What a difference a year makes ! Around this time last year, I was traveling west on Interstate 20 across the southern US through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The Weather Gods smiled down upon me the whole time delivering temperatures in the 60s, perfect for topless motoring. Not so this year !

My route for this year's trip also took me westbound across the US, but this time on US Route 36 which happens to be 500 miles further north from where I was last year. Instead of waking up to temperatures in the mid-60s in Terrell, Texas, I had to deal with low-20s and frost on the roof in Macon, Missouri. The roof would have to stay up for now.

I began today's journey on US Route 36 heading west from Macon, Missouri. This wonderfully isolated stretch of highway parallels Interstate 70, but roughly 50 miles north of the populated areas of St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City. No metro areas = no traffic and a pleasant ride !

I have been on US Route 36 before when I lived in Columbia, but only in the eastern part of the state near Hannibal. Today's journey was a new experience for me. Not too long after departing Macon, I began seeing wind turbines.

The above photo of a giant wind turbine in the background of a small farm is one of my favorite pics from this day.

The wind turbines that dot the landscape in this part of the state belong to the Osborn Wind Energy Center in the town of Osborn, Missouri.

The Osborn Wind Energy Center began operation in December 2016.

Osborn Wind Energy Center, Osborn, Missouri.

I followed US Route 36 west to St. Joseph, Missouri where it intersects with Interstate 29, my home for the next 90 miles.

Being outside of any large metro areas, this section of Interstate 29 passed through a less densely populated area. I encountered very little traffic, which was fine by me !

Northbound Interstate 29 took me from Missouri into Iowa and the intersection of State Route 2 near the town of Percival and a fuel stop at a Pilot Travel Center.

I had been seeing remnants of snow sporadically. But it became clear at this point that encountering winter weather would be a definite possibility from here onward. I was hoping luck would be on my side, though.

From the Pilot Travel Center in Percival, Iowa, I followed State Route 2 west across the Missouri River toward Lincoln, Nebraska and Interstate 80. This detour was planned in order to avoid the Omaha, Nebraska metro area. Once past Lincoln and its 285k residents, I would, once again, be traveling through sparsely populated areas and an appropriate level of traffic. About an hour later, I stopped at the westbound I-80 Rest Area at York, Nebraska.

The Z4 had just turned 66k miles a few minutes earlier. At this point, I had traveled 1,119 miles. And this was only day two ! That number would significantly increase by the time this trip was over.

The marker above describes the history of the Nebraska City - Fort Kearny area as a significant trade route in the 1850s. Freight traffic was transported over the Ox-Bow trail which was convenient due to its close proximity to the Platte River, (i.e. a good supply of water). But this route was also somewhat out of the way because of the way the river looped northward toward the Platte Valley before heading south again toward Fort Kearny. As trade increased, the need for a shorter and quicker route arose which lead to the completion of the Nebraska City-Fort Kearny Cut-Off. The almost directly east-west route passed near this point.

Like most other interstate rest areas, this one features a lot of picnic areas connected by a paved walking trail.

A sculpture called "Crossing the Plains" sits at one end of the rest area.

Crossing the Plains sculpture by Bradford Graves.

This sculpture was created for the nation's Bicentennial.

Beyond the Crossing the Plains sculpture lies a pet exercise area.

What I liked most about this rest area was it's view of the nearby wide open spaces.

Farm directly behind the rest area near York, Nebraska.

These buildings looked to be abandoned.

The wide open spaces theme continued on the other side of the interstate.

Zooming in on another farm south of Interstate 80, York, Nebraska.

View to the south of the I-80 Rest Area, York, Nebraska.

Zooming in on another farm south of Interstate 80, York, Nebraska.

Another farm to the south of the rest area.

Zooming in on another farm south of Interstate 80, York, Nebraska.

Zooming in on another farm south of Interstate 80, York, Nebraska.

The most significant thing I learned from my previous trips to Colorado is that in my world, the drive to the destination is a major part of the experience. I've said many times in the past just how much I enjoy my time behind the wheel, and that "getting there" is part of the vacation.

For that reason, I decided not long after leaving the York Rest Area to forego the interstate and find the road less traveled.

I was in a part of the country that I have never visited before. A secondary road would be the best way to take advantage of the situation.

US Route 30 happens to run parallel to Interstate 80 once past Grand Junction, Nebraska. Perfect ! I exited the interstate near Elm Creek, Nebraska and picked up US Route 30, The Lincoln Highway. This is the same Lincoln Highway that I traveled on daily when I lived in Pennsylvania 15 years ago. In other words, if I turned around and went the other way, I would be at work at Bedford Ford in about 22 hours.

Mother Nature approved of Route 30 and rewarded me with some sunshine.

I passed by a westbound train outside of Overton, Nebraska.

This is a Union Pacific train.

The Union Pacific Railroad is the second largest railway company in the US and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Passing by the slower moving train gave me an idea. I decided to pull over a couple of miles later onto one of the many unpaved county roads so I could take some pictures of the train as it passed by.

A lot of the wide open spaces in this part of Nebraska are filled with corn. Miles and miles of corn.

I also discovered that those spaces are also filled with cows. Miles and miles of cows.

Zooming in on a nearby farm.

Miles and miles of corn, cows, and a combination of the two.

The train I passed earlier soon approached.

I pointed the camera and started shooting.

Westbound Union Pacific train near Overton, Nebraska.

Westbound Union Pacific train near Overton, Nebraska.

I could see that this was a long train when I passed it earlier. But just how long became clear once I stopped.