Day 4 - Indiana to Illinois to Missouri

Allie and "dirty" Duke

It was so chilly last night at the KOA in Terre Haute, IN that we actually needed to turn on our electric heater when we awoke. It was hovering about 54 degrees most of the morning and the decision to continue wearing capris led me to regret that choice well into the day. Like going from summer shoes to winter shoes, so do I resist the fashion change to pants. Alas, tomorrow, I shall succumb to wearing jeans. Meanwhile, our destination, Denver, boasts a high of 90 degrees. Go figure.

Today was a very interesting day filled with all sorts of unexpected occurrences. The first was getting trapped in a Pilot Service Station. Maneuvering a big rig that's towing a mid-sized car is quite a fete in a station that should, but does not, accommodate gas motor homes. Two vans parked in just the wrong spaces while "G" was pumping gas and blocked our only exit. "G" politely asked them to move and was met with only a bit of grumbling by one driver. 

While driving along I-70 in Illinois, we came upon the "Embarras River." A quick glance at the name had me thinking it was shy... We then came upon the cities of Montrose and Mt. Vernon, two very significant New York cities to me.

Okay, now comes the tourist-y part of our day. We stopped in Casey, IL to see the "World's Largest Wind Chime." Little did we know that we could have also seen the "World's Largest Knitting Needles," but we sure did see a pretty big rocking chair! Casey was a very quaint and charming town that had tree-lined streets, with low branches that scraped the top of Allie the whole ride down Main Street. We high-tailed it out of Casey quickly.

Observations of the day:

• Mid-America is full of hard-working farmers,
• Driving through makes me want a farm house with a Dutch Star on the unattached garage,
• I can see why you would want a gun,
• I-70 in Indiana is either decrepit or under much-needed construction,
• I-70 is the straightest interstate I've ever travelled,
• Corn grows in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri,
• Walmart is a welcome friend when you need to park your RV,
• We gained an hour and missed when it happened,
• I can prep a meal while on I-70 and have it cook in the convection oven while rolling,
• Lucy survived I-70 in Indiana and has been a terrific traveller!

Once dinner was done, we found a Walmart parking lot where we could just stop and eat. We moved to a Bass Pro Shop lot to spend the night. A better parking lot and more welcoming.

It was a long, crazy and fun day! I can't believe we made it all the way into Missouri, which means no sticker on the map for Illinois...

Hanging with the "big boys" in Indiana - do we look lopsided to you?

The photo of Missouri's welcome sign was too blurry to post.   :(

The sign says, "Chuck's Boots." I tried my best to catch the shot.

A comforting sign along the road

Casey, IL - "Big things in a small town."
The World's Largest Wind Chime and a really big rocking chair!

My only shot of the Mississippi River

The magnificent Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge that spans the Mississippi River

A shot of the Missouri River

Dinner at a Missouri Walmart parking lot.

Deep thought for the day: At the end of a long day, there is nothing so comforting as crawling into your own bed (with those you love).