Road Trippin’: Have You Been To Eldridge? You Can Go If You Want.

Lauren Alexis Wood
Nov 3 · 4 min read

Eldridge, Iowa is a small town in Iowa about 10 miles north of the Quad City area. It’s cute. It has some stuff. People live there. The one place I wanted to hit up was closed. It’s a sleepy community on Sunday afternoon.

It’s. All. Good.

It’s fall so I’ve spent this entire weekend being really active outside before snow and cold and a violent and unpredictable seasonal psychosis trap me inside my studio apartment writing unbelievable horror until spring.

Yesterday I went to Hampton, IL so I thought today might be a good day to go to Eldridge, IA.

“Why are you taking day trips to such random and, frankly, strange, small, and boring places?”

Because I don’t feel like I could effectively ride my bike to Nashville or Memphis or Toledo. You know, someplace more exciting. I don’t have a valid driver’s license nor car at the moment so I have to pick vacation spots I can ride my bike to.

“That’s weird. Aren’t you an adult? Do you have, like, 14 D.U.I.’s or something?”

No. I have a lead foot and I don’t think speed limit laws should apply to me and I am wrong on that. You know what? I don’t really like your judgmental tone so maybe this particular travel blog isn’t for you. Go suck an egg.

Anyway, today was another beautiful day so I set out on my way north.

Side Note: You cannot travel between two points within the state of Iowa, regardless of how remote, without passing a Casey’s.

Absolutely beautiful.

Um, is this going to be way farther than I had gambled on? I’m sure it’s fine.

Is this the right way?

Honestly?

If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Sweet. I made it! Man, I’m awesome! I’ll fight you Lance Armstrong. I don’t even have one ball and I’ve ridden my bike (simply for leisure) almost 50 miles this weekend.

Come at me, bro!

Okay, I’m ready to eat food now after that.

Where should I go?

Yes.

Hell. Yes. All of this for $10???

I fucking LOVE Iowa!

Okay. So after that I went to see if the one place I had in mind was open. It wasn’t. I stopped into a resale shop to see if there was anything weird.

Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Time to head back.

Okay, hold up…

This road seems way longer than on the way here, and also, I don’t remember there being any snow earlier.

I can’t do this. I’ll just get an Uber.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Okay, seriously? Next weekend I’m staying home.

Lauren Alexis Wood

Written by

Founder/Owner of Paradisiac Publishing paradisiacpublishing.tumblr.com youcanbuymybooksifyouwant.tumblr.com https://laurenalexiswood.yolasite.com

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