On June 31, I won $1,750 at Meskwaki the nite we left! More than paid for our trip!! (I won another $200 but gave Bill $100 and think I "reinvested" the rest of that one.) Won on keno machine - playing 2 cards! Bill was showing me how to do it and I made about 3 plays when my 7 out of 7 lit up! Stayed o'nite just a few miles east of Cedar Rapids so only drove about 130 miles that day.

On July 1, had typical breakfast (biscuits/gravy) and when we stopped for lunch at Chenoa, IL, temp was 95* - could see steam across top of cornfields. Lotsa trees and rolling hills thru IN. We went south a ways to avoid Ft Wayne - through Decatur, IN. Supper at Delphos, OH (15 miles north of Lima) in little downtown cafe and stayed o'nite at Upper Sandusky - so had driven 500 miles that day.

On July 2, we stopped at Brandywine Falls at Cuyahoga Valley Nat'l Pk (just south of Cleveland. Walked about 1/4 mile along a wooden footpath from up on the hill down to the base. Pretty!

Stopped early afternoon at Hubbard, OH and had some yummy strawberry cheesecake. Visited with a truck driver there from close to Columbus, NE. Stopped at a rest area where coffee was provided by the Grange just 15 miles north of Punxsutawney, PA. Went over highest point east of Mississippi River (my ears popped) near Clearfield, PA, at 2,250 ft altitude (We lived at 2,400 ft on the CA desert - that didn't seem high!) Trees! Trees! Trees! Outcroppings! Beautiful! It became the norm for me to chant, "Outcropping! Outcropping! Outcropping!" every time I saw them! Same with "Birch! Birch! Birch!" - as there were more and more the further east we got! Gonna have one in our yard one of these days!

Then had steamed oysters (in the shell) and real Pennsy hoagie roast beef sandwich near Pocono Manor. Stayed o'nite just outside Stroudsburg, PA. Drove 522 miles that day.

Motels were reasonable except this one - considered "budget" but cost $75 - highest we paid on entire trip! All were nice rooms.

A couple of tidbits - no restaurants served water with meals after we left IL heading east. Cooda prob'ly asked for but didn't need - just noticed the difference. Also no smoking in any public facility including Ohio on east, even bars! Massachusetts says no smoking even outdoors in any public places!

We called Shawn that evening and Ponder (our 14-year old cat) had disappeared the morning after we left. I held confidence that she'd return but she'd never been gone for 2 days before! Anyway, when we called later in the week, he said she'd returned on the 3rd, a bit bedraggled but okay. I asked him if she'd told him where she'd been and he grinned and said, "no!"

On July 3, the traveling was lovely! Drove up thru area Bill used to drive when going up home from Philly - Delaware Water Gap Nat'l Recreation Area...40 mph (which Bill said didn't used to be that slow!) Very winding, "scenic" drive - big sumac trees, lotsa pines, hemlock, spruce, oak, hickory, beech, maple and birch! Catskill Mountains. Once we left the Gap, was one very little town (2 or 3 houses and a store or two) every couple of miles, all along the way. Lotsa rock houses!

Arrived at Ray & Cindy's about 2:30. She raises several kinds of dogs (poodles, cairn terriers and chihuahuas) and had just gotten home from vet with 3 Chihuahua babies (c-section) and they were struggling so had to baby them (one didn't make it) all that day and the next.

Her dad, Harold is 94 yrs and very sharp! He was good friend of Bill's parents and can still tell delightful stories. He was reading or watching tv when not visiting with us. He had raised hunting dogs for many years so definitely an animal lover - he asked Cindy how the pups were doing a few different times.

Cindy fixed a roast, boiled potatoes, fresh cucumbers and muskmelon for supper. Then we went to a little country tavern - quiet place - with live c&w music. Were there a couple of hours - danced several times! Fun!

On July 4, Bill and I drove around his home territory… prob'ly drove 80 miles roundy rounds! Went to several little towns, past several lakes, one, Cassayuna Lake, just 3 miles from where Bill grew up. Had lotsa cabins and tourists. Barkley's Pond was close by - had lotsa lily pads. In another pond, we saw 2 deer, knee high, standing broadside, looking at us! Would have made a lovely picture! Took some photos of countryside near West Hebron, little town 3 miles from Bill's home.


Stopped in Salem, 8 miles from his home, a bit bigger town where Bill went to school, had omelets as brunch there and walked down a block of main street - old buildings.
Yes, that's me.

Drove out to Rexleigh Covered Bridge, built in 1874, 13 miles from Bill's home, where Bill used to dive from roof into Battenkill River.


