Tolls

We woke up early at our Courtyard in Mishaka, and had a great breakfast.  Courtyards don't usually have free breakfasts, but this weekend was an exception.  As we drove to connect with I-80, Brenda took us to the campus of Notre Dame.  Their summer football camp was in session - a whole big bunch of kids jumping through hoops and various other exercises.  We stopped at a toll booth to pick up a ticket to get back on the Indiana turnpike.  (I forgot to mention that we had to pay on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Ohio turnpike and the Indiana turnpike on our trip to our motel last night.  Again we had to pay to finish off the Indiana Turnpike as we approached Illinois.  Our first few miles presented the smog of Gary, Indiana.  Even though it was Saturday, the industrial chimneys were belching smoke and bad odors into the air.  Oops - another toll booth in Illinois to let us cross a bridge.  We are approaching the city of Chicago and see the skyline (barely).  Oops - another toll booth to let us on the Chicago Elevated Throughway.  It wasn't very elevated as we went through the middle of town.  The Sears Tower was pretty impressive!  Thank heaven it was Saturday - the traffic was manageable.  Oops - another ticket booth to get on the Illinois Turnpike.  And another toll booth to finish off our crossing of Illinois as we drove north along Lake Michigan.  We never did see the lake as interstates take you away from interesting sights.

Wisconsin - beautiful farms, small lakes and lots of trees.  Our journey took us close to, but around Milwaukee.  One of my long time friends in Boise comes from Milwaukee, so I called him to announce I had just seen a billboard that read, "All of Milwaukee wishes Dick Rant a Happy Father's Day".

On we drove, and happened to come to the town of Delafield.  I pointed the sign out to Letty - "Sound familiar?"  She had been a girls' camp counselor there between her junior and senior years in college.  We pulled off for a quick DQ, then toured the town and area looking for the camp.  We found out it no longer exists. But we enjoyed the town as it is a big tourist area.

On to and around Madison - didn't really see any of the campus or town area.  On we rushed toward Eau Claire and the Minnesota border.  Rain started falling, but not so heavily that it affected our travel.  Minnesota, and the highway around the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.  150 miles to go!  Go a little faster.  We reached Alexandria, and basked in the memories of our teenage years as we drove through the town.  Our family cabin is 14 miles north on Lake Miltona.  We arrived there at dusk and were greeted by our cousins, George and Jeanne Ready.  It has been 14 years since we have been  here and seen them.  10 hours on the road for the second straight day!!