Same Day 3

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Day 3, Monday April 6th

Woke up this morning with 2 inches of snow on the ground and a wind chill of about 13 degrees. BURRRRR. We left Galesburg, Ill. around 9:30am and continued north on I74. At Moline, Ill. we crossed the Mississippi River and got onto I80. Traveled all day through Iowa, very flat with cornfields. In central Iowa we saw many wind turbines. At 3:00pm we made a lunch and fuel stop in Elkhorn which is the largest Danish community in the country. We ate Danish ham and swiss cheese sandwiches with raspberry mayo. So delicious, and no room for the tasty looking Danish pastries made by Stefanie. The name of the restaurant was Stefanie's Good Eats.

At Council Bluffs, we turned North on I29 following the Missouri River and the Lewis and Clark trail. Stopped at 6pm in Sioux City, Iowa.

Pictures include Brizzy, the restaurant, wind turbines and the rivers.

Day 2, Sunday April 5th

Off again, but a slightly later start around 9:30am. Said our goodbyes and headed west on I70. Just outside of Indianapolis, we experienced a severe thunder and lightning event. Some spectacular sights in the sky. Gail read in her book, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, about a great burger place in W. Lafayette, Indiana. Just off the Purdue University campus. It was an hour detour, but worth it. The Triple XXX Family Restaurant - a classic 50's diner where all seating was a formica counter and red vinyl barstools. We ate the classic Chopped Steak sandwich w/fries and their signature XXX root beer (and it wasn't diet.) Took a picture at another rest area when we arrived in Indiana. Also, included pictures of the flat corn fields.

At 6:00pm we decided we'd had enough of the open road and found a great Best Western that let us keep Brizzy and includes breakfast. We are in Galesburg, Ill.

Day 1, Saturday April 4th

Gail and I left Fairfax at 8:30am and headed west. Around noon we arrived in Morgantown, WV to say hello and bye to #1 son, Andrew. We lunched at a rest area, in the car because the wind was blowing about 45mph) on grapes, crackers and cheese. Arrived 5:30pm in Dayton, Ohio. I stayed with good Navy Friends, Bill and Jeanette Rudy and Gail stayed with her daughter, Sarah.

Had a great visit! Unfortunately, I FORGOT to take pictures of the Rudy's and us together.

Big Day tomorrow

I have my belongings packed for the trip. Rich and I will be loading up the Explorer tonight. I am so excited to start the adventure. Tune in to see what I'm doing and where I've been each day.

8 Days to Go

Well, as you can see I am counting down the days until I leave Northern Virginia. My days have been filled with appointments to ready for the trip as well as continuing hygiene at Dr. Grieco's. My last day at the dental office will be next Tuesday, March 31st.
The dog and cats need their health check ups before traveling, my Explorer was serviced and our health records picked up. By the way, our dog Brizzy, is making the cross country trip with me and the cats will follow two weeks later on Alaska Air. Sassy and Zorro travel in style!
Once I'm on the road, I'll be posting photos and comments of my travels and stops. I am really looking forward to this road trip as is my friend, Gail, who will be keeping me company. Isn't it great to have a friend willing to spend 3200 miles in the car with you. Even Rich doesn't want to spend that much time with me in the car. I think it is because I always want to ask for directions (and of course, he doesn't.) Rich will follow in May and his plan is to travel through Leavenworth, Kansas so he can say he has been to two Leavenworths. My hometown in Washington is Leavenworth. Rich also wants to see the wagon tracks in the sandstone and follow Lewis and Clark's path along the Missouri River.

March Blizzard????

In 5 short weeks, I'll be on my adventure driving across the country. Nothing new for us, as we've driven across AMERICA 3 times during our Navy adventures. This week we apply for the building permit and start making changes to the line items in the house building budget. It won't be a castle or a mini mansion, but even a tent on that property with the view will be worth it. (I mean a nice tent. haha)
Today, in Northern Virginia we are experiencing heavy winds and heavy snow. No, we can't get a snow storm during the middle of winter, we have to get it in March. My deck has about 3 or 4 inches of snow right now and it is still coming down strong. My prayers lately revolve around the snow melting and the winds drying out our mountain in Washington. Then, they start construction.