Des Moines

So after the race rather than spend another night in Newton I drove about 35 miles West to Des Moines. This is a city which they aren’t really sure why it’s called Des Moines and to be honest after being here I wonder why it’s here at all !

OK, so it was a Sunday late afternoon but the place was deserted. Went for a walk to have a look round and every building seemed to a government, police, sheriff, jail of some sorts ! The only interesting building was the Iowa State Capitol.

Eventually found some people and had dinner in a micro brewery which was quite nice. Not quite sure about the raspberry beer that I had a pint of though !

Still couldn’t find much the next morning either and even on a Monday morning it was still deserted so jumped in the car and drove 200 miles South to Kansas City, Missouri. Now this is almost the very center of the US and it’s where I have given the car back after about 1,300 miles. So a day and a bit here now and the weather is back to normal with temperatures back up to 95.

St. Louis

So after leaving Louisville I popped into the home of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Horse Racing isn’t really my thing but as I was here I thought I would go along. It was quite a good little tour and it looks like it is quite some event each May.

So then into my little Chevy and a 250 mile drive West to St. Louis

Got there late afternoon but got an hour back as I’m heading further West now. So straight off to the city’s famous landmark of the Gateway Arch. Went to the top in the strangest ‘tram’ I’ve been in. You get in a little pod which they squeeze 5 people in which then takes 3 minutes to rise up the 650 feet to the top. Feels like being on a ferris wheel and defintely not for you if you are at all claustrophobic. When they built this in the mid sixties then defintely did not think too much about tourism. When you get to the top there are just a bout 12 tiny windows about 6 inches high to look out of and about 80 people in a space that can probably hold about 40 all trying to so ar the same time !

The city was really busy and I had a tough time getting a hotel room. Mainly due to a Christian convention being held but there was also a St Louis Cardinals baseball game that night as well. It was sold out but if you’d been there Steve I would have gone and bought some tickets from the ‘Scalpers’. So got something to eat and drink and watched some of the game in some bars near by. Was so glad I did as it was a marathon lasting 5 1/2 hours and finishing in the 14th innnings at nearly 1am !!! Even better was that I had a couple of beers in a Hooters bar. Can’t beleive I’ve never been in one of these before despite having been to the US 7 or 8 times now.

Anyway, up early after a bad nights sleep in a bad hotel and looked around the city some more.

Walked up to the The Union Station which was once a major terminus for travelling across America. Trains stopped running in 1978 and it’s been chnaged into a hotel and shopping complex and small museum now.

Anyway, onwards as I’ve now got a near 400 mile drive North West to Newton, Iowa.