Checking out an Iowa Rest Stop

Okay... this one of the more poorly titled entries but bear with me. On our way west to the rodeo, I'd noticed the lights at the reststop at milepost 80 on I-80 and commented that they could be interesting to check out on our way home. As "luck" would have it, when we got back on the interstate after travelling some of the While Pole Road, we'd be there in just a couple of miles. Linda humored me and turned off to take a look. Sure enough, the lights were interesting. The thick black band at the base of the lit portion of each light shows the thickness of topsoil in Iowa since 1850; a nice way to illustrate unfortunate news.

The exterior of the building behind them was decorated with excellent agricultural themes and a plaque about the importance of soil conservation. Inside, there are several more soil related quotes, many by Henry A. Wallace. A brief history of the career and global impact of Mr. Wallace is also documented inside. It was nice to have recently read a bit about him after finding his home in Des Moines.

It actually was an interesting little stop along they way. (We also picked up new maps while we were there.)