Winterset - the vibe

Our little tour of Winterset and Madison County yielded many rewards beyond covered bridges and movie memories.

For example, Debbie shared with us her secret for discrete peeing in a cornfield. There are two tricks to the art. The first is getting far enough into the field that you're not immediately obvious to any passing motorist who happens to notice your empty car by the side of the field. The second is being able to find your way back out again when the corn is higher than your head. Debbie's secret is to go six rows in, and twelve stalks across. This sounded very sensible to me, but I still wasn't tempted to try it just for the sake of saying I had. I figure there will be other opportunities to pee in other cornfields when the need is greater. Now I will be prepared for when the time comes.

Winterset has a mellow sort of vibe. This sign in a store entrance is a good example: "I have gone to Canada to fish. Betsy will be open Tues & Thurs. I will be back on Aug 28th. Thanks." That's an unhurried attitude that I could get used to.

Alas, not everyone in Winterset seems to be so laid back. This sign in the window of a Dodge Ram (big truck) is funny, but still seems out of step with the vibe of the town.

It's a pretty little town, built around the courthouse square in the same model that I saw in Texas and many other US towns.

Winterset also reveres the memory of its favourite son: John Wayne. It even named one of the four streets of the square after him. I'm just a little too foreign and a little too young to quite understand what the fuss is all about. I don't have a relationship with John Wayne, but I do recognise adulation when I see it. For safety's sake I paid my respects before we moved on.