Day 15: Springfield, MO/Amana, IA

Tonight we are staying in a suite at the Super 8.

Who knew that Super 8 Motels had suites? What a world. It was the only room left in the Inn, and a bargain at that, considering that Williamsburg is celebrating their sesquicentennial this weekend. It's pretty much your average Super 8/Motel 6/Econo Lodge kind of room, only bigger. Much bigger. We have to leave bread crumbs when we go down the hall to the bathroom.

We left Simon at the hotel to watch the end of Forrest Gump, and headed north a few miles to the Amana Colonies, a fine historic tribute to neat and tidy German settlers. It looked like a movie set. Actually, most of what we have seen so far of Iowa looks like a movie set. Lawns mowed so tightly you could bounce a quarter off them, flower-beds arranged alphabetically, that kind of thing.

Anyhow, dinner was great. Family-style dining at the Colony Inn, where Paul and Judi Lynn ate over 20 years ago. All you can eat of fresh local green beans, house-made cottage cheese, fried potatoes and gravy, pickled cabbage (but it was sweet kraut, not sour), salad, the works. Oh, and peach pie.

Tomorrow, it should be a quick 5-hour jaunt up Hwy 151, through Dubuque and Madison, to Mom and Dad's place. Tonight, we're just hoping no one gets lost on the way back from the toilet in the middle of the night.