The second day of driving was longer than I had even expected. I'm beginning to lose faith in this Walmart camping idea. For the second night, I went to a Walmart, this time just northwest of Chicago and overnight parking was restricted and no RVs in sigh. Fortunately, I found another casino (Elgin, IL) with a parking lot suitabe for overnighting. Got the privacy curtain up around 12:30 and all was well until I was awoken early in the AM with train horns and a sprinkler pounding against the side of the Element.
The second day included about 13 hours of driving and I'm more than halfway to the Badlands. Met another Boston family headed in the same direction. Asid from glimpses at Lake Erie, the scenery was unspectacular farmsland, and LOTS of it. Driving through Elkhear, IN, I saw the Museum of Recreational Vehicles on I-90. I've included a picture! I was snickering when I thought they don't likely have an Element in their collection!. Also saw a cropduster spraying fields and quickly closed the windows and vents!
Since it was apparent I would make Chicago last evening, I called my son to get a reccommendation of a good place to eat. Dave competed (and won) three college curling Championships while at Hamilton College. He suggested that I stop at Lou Matnali's. They are famous for their deep dish pizza. The sausage pizza did not disappoint! He gave me directions off the Chicago Skyway that put me in the scariest part of the South Side of Chicago. I kep thinking about Dan Akroyd and John Belushi speeding through this neighborhood (no wonder why!) and the song that they performed (South Side Chicago). I turned around and took a less direct, but safer route. Mapquest doesn't figure safety in... A nice renaissance has occurred along the lakefront. Perhaps a destination in itself someday. By plane...
Today it is my goal to reach the easternmost part of South Dakota, which means travelling through Wisconsin and Minnesota. I will be excited to end the day, because tomorrow brings my first destination - The Badlands!
2 comments:
How'd you meet the other travelers?
What made the neighborhood scary?
I met them at a restaurant when their granddaughter pointed out my Massachusetts plate!
The neighborhood was entirely vacant and the streets pretty much empty. Police video cameras with blue lights on top of them were mounted at each intersection. It doesn't leave you with a safe feeling!
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