Lena, Illinois

The day before yesterday we stopped by the factory where our trailer was built in Elkhart to buy a tripod stand for the map table. It allows us to get the table out of the middle of the tent and really improves the living space available inside it.

We then drove on to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and got another stamp for our Passport then on through Gary, Chicago and to the Lena KOA. Lena is a quiet little town in the north east corner of Illinois. We decided to stay a couple of nights and I got a haircut at the local barber. He had quite a collection of DVD’s including the old Andy Griffith shows. He showed me one of the episodes where Barney got a motorcycle with a side car and proceeded to harass everyone in town with it.

The drive through Chicago and environs was a nightmare of traffic and toll roads. I was using the GPS to get through town after following our route map along the south shore of Lake Michigan into downtown Chicago. Then suddenly we were underground on an extremely busy road and lost our satellites and were lost. The signage on the road was poor and I missed the exit to get to the freeway and ended up fighting city traffic for miles.

Then I got on the toll roads. They don’t have attendants at the toll booth and you are supposed to pay with coins. Of course I didn’t have enough quarters and ended up going through without paying. I don’t know what the consequence of that will be but I am not going to worry about it at this point.

Bob asked about Bentley. He is doing fine although at the end of the day he doesn’t much want to get back on the bike and into his kennel. That’s one reason we took an extra day off the bike here in Lena, he needed a break.

Today’s goal is to reach Sioux City Iowa which will be 375 miles or so. So I better get to packing.