The drive across Indiana went well; Illinois, which is usually quick to cross, was a bit slow due to (holiday?) traffic around Chicago and construction.

Approaching Iowa, I was still thinking about when to turn south and a storm front moving in on Des Moines was encouraging me to take action sooner, rather than later.  I knew I would need to stop before Des Moines, but a search of area hotels yielded no rooms (in my price range).  I finally found a place to stay in Oskaloosa, about 50 miles east, and a bit south, of Des Moines.

By the time I reached Iowa, the storm was over Des Moines and rapidly moving east.  Getting to the hotel before the front meant pushing ahead forward at speed, directly toward the front.

There were a number of options for turning south toward Oskaloosa, but would aid my efforts since the front stretched beyond Iowa’s southern border.  About 90 minutes from the hotel, I realized I was not going to win the race and donned my rain gear.

The rain hit just as I was turning off of I-80 onto US-63.  US-63 might sound like a major throughway, but it is actually a twisty little country road.  In daylight, without the rain, it would have been fun ride, but after dark, with a light drizzle, no so much.

The hotel was in the middle of no where – Oskaloosa is a small rural town, but the hotel is actually outside of town.  Even with the location (and spotty internet) the hotel was clean & cheap, making it a good place to rest up.

The next morning, I would have to decide whether to continue south or go back to I-80.