Starting mileage: 9,081

Ending mileage: 9,378

Gas purchased in Stuart, IA: $4.30 per gallon

I drove over 5 hours today which is more than typical. There weren’t a lot of options to stop sooner, and I have a shorter drive on Thursday before I meet my high school girlfriends around noon. Not sure if I’m ready to say I’m enjoying driving, but I’m not minding it. There are a lot of trucks on the road, but not really any traffic except for a few areas of road work where we funneled into one lane. Driving is more enjoyable when you get to experience the speed limit, and that limit today was usually 70 mph. I’m listening to the radio more and listening to Podcasts and books less than I thought I would. Satellite radio is a game changer since you already know the stations, and you don’t have to find a new station every time you’re out of range of the previous one. Sirius and Google Maps. Don’t leave home without them.

This is my first time driving in the Midwest, so I’m recognizing new names for gas stations — Maverik, Sinclair, Casey’s and get this, Kum and Go. LA doesn’t have big, retail gas stations because of the space needed. In Virginia, we have Sheetz and Love’s, which I see here too. Why should a girl have to choose between Kum and Go & Love:)

Tonight I’m in a LaQuinta Suites again in a nice area west of Des Moines. Between the freeway exit and the entrance to the hotel, I see a large grassy area filled with trees. I ask the desk clerk if it is a park. She says it’s an insurance company, but the grounds are open. It’s been a long day in the car so Arden and I walk to what turns out to be the headquarters for Farm Bureau Financial Services. The campus is gorgeous with acres of beautiful lawns and walking paths, one around a beautiful lake. We will walk it again in the morning before heading to Illinois.