Hail on Badger Pass

Pictures L to R: Near Henry Lake in Idaho; An RV Pioneer; Montana highway; Beaverhead Rock State Monument.

26 July 2009 West Yellowstone, MT to Wisdom, MT 203 miles

We were told by many, many people that the route we mapped out was a beautiful drive, and boy were they right! Within about seven miles of leaving camp, we crossed into Idaho for about ten miles, driving along the shore of Henry Lake. The mountain peaks to the right of us were just stunning, and you could see that the Madison River follows a fault line. Being a Sunday, there were many people out in the middle of the river fly fishing. We also saw something we’ve never seen before…an RV’er traveling by covered wagon.

When we reached the town of Ennis, MT, we stopped to do some grocery shopping and walk around town for a bit. We ultimately landed at Corral Creek Coffee Company where we had lunch, transferred pictures to the computer, and charged the camera battery since it had died, and I refused to continue until we could take pictures! This was a great coffee shop, as they had all the specialty drinks (lattes, mochas, etc) as well as salads, sandwiches, soups, and a wide variety of cookies, muffins, bars, scones, and other wonderfully fattening desserts—all homemade! (They were also kind enough to let us take up a table for as long as we needed.)

From Ennis, we headed around the Tobacco Root Mountains to the Ruby Valley. What an awesome drive. The road goes through Virginia City, an old time western town that offers visitors a peek of a time gone-by with living history events every weekend. This highway we were on were gently winding roads that followed the base of the mountain ranges. Once we turned south on 41, we were once again traveling along the Lewis and Clark Trail, and stopped at the Beaverhead Rock State Monument, named for the huge rock that resembles the head of a beaver. This beautiful valley, traversed by the Beaverhead River, was the summer gathering site for the Shoshone Nation, and one that Sacajawea, the Indian guide to the Lewis and Clark expedition recognized and told Merriweather Lewis that they would find her people there and that they could help them restock their supplies.

From Dillon, we followed route 278 around Pioneer Mountains and into the Big Hole Valley. I can understand why Lewis and Clark chose this route, as it follows rivers or creeks for most of the way, and the passes were gradual climbs This route took us from 5,500 feet elevation, up over two passes, the highest (Big Hole Pass) being 7,360, and then back down into the valley to 6,000 feet. Going over Badger Pass, the first one, we encountered our first hail-storm of the trip. Fortunately, the hail was only pea-sized and quickly dissipated as we dropped in elevation. The valley floor is a huge cattle ranching community and we were amazed at the gigantic bales of hay we were seeing. It turns out that during the summer, they grow the hay and alfalfa for the cattle to eat during the winter, and leave the 20 ton, 30 ft high haystacks out in the fields were the cattle will be corralled during the winter snows.

Thunder storms are surrounding us on all sides, and the nearest campground is 27 miles away…so when we rolled into Wisdom, MT, Population: 150, and saw the Nez Perce Motel, we opted for a hotel. It is clean and neat, and across the street from a great place to eat—the Big Hole Crossing Restaurant.

And Miles to Go Before We Sleep...

Pictures: Baby and the Pines Motel, Newcastle, WY; Thunder Basin National Grasslands; Coal Cars; Baby dropping her oil at Express Lube; Wind River Scenic Highway (2 pics)

23 July 2009 Newcastle, WY to Shoshoni, WY 311 miles

There is a whole lot of land in Wyoming! It didn’t help that we traveled about sixty miles west across the top third of the state, then turned south for about seventy miles to Douglas before turning west again. We decided on this route because it was the only one that we could bypass all the interstate highways.

The drive from Newcastle to Douglas was beautiful. We went through the Thunder Basin National Grasslands, which was the epitome of the wide-open spaces I’ve always pictured Wyoming to be. Rolling hills, and sometime plateaus of grassland. We saw many, many antelope (Dave said they were Pronghorns) along side the road, and oftentimes they were intermixed side by side with cattle on the ranches.

