Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania

We saw areas of flooding in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio yesterday. I’ve read that there is a lot of concern that there might be a repeat of the flooding that devastated the Mid-West last year.

There is an absolutely amazing quarry that we’ve passed several times outside Chicago. Called the Thornton Quarry, its is one of the largest quarries in the world. It’s 1.5 miles long, 400 feet deep, one half a mile wide and is bisected by interstate 80. The history of the quarry is fascinating, from the fossils (it used to be a sea bed) , to the meteorite that is found there.

The quarry will also serve as a run-off reservoir for storm water in sewage, with a capacity of 4.8 billion gallons!

Last night, we stayed at a rest area on the Ohio Turnpike. Even though this is a toll road, we use it because it is the only road in Ohio where trucks are allowed to run 65 mph., the speed limit for trucks on all other roads in OH is only 55 mph.

The service plazas have been redesigned with truckers in mind. Not only do they have fuel islands with diesel, they have a truckers lounge with television, complimentary showers and a laundry room, but they also have free WiFi. Hey, if you have to pay the toll, you might as well get something for it. I could be wrong, but I think Ohio is the only state that offers this. We try out the showers, and they are clean and a lot better than some we have used at certain truck stops.

They also have mall cloned food courts, with a wide variety of choices. We walk right past the Starbucks and opt for the Panera, to use our gift card (Thank you Rich and Bettie!!). I do have to confess to enjoying Starbucks on occasion, they are the ONLY place that I can get a soy chai latte. However at $5 for vendi latte, I’ve taken to buying my own chai and soy milk for about a quarter of the price. Luckily, we have a microwave on board.

I have my usual French onion soup, which is a no-brainer for me at Panera, and also a turkey Sammie that is perfect. There is nothing better than fresh baked artisan bread. Joe has a chicken Dijon Sammie which is also very good .You just can’t get food this good at Subway, one of my least favorite places period.

Did I mention the free wifi? Priorities, ya know.

This morning we pass a very large GM plant near Youngstown, OH. There are about 10 cars in the huge parking lot, it is, after all Saturday, but the most disturbing thing is off in the back lot, there are about 100 empty car haulers, just sitting there. Car hauling used to be lucrative, but that has all changed with the down fall and down sizing of the auto industry.

We see an Amish farmer with a team of draft horses pulling what Joe calls a “shit spreader“. Not only are draft horses my favorite, but I find their whole way of life fascinating. I wish we had time to explore a little today, but we don’t dare stray from familiar roads, its not fun to back a 75 foot long tractor and trailer a few miles because you found that you couldn’t fit down a road (C’mon, hun, let’s see you make a u-ie”).

Joe’s handier than a pocket on a T-shirt when it comes to maneuvering a big truck, but with the bigger sleeper and the way our wheels are set, there’s some spots even he can’t get into.

It’s quite an amazing experience to witness his finesse with the rig, as if its become an extension of himself. Hanging out the door, one foot on the throttle, one foot on the outside step, turning the wheel, I’ve seen him get into and out of spots even he thought he wouldn’t fit. Hauling over sized loads through busy city traffic. I’m sure when you’ve driven over 2 million miles, its becomes an integrated part of you, an instinct.