April 2024- Lower 48 travels

30 April 2024 Tuesday - Grand Forks North Dakota
Continued my research at the Recorders Office to find history of the house in which he lived. Also visited the Historical Society/Myra Museum then back to the cemetery to meet with the sexton to answer more of my questions.  Crossed the bridge over the Red River to Minnesota! Found that many of the land records were destroyed in the flood of 1997 due to a big spring thaw. The Red River is the only north flowing river in the US.

29 April 2024 Monday - Fargo to Grand Forks North Dakota (102 miles)
While waiting for hotel room to be ready, I visited Calvary Cemetery for my research here on the family of my adoptee friend. I had found her bio lineage about seven years ago and did so much research on their travels from Canada via Minnesota to Grand Forks where her great grandfather was a newspaper man. I also visited the library where I found the cemetery books to find their location in the cemetery. Shopping at Natural Grocers for food.

28 April 2024 Sunday - Sioux Falls South Dakota to Fargo North Dakota (247 miles)
A very rainy foggy day for drive north on the interstate.

27 April 2024 Saturday - Sioux Falls South Dakota
Taking a break from driving and visiting family to catch up, booked the next week accommodation, and cleaned out the car after visit to local car wash (very dirty after my drive on gravel roads).

26 April 2024 Friday - Mason City Iowa via Minnesota to Sioux Falls South Dakota (233 miles)
An interstate drive via I35 and I90 (Prairie Passage Route) in the heavy rain and high winds. I had considered a visit to my 3x great grandparents gravesite in Heron Lake, about 35 mile diversion, but decided not, due to bad weather. Tornadoes did significant damage today just south of me.

25 April 2024 Thursday - Marshalltown to Mason City Iowa (127 miles)
Early departure from my cousin’s for drive on backroads north via routes 14/175/T19/57/T16/3/65 to Mason City. Visited Clear Lake and the crash site of Buddy Holly and the Surf Ballroom where he last played.

24 April 2024 Wednesday - Marshalltown Iowa
Spent the morning going through family photos then we drove to their farm for a walkabout then wonderful venison lunch with homemade rhubarb crisp. Another cousin from Des Moines came to visit in the afternoon and we had Mexican food for dinner, wonderful visit.

23 April 2024 Tuesday - Unionville Missouri to Marshalltown Iowa (140 miles)
Rainy morning in Missouri then sunny afternoon in Iowa. Visited Lake Thunderhead just north of Unionville which is now a big housing development then stopped at Sharon Bluffs State Park where I had camped many years ago. Saw a fox crossing the road in front of me! Visited my cousin in Marshalltown.

22 April 2024 Monday - Unionville Missouri
Another cold and clear and windy day with afternoon clouds! Returned the genealogy material to my cousins and had a great chat about family! Late breakfast at the Cattlemen's Cafe at the Sale Barn where our grandmother worked many years ago and we hung out with her as kids. Visit to the library where they have a great genealogy room and worked with the staff to find another cemetery just a short walk from town. It was out a dirt road on a knoll and so very peaceful. Returned via the apartments where our grandmother lived before she passed. The farm on which she had lived was a few miles out of town and much more difficult for her to manage on her own so she moved to town.

21 April 2024 Sunday - Unionville Missouri
Visited my cousin to fetch his mother's genealogy research and spent most of day going through her papers and photos, most of which I already had, cold and clear day to stay warm inside. Also stopped at our grandmother's farm but no more outhouse nor root cellar!

20 April 2024 Saturday - Ottumwa Iowa to Unionville Missouri  (119 miles)
After visit to Unionville where I met a local who let me visit the Putnam Museum, attended celebration of life for my uncle who passed away last December, great turnout for ribeye and all the fixings at Sewal Community Center.

19 April 2024 Friday - Bloomington Illinois to Ottumwa Iowa (225 miles)
Gorgeous day for drive west on I74 and route 34

18 April 2024 Thursday - Bloomington Illinois
Spent morning booking hotels while cousin at the eye doctor then great lunch from the food truck HealthyinaHurry! Thunderstorm late afternoon after our walkabout of the neighborhood.

