ROUGH TRUCKIN ' ON 136 WEST

We left Hamilton, Illinois situated close to the Iowa Border expecting to travel 250 miles, with each of us driving two hour shifts. The Road of life is not a straight one, nor is Highway 136 West, our alternative cross country route.

It took us North through a small section of Iowa where we crossed the Mississippi River at Keokuk and within 15 miles, we hit the Missouri State Line over the Des Moines River.   

This is what 136 looked like as Jim was driving, not smooth, a bit rugged, with a narrow shoulder. I took the wheel just before we made Unionville. We came to a detour which directed us to Milan,  23 miles  straight south from 136. Jim couldn't find a decent highway on the map to bring us back to 136. That, as it turned out, was because there wasn't a decent road big enough to be included on the map. E and EE were winding, hills, twisting first west, then north, than east than back around again. 
The roads got worse and worse with potholes and bumps. Old bridges where the iron was showing through the asphalt, probably built in the 1920's. The motor home rattled and shook and felt like it was coming apart. Then, when we thought it couldn't get much worse, we came across the, 35 MPH Rough Road Ahead sign. Arrggh. That speed is meant for cars, we were only safely managing 40 mph.  Jim offered to drive, but I figured I needed the experience and kept on trucking. Sometimes coming to a complete stop for a chuckhole that covered both sides of the road. Luckily there wasn't much traffic. Even so, driving a "roller coaster",  cresting each hill unable to see what was coming at you, made for an exciting moments. When meeting a big truck, with no shoulder, all in all, it was a dicey drive for a newbie. One bridge was so narrow, Jim told me to stop, but the oncoming semi stopped for me instead.  Jim described the road as a Baja road, only wider with less potholes. He made light of it but I noticed he didn't get one picture and white knuckled it all the way.

 We pulled in at Maryville, MO approximately 50  miles short of our goal feeling tired and glad to be on flat ground at a friendly American Legion.

To the anonymous person who left me another message about Monty Wolfe. I have no ability to answer your comment on a comments page. If you'll email me at marymatzek@gmail.com, I can give you some detailed information about what has taken place at the Monty Wolfe Cabin.