Compared to yesterday in Hannibal, not much happening today except travel. We crossed Missouri with its expanse of corn and soy bean fields and long stretches of wind turbines.
We crossed into Nebraska — our first time there — and arrived at the Indian Cave State Park, where we’ll be camping tonight. Beautiful, large park with wooded sites. The only disappointment was the Indian Cave Trail was closed because recent rains washed out portions of the boardwalk leading along the rock walls. We were looking forward to this because of the presence of many Native American petroglyphs. With a telephoto lens I took the below photo from the closed entrance of the trail, thinking it might have been a petroglyph — not so sure it is.
We hiked up one of the trails toward an overlook above the Missouri River, but it was steep and we didn’t make it all the way. Too buggy and we were too tired. On the way down we met this older woman (below), trail name of Tortoise, who was hiking up to spend the night under the starry sky. She is from Omaha, and said she was heading to Tennessee this fall to do another section of the Appalachian Trail. (Note to Kevin Cullen: I remember meeting a Tortoise when we hiked the AT near the New Hampshire-Maine border in 2005, but I don’t think it possibly could be the same one).
Coming back down the trail, we took the time to watch this soldier beetle. I thought it was a lightning bug, but Carol’s phone identified it otherwise.
We enjoyed a beautiful sunset while eating our dinner outside and then watched the darkness grow and the stars make their beautiful appearance.
I’m practicing my night photography for when we’re in the Utah national parks and the Grand Canyon. (Note to Melissa: the remote works great!).
Tomorrow is a longer travel day, leaving Nebraska and heading through Kansas to the Lake Scott State Park.
T&C Southwest Adventure 2021 
Sounds like another great day and the photos prove it.
For a Nebraska kid in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Nebraska football was a quasi-religion, so I ran out to get The Omaha World-Herald every morning, salivating for the sports page. My dad, however, required that I read one front page story and one editorial before I was allowed to turn to the sports.
— Ben Sasse
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