Today will be our longest day of driving with over 6 hours on the road with just two relatively short activities to break up the drive. Our first stop was Iowa 80, known as the "World's Largest Truckstop” located in Walcott, IA. It’s a massive 220-acre facility with parking for 900 trucks, open 24/7, that serves truckers and travelers with multiple restaurants, a movie theater, a dentist, a chiropractor, a barber, showers, laundry, a large convenience store and a trucking museum, all designed to cater to the needs of professional drivers and the public alike.
Our second destination along the way was Circus World, located on the winter quarters from 1884-1918 of the Ringling Brothers Circus in Baraboo, WI. A 64-acre National Historic Landmark. It is the premier destination for American circus history, holding one of the largest collections of circus materials in the world, including circus wagons, posters, photography, and artifacts used by shows from all over the United States. Traveling circuses originally moved by horse-drawn wagons and then later by train. By 1947 the Ringling Brothers Circus consisted of four train sections over a mile in length and included 105 railroad cars, 149 wagons and cages, 40 trucks and tractors, and 14 floats and carriages.
Our lodging was decidedly less upscale than last night given there were few options in Spring Green, home to the sights planned for tomorrow. We stayed at the Usonian Inn, a nine room inn built in 1948 and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice JC Caraway. We dined on prime rib at nearby Arthur’s Supper Club.