Saturday, July 15, 2006
Road Trip - Columbia, MO., to Ponca State Park, NE.

A perfect morning. The first in a string of perfect mornings. We met at Jim Karpowicz’s house, where our River Relief fleet of vehicles and boats live. Did a quick run through of our gear and then jumped in the pond. The first in a string of perfect swims.

And then we hit the road.

Picked up Vicki Richmond in Kansas City, and then onto I-29 North. Lunch was in Rulo (local color and catfish), NE, followed by a gorgeous drive through the loess bluff country.

This was a road trip with a mission. No dallying at the Religious Artifact Museum in Onawa, IA. (with the Wall of Popes). No checking out the Ice Cream Museum.

Then on to Ponca State Park.

Upon getting there…we were immediately relieved. A winding drive through burr oaks and walnuts brought us down to the river. Our beloved Big Muddy, but less big and less muddy. We got a campspot right on the river at the mouth of a sandy side channel at the end of the unchannellized Missouri River.

Our first camp was embellished by Sue’s (Racin Dave’s Girl Friend) ready made pork, taters and green beans dinner----mmmmmm that gravy was stupendous….. Cocktails, stories and songs drifted off to cottonwood winds and snores….