Iowa

Crossing Iowa was our next task with only 2 things we wanted to do in Iowa, see Paul’s sister and visiting Winnebago Factory.  Leaving Stockton around 10 am we headed west. As we were crossing into Iowa Paul remembered there was one more thing we should see and it was only off the hwy by a couple of miles.  Yep, we experienced the Field of Dreams!  It looks just like the movie and we were there on a Thursday early afternoon and people just kept showing up bringing their mitts, bats and balls.  It was kind of erie but a great spot for lunch.

Field of Dreams

 

If you build it, they will come

 

  

Cheering fan

 

We were back on the road and headed to our next stop, Forest City, Iowa, the home of Winnebago Manufacturing.  About an hour from Forest City we heard this loud noise.  Loud noises are not fun when you are driving nearly 50 feet of vehicle down the highway and you are sure it is you!  Well this time it was us.  Looking out my window on the passenger side I can see our fender waving in the wind.  Not a good thing.  Paul found the next exit, put on the flashers and slowly moved over and onto the ramp.  We get parked in the truck stop and get out to access the damage.  The fender just came loose and bent back.  It appears the fenders on our home are glued on and the glue is not holding!!!!  Well Paul got out his screws and screwed the bent fender in place and off we go!  Next stop was to Forest City where our home was built.  

 The Winnebago factory is like a city of its own, complete with a RV park for free.  Friday morning we were up early and took the tour of the factory.  Winnebago’s are built less individually than the other plants we toured.  Here they are on an assembly line and many are built each day.  The tour was fascinating, even though they are an assembly line each person is doing multiple tasks and they work in small teams as the vehicles move down the line.  Several different models are on each line depending on what is being built.  One girl was applying the caulking to the compartments on the outside and she was so fast and precise.  

As soon as the tour was over Paul visited customer service to see what we could do about our fenders coming loose.  They didn’t offer any warranty as the vehicle is over 5 years old but he did tell us how to fix the problem including a new fender for about $700!  Great, they may be hearing from me as I still think they deserve at least one email request for help!!!  Especially since the other fender seems loose too!  They were very nice in customer service and if we had more time I am sure we could have gotten some help.  We did buy several other little items and then it was off to Sioux City where another of Paul’s sisters lives. 

Saturday, Paul’s sister Susan and her two teenagers came to the State Park where we are staying for only $11 a night including electricity and we are the only ones there!  Very private and pretty.  The kids left around 5 for jobs and we went out to a community theater for a great play!  The Great American Trailer Park Musical.  We couldn’t believe it.  The 3 of us laughed our asses off!!!  A trailer park, cheating spouses, husbands on death row, strippers, crazy boyfriends and a song about road kill!  Perfect!  It was trashy and oh so entertaining! 

We learned something today in Iowa.  We had kept seeing the fuel prices with premium being 10 cents cheaper than regular and figured it was an error.  Nope, premium is cheaper because you are in Iowa and ethanol is made here!  We still are not sure why that makes premium cheaper than regular but our house got the good stuff this morning!  

Today we will be the first of 3 long days of driving to get to Albuquerque, NM by Wednesday.  Over the last 4 months we have done a lot of traveling and Paul got to see all of his family, Dad, all 8 of his siblings, all 6 uncles and their wives and a bunch of cousins.  That is pretty good considering they are all spread out on the east coast, Iowa  

Today we will be the first of 3 long days of driving to get to Albuquerque, NM by Wednesday.  Over the last 4 months we have done a lot of traveling and Paul got to see all of his family, Dad, all 8 of his siblings, all 6 uncles and their wives and a bunch of cousins.  That is pretty good considering they are all spread out on the east coast, Iowa and Colorado.

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