Missouri to Iowa to Illinois to Indiana

The following entry might get a little confusing because we did a lot of driving over the past few weeks with brief brief stops at fun, random places until we reached Dearborn, Michigan. Even I get lost in the memories... so you might want to pull out an atlas to follow along!


From Kirkwood, Missouri, we headed north along the Mighty Mississippi on Highway 79 (also known as "Little Dixie Highway"). We passed through a Louisiana, Missouri with state street names. So you could say you lived on Georgia Street in Louisiana, Missouri!


It was at Wakonda State Park in Iowa where we celebrated my 29th and Richie's 31st birthday. We aren't big on birthday presents - although this road trip is a lifetime present! - but we did head to the local grocery to pick up a small happy birthday cake topped with a match stick for a candle. We love life on the road!




Clinton, Iowa (originally named New York) was our next stop where we had lunch at the 164-acre Eagle Point Park. They boast an 18-hole Disc Golf course, and we ran like little kids around this stone castle. Unfortunately, there were no plaques or brochures sharing the history of the castle, but we think it was a brilliant alternative to the standard gym set.


And the park had exceptional overlooks throughout that gave us incredible views of the widest part of the Mississippi River - 3 miles across.


We headed north on US 67 (which later turns into US 52) to Iowa's oldest city, Dubuque, and a night at The Richards House. Now, The Richards House is the first B&B where we felt slightly uncomfortable and unwelcomed.


We had a difficult time finding the home because it was hidden behind scaffolding. Apparently, the exterior was painted with a brown concrete-based paint, so the website asks "please don't let the exterior deter you from seeing the fabulous interior."


While David and Michelle were gracious hosts - they seemed exhausted. I can imagine them twenty years ago (when they bought the place in 1989) being enthusiastic about renovating this lovely home and operating a bed and breakfast... but now they seem overwhelmed and have checked out. There was no enthusiasm in their greetings and Michelle seemed impatient in having us arrive and eat breakfast.


We can see how work on this 4-story mansion can seem never-ending. There are 6 rooms available for guests, while the other spaces are used for storage or are under renovation.

This is a historical gem, and rare in the fact that it remained in the same family for 106 years.

From The Richards House website:

Built in 1883, this four story Stick style (a variation of the Queen Anne style) mansion was constructed as a showcase of wood and stained glass. Occupied by the original owner's family until its conversion to a Bed and Breakfast inn, the interior remains original, with only minor updating like wiring the original gas light fixtures for electricity. The house still boasts of eight varieties of varnished woodwork (some from South America), eight fireplaces, 15 different patterns of embossed wallcoverings, original chandeliers, hand-painted and embossed tiles, elaborate built-ins, and a dazzling display of over 80 stained glass windows.

We highly recommend touring this home - just to appreciate the grandness of the mansion and the care and details in the renovation process. If you are interested in reading more, click here.


So needless to say, we were a bit disappointed with The Richards House B&B. But we didn't let that spoil our enthusiasm for the 2-block field trip to Mario's Italian Restaurant. When we read a review saying "You know when you want the real deal and not the fancy napkins or snooty waiters, this is it, just good old fashioned Italian food and it is great and very cheap!", we were hooked.

They are famous for their Panzerotti.


Now, we were a little embarrassed not knowing what the heck a Panzerotti was, especially with the last name Muffoletto. Fortunately, the menu gave us some details and we were safe.

Just in case you are wondering what a panzerotti is...
It is a baby calzone - usually stuffed with marinara sauce and cheese, but Mario's panzerottis are filled with whatever you want.

We enjoyed our first visit so much that we went back the next day! It is nice to support a business that has been family-owned and operated for over 30 years. The people were friendly, the food was tasty, and we loved the orange booths!

We had plans to bike the Heritage Trail (a 24-mile loop), but read that the trail was closed due to significant damage from the 2008 flood. Bummer.

I think this is where things get a little confusing, because from Iowa, we crossed the Mississippi River and headed south to Fulton, Illinois. Ironically, this is directly across the river from where we were a few days before in Clinton, Iowa.


We drove across Illinois via the Lincoln Highway. It was actually the first paved coast-to-coast road in the US, and Illinois was the first state to completely pave their section of the highway.


I am dedicating the Rochelle, Illinois portion of this entry to my cousin, James. For as long as I can remember, he has been fascinated with trains. For most of his childhood, he lived across the street from a set of tracks in Thibodaux, Louisiana. And I recall his room full of railroad crossing signs and toy trains. Today, he is a history teacher and train chaser on the side. He captures and appreciates the beauty of these large beasts - and I am constantly in awe of his devotion to the art.


Rochelle has a railroad park where over 100 trains pass daily. We were there just over an hour and saw at least 10 trains pass.


There were men (and women!) of all ages waiting patiently for the next train to arrive. We enjoyed witnessing the enthusiasm in their steps and the grins on their faces with the sound of the next train horn. And it was fun to watch them get as close as safely possible, armed and ready with their cameras, and giddy when they captured the perfect shot. It was nice to be an observer of such excitement.


We skimmed Chicago because we were unable to find affordable lodging and also figured we would hit it again on our journey on Route 66. And you can say we just barely earned the right to boast our visit to Indiana.


We are slowly but surely hearing the hint of an accent... "Yah know?"

Most of our time in Indiana was spent at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore hiking the Bailly Homestead, Chellberg Farm, and Little Calumet River Trails.


This is known as the Bailly Homestead where three generations of the Bailly family lived. It is a good representation of the cultural developments between 1822 and 1917, from fur trading to timber.


And this area is known as the Chellberg Farm. It too represents three generations of the Anders Chellberg family who lived on the farm from 1869 to 1972.

It is a very pretty spot! To learn more about the history of the structures and families, click here.