American Discovery Trail: 2,000 Miles

As of this morning, I have walked 2,002 miles since starting in Delaware nineteen months ago. That puts me right around Audubon, Iowa, population 2,053, and home of Albert the Bull. Albert the Bull is 30 feet tall and 33 feet long and has been there since 1964, and this is exactly the sort of attraction that Jackie and I would drive out of our way to see if we were to ever drive through Iowa, which we probably will not.

I made it to 2,000 miles, still well short of halfway across this trail (2,870 miles to go), but every 1,000 miles is an accomplishment. I walked more miles this month than in December or November, so that is progress, even if it has not been terribly impressive. Weather here is still cold and about to get colder, but by the end of February, it should start warming up. Only 28 days in February, and I will spend six of those at bridge tournaments, so February may not be the most productive month.

When I showed Jackie the big cow, she was reminded of another roadside attraction, so here is a bonus picture:

This is the Longaberger Basket Company headquarters in Newark, Ohio, near Columbus. Definitely worth a look and a picture if you are ever nearby.
 

American Discovery Trail: Where Have You Been?

Des Moines

It has been a while since I posted - more than two weeks in fact. Where have I been? Well, I have been walking, though I think one day I did some errand with Jackie, two days I played in a bridge tournament in Vancouver, Washington, and two days I was preparing for a colonoscopy and then having the colonoscopy done, so not everything has gone smoothly.

I have also been working on my puzzle, playing lots of bridge besides the tournament, trying to play the piano, reading the book I got for Christmas...being retired keeps you busy.

I am right now 47 miles past Des Moines, the biggest city in Iowa, with 210,000 people. Iowa has the 31st-largest population of the states, so it is not exactly tiny, but it just does not have any big towns.

According to the Internet, Iowa is famous for a couple of food items. First, chili served with cinnamon rolls. Iowans like the combination, so they say. The chili is made with ground beef and tomatoes. Mmm mmm, good. Second, taco pizza, which looks a lot like nachos on pizza dough. You should try that, then tell me what you think.

I have finished 30 segments of this trip, closing in on 2,000 miles, though that is just over a week away. I am about 150 miles from Nebraska.
 

American Discovery Trail: Starting A New Year in Bondurant, Iowa

Bondurant, Iowa. It looks pretty enough.

I resist making New Year resolutions, but this year let's say I made some goals. My first goal was to walk 3,660,000 steps during the year, because that would get me back to 10,000 per day average. That is only a shade over 10,000 steps per day, but it's not as easy as it sounds due to my bridge tournaments.

On a typical tournament day, I play bridge for about seven hours, from 10:00 AM to 1:30, then from 3:00 to 6:30. In between sessions, I eat lunch with my partner. After the second session, I either eat dinner or collapse in my motel room, or if the tournament is close enough, I drive home. Not usually good days for a lot of walking.

Allowing for bridge days then, I figure I have to get about 11,000 steps in on other days. How is that going? Well, it's January 1, and I have 7,500 steps in so far, so I have to try for 3,500 more. I will map out 3,500 steps tonight with Arlo.

Mike told me that there is a name for the second Friday in January, for people who give up on their resolutions right away. It's called Quitter's Friday. I love that idea. It's a good reason though, to make goals rather than I-resolve-to-do-this-thing-every-day resolutions. You usually don't have to abandon your goals in a week and a half.

I saw five joggers during my walk this morning. Don't worry guys: only 9 more days and you can quit along with everyone else.

Bondurant, Iowa, by the way, is 15 miles outside of Des Moines, so I will hit the big city later this week, with still over 200 miles to go to Nebraska.

Weather here continues to be surprisingly mild, with temperatures in the mid-40s most days, and nighttime lows in the high 30s. It should be about 10 degrees colder, at least. So far, it's the year without a winter.

In Des Moines right now though it is 25 degrees, with forecast temperatures in the teens and single digits all week, including down to 1 degree next Tuesday. It's good to live where I live.

For the country, 2025 will almost certainly be a particularly bad year, but there is no compelling reason to think that Jackie, Arlo, and I won't have a perfectly good year. I hope the best for everyone, and let's do what we can to survive the coming storm.