MoDayTrips: 2026 Michigan Trip, Day 12

Day 12, Tuesday, 22 September 2026 – Ottumwa to Warrensburg

Up early as usual. I check my emails, take a good shower, finish re-packing what needs to be done, then load all into the RAV-4. Since I have only a tad over 200 miles to go, I figure it can’t hurt to wait for the 0630 HIE breakfast. And I wait, for it’s late. I still hit US-63 before sunrise, at 0700 in rain, lots of it.

The terrain in this part of Iowa is hills-and-valleys, one after another. Most of the hills have climbing lanes. When it starts leveling off a bit, I see Amish buggies and wagons with bundled-up drivers along the right -of-way. Amish in this area use headlights & tail lights on the buggies, a wise idea on busy US-63.

I Missouri line 35.8 miles into the day; the first Flock camera shows up a half mile in. I pass Lancaster, where Curly Judd sells cars. Queen City has a staging area for wind for builders as windmill blades wait in a parking lot. Greentop is the home of Bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent; they’ve erected a billboard to make sure everyone knows.

Kirksville is the area metropolis. I stop for a comfort break, then leave the big road for an 80-mile run down MO-11. Dusty Blue is a State Senate candidate, and I see lots of sand in a branch of the Fabius River. MO-11 runs the ridges with lots of nice views which I couldn’t really enjoy because of the curves and wet road.

The rain is done by Brookfield. It has wide streets, a Burlington engine & caboose on display and a Southern-style mansion converted to a bank: the Southern Bank! I cross US-36 here onto a mostly-straight 60 mph hiway. I pass Mendon, then switch to US-24 at Brunswick. The Grand River there is showing no sand. This is a shorter run than planned, since MO-41’s damage in this Spring’s flash floods has been repaired. Its modern bridge spans the Missouri River, which looks about normal. Miami, on the bluff, is the birthplace of legendary pianist Blind Boone – it ought to have a road sign to let people know. Van Meter State Park is the site of both Osage & Missouria villages; it also has wetlands where bald eagles nest.

I pick up US-41 at Marshall; Marshall has a real MODoT sign for their “Jim the Wonder Dog” museum. There’s a bit of a slowdown at the I-70 junction due to the project widening the interstate to 6 lanes, 3 each way. There’s another Flock camera just north of C road. A quick stop at Aldi’s in Sedalia for almond milk; it’s drizzling again and continues to all the way home on Y hwy. My makeshift prairie looks pretty good – just wait ‘til I see my lawn!