Carroll, IA to Mt. Auburn, IA

Our first stop after leaving Caroll, IA was Ames, IA - where I went to college at Iowa State University. We went to the book store, and then to Robert's Hall, which was the dorm where I stayed my first two years. Then we walked around the center of campus and walked through some of the old buildings.

Next, we drove on to Mount Auburn, IA. We stayed two nights in the McFarlane Campground.

We attended the Smalley Family Reunion on Friday night and Saturday. My grandmother on my father's side was Laura Belle Smalley. Shortly after my father was born, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and put into a state asylum for the rest of her life. It was believed that of her mental illness was a result of child birth. Laura Belle’s mother (also named Laura Belle), died as a result of child birth.

Through Laura Belle Smalley, I am a descendant of the Mayflower and a daughter of the American Revolution. Constance Hopkins Smalley (and her father) are my Mayflower ancestors. Her father, Stephen Hopkins, was an interesting character. Stephen came on a previous voyage on the Sea Venture, headed for the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. He was convicted of mutiny, and would have been hanged. Instead, he was allowed to return to his children, England, after the death of their mother. Next he was asked to be the intermediary to the Indians for the Mayflower because of his previous experience with the Indians in the New World.

On the way to the Smalley Reunion, we used Garmin to find the way, and arrived safely without any troubles. While we attended the reunion, there was a serious rain storm. On the way back to camp, by the same route, 18th Ave was thick with mud. We should have turned around. We got stuck in the ditch in the mud, with the right hand side of the truck up against a mud bank clear up to the window. No towing company would come out onto the road. The police tried to get someone. We tried AAA and Good Sam. They called around and no one would come. Finally, one towing company sent a 4 wheel drive pickup with a tow rope. We spent about 4 hours trying to get the truck out and finally gave up with the truck buried deeper than ever. A lot more rain was predicted for that night, and we were informed that no one would pull out our truck until the road dried out. We had to leave the truck and go back to the camp not knowing when or if we would get the truck out. We did a lot of praying and didn’t sleep well that night.

Stay tuned for the next day’s adventures in the life of Taylor Travels.