leaving iowa story

Hi Kahunas, I finally decided it was time to leave my friends house and continue on my way. I went back to Omaha city so I could walk all the way across the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge. Do you know what that long word means? The bridge was very long and curvy. I stepped over a line that meant I was crossing into another state. It was very windy and cold but I had a good time.  Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, you were right, I was the monkey on top.
Next I went to a big building. It was the Century Link Center. There were lots of funny statues outside for me to play with. One statue was very tall. Can you see me by his feet?
Then I went back across the river to see the Golden Spike Monument. It was 56 feet tall. That is taller than your school. A spike is a giant nail that they put into the wooden railroad ties that go under the train tracks. In the 1800's, there were no cars or trucks, so to move people and all their supplies they had to use horses and wagons or boats. Men built the railroads from both sides of our country and when they met in Utah, they connected them with a golden spike. This monument celebrated that day,  May 10, 1869.
I went back to Omaha City and took a picture of a buffalo and some birds. What is different about these pieces of art?
I went next to the town of Elk Horn. It is a place that People from the country of Denmark built. There is a very big windmill that I went inside of. Then I found a little windmill. I also found a big bear made of hay. Around your town, after hay is cut in the fields, it is put in hay bales that are shaped like rectangles. Here the hay is rolled into big round bales. The bear was made with these round bales and was playing a hay drum. Do you see me in the picture? In the next town called Kimballton, is a statue of The Little Mermaid from Denmark. The Author, Hans Christian Anderson was from Denmark. He wrote many fairy tales. He wrote the first Little Mermaid story and then Walt Disney made a movie about her. Do you know her name?


I went next to the town of Winterset in Madison County. They are very famous for their covered bridges. The bridges were covered so the rain and snow would not ruin the part of the bridge that horses and then cars rode on.  A very famous cowboy movie star was born here. His name was John Wayne and I went to see the house where he was born.

I found a tiny little church that only 4 people could fit it. It was like a little playhouse.
Then I found a very old school house. It was not open so I had to peek through the windows. Inside was a very big black stove. The teacher had to put wood in it to keep the room warm. There was only one room for the whole school. Outside was a pump where the boys would get water if anyone needed it. There was also a little white outhouse that was the bathroom. It was so cold there and windy and I was very glad that your class has water and bathrooms inside.
The next day, I saw elephants and an alligator, but I was not afraid.

I camped at a park with lots of trees and caves. It had a funny Indian name. Maquoketa Caves State Park. I went down lots of stairs and then into the caves. They were dark and muddy. Do you see the sign with someone crawling? Some of the caves are so low, the only way through is by crawling and using a headlight so you can see where you are going. Everybody gets so muddy, there are special places to wash off when you come out.  I really liked the caves and I found a natural bridge outside the caves. A natural bridge is made when water from a river or the wind washes away the dirt and makes a  hole in the hill like a tunnel and you can walk across the top. I walked underneath, but I was afraid to walk on top.


Next I went to Dixon. There was a