Almost 153 years to the day that Jesse James led the first train robbery of the West, he took me out as well. Or really, the selfie station at the memorial site did.

Westward Ho

My daughter decided to attend college in Iowa, so I loaded my covered SUV with provisions and headed West from Ohio. After spending the night in her apartment, which was so fancy I didn’t want to remember my college apartment where they painted the hallways and elevators brown to hide the filth, I headed further West on a solo road trip. 

As I trekked through Iowa, I detoured to see the world’s largest bull, a Danish windmill, and even the Bridges of Madison County. Side note, that book/movie begins with the husband taking the kids to the State Fair. When my husband similarly left me behind, we had an agreement that if Matthew McConaughey (my choice over Clint Eastwood) stopped by and needed to take a bath, I could let him.

Adair You

Adair, Iowa, population 791, greets you with a sunny yellow water tower with a smiley face that looks like it was designed using Microsoft Paint. The town is inexplicably named after the 8^th Governor of Kentucky.

And it’s where Jesse James and his gang stole $3,000 from the Rock Island Express on July 21, 1873, after derailing it southwest of town. The world's first successful robbery of a moving train.

And now the site where a 52-year-old woman fell on her ass trying to take a selfie.

Truly Historical Moment

The Jesse James Historical Site, as it is so cleverly named, sits not far from Interstate 80. The “site” is just a curved swipe of asphalt on a small hill off a side road. There is a wooden sign with the site name, a few feet of rail track and a locomotive wheel with a metal sign that reads, “Site of the first train robbery of the West. Committed by the notorious Jesse James and his gang of outlaws.”

Next to the asphalt is a little station that invites you to take a selfie. How fun, I thought, moments before crashing to the ground. So I put my phone on the holder and started the countdown. I saw that you couldn’t see any of the sign or wheel or track where I was standing, so I quickly backpedaled to get in a better position.

And then, in slow motion, I realized my feet weren’t under me anymore and that I had probably tripped on the asphalt lip and this was going to hurt, and how was the selfie even going to work, and dang this was going to hurt. The world sped back up and I was laying on my back on the ground.

Based on the bruises and aches I had afterward, I broke some of my fall with my hands, slammed my right elbow into the asphalt and landed abruptly on my well-padded behind.

Remember, I was taking a selfie. So after I recovered and figured out how to heave my 52-year-old self off the Jesse James memorial asphalt, I checked my camera roll. And found this.

Feel free to laugh your head off.  

Fortunately, I wasn’t knocked out or robbed. But I have to wonder if this is the revenge of the spirit of Jesse James. I left Adair with sore palms, an aching shoulder and a bloodied elbow. It’s like the smiley face water tower was mocking me.

Like a true pioneer of the West, I continued my trip. See this week’s episode of The List to see where else I traveled. Where Have You Been Reading & Watching?

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