TRIP JOURNAL: DAY ONE

NOTE: Trip was 3,800 miles round trip; covering 5 states , two time zones, an awesome driver (husband), and sidekick/map reader/journalist (me).

Aug. 1
We got underway @ 5:50--a good time to hit the road. We'll still hit rush hour traffic up around Rockford. We will head north into Wisconsin, gradually into Minnesota.

We encounter fog as we drive on Perry Road, from home. Some is only mid-level, and not dense. This is not what we have seen early in year when it became very dry and hot, and there was no rain (drought). We've begun getting rains--some mostly spotty. But maybe now the weather has switched back--gradually--to normal.

9:11 - We're on I-94 heading to Eau Claire, and presently driving through thick woods. Cool how the other half of the Interstate is obliterated by an island of trees. A much better route than taking the boring I-80 through western Illinois, all of Iowa and Nebraska with pretty much the same sites, albeit a little more hilly.

The north woods is thickening with pines. Where there are oaks I see ends of the branches/leave that are brown and dead. They are just as dry as us!
We spotted 2 sand hill cranes flying low and close to the road over a boggy field.

We'd like to eat at Culvers for lunch, if that could happen. It never seems to work out that you can find a good place to eat. No McD's--bluckh!

11:30 - we got our Cluver's fix--had to drive into Menominee to find it, but from there were able to continue back to the Interstate w/o back-tracking. Cool.

Clouds have developed over the area, and I've heard they are calling for storms tonight. So, the clear skies have gone away for now. But scenery is good--hilly forests interrupted by corn fields and farmland, cattle in the fields now and then.

Now we need to take 694 around the Twins--or "the Cities" as our server had called it--so you take 694, and as you get all pass that city crap, it turns back into I-94.

1:40 PM
We got thru the jungle - just stopped for gas in Clearwater. We are heading for Fergus Falls--our stop for the night as planned.
Tomorrow we'll be driving through North Dakota, and be in Montana by afternoon.

3:40 - Got a room and America's Best Value at $72 ($66 bf. taxes). A very simple room with the basics, but have microwave and refrigerator and a big TV. Bed is small, but we're okay with that.

all for today, my pretties. Good night!