Just before we turned south on Highway 59, off in the distance we could discern a haze in the sky. It turns out that this part of Wyoming is home to Thunder Basin Mining Company, which is the largest surface coal mine in North America. The mining site utilized those huge monster-sized dump trucks. This operation was massive. On the opposite side of the highway from the mine, a six-track railroad yard was busy filling rail cars with the coal. Over the next 80 miles of driving, we probably saw at least 10 trains hauling coal to whatever power plant they were headed for. This obviously led to a discussion about coal mining…we were estimating that each car probably held about 196 cubic feet of coal, (this number may be way off, as I have no idea how big a train car is) and the trains were at least 100 cars long. That is a lot of coal!

This part of Wyoming is also dotted with oil pumping rigs. We made an observation that there are many similarities here with West Texas…

We still felt pretty good when we hit Douglas, so we stopped for lunch and decided to go another 45 miles to Casper. So from Douglas, we headed west once more along highway 20. We thought we were taking a side road which would lead us to another road that would bypass a 40 mile stretch of the interstate, but much to my chagrin, the side road we were aiming for must have a secret entrance. Instead, this roadway merged onto the interstate, along with three other “highways.” There was no choice for the frontage road, and not a single exit for 23 miles, and there was no way to make a u-turn. We were stuck on the interstate until we hit Glenrock where we were able to take a side road into Casper.

We started looking for camping possibilities, but we’re not coming up with a lot—there were some for RV’s, but not tent camping. We decided to go into town and ask someone, and also, if possible, see if we could find somewhere where Dave could change the oil in the car. He has been wanting to do this before we started pulling the elevation gains. When the first few places he called to see if they would be able to dispose of his oil for him told him no, we headed for AutoZone. Right next to AutoZone was a Lube Express, so Dave thought, “It can’t hurt to ask!” He pulled in, and when he explained that he just needed them to drain the old oil, and that he had everything else he needed, they said, “No problem!” They were not busy at all…in fact they were just standing around. When all was said and done, they wouldn’t take any money from us, and the oil change only took about five minutes—Dave says, “Almost like a NASCAR pit stop.” While this was happening, Dave did notice that water was draining out of the radiator hose. We thanked the Express Lube crew (after they were done taking pictures, of course) and went in search of some shade to replace the hose. Once again, the parts are under the back seat, so we had to unload the car to get this job done. Once fixed and filled with water, we took out the map…

It was decision time…go back, and north 15 miles to the nearest campground, get a hotel, or push on. It was only 2:00, and neither one of us are into retracing our miles, and we were in a hotel last night, so we opted to push on to Shoshoni, WY, a long, desolate stretch of high desert—94 miles of it—to the west. This was far and away the longest stretch for us…probably because it was coming after already completing close to 200 miles, it was at the end of the day, and also, Central and Eastern Wyoming are experiencing a heat wave…and temps are about 10 degrees above normal—I think we hit 90 or so. Unfortunately, the heater in the A was working at optimum capacity. We restocked our water supply and a few snacks, with the idea that we might stop for ice cream at one of the three or four towns along the way. This didn’t happen, because those “towns” consisted of a sign with the elevation, and maybe two or three run down buildings.

We made it to and through Shoshoni, and headed northwest to Boysen Reservoir State Park, which is a reservoir along route 20 as it heads toward Thermopolis, WY. We are stopped, on the lake, which looks and feels an awful lot like Lake Havasu, on the Colorado River. So after nine hours of driving, and over three hundred miles, we are crashing. Our only consolation is that tomorrow’s drive will be shorter.

24 July 2009 About 5 miles north of Shoshoni, WY to Cody, WY

Once the mosquitoes started attacking last night we quickly brushed our teeth and climbed into the tent. It was a beautiful night. I woke up a couple of times torn between sleeping and forcing my eyes to stay open to watch the stars…sleep won out! (David said he did the same thing!)

