Day Six: IL,WI, into MN

Day Six

 

I am going to try and publish these posts from the road as we have discovered it is too difficult to do at night and if we are not plugged in somewhere, the trailer battery will not charge.  This means I will post the pictures all at once when we have a good connection and some time, and also that my thoughts will be more extemporaneous and possibly disconnected.

It is Monday and we have spent the weekend with the Irish lad’s best friend from days gone by in a town north of Chicago.  Actually we parked in the parking lot of Big Red’s private club and hooked up to electricity for the weekend.  It was nice for Pakiitaaq and Larkin especially.  Larkin is new to travelling and not entirely happy being in a cat carrier all day.  By far though, he is the best traveler of any cat I have ever had and I hope we can leave the carrier door open in the back seat when the roads are a little less congested.  Pak of course, loves traveling.

Big Red brought us breakfast, fed us p-spaghetti, and woke up early to give the Irish lad his favorite breakfast of biscuits and gravy, which was wonderful.

It was a full weekend.  Highlights were meeting many members of this non-profit club in the unincorported town.  Members in this highly selective club include a cross section from all walks of life and many are the sons of fathers who were members more than 30 years ago. 

The Irish lad fit right in and surprised quite a few by correctly naming each as he introduced me, without missing one name.  I do not have this skill.

We were both jealous of having the ablity to have a meeting place in an area such as this where each member pays dues, bartends one Friday night per year, and contributes particular skills or hobbies to beautify or improve the club.  There are functions throughout the year such as the Corn Roast and march during the 4^th of July Parade satirizing whatever political topic is hottest, and right now are selling tickets for a grand $10,000 prize (among many other prizes) to raise money for building maintenance. On the grounds are horseshoes, a BBQ area, firepit, a vegetable garden, flower garden with morning glory arch, and a fox in tails conducting a jazz orchestra.  It is tucked into a hidden spot in the town and bordered by railway lines with freight trains carrying coal and Amtrak carrying passengers in to Chicago.  The interior includes a comfortable bar, pool room, full kitchen with a 10-burner Viking range and two huge ovens which I coveted, along with a banquet room.

We were welcomed by each and every member generously.  Many have spent time in AK and were happy to relate their experiences and travel advice. 

Another highlight of our stay was a visit to Trader Joe’s which I absolutely loved!  I have been hearing about for years from the Irish lad who once built and installed setups for this company.  I also had my first visit to a commissary which was just like a mall.  It was a wonderful visit and Big Red was a gracious host.

The drive through CHI was hard even though we timed it for 9:30 am, non rush hour.  We should have stayed on 94 tollway instead of going through Chicago on the Skyway Bridge.  It was still wall to wall traffic which merged from ten to eight and finally to four lanes.  The Irish did a fantastic job driving.

The worst things so far have been the construction with jersey barriers on both sides of a very narrow lane and the concrete road which tends to make the truck and trailer buck and bump.  The tolls have been astronomical as well, but I think we are through with most of that.

A new sight for us are the billboards which line both sides of 90.  I consider them to be a scourge on the face of the countryside but the Irish enjoys them, saying they are pieces of Americana to be treasured.  Here are a few of our favorites and some shockers:

AVAILABLE (and a phone number)

When you die, you WILL meet God.

She’s old and she’s out of shape.  Replace her.  (A furnace company)

When Police Kill, Should They Judge Themselves?

Take my hand, not my life.

Visualize Whirled Peas.

Vote righteousness.  Reject heathenness.

We are headed to SD and the Irish hopes to make Mitchell tonight but it is already after 5 and we are in Blue Earth, MN.  I am not in such a hurry as I do not think it is safe driving in the dark on unfamiliar roads with the trucks who really own the roads, deer, and fatigue.  More about the trucks in another posting.

 

PS The truck is handling beautifully and we have re-distributed the load in the trailer to make towing easier.