patrick.net

It's the opposite way, but Galena, IL is a cool spot to stop, good food and scenic for IL.

On the way to Peoria you could jump off the interstate and go to Monmouth on the way. Home of Wyatt Earp not sure if you're into that, think there is a museum. Was just down in Peoria in May for state track. More of a college town and it does have some ghetto sections. Nothing really fancy or recommendations. But you can find your run of the mill hotels there if you need a break and do Uncle Bucks. Haven't been.

IL is a pretty boring driving state, but if you're off the interstate I assume you could find some cool places or just ride along the Mississippi. Springfield if you're into history and Abe Lincoln.

St. Louis you have the Gateway Arch which weirdly is a national park.

From there I really don't know much outside of the Ozark's. Been to all the states on the way but just one time and didn't do overnight. You know Texas obviously. Just under 1,400 miles. 2.1-3 hours a day depending on 7-10 days. So not that driving intensive. If your avoiding interstates it might be closer to 3-4hrs/day. 4 hours is usually my max and I'll break it up.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dxJcfUJSBzpXYTw26

Is It that much cheaper for the F-150 in Iowa?

In the market for a new or used truck myself.

Yes, I'm getting this one 4% below invoice, ~4K less than I can get it anywhere in Texas: https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/attention-great-deal-at-granger-motors-4-under-invoice-2025-f-150-order-banks-now-open.27464/page-1

People fly in to pick up these trucks and the dealership has a shuttle to picks them up at the airport. Probably the best deal in the US. They have this truly high volume gimmick for other vehicles as well.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Yes, I'm getting this one 4% below invoice, ~4K less than I can get it anywhere in Texas:

Wow! 100k for an F-150?

It must have bells and whistles.

It does!

Although even MSRP was only 91K.

I can't believe I said, "only"

You can't get one for invoice in TX much less 4% below invoice.

I'm not interested in trucks, but @Maga_Chaos_Monkey is spot on about finding the best deal in the entire US for the vehicle you want, especially if you're paying close to six figures. You can save high four figures to low five figures, which beats airfare and a hotel by an order of magnitude.

Grab the globalist deals while you can.

At least you’re enjoying the ride.

stereotomy says

Grab the globalist deals while you can.

The beauty is that it's entirely paid for through bitcorn earnings in my Roth account. In fact, I will still have ~60k left over for a new car. Not my original bitcorn stash but what I've made in ETFs since that became available. Technically I'm spending out of a savings account and not the Roth but $ are fungible.

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

At least you’re enjoying the ride.

Definitely. I've been working remotely since covid broke out and so can stand to get out. I like road trips and have some family along the way I'll be visiting. There is a small town of about 800 people in Iowa where I'm related to about 100 through my grandmother. A farming community. I was just going to blow through and visit one person but they convinced me to meet up with a bunch now. I was there when I was 4 years old and do have some memories, about 50 years ago.

Grandma ran off and became a WWII pilot/nurse. She lived in CA all of my life. Was still a water skier jumping wakes at age 79 until she died almost immediately of a stroke while picking up a baby.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Grandma ran off and became a WWII pilot/nurse. She lived in CA all of my life. Was still a water skier jumping wakes at age 79 until she died almost immediately of a stroke while picking up a baby.

The right stuff. Hope you got here adventure genes. :>)

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Was still a water skier jumping wakes at age 79 until she died almost immediately of a stroke while picking up a baby.

My wife's grandpa was like that, still jump starting off a dock to waterski while in his 70s.

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

The right stuff. Hope you got here adventure genes. :>)

Psychologically yes, physically no. I inherited her husband's bad back. I can still rip it up water skiing or snowboarding but I pay for it in pain later.

HeadSet says

My wife's grandpa was like that, still jump starting off a dock to waterski while in his 70s.

Now that is impressive!

She had her hair done a couple of times a month and didn't like to get it wet. So she'd put on one of those rubber caps and slowly get into the water using the boat ladder. Nine times out of ten she wouldn't wipe out and would just let go of the rope after about 5 miles (I think? She skied a long way anyhow) to settle back down into the water.

I hope you have some video of that. It's the sort of thing a lot of people wouldn't believe until you showed them.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Psychologically yes, physically no. I inherited her husband's bad back. I can still rip it up water skiing or snowboarding but I pay for it in pain later.

I can water ski. I won't be able to walk for 2-3 days though. Muscles I don't use, basically ever besides walking... done doing it.

Snowboarding I still do okay soreness wise. Best purchase I made was a butt pad for that. Not as coordinated as I used to be. So snowboarding I'm on my ass a lot. Probably in my last few seasons before hanging it up or handing down to the kids all the gear. I've been legit close to severe injury or death the last few times out. I don't need to be Sonny Bono.