We woke up this morning before sunrise and decided to pack up and head into Thermopolis to try and find a laundromat and breakfast before it got too warm (or the weekend laundry crowds hit). The drive between Shoshoni and Thermopolis is probably one of the most scenic drives we’ve seen on this trip. Traveling along the Wind River, (much of this area is part of the Wind River Reservation) between two towering cliffs, we felt like we were driving on the valley floor of the Grand Canyon. Absolutely stunning. With the river traveling down the center, the railroad went along the base of the cliffs on the west, and the highway on the east. We picked a perfect time to travel…not only was traffic light, but the early morning light hitting the canyon walls was spectacular. Supposedly, bighorn sheep and antelope are prevalent in this area but we did not see any this time.

After breakfast and laundry, we continued on our journey toward Cody, WY. We are planning on staying at a forest service campground which means no electricity for a few days...

South Dakota Badlands and Mt. Rushmore

Pictures L to R: Dave and Henry in Cornhusk; Henry waiting for breakfast; Highway in South Dakota; Wildflowers along the highway, SD; Henry and his new friend; Badlands National Park (2 pics); Mt. Rushmore; Baby and Mt. Rushmore.

21 July 2009 Spencer, NE to Interior, SD (Near Badlands National Park) 253 miles

OK. Before I start on today, I need to backtrack to last night. Dave and I were sitting reading when the thunder began rolling in the distance. However, when we started smelling the rain we decided to move our “camp” under the small cabana. We got the tent moved and tied down to the table legs, just in case the wind came up. We did have a pretty good rain, along with a lightening show to the north of us. During the night the wind picked up and it rained on and off…it was a good thing we were tied down. The temperature dropped down a little bit as well.

We’re starting our blue-sky day count again. Today is day one! It has been beautiful all day long. We made it to Cornhusk, NE today and I got pictures of Dave and Henry near the signpost.

Shortly after Cornhusk, we crossed the border into South Dakota near Fairfax. This is beautiful country through rolling farm and ranch land. We saw a number of pheasants along the highway—just walking—or sitting on bales of hay. We stopped to stretch our legs a couple of times, and went shopping at the local thrift store in Burke—for jackets. My little windbreaker didn’t keep me warm enough last night. After Burke, we stopped again in Winner and had lunch because we were not sure what we would find ahead of us, as much of our route would be traveling through Indian Reservation land. Rolling hills, cattle, grazing land, bison, alfalfa, hay, and corn were our sights for most of the day. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any fuel stations…By the time we made it to Martin, SD, Baby was running on fumes…when we got gas, she took 10.6 gallons! Pretty good for a 10-gallon tank!

We were also surprised to find that the nearest camping was 30 miles south in Nebraska—no showers or toilets, or 54 miles north near the Badlands National Park. We opted for heading north, because at least they had toilets. However, this made for a long driving day…253 miles. At least none of it was in stop and go traffic.

We did resort to playing the Alphabet game…however it took two days to get through to Z, due to the lack of signs in this part of the country. I also entertained Dave with some songs…Oh Susana…Down In the Valley…I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad…you get the idea; he did join in.

We’ve crossed another time zone today into Mountain Time, so we are now only an hour’s difference from our family and friends in California.


22 July 2009 Interior, SD to Newcastle, WY 165 Miles


Last night after we closed down the computer we went for a walk around the campground. Just as we were getting back to our site, David noticed a huge green caterpillar—I can’t even imagine what kind of moth or butterfly this turns into! Henry immediately wanted to play with it, and they were soon best friends.

For whatever reason, we woke up early today (5:15)…it may be that we are moving back into our own time zone, and our bodies are still on the California clock. It was so quiet, we had first dibs on the showers and decided to eat a quick breakfast and get on the road…hoping to get to Mt. Rushmore before many of the other tourist we were sure were heading up there today. Besides, it takes us twice as long to get there…we’re figuring about three hours.

