I awoke at the Depot Inn & Suites and after getting breakfast to go, obtained the golf cart and drove out to the Lookout Point on a rather foggy and damp morning.
One can see birds, such as this one, from the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
The first two trains of the morning were BNSF 7678 East and 7744 East.
Next was Union Pacific 9467 West through the fog.
This westbound BNSF freight snuck up on me so I only was able to get a going-away shot.
The Southwest Chief arrived early again and since I needed to talk to Steve Grande before he left for Kansas City, I rushed back to the Depot Inn & Suites and met Tom Marshall, the owner, when I arrived. We talked for a few minutes and I told him that I was going to Mount Pleasant, Iowa tomorrow to see the 60th annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, to which he replied that he attended a few years ago and it was worth my time to visit.
Since Enterprise had no cars available tomorrow, arrangements were made that I would use the hotel's van to drive to Mount Pleasant. I then departed and drove the three miles north on US 63 to Route E and turned right to the first dirt road, known as Nature Lane, and took it until I reached this spot, the driveway of the location where I was coming to.
These aerial photos courtesy Bob Cox.
My walk through "The World's First Steam Engine Corn Maze".
The entrance to the property where the maze is located.
You drive down this road to reach the maze.
On the way there, you pass this nice creature. I pulled in, Andy Jackson came out to meet me and we walked over to where Andy's husband was meeting with the Adair County Sheriff about upcoming event. I was about to start my walk through the maze when I realized I did not have my camera so had to return to the hotel and back here. Andy provided me a map to follow and cell phone numbers in case I got lost. I told him of my degree in geography and I would see them in a while.
The entrance to the Steam Engine Corn Maze.
Andy took this picture of me going in.
The view looking out before I headed in. Would I get lost in the maze?
This is the bottom of the first musical note I would pass through.
Scenes during my walk.
The northbound sign. Each sign had a question about agriculture on the front and you flipped the question over to find out the answer. I did surprisingly well; not bad for a city boy!
The first "W" in the first of the two "Woos".
On the way to the next Woo.
The Engine/Tender sign.
The "W" in the second Woo.
The Box Car sign.
The Westbound sign.
The Observation Car sign.
The Southbound sign.
I continued through the Steam Engine Maze.
The Dome Car sign.
The Flat Car sign.
The Caboose sign.
I found the way out.
Not!
This is really how I felt exiting the Steam Engine Corn Maze.
The exit out of the maze. I thanked Bob and Andy for having me and letting me go through the steam engine corn maze before it officially opened next weekend then drove away with an incredible feeling that I had accomplished something today.
I decided to go to Kirksville but stopped in Millard on the way.
Over the years of driving by Millard, I had seen these former Wabash Railroad grade crossing protection features. Today I finally stopped and photographed them. From here I stopped at Walmart and at KFC in Kirksville, my to-go lunch order was not filled correctly, although the A&W root beer though was very good. I returned and spent the rest of the day working on this story then went to the Red Rooster for dinner before returning to relax the rest of the evening.
I went back out to the Lookout Point for BNSF 4683 West with a Conrail locomotive in the consist then quickly returned to the hotel before a thunderstorm arrived from the east. I called it an early night as I needed to get to Mount Pleasant early tomorrow morning.
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