Sunday, March 05, 2017

DES MOINES IOWA TO LANSING MICHIGAN—A LONG DRIVING DAY BUT WE’RE ONLY 300 MILES FROM HOME NOW:))

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SUNRISE ON I-80 THIS MORNING
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Southerly winds not as strong this morning so our east bound journey went a bit smoother.  I figured the winds knew it was Sunday and decided to back off  a tad and relax.  I figure Sunday is always the best travel day of the week followed by Saturday.
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CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THIS MORNING SOUTH OF DAVENPORT IOWA
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SURE IS ONE MIGHTY WIDE RIVER ALRIGHT
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ONCE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI WE WERE IMMEDIATELY IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Had ourselves on the move by 7:30  a.m. Ontario time and made our way back to I-80 north of us along deserted streets which just 12 hours before were choked with the late Saturday afternoon hustle and bustle of local traffic.  Once back on I-80 we weren’t long in leaving Des Moines Iowa far behind us.
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A reasonably mild morning when we started our day but when we finished our day 10 hours later it was cold, cold, cold!!  Traffic eastbound on I-80 was thankfully lite and I was glad to see the landscape finally begin to flatten out the further east we went.  I don’t remember those Midwest hills and long grades bothering me before but this year for some reason they really had me ticked off as did a lot of poor road conditions.  Bumpity bumpity bump bang bump!!
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IF YOU CAN SEE PAST THE BUGS ON THE WINDSHIELD THERE ARE 2 GOLF CARTS ON THE LINKS THIS MORNING SOMEWHERE WEST OF DAVENPORT IOWA
Chicago traffic began heating up about 30 miles west of the city and quickly got hotter the closer we got to town.  By 1:30 this afternoon we were pretty much into the soup and were both surprised at how much traffic there was even for a Sunday.  We plowed our way through the churning morass of metal madness though and nobody even got hurt.  Well not that we’re aware of anyway.
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EAST ON I-80 INTO CHICAGO
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WE SURE RAN INTO A LOT OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE WAY
My goal today was to land us in the Lansing Michigan Cracker Barrel parking lot and that is exactly where this post is originating from tonight.  The past few years we have generally made this Lansing Cracker Barrel our last night on the road before crossing the border the following day.  This morning I just wanted to get us here no matter how long it took or how many miles we had to drive.  Yes it was a long day but at least now we are poised for the last 300 kil. (196 miles) slog of our journey.
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YES YOU CAN SURE TELL WE WERE IN CRACKER BARREL AGAIN ALRIGHT
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WE HAD THEIR SUNDAY SPECIAL WHICH WAS VEGGIES, MASHED POTATOS AND GRAVY WITH A COUPLE BIG PIECES OF FRIED CHICKEN
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GOT A KICK OUT OF THESE KIDS AT THE NEXT TABLE ENGROSSED IN THEIR SMART PHONES
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OUR LAST CRACKER BARREL STOP OF THE SEASON
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TOO COLD FOR A GAME OF CHECKERS OUTSIDE TODAY
With a little or a whole lotta luck we will be across the border in the morning and well within the hour drinking our first Tim Horton coffees.  Along with our coffee’s we’ll be chowing us down a couple big old apple fritter donuts as well.   It’s an annual ‘coming home’ tradition with us. 
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Chances are we will not be spending another night in the Motorhome until possibly next October and the way we feel tonight that is quite alright.  Only a fellow Snow Birder might understand the saying, ‘the best part of going away is coming home’.  It wasn’t that many years ago that I would have vehemently disagreed with that but not anymore.  No Sireeeee Toto, there’s no place like home:))
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WE GENERALLY GET THIS VERY SAME CRACKER BARREL SPOT WHENEVER HERE
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GROANER’S CORNER:((  It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.
A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”
Who invented King Arthur's round table?  Sir Cumference
A wife and husband both talked in their sleep. She loved auctions; his hobby was golf.  The other night, as they slept, the golfer yelled, "Fore!"  His wife yelled back, "Four and a quarter !"

21 comments:

  1. I hope you enjoyed your stay in our country and whatever the medical trouble is will be quickly resolved. I look forward to your Canadian stories again and your American stories when you return. Thanks for writing this blog.

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  2. Sorry to see your winter in the South end. I really enjoyed all your adventures.

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  3. Whew! Glad you had a safe drive - looks like the weather is holding for you. Nice to see those open highways as well. Soon you'll be putting your garden back in order and enjoying your comfy(er) recliner :-)))))

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  4. Hope customs is easy, my nephew spent four hours there last week. Seems they were suspect of a USA citizen moving to Ontario for two years for a power plant job.

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  5. I agree with you. I think I got to a point when I realized that I'm happiest when I'm pulling into my driveway! Safe travels those last 300 or so miles.

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  6. Thanks for taking us along guys! Look forward to more.

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  7. Home free today. Hope it's warmer there than here.

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  8. Travels safe and enjoy your Timmies stop in Forest, hope the weather warms up for you soon.

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  9. By the time you settle down to read this, you'll probably be home, so welcome home! Hope you get the medical issues sorted, I sure know what that's like! Looking forward to hearing about your Ontario adventures over the coming months.

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  10. Safe travels, you are surely on Ontario ground by now. Take it easy and good luck with the issues. We enjoyed 'travelling' with you two.

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  11. I guess your home now,or close to it. Enjoy, I hope the weather stays warm for you.

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  12. Yahooie Louie! You're almost HOME! Can't wait to see what your home looks like. Do you know if it has snow?
    We had HORRIBLE winds here in the desert last night. Blew over all of our patio chairs and our ladder! Good thing the ladder didn't take out a window! Phew! That's the worst they've been since last fall.
    Hey, you're ALMOST HOME!!!!!! :-)

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  13. There's no place like home. Glad you made it back home safe and sound.

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  14. Glad you three made it through the Chicago chaos safely. I hate going through big cities. Bad enough going to Walmart in Buckeye yesterday.

    Today is the final lap of your long journey. Enjoyed the ride with you and hope there is another year in our futures.

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  15. I love where I live. No matter how much I travel I am so thankful to be home even with all the traffic. Actually I am quite patient and have no issue with traffic because I fly everywhere. Have fun taking trains, subways, metro rails, buses, Lyft, and Ubers. I love the convenience of a senior center and social events in the community. I participate in community events, fundraisers every place I travel. The local libraries usually have excellent speakers, I love meeting people.

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  16. Wow...I haven't felt that Lansing chill for a few years now, but I feel it in my bones looking at your photos, Al. Glad you are almost home, and hope all works out on the medical front.

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  17. That's why we're so lucky: when we get home, we're still boondocking! ;)

    See you next year.

    Pat

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  18. Well it seems you're leaving a little early this year or I have missed something. Well glad you're that close to home. Hope you have a great nights sleep and you enjoy your first cups of Tim Horton Coffee. And of course that Apple fritter. I have never had any of that coffee so I can only take your word for how good it is. Have a safe trip and maybe we will get to see you next year. Maybe lay an Eyeball on each other.
    Semper Fi.
    Once a Marine Always a Marine.

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