So under blue skies again (Day 2) we headed west. Our route would take us along the southern end of the main part of the Badlands National Park. What we were seeing was breathtaking…especially with the sun still somewhat low in the sky, and it was not the “main” event! I coerced a promise out of Dave that we would return someday to do the main areas of the Badlands, and not just drive through them.

On the advice of other travelers, we skirted around Rapid City, SD and headed toward Mt. Rushmore. The scenery almost immediately changed from grassland to pine covered mountains. The drive up to the National Monument was beautiful; it even smelled good! However we were surprised at all the tacky tourist traps along the way…Rushmore Waterslide, petting zoos, Bear Country USA--Driving Adventure, Reptile Gardens, Play Park Maze, Flying T Chuckwagon Supper and Show, Fred Flintstones Amusement Park, the Cosmo Mystery Spot, the Presidential Wax Museum, miniature golf, …and more. Just about any thing you could think of to separate you from your money. They just kept coming…up until about 3 miles from the park turn off.

We turned the corner, and there it was…Mt. Rushmore! What an amazing feat! Majestic…Awe-inspiring…Amazing…Mind-boggling! After paying our $10 parking fee we made our way to the top viewing area for some great pictures, and then went downstairs to the interpretive center see the movie of how Mt. Rushmore was created by Gutzom Borglum, his son Lincoln, and the crew of workmen. This monument is well worth the drive from wherever you live!

After leaving Mt. Rushmore, we headed down toward Custer. Along the way we saw the work in progress of Crazy Horse, which is being completed by Borglum’s son, Lincoln.

We made our way out from Custer, just enjoying the scenery along the way. Our plan was to camp in Newcastle, WY, but the lone campground they offer is not something neither Dave nor I felt comfortable with. We stopped by the local forest service office, as well as the BLM office to see if there was any other camping nearby. There isn’t…So instead, we found Pines Motel, in Newcastle, WY, a small, family owned and operated motel tucked up in the hills surrounding the town. It is very secluded and quiet, with very comfortable rooms and reasonable prices. It just seems a shame to hotel it when it is not raining.

We're In Cornhusk Country...

Pictures L to R: Toll into Nebraska?; Nebraska highway; We're actually passing another vehicle!; Spencer, NE Campground.


20 July 2009 Osawa, IA to Spencer, NE 173 miles

Let’s see…it must be day three…yes, gray skies and thunder booming to the west. Well, at least we had two beautiful days of blue skies!

We got up and headed straight to the bathhouse for showers, and by the time Dave got out it had begun sprinkling; by the time I had my hair dry, Dave had the tent down, and car packed and idling to warm up. Maybe we are bringing the rain with us…and it just takes two days for the thunderstorms to figure out which way we’ve gone!

The rain wasn’t bad for most of the morning. After a quick Egg McMuffin at the Golden Arches in Osawa (one of the only places open for breakfast) we headed west for our first glimpse of the Missouri River and Nebraska. Imagine our surprise when we got to the center of the bridge and there at the other end was a big sign that said, “TOLL $.75” and a second one that said, “Welcome to Nebraska.” And here I thought that the admittance to each state was free! (Actually, the toll was for the bridge but this was too good not to comment on it.)


By the way...we are off the Lincoln Highway, since we've decided to head further north along the north edge of Nebraska and the southern end of South Dakota so we can add Mt. Rushmore to our trip. (I talked him into it Bob!)

We turned north just past the Missouri River and have been following the Lewis and Clark Trail through this part of Nebraska—beautiful doesn’t describe it! Rolling hills of fields, and the forested areas really makes it possible to imagine just what Lewis and Clark saw on their journey. This route takes you through the Winnebago Indian Reservation where we saw some buffalo—with their babies. Once again, we were surprised to discover that not all of Nebraska is flat…much of our drive today was quite hilly.

