2004/04 Boston and South Carolina trip - Wisconsin and Minnesota |
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We crossed the Mississippi into Iowa and headed up the west bank of the river to Dubuque, where we crossed the river again into Wisconsin, watched by a clutch of eagles soaring over the bluffs.
The drive north across Wisconsin was wet and cold, almost cold enough to snow, but the weather cleared at La Crosse, and we had a sunny run along Wisconsin 35 below the river bluffs and through the quirky little towns of the east bank. We spotted this Amish wagon in one of the towns.
We crossed the St Croix into Minnesota at Prescott, and stopped for an ice cream at the store in Afton. We were home by seven, after 4500 miles through 18 states and one province.
Back home, things had not been going too well. Joanna had a big problem with her Ford Explorer. Fixing it had taken all her money, so she’d moved back home where there were cars that used less gas, and there was food in the refrigerator. She and Chino (dog) were camped out in the living room.
When the day had come to go to Maynard’s funeral, the only car actually working was Michael’s Camaro, so they went in that, 3 people in two seats, and he spun it out on the wet road. Luckily they only had bruises, but he damaged every body panel on the car. In the end, Christina and Joanna did get one of the other cars going and they made it to the meal after the funeral.
The insurance company declared the Camaro a write-off, so Michael was hurriedly stripping all his performance goodies off the wreck so that he could apply them to another Camaro that he was already negotiating for. Various other parts of the house had also stopped working, including the hot water, so they were driving over to Joanna’s to have showers!
Things did not improve much over the next month and there were many times when we longed for the rest and simplicity of the open road, but that’s the subject of the next letter.
We are on the road again tomorrow to visit Karen and Stewart and Evan for a while, and then on a longer trip to take a look at the Yukon. We’ve found a spot to squeeze the printer into the camper, so you may get a letter or two while we’re away.
Love from Pete and Sandie