Trucks with this idiot inflation and low rates skyrocketed in price. Businesses mostly buy them for tax write off. But if it’s not a write off, it’s stupid waste.

WookieMan says

I don't need to be Sonny Bono.

He was assassinated. For what reasons, who knows. I skied past that spot where he allegedly died on several occasions. Pure green level wide open shallow bunny slope. It seemed impossible to accidentally kill yourself there.

Ceffer says

WookieMan says

I don't need to be Sonny Bono.

He was assassinated. For what reasons, who knows. I skied past that spot where he allegedly died on several occasions. Pure green level wide open shallow bunny slope. It seemed impossible to accidentally kill yourself there.

If you know the slopes at that resort I'll trust your word. Only thing was he intoxicated? Politician, actor, and musician is the trifecta of drug and alcohol abuse.

I know I've hit fucking green mogul runs at certain resorts on a snowboard. Not marked as such. That will F you up in a hot minute if you don't see it coming depending on sunlight on a snowboard. I admittedly don't know skiing. Moguls can eat shit on a snowboard though.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

I hope you have some video of that.

I might have, but it will be 8mm movie.

HeadSet says

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

I hope you have some video of that.

I might have, but it will be 8mm movie.

Get that converted! For family in the future..

WookieMan says

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Psychologically yes, physically no. I inherited her husband's bad back. I can still rip it up water skiing or snowboarding but I pay for it in pain later.

I can water ski. I won't be able to walk for 2-3 days though. Muscles I don't use, basically ever besides walking... done doing it.

Snowboarding I still do okay soreness wise. Best purchase I made was a butt pad for that. Not as coordinated as I used to be. So snowboarding I'm on my ass a lot. Probably in my last few seasons before hanging it up or handing down to the kids all the gear. I've been legit close to severe injury or death the last few times out. I don't need to be Sonny Bono.

Ass is better than face. Stay out out of the trees. That zone is for skiers if anyone.

I could never get dual suspension to work myself. Just single boards from my slalom, wind surfing and skater punk days.

Serially. I tried snow skiing a few years ago finally and I had to stay in the greens.

Fortwaye says

Trucks with this idiot inflation and low rates skyrocketed in price. Businesses mostly buy them for tax write off. But if it’s not a write off, it’s stupid waste.

I'm going to pull a boat, travel trailer, overlanding and it's a quiet sometimes silent 7.2Kw generator, carry equipment to work on rentals and use it to be safer when I'm on non-grocey-gitter roads when crazy drivers are all over the place where I live.

Often in much larger trucks but at least it gives me a chance.

It might help if I get lucky and find >= 10 acres to build or buy to live on in a rural area.

It's basically a rolling yacht. :)

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

HeadSet says

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

I hope you have some video of that.

I might have, but it will be 8mm movie.

Get that converted! For family in the future.. There are companies that will do it for you.

When I did I forgot about an X-rated scene my former GF and I had made and they sort of blew up at me when I went to pick up the disks. One of which was labeled with a warning sticker lol.

She was hot, it didn't hurt their eyes and they couldn't tell it was me.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Fortwaye says

Trucks with this idiot inflation and low rates skyrocketed in price. Businesses mostly buy them for tax write off. But if it’s not a write off, it’s stupid waste.

I'm going to pull a boat, travel trailer, overlanding and it's a quiet sometimes silent 7.2Kw generator, carry equipment to work on rentals and use it to be safer when I'm on non-grocey-gitter roads when crazy drivers are all over the place where I live.

Often in much larger trucks but at least it gives me a chance.

It might help if I get lucky and find >= 10 acres to build or buy to live on in a rural area.

It's basically a rolling yacht. :)

Don't give me any shit about CO2 because it's a hybrid and my car is 23 years old.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Fortwaye says

Trucks with this idiot inflation and low rates skyrocketed in price. Businesses mostly buy them for tax write off. But if it’s not a write off, it’s stupid waste.

I'm going to pull a boat, travel trailer, overlanding and it's a quiet sometimes silent 7.2Kw generator, carry equipment to work on rentals and use it to be safer when I'm on non-grocey-gitter roads when crazy drivers are all over the place where I live.

Often in much larger trucks but at least it gives me a chance.

It might help if I get lucky and find >= 10 acres to build or buy to live on in a rural area.

It's basically a rolling yacht. :)

Unless you farm, I’d get less land. It’s a lot of work. I too mainly use my truck for towing. Neighbor has an old 350 coming up for sale, might end up buying his. Those things can really tow.