Just as we turned north northwest on Highway 12, just west of South Sioux City, Dave started concentrating intently on the car—he said it felt like it was suddenly vibrating more. We stopped along the highway where he checked the motor, but everything seemed fine. He ultimately decided that it must have been a combination of the roadway, the way the wind was hitting the car from the back, and the fact that he wasn’t using much acceleration…once we headed up hill accelerating more, he relaxed and said the car felt fine.

It began raining as we left Crofton where we had stopped to walk around the town for a bit. As we neared Niobrara, NE, we began seeing less corn fields, and more hilly cattle-looking country. With the rain continuing to fall, we stopped for lunch to sit out the rain and asked our server at the diner about any nearby hotels…the rain is supposed to continue…but she said that there was one 30 miles south in O’Neill or, she thought two in Spencer 40 miles to the west. After Spencer...nothing to her knowledge as it was all cattle country.

We decided to drive to Spencer, and once we got there, the rain had passed so we stopped and were looking again at the map for the nearest campground. One of the local ministers stopped by to visit (we were parked across from his church) and mentioned that the city had a small campground near the pool. We drove by and decided to stay here instead of driving another 20 miles or so to the next campground on the map. This city campground is right next to their county fair grounds, and is basically just a flat grassy space. They do have showers and bathrooms, and the cost was too good to pass up--$8 for electric and water hookups, and $3 for dry camping. The view to the back is rolling hills dotted with cattle. We are guessing that the electric was put in for the carne’s trailers when the fair is on…which by the way will be next week.

We have see such neat stuff that I’ve finally resorted to making notes as we go so that I can remember all the witty things I’ve thought of for the journal. So here we go…

Yesterday as we were driving past the millions of acres of corn and soybeans, we kept passing Burma Shave signs. Obviously a farmer with a sense of humor! We finally decided to take a sequenced picture of the next one we came to, but unfortunately, that farmer’s acreage must have come to an end, because so did the Burma Shave signs!

Something else we’ve noticed…as we pass through many of these smaller towns—they all seem to have their own resident monument shop—for gravestones, that is. I have seen more of these along the Lincoln Highway than I think I have in my entire life.

Now that we have the tent set up, clouds are beginning to gather once again. According to the NOAH radio there may be another storm coming in tonight in this area…in fact it might have some high winds and could produce quarter-inch hail…luck of the draw, I guess…anyone for sleeping in the bathroom?

Found In Iowa: New Friends and a Great Uncle!

Pictures L to R: Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, IA; Marvin and Carol Manske of Kelly, IA; Old Coca-Cola sign and Baby; Peggy and her Great-Uncle Don and cousin Jackie; Henry relaxing after a long drive at Blue Lake near Onawa, IA.

18 July 2009 Swisher, IA (Coralville Lake Campground) to Kelly, IA 151 miles

We had a quiet driving day and meandered our way through eastern Iowa. We made our way into Cedar Rapids…another big city…where we discovered a farmer’s market in process so we stopped and wandered around for a bit until the crowds got to us…it was almost a carnival-like atomsphere...and after all, we couldn’t buy any produce to cook since we don’t have any cooking implements except for a coffee pot. After the farmer’s market, we headed toward Marion and an Antique Mall where Dave found a Big Ben Clock…in nickel…something that he has been looking for a long time! It was nearing noon, and our tummies were grumbling so we stopped for what turned out to be a great Chicago style pizza at Zoey’s. With our appetites sated, we headed toward Ames taking various smaller farm roads in an effort to skirt Cedar Rapids.

I can’t imagine ever tiring of watching the scenery pass by. Yes, it is a lot of corn fields, but they are at differing stages of maturity so you see the varying shades of green and gold, and the colors of the wildflowers—periwinkle, white, golden yellow, and red--along the side of the roadways are just beautiful. We are passing by so many dirt roads that we finally asked someone about them. We learned that these dirt roads are called “farm to market roads,” and they are the shortcuts for the big trucks and farm equipment during planting and harvest time.