17 April 2024 Wednesday - Bloomington Illinois
Looks like the big storm went around us but windy!

16 April 2024 Tuesday - Bloomington Illinois
Morning walkabout then great Mexican lunch at Los Potrillos. Driveabout of uptown Normal then stops at TSC and Meijers. Waited for the big storm that is moving this way from the west.

15 April 2024 Monday - Bloomington Illinois
Morning visit to Honda dealer for oil change and tire rotation and checkup for remainder of my journey to Alaska. Afternoon driveabout in my car with my cousin since it was now emptied of stuff for the service work then filled it back up again. Shopping at Common Ground and Blain's and Green Top and Jewel Osco. Homemade soup for dinner.

14 April 2024 Sunday - Bloomington Illinois
Another sunny day for my cousin to continue her spring garden work.

13 April 2024 Saturday - Bloomington Illinois
Gorgeous sunny day for brunch at Tony's Diner then my cousin off for neighbor's one year old birthday party.

12 April 2024 Friday - Indianapolis Indiana to Bloomington Illinois
Another rainy start for driving then sun arrived in Illinois with wind! Visited the library and walked around downtown, lunch at Nom Nom Noodle in VFW before arriving at my cousin's in afternoon.

11 April 2024 Thursday - Greensburg to Indianapolis Indiana (76 miles)
Lunch with my mother's Swedish cousin and two of her four children at the Senior Center. I last saw her in 2017 when she was living in her own home and playing golf/

10 April 2024 Wednesday - Ashland Kentucky to Greensburg Indiana (226 miles)
A rainy foggy day for drive on the Ohio River Scenic Route 52, a slower road along the river with few other cars until I got to interstate of Cincinnati then I crossed the river twice more going through Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana. Heaps of 'Mail Pouch' barns on this route, advertisement for the West Virginia chewing tobacco company during 19th and 20th century.

9 April 2024 Tuesday - Weston West Virginia to Ashland Kentucky (167 miles)
via Interstate I79S/I77S/I64W, heaps of red bud trees in bloom.

8 April 2024 Monday - Linden Virginia to Weston West Virginia (180 miles)
Overcast day for beautiful drive on very scenic route 48 through Shenandoah/Allegheny/Appalachian mountains. Route 48/Corridor H is four lane on eastern and western side but a winding road through the middle in the mountains, still controversy on the extension of the four lanes. Crossed the Eastern Continental Divide at 3600'. Even though partly cloudy, did view the partial eclipse.

7 April 2024 Sunday - Linden Virginia
Finally a sunny day for morning walk to Mount Paran Church (no service today, only second and fourth Sunday) looking for more gravestones, but none. Rick worked in the garden and I caught up on telephone calls. Evening meal of bangers and mash with homegrown kale.

6 April 2024 Saturday - Linden Virginia
Overcast and cold and windy day for exploring the backroads of Virginia and drive on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park to Front Royal. First visit to Marshall for the seed sale then to find where my sister lived back in the 1970s. Stop at Dark Horse Irish Pub in Flint Hill for lunch then Sperryville.

5 April 2024 Friday - Warrenton to Linden Virginia
I purchased a new Brother scanner that was delivered here since you cannot find anything at the store these days. I found that for standalone scan you need micro SD card, not a regular one like my older model but after purchasing a 64G card I found that it only takes up to 32G so had to return that one and also find a place to format it before I can use it, not required on my older model...why are they making things so much more difficult?
Morning walkabout of Warrenton before driving to Rick's. Explored the local burial grounds on his property.

4 April 2024 Thursday - Warrenton Virginia
Visit to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport with the grandchildren then visit to Haymarket to visit their other daughter. Evening meal of chicken tenders which the kids just loved.

3 April 2024 Wednesday - Warrenton Virginia
Another very rainy day! I caught up on telephone calls and Ron and Trish took the grandkids to the local playland. Evening meal of salmon.

2 April 2024 Tuesday - Warrenton Virginia
A very rainy and foggy day for road trip to the Mercantile in Hamilton, Red Truck Rural Bakery in Marshall, cemetery in Delaplane to visit friends then late lunch of lamb stew at Cast Iron in Warrenton. Wonderful evening meal of homemade mac and cheese and crab cakes from Wegmans and asparagus.

1 April 2024 Monday - Warrenton Virginia
Lunch at Molly's in Warrenton with rugby friends from George Mason, we thought that they may charge us rent because we stayed so long chatting.