Milwaukee, WI

I left Altoona, IA in a terrible rain, before daylight on Friday. There was very little traffic and in fact I drove for long periods of time without seeing another vehicle in either direction. I am so glad I went through the midwest without delay because I see that the weather there has turned from bad to worse. The light traffic lasted until I got into Illinois and then it was tense driving the rest of the way.

I stopped at the Illinois Welcome Center and almost wished I hadn't! It was a full mile back to the rest area, around winding roads through the woods. I finally got there and found a very modern wooden building that perfectly fit in with the surroundings, but it was unmanned and I didn't meet a soul there. Since it had been raining heavily when we left the hotel and it was very early morning, I just put Lady right into the car. When we stopped at this lovely rest area I finally let her wander around and sniff the grass for a while, and then it was back on the road for a tense couple of hours drive.

I took a couple of photos of the Mississippi River from the rest area, but since it was raining I didn't walk down to any closer views.




I am enjoying the visit with family, and the drive to Chicago yesterday where we visited my Aunt in the rehab center, and then on to my cousin's house in Bensenville. My aunt is 85 and has just had a leg removed because of a blood clot. They are trying to get her strong enough to be able to use a prosthetic leg, but I heard from my cousin that the doctors think the other leg doesn't look good, so I think she is in for a difficult time.

It's great to relax in the evenings and just catch up on what has been happening in our lives. When my brother and s-i-l return from church this morning we will meet my niece and her family for a breakfast at a local restaurant, and then I will need to get prepared to leave tomorrow for NY. I think I will run into more rain tomorrow, but I'll just deal with what comes.

Yesterday while we were still in Illinois we found a place that sells the iPass, and I bought one since it can also be used on toll roads in Ohio, Indiana and NY. That will avoid all the toll booth stops, and I can top it up online or by phone if I need to. Any remaining amount doesn't expire and can be used on my next trip.