(Part five of a series…)

We left Knoxville, Iowa, speeding along towards Indianola.   Though our bellies were full, we were somehow WAY ahead of schedule.     We decided to make a side trip to the town of Milo, and began plotting our course.

We made a wrong turn at a major highway intersection, soon corrected with a U-turn.   A few minutes later, my friend noticed a passing highway sign.

“So there’s no bars in Pleasantville?” he asked me!

“Oh, crap!” I replied, “I forgot all about Pleasantville!”

A slam of the brakes, a quick turn down a side road, and a few minutes later we had backtracked to the town we nearly forgot to visit.

And it’s a good thing, too.  Had we forgotten completely, or gotten there at any other time, we’d have completely missed out on what would turn out to be the visual highlight of the day.

But first, the bar…

#10 (#745): Back In The Day Lounge

107 N. Jefferson
Pleasantville, IA 50225
(515) 848-3642

[map]

So here we were in Pleasantville, Iowa.  The town which, in the online marketing of the 1998 movie of the same name, you could win a trip to visit.  (No foolin’!)

“So, must be time for a shot! Huh, fellas?” shouted the bartender as we walked in.

The booths and decor in this bar, as well as the exterior shape, make me think it was once a hot dog place or an ice cream parlor.

There was a pool table, a jukebox, MegaTouch, and video slots. The men’s room sink, while still high, was significantly lower than its counterparts back in Knoxville.

There were several people inside the bar, however far more were outside on the “carport”-covered patio.

We finished up our beer and began heading out of town.    As we neared the city limits, something zipped past us going the opposite direction.    Something too good to miss.   Something we had to track down and photograph.

We turned around and began the chase as i got the camera ready.   But where was it? That sucker was fast!   We’d spot it, only for it to turn and shake us.

After a few minutes of cat and mouse, we finally got ahead of it and then were able to stay on its tail when it turned again…

Good stuff… we don’t get to see things like this back home.  :)     Finds like this are what I love most about going to small towns over big cities.

Pictures taken, it was time to get back on the road for Indianola.    But in the end, we did decide to take a little side trip first…