The Wizard of OZ

This morning I thought I would try an Aussie voice on my GPS and see how I like it. I had Karen or Lee to choose from, so I selected Lee. He's not bad at all - I was afraid he would sound like the Geico Gecko, which I couldn't have stood for one minute! The only thing I noticed is that when he says "recalculate", he has a sort of disgusted tone to his voice. Like if I didn't get into so many difficulties he wouldn't have to recalculate. The rest of the problems I can probably attribute to Garmin itself.

I'm on US 12 in SD and a section of the highway was closed, requiring me to detour approx. 15 miles south before turning east for maybe 30 miles, and then north again. During that detour he recalculated at least every mile telling me to turn on roads that weren't even detectable, or were gravel/dirt roads. Of course I ignored him. His pronunciation is very understandable, even when he told me to "turn right on Montaner Avenue".

Another thing I love about this part of the country, there is no problem finding lots of good country music on the radio. I've been singing along most of the day, and when Lee was recalculating I would just tell him to "stuff it".

But to get back to the beginning of my day - I left St. Cloud at 7:30 am in anticipation of driving a fairly long day. I was ready for it, and my energy never flagged. I reached my planned destination at 11:30 am so I just drove on, not knowing if I would have to drive to Miles City, MT to find a place that allowed Lady. Luck was certainly with me, because in Mobridge, SD there are several motels to choose from - the first one didn't look very good, but the second, the "Mo Rest Motel", an older style where you park in front of your room, looked ok enough to investigate. I was greeted by a really nice young lady who quickly assured me that pets are ok, and I checked in. The room is very attractive, with a microwave and fridge, although I am going to go next door to the Last Chance Bar & Grill for my dinner. I took Lady for a good walk and we are back at the room, both happy as clams. It just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by its cover - this place is a gem in disguise. I'm even sitting in a recliner as I type this blog.

All y'all in Texas don't read this paragraph! When I arrived at the room yesterday in St. Cloud it was too cool to even turn on the A/C. While I was watching TV last night I even turned on the heat for about 5 minutes to get rid of the chill, and did the same thing this morning when getting out of the shower. It's probably about 74 degrees this afternoon, and you can just tell that the days & nights are getting cooler - winter can't be far off in the Northern Plains.

I love this area of the country and feel at home in a place where they refer to soft drinks as "pop". From Ohio to Minnesota it's pop and not "soda" which I always thought was just a liquid some folks added to Scotch (at least those who couldn't have appreciated the exquisite taste of plain Scotch whiskey).

I think I am about at the halfway point from where I started from to where I'm headed, and the driving should definitely be easier in the West. I noticed this trip that I was getting really tired after driving about 200 or so miles, and was surprised that today I really could have driven farther - even another 100-150 miles - but I was happy enough to find a place to stop and relax after 360 miles. I'm really sorry that I can stop and see all the wonderful folks I've "met" through the RVing and blogging community. I can only hope that our paths will cross in the next couple of years, and I appreciate all the offers of hospitality along the way.