We eventually made it back down to the Lincoln Highway, and as we followed the signs into Tama, we happened to drive across one of the few remaining Lincoln Highway bridges where the guardrail spells out “Lincoln Highway.” Obviously, we had to stop for a photo op!

We made some new friends today...Marvin and Carol Manske of Kelly, Iowa. Marvin has been following our blog for quite a while, and had contacted us a month or so ago offering us a break from camping when we reached Iowa. We met them in Ames for dinner, and then we followed them through town as he pointed out parts of Iowa State University, and then continued on into Kelly and their farm. This farm has been in Carol’s family for, if I remember correctly, over 150 years. In fact, Carol has lived her entire life in this small community. Carol and Marvin are newlyweds, having only married a couple of years ago, and are both musicians—they both play in bands—she plays the piano, guitar, harp, and trombone; he plays the French horn. They graciously opened their home to us, and we had a nice visit with them before heading off to bed.


19 July 2009 Kelly, IA to Onawa, IA (near the Missouri River) 166 Miles

We woke early this morning so Dave would have time to service the car before heading out. After a nice breakfast, we loaded up the car and said of good-byes to Marvin and Carol as they were heading off to church and we headed back toward Ames. We took the smaller side roads today that veer off the Highway 30, because the original LH went through small towns that are now one to two miles north or south of the 30. We traveled through Boone, IA, the birthplace of Maime Eisenhower... and Dave was excited to find an old Coca-Cola advertisement on the side of a building.

From Boone we were suddenly transported from farm land to forest as we crossed the Des Moines River and the wilderness area there. Once again, Hollywood has given me the wrong impression of Iowa—it is not all flat—in fact today we’ve been driving through quite a bit of rolling hills. If you could take out all the corn and soybean fields and replace them with grape vineyards, it would look an awful lot like the Napa Valley in California. I guess it is the climate that dictates the crops…anyway, it was just beautiful.

We stopped in Carroll, IA, to have lunch with Peggy’s Great Uncle, Don Neil, and cousin Jackie and her husband, Mike. Don is Peggy’s grandfather’s younger brother. At lunch, we decided that the last time Peggy had seen them was when she was about 8 or 9 years old, since they had moved to Iowa in 1970.

After lunch we continue west until we nearly hit the Missouri River. We’re stopped for the night at Blue Lake KOA near Onawa. It is relaxing here—we have a lake side campsite and with the boats and jet skis on the lake, we are mentally transported to our all time favorite place, Lake Havasu, Arizona. We actually got here early enough that I can update our journal, blog, and pictures, and I’ll still have time to relax…

Record Cold Temps in the Midwest!

Pictures: Laundry day in Shabbonna, IL; A Sunny Day in IL; Not all roads are paved!; Liquid Sunshine Blocking the Road in Iowa.

17 July 2009 Sabbonna, IL to Coralville Lake Resivoir, IA 167 miles

We woke up to absolutely clear blue skies this morning—not a cloud in site! Dressing in shorts and t-shirts in anticipation of the warm weather, and the even warmer floor heat in the car, we drove into Sabbonna and found probably the nicest laundry mat we have frequented on this trip. While our clothes were swirling in the machines, we went next door to the Kountry Kitchen for breakfast. By the time we got done with breakfast, the sky was filled with clouds… there was not one spot of blue sky to be seen. So with cloudy skies above and ahead of us, again, we turned west along route 30 and the Lincoln Highway.

Most of the drive today was uneventful. We got a few sprinkles along the way, but most of the big rain was to the south of us. Our gas mileage was not so good …we did have a pretty good head wind , and sometimes a crosswind, for much of the day—right around 24 mph or so. We crossed the Mississippi from Fulton, IN into Clinton, IA—it is interesting to see how the river changes from the south to the north. In an effort to bypass the busy divided highway along route 30 in Clinton, we tried to catch a smaller road just north of it, but for whatever reason, missed it completely. After heading north for about 10 miles, we took one of the westward dirt farm roads until we came to another paved road. It was actually kind of fun…and I must say, this dirt road was smoother than many of the highways we’ve traveled on in California!

