THE JOURNEY BEGINS

“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road.

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me

Leading wherever I choose.”

~ Walt Whitman

Our first night is in Milan, Ohio near Sandusky for an overnight stay only.   I spent the evening packing and rearranging all the stuff I should have done the evening before instead of toasting, clinking glasses and more toasting.  I was not about to trade in my neighborly send off for organizational issues! 

My intentions are to travel hard until I reach the Rockies.  I’ve already seen much of what lies in between and shall sacrifice the endless sight of corn fields for a more leisurely pace later in the week.

 

RVers are super friendly folks and I can’t stop talking – imagine that!  Met a family from Alaska doing what I’m doing – trip of a life time.  They traveled in one of those greyhound bus type campers and I thought my rig was big!  After a tour of their luxurious cruise ship, I am totally impressed; however, returning to my trailer I could only smile because I love my little traveling turtle shell.  I felt like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears – “and this one is just right.”  Turn in early and start early.

July 15^th:   Onward to Utica, Illinois.   Travel was uneventful and that’s good news.   

Hickory Hollow is quite pleasant with a swimming pool, a place to walk out the kinks and a fenced dog park.  First time we have seen a dog park like this.  Molly could run free off leash to socialize and take care of business.  I’m still developing my “groove.”  Temperatures are climbing into the 90’s.  Turn in early and start early.

      

 No neighbors here.  We at least have a tree for shade and …  uh  … other things I might dream up.

July 16^th:   Headed for Greenwood, Nebraska.  It was again an uneventful, hot travel day topping 95 degrees.  We stopped at a shaded rest area for lunch where warm breezes tousled my hair and refreshed my spirit.  I viewed the open spaces with a new perspective, amazingly serene and ripe for meditation.    Even Molly crawled up on the table to bask in the pleasantness of it all and see if I had leftovers from lunch.  Our contentment must have shown because passersby smiled and wanted to take our picture.  Alright, they wanted Molly’s picture.  Believe me, I just wanted the leftovers.  Cleaning out a yogurt container is primo!

With the Chicago area now in my rear view mirror, I was back to contemplating the height of the corn fields.  Remember the Rodgers and Hammerstein song “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from the movie “Oklahoma?”  There is a line about ‘the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,’ but the corn in Illinois and Indiana is as high as my knee cap stunted from too much heat and no rain.