Our 1,280 mile adventure

Sunday- Sept. 6- the alarm goes at 3:30 A.M. Oh, I did not want to get out of bed. But, if we are going to do this mission we must get on the road.
Our bag was packed ready to go.

Bud was already tired from the previous two days. Friday p.m. he picked up some guys at the O'Hara airport in Chicago. Coming out of Chicago at 4 P.M. on a holiday week end. It was trying.

Saturday he had taken some people to St. Louis to the game. And it was past midnight when he got to bed Sunday morning and up again at 3:45 to go again.

4:20 A.M. we filled the truck with gas at Circle K and head north on 51. It is raining very hard. The lightning show we saw the first two hours was amazing.

After the rain stopped, we were having to watch out for Bambi too. We did not want to hit a deer.

Into Iowa we decided to take a different route from what the map directions originally gave us. We have been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota many times since I normally go to Canistoda to the Ortman Clinic once a year. So we knew servel different ways to go. One thing we knew---- We would rather travel some of the back roads and stay of of I 80 ---I35 is crazy so we cut up the 218 to almost Austin, Minn, then cut over to I 35 for the last 1/2 hour before getting to I 90 west.

The directions to where we were to pick up the Cadillac were from off I 29 and we were coming in from the other direction. So I boot up my computer to see how to get to the guys house from the east. Was having some difficulty seeing the computer screen since it was so bright by then.
So this is what I did so I could see the computer:

I hooked my sweat shirt hood over my head and worked on my computer underneath, so that I could see the computer screen.

We got new directions and into Sioux Falls we go, street by street, oopps that street is blocked so we have to detour back around the other side, and we drive right up to the guys house. We do not see a Cadillac there that is for sale. Are we at the correct address??
Bud ask the young girl playing outside if this was the Swartz residence, and she said yes they lived in that side.

The car was in the garage, Oh, what a beautiful car! Heated seats, heated steering wheel. The man we were going for to get the car bought it off line. Sight unseen.
So it was Bud's call if the car was what the guy really wanted.

YES, It is beautiful! Bud got into the Cadillac and I got in the drivers seat of our truck. Now I must do the driving, no more riding on this trip.

By then Bud is so tired he states we will only be able to go a short distance toward home. We got directions from the guy the shortest way to get on I 29 South.
Stopped for gas in both vehicles and headed south. Sioux City, Iowa was about 1 hour south, and that is where we stopped at the Super 8 for the night.

Walked across the street to the truck stop for food and within 30 minutes after we got back, Bud was out---Totally out. (Yes, I even checked a number of times to see if he was still breathing). He was exhausted.

I watched TV, played on the computer---they had free Internet, so I didn't have use up my Internet minutes on Verizon.

Decided that when we woke up, we would get up, but did not set any alarm.
Like all other mornings our body clocks get us up early. But we did not leave the motel till about 6 a.m.


Construction on I 29:
It's about time. That road is like a wash board. Now I remembered why I never went that way. They are tearing it up - totally destroying sections of it and redoing it. In places it looks like someone stole the interstate.
So, with lots of construction ---two lane at the construction sites, it slowed us down a bit.

Slowing down for construction sites:
Violators will get fined. More then once I had a long line behind me because I refused to drive over speed limit. And they could not pass.
Just as I got out of one construction zone--- up ahead I could see flashing lights. Then they turned off, and up ahead I see a cop come across and go back south ahead of me. The construction speed limit on the other side was already in effect. He turns his lights on and cuts back coming toward me..... Another speeder.

I'm sure people thought - this is Labor Day nobody is working why do I need to obey the construction speed limit. Well, I am sure this guy found out--- That cop was giving out tickets. It's posted Construction speed limit 45 or 55 and fines will be enforced.





I don't really like following anybody and traveling together. So at times he was 1/2 mile to 2 miles ahead of me.

But the drive was a pretty one,
We went South on I 29 to US 36 in Missouri and headed East. US. 36 takes us all the way back to Decatur.
Bud uses 36 whenever possible it is a lovely drive.
Yes, they are working on it also, and there is a section that is still 2 lane, but it sure beat the traffic we knew would be on I 80 coming across Iowa.



Passing people on interstate:
IF you are going to pass me, that is okay. But please do not sit in my blind spot and please do not sit beside me for any length of time!!!! Step on it and get around me!!!! Not like these two guys.... They sat side by side for over 20 miles.
It took forever for the guy to pass me then the other guy did the same thing.
They were between Bud and I. I simply shook my head.... Step on it and get around me. I hate it when people sit in my blind spot!


Coming down the I72 There was a cyclist on the side of the road. So I moved over to the left lane. It was a state trooper leaning on his motorcycle and pointing a radar gun our way.
Why isn't he getting these guys who must be running 75 and higher that just passed me a few moments ago? Just standing there like a bump on a log pointing his radar gun down the highway.

Road Kill:
Normally it is the deer that we see the most of. This trip it was raccoons. Tons and tons of raccoons that didn't make it across the highway.

Next it was the skunk smell--- only saw a couple but smelled a bunch.
Then Bambi's who didn't make it. So sad!

We arrived back in Decatur at 3:45 p.m yesterday, Thankful to God for another safe trip.