Why I love riding in Iowa

I'm in the middle of a week with my family in Iowa. It has been good to get away from the noise and bustle of the city. I've enjoyed corn on the cob and a tomato from the garden (most are still very green). I've also enjoyed a couple of good rides on my bike. While I am glad to live near downtown where I'm close to school and can get most places on my bike, it is frustrating to still be in the city after riding for an hour. When I was in France, I lived in a city with about the same population as the Twin Cities but I could be in the country in about 10 minutes. Here's a few of the reasons I love about riding in Iowa - especially our sparsely populated county.

1. Little traffic: I rode 19 miles on Saturday morning and saw only 10 cars. I lost count on the rest of my ride but it ended up being about 1 car per mile.
2. Country stop signs: Because of the little traffic there is little need to stop or slow down at stop signs unless the corn is tall enough to hide the road.
3. The wind: There aren't any long hills to make things more challenging but there is wind. I always try to head into it so when I'm tired I can turn around and be blown home. The other day I rode into the wind for 40 minutes and made it back in 20.
4. Mile after mile of corn and bean fields. Some people think it gets boring. I'm not one of them. Farming is one occupation where one's mistakes are seen by everyone who drives past. Great care is taken to make sure the rows are planted straight and evenly and most farmers pride themselves in keeping their bean fields clean (i.e. weed free). Some of those bean fields look like they have been manicured. 
5. Well-kept farm yards: Every now and then there is a place that is rather junky. Old cars, pickups and other equipment seem to be strewn all over. These just serve to accent the care everyone else gives to keeping their property neat and well cared for.
6. Fresh country air: no fumes, just what my grandpa called the smell of money when downwind from a dairy or hog setup.
7. Quiet: all that can be heard is the sound of the wind, the crickets and the birds.