Land in TX is good investment if you can get mineral rights, and less than 10 acres does not qualify for farming tax exemptions. We lease our 100 acres for neighbor who runs his cattle on our land and keeps fences in order. In return, our tax is 1500 not 15000 per year.

Bd6r says

Land in TX is good investment if you can get mineral rights, and less than 10 acres does not qualify for farming tax exemptions. We lease our 100 acres for neighbor who runs his cattle on our land and keeps fences in order. In return, our tax is 1500 not 15000 per year.

Ah, out here it’s any number of acres, but land must be used for farming and be over 15% of net income annually for 3 years. There’s inspections too.

We do have a tax lady snooping around once every few years and looking little unhappy when she sees cows.

Bar in Des Moines...

How is the smoke out there? Just took out the garbage 30 minutes ago. Seems hazy as shit with the sun coming up. Low overnight temps so might be some fog here. No warnings or advisories for my part of IL. Hopefully the lungs do well.

Also, Midwest bars are the best. You'll meet some fucking weirdos. In a good way. Some bars are shady, but most are fun.

Not too bad but I noticed it all the way from Central texas while flying.

From GROK:
Modern ICE Vehicles and Break-InWhile break-in is still relevant, advancements in manufacturing have reduced its intensity:Improved Manufacturing: Modern engines are built with tighter tolerances and better materials (e.g., precision-machined parts, synthetic oils), meaning break-in is less critical than in older vehicles (e.g., 1970s carbureted engines).
Synthetic Oils: Factory-fill synthetic oils provide better lubrication, reducing wear during break-in compared to conventional oils used in the past.
Manufacturer Variations: Some brands, like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, factory-break engines on test benches, minimizing the need for owner break-in. Others, like Subaru, still emphasize a 1,000-mile break-in for models like the WRX.
High-Performance Vehicles: Sports cars (e.g., Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911) often require stricter break-in due to high-performance engines with tighter tolerances. For example, Porsche recommends 2,000 miles of gentle driving for some models.

However, not all modern ICE vehicles require extensive break-in. For example:Economy Cars: Many compact cars (e.g., Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla) have less stringent requirements due to robust designs and pre-conditioned engines.
Diesel vs. Gasoline: Diesel engines (common in Alberta’s oil and agriculture sectors) often require longer break-in periods (e.g., 1,500–3,000 miles) due to higher compression ratios and heavier components.
__________________________________________________
Break-in is required on industrial gearboxes and similar machines. Change filters and Oil after the break-in period to remove initial wear particles and extend bearing life about 10x. This is typically 50 - 150 hours depending on load. I used to teach about bearings.

GROK has more info specific to F-150 break-in. If you can use a higher viscosity oil, do so during break-in. Then switch to the recommended stuff. Synthetics are great.

Dealer told me no highway speeds until 100 miles, I'm going to drive it lightly until 1000. They said 1st oil change at 3k.

Thanks for the tips! I should have thought of that.

Bd6r says

Land in TX is good investment if you can get mineral rights

@Bd6r

In 2003, I went to the wedding in Italy of the daughter of a guy from Texas who made a fortune by buying mineral rights with cash up front from people who couldn't be bothered to really figure out what the mineral rights were worth. I met her because I used to ride the train to SF with her fiancee, an Italian guy.

She was extremely rich. The wedding was amazing. She paid for all the guests to stay at the Cipriani in Asolo:

https://www.villacipriani.it/en/

Cousins hog won 3rd place in the state fair last year. Going again this Thursday.

In some engines too gentle of a break-in can lead to piston rings not seating properly which leads to oil consumption and reduced compression.

I'm all over the place with this engine except for hammering the hell out of it.

The modes help me get different gear selection preferences.

Sport at 35mph, eco, normal etc. I even did a slow mile up a gravel hill next to the Mississippi River in 4x4.

Galena was nice. Had a fantastic Ruben on berry wheat.

That is Ulysses Grant's bed. I took a piss out front of his house. BECAUSE THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN!

His bathtub in the distance.

Apparently his wife could cook too. 20 course meals.


Thanks for the tips @wookieman

Dam and lock. Short in between noisy kids. Bellview. Unfortunately I set 10 megapixel and can't upload the rest, maybe I do so after resave at home.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

I'm all over the place with this engine except for hammering the hell out of it.

The modes help me get different gear selection preferences.

Sport at 35mph, eco, normal etc. I even did a slow mile up a gravel hill next to the Mississippi River in 4x4.

I'm at a Marriott in my room in Davenport but am able to use the free wifi Hotspot trial from my truck in the parking lot lol.

T-mobile does. Not. Work. Anywhere. In. Iowa.