When we stopped in De Witt, IA for a bit to stretch our legs, we nearly froze. “NO,” he tells me…”you won’t need a jacket…we’re going through the south and the Midwest in the middle of July!” It was a “cool” 59 degrees at 2:00 in the afternoon. Even David is admitting that he is cold. According to the newspapers, this area is experiencing record low temperatures for mid-July, the last one set in 1883 or something like that.

On the road again…we continued west and finally decided to stop for the day as we were just east of Cedar Rapids . Heading south on the way to the second campground (the first one was filled to capacity), Hannah routed us on a dirt road which ended up being washed out due to recent rains, and the fill level of the reservoir. Dave got me going when he put the car in first gear and made it look like he was going to go straight through the water—I admit, I freaked and started yelling. He did turn around, and as we made our way out the dirt road, a mom and her fawn—complete with white spots—ran across the road in front of us. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera in hand, as I was still yelling at David!

We are stopped for the night at a beautiful campground on Coralville Lake called Sandy Beach. Clean, spacious, with great level RV sites, as well as tent camping sites. They only had one tent site left available, but when they found out we were only needing it for one night, they gave us “their best site”; apparently it is the one that people are always fighting over because of the view--it is on the point, over looking the lake. Another nearby camper who was leaving offered us their wood, so we are pretty well set for the evening.

Severe Weather Near The Windy City

Pictures L to R: Waiting on the train in Indiana; Traffic in the Chicago Suburbs makes for a grumpy Dave; Cornhusker--We're headed in the right direction!; Storm clouds over Lake Sabbonna, IL, where we're camped; Ricky Raccoon passing by our porch.

16 July 2009 Albion, IN to Sabbonna, IN 219 miles

Blame the high miles on the big cities…all we want to do is get through them. Indiana has some big critters—both the eight legged variety and something else, we’re not sure what it is—but it was on our tent—about one and one-half inches long, and ugly!

We stopped in Albion to gas up—and were surprised to see that our tank took 10.396 gallons! I guess we were running on fumes from the campground…After breakfast at the Harvest Café, we headed out in search of the Lincoln Highway. This has actually been more of a challenge than we thought it would be, especially when we came to the larger towns or villages. At one point we were driving along, following the signs, and suddenly we were headed in a completely different direction. This could be fun… at least until we neared Chicago.

Although the route we were taking was about 20 miles south of “The Windy City,” traffic was stop and go with multiple stop lights and stop signs, and the LH signs were often taking us through the not-so-good parts of town. We did pass by the Ford Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights, and were stopped for a while by a cool looking draw bridge that was up in Joliet, IL, letting multiple strings of barges through that were carrying sand down the canal. Which canal…we have no idea!

After passing through Plainfield, IL, (which has a neat downtown historic district), we were literally driving through fields of soybean and corn, and brand new houses that were planted—much like Roseville or Natomas—in what used to be fields. I guess this area is the suburbs of Chicago. We were heading west, toward a state campground, when we noticed the dark thunder-clouds building. After a discussion about tornadoes, I have to admit I was a bit frightened…then…

For the first time on this trip, our NOAH weather radio went off with its severe weather warning—for the storm that we were headed for. No town in sight and the closest motel about 20 miles away, we continued on to the campground. Just before we got to the campground, it started raining. The campground host mentioned that they had one rustic cabin available for tonight if we were interested—no bathroom or kitchen—just mattresses and a table and chairs. The cost? $25 more than the tent site. Obviously, the answer was YES! So now that the rain has passed by, here we are, sitting on the porch watching the fisherman on Lake Shabbonna, the raccoons walk by looking for food of any kind, the fireflies flit around the bushes, and hearing the bullfrogs croak their mating call. There is just something about that Gill luck…