom break, I told myself. Wrong again, but I'll get to that. Probably the most surprising thing to me about Iowa is how beautiful the scenery is. I was expecting flat terrain and highways lined with cornfields. Iowa does feature flat plains and cornfields, but the terrain of central Iowa seemed to be predominantly gently rolling hills. I've taken in some very pretty sunsets: Miami Beach, Key West, San Francisco, Penang, etc., and while not as gorgeous as any of those, the sunset over Iowa's rolling hills was definitely close (-->)

Really needing to use the bathroom, I decided to stop in Des Moines, Iowa's capital, just under two hours after I left Iowa City. One tricky thing about road-tripping in the summer is finding the right balance between staying hydrated and not needing to stop every hour and this stop was definitely a function of drinking a little too much water. Like with Iowa City, I was pleasantly surprised by Des Moines' beauty. Much larger and different than Iowa City, Des Moines has the feel of a traditional grid-like city. What stood out to me was the Iowa State Capitol Building, which looked like something of a palace (-->)

Just down the steps from the State Capitol is a lovely park that has a perfect view of the compact city skyline. It was nice enough that I had to stay and explore a little, which again, delayed me.

Okay, seriously, not gonna stop again. Seriously. Except that the NBA Finals Game 7 between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat was tied in the third quarter. Nevermind. Stopping immediately. On Yelp, I found a bar called Mickey's Irish Pub in the western Des Moines suburb of Waukee. Grabbing an Iowan coffee stout from the Great River Brewery, I watched as Lebron James, whose hometown of Akron I had driven by just a day earlier, took over, earning his second straight NBA Championship and MVP award. Again, glad I stopped.

Now nearly 11 pm central time, I got back onto I-80 W for the final leg of the drive towards Lincoln. About 45 minutes later, my heart filled with fright as I saw the flashing lights of a police car right behind me. What could I have possibly done wrong? I was driving 70 MPH, which is the speed limit in Iowa. The officer walked over to my car and explained to me that the border around my license plate blocked the name of the state (-->)

, which is a violation in the state of Iowa. He asked me to step out of my car, asked if I had any weapons, and patted me down to make sure. Then I sat in the squad car as he wrote up some paperwork. "Please, please, please don't give me ticket," I thought to myself. No ticket, but I was officially warned by Dallas County and the State of Iowa. As I started my engine and got back on the road, the thought occurred to me to double check that the officer had given me back my drivers license. Again, my heart leapt out of my chest. My drivers license was missing. He had forgotten to give it back to me! Without a license, I obviously could not legally drive anywhere and would be stuck an hour outside of Des Moines, road trip screeching to a halt. Thankfully, I quickly saw flashing red and blue lights and a now-familiar face knocked on my window, handed me my license and said "I think you're gonna want this." Yes, yes, I do. 

Finaaaaally, I made it to my Lincoln area hotel, the Luxury Inn and Suites (-->)

, just after 2:30 am, central time. I had left Chicago at 3:30 pm the previous afternoon. How could this 500-mile drive have possibly taken me 11 hours?! (google maps suggests 7.5 hours). Well, that is the beauty of the road trip and I am not complaining. After some much-needed shuteye, on to Denver!