05-21-11 Right here in River City

05-21-11

175.4

I am in Missouri with about 35 miles to go to the Border and Keokuk, Iowa. I could camp right on the border at a park in  Missouri and fill our the day but I think about trying a three state visit between Missouri/iowa and Illinois and it appeals to me. I don’t know where I’ll end the day, but I’ll decide that as the day advances.
I get to Keokuk and it’s an interesting amalgam of  looks and feels. There is the old downtown main street strip; on old Riverboat/Train depot feel and then lots of modern businesses to the western part of town.
It calls itself “River City” and I think of “The Music Man”. I wonder if this city ever got flim flamed but a musical instrument salesman. I move on to McInternet and do some posting while I figure my next move. I park at perhaps a poor choice . It’s really more the management of the McDonald’s drive thru. Either the “Box” is broken or they think having a person 25 ft in front of the order box, taking their order is the new thing in “Customer Service”. It’s not working. There is a line of cars trying to get into the parking lot from the driveway. I’m a row behind the regular Mickey D’s parking lot but on the driveway path. People are trying to get into the drive thru area from both directions and when I try to leave I’m blocked from multiple directions. It’s a huge “Cluster”! I manage to back out but have to drive a complete circle around the parking lot just to get back in from of where I was parked in an effort to leave the parking area. One of the more bizarre social situations I’ve observed recently.
I call my niece Kellie and see if she is willing the have me visit a day early.  She says come on by and I head (via Garmin) across the Mississippi into Illinois on my way to Iowa.
I cross back to Iowa across a gate bridge that is toll free my direction into Ft. Madison. I visit a welcome center, but it’s just for that town primarily, I head up to Burlington where the state visitors center is.The old riverboat town is very nice and picturesque but he visitors center leaves a lot to desired. The person working the counter didn’t seem to know too much about her state or where the resources might be for me to look up. They had free cookies! (They were made by a local baker…but they didn’t have any for sale…what the?)
On north
Van Buren, Mufkeo?, Davenport!
It's really good to see my niece again under better circumstances. We’d seen each other three weeks earlier in the Denver Area for the occasion of my Nephew Ethan’s sudden passing. I got Mischa and myself settled in and we watched TV and talked and then went to sleep. My niece had offered to let me  have her room, but I opted to just use the recliner in her living room with room enough for both Mischa and I. The big test was the fraternization of Mischa and her two cats, Maxie & Dude. Mischa was very unflappable and that made things easier for Maxie & the Dude. Kellie & I sat on her porch and talked and the cats, first Maxie, then later Dude…who came from under the bed to check me out found Mischa and I to be “acceptable”.  In fact Dude, to Kellie’s astonishment came over to me to be petted later that evening even with Mischa on the other side of me! What can I say…I have a way with animals.
We make plans to go to have lunch at Red Robin tomorrow. I have a free Birthday burger due me and the month is close to ending. I have to use it or lose it before the 31st of May.
I’d been meaning to redeem it since I was in Denver, but it took till now to be in a “state” to think about getting it and being in a city that had a Red Robin. Denver, Topeka, Springfield, O’Fallon (NW of St.:Louis) where the other options I’d thought about, but timing and pathways prevented earlier usage,
 I introduce my niece to the joys of “Robot Chicken” on her ‘On Demand” cable feature and then it’s a little taste of Morpheus.