Maxi the military Model A and Jay and George are working their way across middle America…

On Thursday, they drove from Colorado Springs, CO, to Higginsville, Missouri, just east of Kansas City, MO, (635 miles).

The first photo the guys sent from Kansas shows a young Ike and Mamie at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas.

Operated by the National Archives, this facility displays the extraordinary life and legacy of the only 5-star General who became President of the United States. I’m sure you’ll hear more about him when Maxie actually joins the official Lincoln Highway Military Convoy recreation!

As Maxi zipped through Kansas, the next photo I received shows George’s long-time friend John & his wife at a highway stop in Kansas City, just before leaving Kansas.  (Note:  when referring to Maxi, I use the term “zipped” loosely, as she would be a LOT slower without the benefit of the trailer!)

Well, that was certainly a whirlwind tour through Kansas!  I think they lost another hour as well, and it was late by the time they reached Higginsville, Missouri.

They made up for the dearth of Thursday photos by getting an early start on Friday morning as they prepared to leave Higginsville, MO:

The projected schedule for Friday is Higginsville, MO, to Dayton, OH, (approximately 560 miles):

The camera was clearly much more active today (maybe because George has recovered from his altitude sickness in Colorado?)  Here are some morning shots of the Missouri River after they had crossed into Missouri.

Zip!  There went Missouri!  And here they are in Illinois:

As many of you know, Jay has a particular fondness for military memorials – especially those honoring our Prisoners of War and Missing In Action military.

And here, near the intersection of Interstates 57 & 70, they found a 198-foot Cross structure in Effingham, Illinois.

Quite an eye-catcher!  Followed by a more modest cross in Bolin, Illinois:

And on to Indiana:

That last photo has a story…  It’s a 40-foot tall metal sculpture called “Life Evolving”. It represents a ribonucleic acid (RNA) nucleotide molecule (!) and it’s on display near the Meridian Street ramp to I-70, just south of the Eli Lilly and Company campus. “Life Evolving” was the final public art installation in A Greener Welcome – the 2010 Lilly Global Day of Service project in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

And, finally, here comes OHIO!

And their final roosting place for the (late) night is Beavercreek, Ohio, just a little southeast of Dayton.  Actual milage for the day was 576.  George has sent me a video of restored aircraft.  If I can figure out how to include it, I’ll show you on the next post.

I think the guys’ agenda for tomorrow is an early morning visit to the Air Force Museum before heading South toward Nashville and our daughter Adina.

Goodnight!