Day 2

Up at 5 am to meet for breakfast at 6 only to find out the Continental Breakfast doesn't start until 6:30!  Oh well, finish packing, then breakfast. A frozen croissant with egg and sausage out of the fridge and into the microwave!  Yum. It wasn't a Hampton Inn breakfast but it filled the void.

As we start loading the bikes, the rain started. We checked the radar and it looked clear to the west, maybe something brewing out by Iowa City. We opt not to put on the rain gear. That turned out to be a good call because by the the time we pulled out and got gas, the rain was done. The sky was overcast but that only made it comfortable riding. We cruised west on I-80 and hit a little rain just before crossing the Mississippi River.

Not enough to matter. On we went, past corn fields and the I-80 dog wash and truck stop. The traffic was light and the drivers moved out of our way after they passed who they wanted to pass. A pretty uneventful ride. Caught a little more rain just as the first gas stop was coming up. We stopped and fueled and two guys from the area pulled in. They were heading to the northwest and the radar was showing some nasty stuff up that way. They talked about getting some garbage bags since they didn't have rain gear with them. To the west it looked like if we timed it right, we would avoid the nasty weather that was heading for Iowa City. We rode on and did miss the nasty stuff. Corn for miles and miles.  I take some pictures to pass the time.

 

 By the time we were approaching Council Bluffs Iowa, the sun came out. As it was last year, the  road through Council Bluffs was in bad need of paving and you couldn't go over the speed limit without busting a rib or something! It was probably a good thing too, since the first cops we had seen all day were busy making traffic stops.

We crossed into Omaha Nebraska and got off the first exit. We were now in a helmet state but I was going to chance it since our lunch destination was right off the first exit. We pulled up to Starsky's to have some of their famous pig wings and as I walk to the door, I see they're closed!  WTF. Why is a bar closed at 1:00 pm on a Thursday?  What? Do these people work or something?  I look on their web site and see they don't open until 3 pm. But they so have another location and its in the direction we are going. We head over there and pass someone getting arrested along the highway. Looks lime their vehicle got searches and some contraband was found. We find the other location and its in an industrial area. I miss the sign but don't realize it until I look in my mirror and nobody is following me. You would think one of them would have beeped the horn or something as they pulled in. Nope. They just let me drive on another 300 yards until I realize it myself. 

Marybeth and I of course order the Pig Wings and the Currans both take advantage of the burger special. BOGO.

After a filling meal and a cup of coffee to stay awake, we press on. More corn.

 We roll into York Nebraska and our Hampton Inn is right off the highway. We get checked in and cleaned up.to head downtown to eat. The choice is between the Chances R Restaurant and Lounge and the sports bar next door, 4th Quarter. Chances R has a bunch of Cadillacs and Buicks in front and there's two vehicles parked in front of the sports bar and a sign that says Oil Wrestling- 8 PM. Yep. We pick the sports bar. As we're waiting for our food, we can hear thuds and booms upstairs. Must be the wrestlers warming up. We leave just before 8 since the ladies don't care to take in the oil wrestling. 

We head back to the hotel for some pool time and blogging. And then bed. And thoughts of what might be on the Hampton Inn breakfast menu. We're hoping its sausage gravy and biscuits. Fingers crossed!