I do kind of miss paper maps, but I think I would have had a hard time finding maps that had enough detail to find some of the places I had to find. For instance, just before I ended up here, I once again found myself in the middle of nowhere. Oh, it was a farm, and there was even a grain bin, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. There was no one to ask; I guess they were all out working in the fields.
The facility I was trying to find had a phone number on the card and someone actually answered when I called. They gave me directions and I found them right next to this river. Unfortunately, they had a sign up prohibiting taking photos, so I can’t show you it, but they loaded the grain right into barges.
“What’s that river?” I asked the worker who gave me the sample. “The Mississippi,” was the response. I sure felt silly! I had forgotten where I was. Well, with all the zipping around I’d been doing, it’s a miracle I remembered what state I was in. (I was still in Missouri.)
With this intriguing sign, I had to investigate further.
It turns out that it lead to a ferry landing. I spoke to a few travelers who were waiting for the ferry to come. I think that was Tennessee on the other side.
After a bit, the ferry started across.
It’s getting closer.
They docked and the vehicles on board prepared to roll off.
Then the folks I had been chatting with rolled aboard and they got ready to head back across the Mississippi.
I took off and got ready to hit a few more facilities before close of business. With all the wheat I had been collecting, I wondered where it was. I finally found a field.
Look at those amber waves of grain!
I had to take a close up of the spike. The funny thing is that I wasn’t sure of the name of this part of the plant – in English. I knew it as “espiga” in Spanish, and I knew it translated to spike, but I never heard that term used in English. I finally broke down and looked it up. In addition to being called the spike, it’s also called the “ear” or “head.”
Somehow, I got turned around and ended up crossing the river into Illinois.
The Corp of Discovery sure did get around!
The river beds get around, too. This is a marker for a place that is in the Ohio River. I wonder how I missed that river?
But, it was time to head back across the river. Maybe I could find one more facility before close of business.
And, no, the next place I stayed was not as nice as the Motel 6 in Poplar Bluff.