Starting mileage: 9,384
Ending mileage: 9,652
Gas purchased in Oglesby, IL: $4.40 per gallon
Today was uneventful, a good thing, since we just drove from one 1-night stay to the other. Arden and I walked around the lake at the Farm Bureau campus again this morning. We both loved it. I like getting in a walk before driving, and when no one was around, I let Arden sprint through the grass. We got back just in time before the rain came, which is a free carwash. Rain came down hard during the drive but didn’t last long.
We passed more windmills which I forgot to write about yesterday. The large white base and rotor blades stand out against the green grass and blue sky backdrop. I tried to take a picture from my car but nothing turned out since I was driving 70 mph. It was too dangerous to pull over, and there wasn’t a good view of the windmills when I stopped for gas.
Why is the bathroom so cold at Love’s gas stations? The ones in Virginia are the same way. I’m not complaining, just wondering.
We are in a Day’s Inn. It’s run down, but manageable. The beds have white bedding which I like. We’re on the ground floor which makes it easier to take Arden out. When we were in college, Julie’s Dad was a traveling chaplain for the company. I wonder if he was ever here?
There are two state parks in the area, Matthiessen and Starved Rock. Matthiessen is the closest so we drive there, and we’re the only ones in the parking lot. On the way in, I see a sign for “hiking trails,” and I turn around. Again, only ones there. I throw a ball to Arden in an open field. A sign with “Water Falls” scribbled in magic marker is tacked to a wooden post. I would like to see the falls, but I don’t think following a hand-written sign in the middle of nowhere sounds like a good idea. I check how far away Starved Rock is, but see that’s it’s closed for the evening.
On the way, we pass “The Rootbeer Stand” drive-in. Last night, I had no luck finding a restaurant with outdoor seating so this looks like a good option. I pull into a parking spot and read the directions on the individual marquee. 1) Have order ready. 2) Press button – once only please. 3) Wait for operator to answer. 4) Give complete order. 5) To reorder, re-press button. 6) For tray removal, flip switch. I order the $7.00 Bar-b-que basket for me which includes homemade (ground beef) sandwich on an oven fresh bun with pickle, fries and a salad and get a plain grilled chicken sandwich for Arden for $4.00. Based on the name of the restaurant, I can’t resist the old fashioned classic homemade root beer. The waitress brings our food and has me roll up my window so she can click on the tray which is tilted at a 22 degree angle since the window is curved. In the 50’s when drive-ins were popular, car widows were flat, not curved. I’m assuming the change is for aerodynamic improvement, but it doesn’t work well with food trays.
After dinner, I go to the Laundromat which is my 3rd one on this trip, and there is still no love connection. I know I could do laundry at Ruth’s but there is too much catching up to do with the girls to take time for laundry.
