May is finally here...

May started out with sub-freezing temperatures and a heavy, wet snowfall. At least it appears to have finally straightened out. I've been working through it, continuing to photograph the Loess Hills region of Iowa and Fontenelle Forest, and reworking my South Omaha series.

Here are three images from the past few weeks...

from

Fontenelle

from

The Magic City

Council Bluffs, Iowa

The train touched down in Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City, Iowa

My exploration of the Loess Hills region of Western Iowa continued Saturday as I explored its northern-most reaches. Much of my time was spent in Sioux City, a place I called home for four years growing up. It's always a bit strange to return to childhood haunts. Sioux City hasn't changed. A building or two is gone (most notably the Catholic grade school I attended with the hideous giant, orange doors) but the past twenty years have not done much to change the place. It's still a little run down and largely depressing to me, like running into a friend from years ago who hasn't changed a bit and appears to languish in a state of perpetual sameness.

That said, Sioux City makes for some pretty damn good photographs.


Also visited: Sloan, Hornick, Holly Springs, Climbing Hill, Bronson, Five Ridge Prairie, Westfield, Akron, Salix, Snyder Bend and Lewis and Clark State Park.

RESTAURANT, rest in peace

As I passed the Honey Creek exit on I-29 this afternoon, I quickly realized that something was missing that I've enjoyed for as long as I can remember. The giant red-roofed RESTAURANT, unoccupied for most of the last decade, has been torn down. 

I imagine the Missouri River flood two years ago didn't do the building any favors. It also doesn't help that exit 66 is an exit to pretty much nowhere not too far away from all the services and restaurants that the Omaha / Council Bluffs area provides. If a person actually wanted to go to Honey Creek, they'd be hard pressed to find it from this exit. There's a few miles of gravel in between and the town can barely even be considered a bump in the road.

Still, I'll miss seeing RESTAURANT when I pass by. Time marches on and so it goes.

RESTAURANT, May of 2009 

RESTAURANT, March of 2013

I spent the afternoon wandering around the central portion of Iowa's Loess Hills. It was the first great spring day we've had this year and I just couldn't resist. Today was a day of bearded old guys stopping me to say hello as I walked around. Three of 'em, all together. Us beards stick together.

Also visited: Modale, Mondamin, Murray Hill, Preparation Canyon, Moorhead, Turin, Castana, Hornick, Sloan and Whiting.

Ozark-bound

I spent a few days last week exploring central Missouri, mostly around the Lake of the Ozarks. It's been twenty years since my last visit and a lot has changed, but there's still some of the old tourist trap quirks to be found if a person looks hard enough. The same goes for my time spent along the old Route 66 around Lebanon, Missouri.

Now I'm back to Nebraska and ready for spring. Surprisingly, there was more snow in Missouri than there was in Omaha when I left. That is until Sunday when a freak 6-8" snowstorm rolled through completely unannounced.

Just a few more weeks.

St. Joseph, Missouri 

 Lupus, Missouri

Lebanon, Missouri

Also visited, Day 1: Atchison and Leavenworth, Kansas. St. Joseph, Rushville, Platte City, Peculiar, Creighton and Urich Missouri.

Also visited, Day 2: Clinton, Tightwad, Warsaw, Climax Springs, Lebanon, Waynesville, Mark Twain National Forest, Roby and Lynchburg, Missouri.

Also visited, Day 3: Camdenton, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, Eldon, Rocky Mountain, Olean, High Point, California, Jamestown, Sandy Hook, Marion, Marion Bottoms Conservation Area, Lupus, Wooldridge, Overton, Overton Bottoms Conservation Area, Huntsdale and McBaine, Missouri.

Also visited, Day 4: Rocheport, New Franklin, Boonesboro, Lisbon, Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge, Glasgow, Gilliam, Slater, Miami, De Witt, Cary, Carrolton, Norborne, Hardin, Richmond, Polo, Lathrop and Plattsburg, Missouri.