By Dr. Bruce Smith ——Bio and Archives--August 2, 2025

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Recently I wrote of my journey by Greyhound from Bloomington, Indiana to Minneapolis on June 8 to pick up a new used truck. This column is about the trip back from Minneapolis.

The second half of my journey began on June 9 at the Minneapolis airport. I went south to Albert Lea, Minnesota, on to Clear Lake, Iowa, then to Cedar Rapids where I spent a night. Next morning I crossed the Mississippi above the Quad Cities on I-80, then drove across Illinois via Peoria to Crawfordsville, Indiana then back home.

I don’t get the opportunity to take my first drive in a new vehicle very often, and almost never for a road trip. It’s my first 4wd vehicle, so it took a little getting used to. It kept pace with traffic but felt slow because I was sitting higher above the road than I was used to. Like riding the Greyhound it never seemed like we were going very fast, but no one was passing us all the way to Minneapolis.

I really wanted this trip to be leisurely, but it wasn’t to be this time because I needed to get home. I love the countryside and small burgs and mom-and-pop diners, but I took the direct route and stayed on interstate and US highways between Albert Lea and Crawfordsville.

Minnesota has always seemed like a distant world to me. Growing up it was a very northern place and that appealed to me because of my love of snow. Back in the day........

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