Drove on down to Cambridge, incorporated 1761, 10 miles south of Salem.

From there, we drove over the mountain into West Paulette, VT. Stopped at a small slate quarry. Picked up 2 small pieces of slate - one for Shawn and one for me. Took a photo of a "notch" (saddleback) mountain of the Green Mountains of VT.


Back through Granville, NY, about 20 miles north of Bill's home. Over through Hartford and then Argyle, 7 miles from Bill's home and back through hills to see house where Calloway's used to live, half a mile from Bill's. This was like a "second home" to him. Back to Belcher, a very tiny town just a mile north of Bill's home. Saw a gaggle of turkeys - mother and 7 or 8 young ones - cross the road right in front of us.

And on to Ray and Cindy's, a mile and a half from where Bill lived. Relaxed and visited. Had goulash for supper. Watched "The Next Karate Kid" that evening on TV. Called Mom that evening.

On July 5, there was another litter of 4 new poodle puppies, all healthy. We left about 9:00. Went through Hoosick Falls, a quaint little town. (I've always been fascinated with that name.) Lunch at Bennington, VT. Bill had a reuben and I had a "build your own" pumpernickel, turkey, VT cheese and mushrooms. Had to pay for a coffee refill there!

Drove over VT mountain pass. Was foggy and misting. Lotsa birch and evergreen. Very winding roads all through VT and NH. Lower rolling mountains in NY. Lotsa lakes along the drive. Had donuts and pop near Concord NH. Temp was 71* at 1:00.

New Hampshire towns remind of northern MN - a bit more hilly. Lotsa antique stores. Bill asked how, with every store being one, they could gather so many antiques! In Maine, "Moose Crossing" sign. Arrived in Sanford, ME about 4 PM. Had scrumptious supper - Bill had what he considered "just right" (fiery) chili and I had shrimp scampi with just the right touch of garlic! And, oh, dreamy stuffed mushrooms! Motel room was only $68.

On July 6, temp at 8 AM was 68*. We drove to Saco and got to go barefoot to walk on the beach and see the Atlantic Ocean. Had coffee at little shop and got Shawn a shirt. Was still overcast.




Drove on to Kennebunkport. Got a few post cards, including one of Pres Bush Sr's summer "cottage." Lotsa gift shops. Walked around for an hour.




Left there and headed on south toward Massachusetts. Had blueberry pancakes and an omelet with real home fries at Betheune. Took a photo of Miller's River in MA, looked like a good trout stream.

On through Concord, MA where we drove near Walden's Pond. Lotsa trees. Had to watch map much of the time through MA. Stayed o'nite at Cobleskill, NY. Bill's supper was a 1-lb mushroom burger and I had a club sandwich that I could only get half eaten.

On July 7, we could see rock quarries along the mountainsides. Still lotsa trees. I took photos from car between Oneonta and Binghamton, NY.


We had biscuits/gravy and eggs w/home fries in Bainbridge, NY at 50-s looking diner in small town. Drove over tree-loaded mountains down into long meadows in the valleys. Our first rain was between Binghamton and Elmira. Was 73* at 11:30 at Elmira. Stopped at Bath, NY and visited a thrift store, where Bill bo't a few record albums. Stopped at a Burger King for lunch at Falconer, very close to Jamestown, NY. Was dark cloudy there. Then got a "by the buckets" downpour from Jamestown to state line. On through corner of PA and had sunshine again as we entered Ohio. Lotsa traffic around Cleveland (6 PM). Stopped and had supper at Nova, at "Reed House" restaurant. Bill had breaded shrimp and I had country ham supper. Stayed o'nite at Willard, OH in comfy room for $38 AAA. Called Shawn and found out Ponder had come home.

On July 8, we stopped and had biscuits/gravy at Findlay, OH. Also went to thrift store there. Picked up same route we'd taken through IN and part of IL at VanWert, OH. Played with shapes in clouds driving into Decatur, IN, where we stopped for coffee and cinnamon roll. There was some wheat in central OH then into flat corn fields. Lovely front yards of country homes. (What else is there to write about Indiana and Illinois?:) Was 82* at Kentland, IN at 3:30 PM. Stopped at riverboat casino at Peoria, IL. Bill came out about even. I lost about $80. Stayed o'nite at Galesburg, IL.

July 9 - Had donuts, banana and coffee for breakfast at motel. Was dark cloudy from Burlington home. (Weather later said they had tornado warnings after we left there.) Stopped at Sigourney - 25 miles from home - and had chicken salad sandwich/chili size. Sunshine! Got home at noon.

An absolutely delightful trip!!! 3,200 miles in 10 days!