Day 6 on the Trek North – 217 miles

Dreary day as I loaded in Butler MO to head north.  Needed to fuel up – but I’m sure glad I wasn’t on empty – No Diesel until I got down the road! You'd think when they build a new station just off of a 4 lane divided highway, with about 12 islands for fuel, they could make ONE of them for Diesel! Drove through downtown Butler to see the memorial to the Kansas Colored Infantry and then stopped by the Battle of Island Mound battleground.  It was a walking trail – I did my share of walking in the rain yesterday.   Nice area with picnic tables, an outhouse or two and several kiosks telling of the battle but did require traveling down a good ol’ country gravel road.  At least this one had a house and some cattle visible – I didn’t feel quite so isolated. 

  

Then it was back on Hwy 71 headed north.  Next stop Harrisonville.  The downtown area has maintained many of the older buildings…..just wish they would have had some kind of map on what the buildings were originally.  It is much easier to get around and see things on Saturday and Sunday when the traffic is less.  Farmers Market around the town square.  Someone had some yummy smelling baked goods, but I knew better than to stop.

Back on the highway I saw a town sign: Peculiar….you don’t think I could bypass a town named Peculiar – drove thru downtown, another small Missouri town, back on the highway and headed north. 

Near Kansas City I missed my exit – well, I didn’t know I missed my exit!  I was on I-435 going around the east side of Kansas City.  Then I saw a sign – Next Exit,  Wichita KS left, St Louis right – I didn’t want either – I wanted I-35 to Des Moines or Hwy 69 North – but I had to go either left or right – so to the right I went – only cost me about  20 extra miles to find out I really wasn’t too far off!  Got onto I-35 and then picked up Hwy 69 North near Liberty.   It was back and forth across I-35 until I got to Iowa.   Started looking for a place to spend the nite – had to keep my promise to my legs, I’ll ease up on them if they stop the night cramps! 

Found a motel with my preferred outside entrances in Lamoni IA.  I always stop at the Welcome Center at Lamoni and get a Maid-Rite (Iowa’s loose meat sandwich) and a strawberry malt.  Doesn’t get much better than that and I know once that is setting in front of me, I’m back home in Iowa. 

Have a few more towns in Iowa to check out and then I’ll be in Marshalltown for the month of September – and I can rest my legs!