So, we meet again!!

Wednesday August 31
Today will be a long, hot and probably boring ride on the interstate from Coralville, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska. It is a little over 250 droning miles from here to there. You may remember that earlier we had went to a Czech community looking for kolaches, actual spelling is kolace but that leads to pronunciation errors. We are only about 25 miles from Cedar rapids where Linda was born. We know that the Hy-Vee market there sells kolaces as we have been there several times including once this summer. So we decide to add 50 miles to our trip and go to Cedar Rapids for kolaces. But before going to the market we stop at the old Czech village and it looks much better than it did 2 months ago. Our first stop is the little Czech jewelry shop. We talk with them awhile and when we mention that the market and kolaces they inform us that the Czech bakery where Linda went as a little girl is open again. And away we go. In 2008 Cedar Rapids was flooded and the Czech village was hit very hard. But they have been working very hard and it really looks nice. So Linda goes to the bakery and relives many memories. "They meet again", Linda and the bakery and her favorite kolaces which have a poppy seed compote filling. What a wonderful feeling seeing the happy look on her face.

Back to her childhood

The Sykora Czech Bakery

 We also visit an annex of the Czech-Slovak museum which has quite display about the flood. So after a couple of hours in Cedar Rapids we head back to I-80 and drone along towards Omaha. After we get a BBQ picture in Omaha we plan to take I-29 south to Kansas City. But the Closed Road Curse strikes again. We meet again., the curse and I. There are signs more than 100 miles from Omaha saying that I-29 is closed. We finally reach Omaha at 4:30 and find the BBQ. After taking a picture Linda suggests that we eat there and then we won't have to leave the motel after we check in. So we are eating a light meal when my phone rings. It is Clint from Australia. It seems that he and Charleen decided to stay in Omaha for the night instead of in Lincoln. And the motel they are in is right down the street from the BBQ. We meet again. So we spend a pleasant evening with them and a bottle of wine. When we are done it is too late to write my blog so that is why it is a day late. They also tell us how to detour around the closed section of I-29 as they just came up that road from the south. It was very nice to see them for one more time.