Road Trip
Jane was taken down by some Gouda so after a rough night we added another night to the hotel so she could recuperate. The phrase of the trip seems to be “We’ll make up time in Montana.”
We did get a chance to do a short drive mid-afternoon and saw a couple of “Muffler Men”.
Our first full day of the trip. Because we’d changed our hotel and were now “ahead” we eased in gently with just 120 miles or so. The first stop was supposed to be White Castle for a burger (hey, don’t judge) but somehow it didn’t materialise. It was to be a day of ‘golden oldies’ as we headed back to Route 66 for things we’ve enjoyed before.
The first stop was Wilmington, home of the Gemini Giant. 30ft tall, bought in 1960 and stands in front of what is now the Launching Pad restaurant (which seems to be closed permanently.) The Launching Pad was bought a few years back by a couple of people who’d both lost their partners to cancer, and bonded over the place.
Next to the Giant the fence was covered in End Times messages, and scripture. I checked with a lady standing nearby as to whether the end of the world was imminent, or whether we had ten minutes to look around first. She assured me there was time.
Wilmington has a lot of fun antique shops and bough a small wooden duck, and chatted away to the owner which I’m sure she’ll tell you about in her blog.
Onward to Dwight where there’s a great old petrol pump and old ‘stuff’. The owner was very nice and we had a good poke around (the displays, not the old man). You can cite your Apple products, but I think on the whole design used to be better, and more fun.
If you want to see the last gas pumps used on Route 66 then Dwight is where you want to be.
(those are not the pumps).
Finally we headed off the Funks Grove to buy some sirup - which is spelled that way because:
“Why do we spell sirup with an “I”?
Historically, and according to Webster, “sirup” was the preferred spelling when referring to the product made by boiling sap. “Syrup” with a “Y”, however, was defined as the end product of adding sugar to fruit juice.
I can tell you the sirup tastes very nice, and that you have to reduce the sap by forty times it’s weight to turn it into the sirup.
Spent the night in Atlanta (not that one) in a fully automated hotel. Zero staff. We popped out to get all of our bathroom stuff that we didn’t bother to pack as it was easier to buy it here.
Up at 6:30. Coffee. Back to bed.
Shut the house down.
Taxi 10:15, and bar a fleeting worry when our passport details weren’t on the system (them,not us) we went all out and upgraded becomes sometimes you fancy sleeping on the plane. After a couple of delays we set off late, landed in Chicago, picked up the hire car (a Dodge) and drove to the first hotel in Joliet, getting there around midnight (6AM London time).