Vero Beach FL - Home Again

This is the last day of my big adventure. I am glad but also a little sad. We left Forsyth (on May 14) around 9:30 - headed south on I75 toward home in Vero Beach. Karen and Bob stopped for lunch in Gainesville at Mi Apa Latin Cafe then back on I75. No messing around today. We are on a mission to sleep in our own bed. We arrived at my big air conditioned dog house about 6pm. Everything was in order thanks to my great friend Marv, Karen's Dad, who watched the place for us.

As we relaxed at home we talked about our favorite parts of the trip. Getting to see the Red Sox at Fenway was the highlight of the trip for Bob and right up there for Karen too. Karen's favorite was the tour of Fallingwater. They also enjoyed the other ballgames and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

There seems to be a theme here. My masters' favorite times were ones I spent alone. My best time was our walk through the Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh. My least favorite was waiting in the car alone.

Seeing the sights from the Corvette made the trip all the more fun. We had a comfortable ride with all the room we really needed. It would have been nice to ride with the top down more but that's the way the weather breaks. Using Stay on Route 6 as our guide worked great. It kept us on the right road and provided ideas for lots of interesting things to see.

It was a grand adventure. I saw the heartland and soul of this country - the small towns where wonderful people live. We drove over 4,400 miles from start to stop. We travelled about 1,300 miles along Route 6 in 14 days. Route 6, believed to have started as an Indian trail, is the longest contiguous highway in the US. To finish our goal of traveling the entire length, we have 2,300 miles to go.

See you out there on Route 6!

Forsyth GA

We slept great. It was the perfect temperature to leave the windows open. After a nice leisurely breakfast, we loaded up the car. It's a beautiful day (May 13), the first one warm enough to put the top down. We left the top down until we hit the interstate, unfortunately we ran into some traffic due to roadwork in Maynardville.

We saw this camper. It's like our Little Guy teardrop but lots bigger. I think I would like it much better.

I did manage to get a little shut eye.

We made good time until we got close to Atlanta which unfortunately we reached just before 5pm. All options had lots of stop and go traffic so we took the route right through town. That was painful. At least I saw some city skyline.

Our hotel was on this side of Macon which was a good thing since it was late when we got there. Bob and Karen reached their low point for food - they went to the Shoney's right next to the hotel. Karen said the food wasn't that bad. She brought desert back to the hotel; her reward for eating at a chain. Phew glad this day is over.

Maynardville TN

We left the hotel at 9:30. Bob stopped at a Dunkin Donuts so Karen could get some good coffee. She is getting tired of hotel coffee and we don't want to be stuck in a small car all day if she is under caffeinated. We head east on I74. The forecast is for rain again today. Sure hope we get to Karen's sister Beth's house before it rains.

We stopped for lunch at an Old Chicago. Back on the road things are getting hillier and curvy, for interstate anyway. We passed an exit for Rocky Top Tennessee. I guess it really is a town.

Karen navigated us to Beth's on 170 then 144 to get to Beth's. They must be county roads. Boy what a goat trail. Turns out there's a better way to go, state road 33. It's longer but less tense driving. Bob refused to go back the way we came in.

Beth and Daniel have a very nice house. They had this welcome sign for us so we felt right at home.

We hung out in the backyard for part of the evening. They let me run around without my collar. Karen snapped this picture proving we are in the "smoking" mountains.

I sort of met a cat. Her name is Sue. She didn't seem to like me. Maybe I need a bath? Beth made a wonderful chicken dinner. The humans had a great evening catching up.

Indianapolis IN - Heading Home

Denise, another of Karen's sisters, came over from Iowa City. She, Megan and Ruby joined us for breakfast (May 11). We hated to leave but we do have to go home - Karen has to go back to work. We got on the road about noon. We are headed for Indianapolis. We ran into some very hard rain which along with a lunch break at an Irish pub, meant we arrived at our hotel about 8. It was a long day in the car.

Karen and Bob debated about what to do for dinner. They decided to go to an Italian restaurant that wasn't too far away. It was next to this place. You can get a tan while you are waiting on your clothes. What's a tan?

Cheryl gave Karen some strawberry rhubarb pie to take with us. Looks so tasty.

And she ate the whole thing.

Really?

Durant IA - Day 14

Well I finally found the combination of time and motivation to continue my story....

It was raining this morning (May 10) for my walk so I was in hurry up mode.

I noticed as we drove west from Peru that one of the fields was already planted. Tiny little green plants were poking out of the dark black dirt. The further west we go the more fields we see that are planted. Karen snapped this picture of a typical Midwest farm.

Princeton had some very nice homes with beautiful yards at right after the junction of US 6 and IL 26. We stopped in Annawan so Karen could look around in Emma's Bloomers (it's mentioned in our guide book). She said they had interesting things but nothing suitable for little Ruby. Since we will see Ruby today, Karen is in full search mode. So of course we also had to stop at C&S Antique Mall in Geneseo. The owner remembered the author of our guide, Stay On Route 6, coming into their place. Bob and I just hung out in the car while Karen shopped. She did find an April angel figurine for Ruby. Maybe now we can just make tracks.

Bob and Karen had lunch at Uncle Pete's Gyros in Moline. Then they stopped at the John Deere Pavilion. So much for making tracks. They said there were all kinds of machinery on display. One of the coolest was this tree harvester that walks on feet instead of rolling on tracks, one of only two ever made.

We are almost to the end of our planned trek on Route 6. We are stopping in Durant. Bob says we will do the rest later. Not sure how I feel about that and pretty sure I don't get a vote. Just before getting to Durant, we see this very cool Route 6 sign so had to get a picture of it and this welcome to Durant sign to document the end of this phase of my adventure.

We finally drove into Karen's sister Cheryl's driveway. I got to see all the family again as everyone including the neighbors came over for dinner. Great party. Karen got to hold Ruby. Jude and Karen played with me. Like my new do?

Pause

We got home yesterday evening. The last few days have been very busy. As you know, I haven't made any posts. I promise to fill you in on the last days of my adventure real soon.

Lucy

Peru IL - Day 13

It took a long time to get out of the urban/suburban surroundings of the greater Chicago area. We returned to farms vs residential landscape on the west side of Morris. Route 6 runs parallel I-80 for a while. Looking over at all that traffic speeding along I realize how much more pleasant it is to drive two lane roads versus the interstate. As we head to Seneca, Route 6 (also called Bluff Road) starts to have some hills again since we are near the Illinois River. Not close to the hills in Pennsylvania though. I have noticed the trees nearly all have leaves. When we started, most trees were bare. Some had blossoms. 

In Seneca we stopped to look at the Landing Tank Ship Memorial. I appreciated the chance to stretch my legs and get in on the shot.

Karen and Bob looked up a place for lunch called Harper's Hideaway. They followed the Yelp map but there was nothing there. Fortunately there was a sign for the restaurant with an address so they plugged it into Google maps. The restaurant wasn't at that location either but it was close enough that as we drove past we saw another sign. What a treasure hunt. Guess the name is appropriate as it is "hidden away".  The selection was limited. They had a big crowd for Mother Day and it seems they didn't expect many to come today. The food was very tasty and the portions generous. They have a pretty view since they are right on the Illinois River.

Fueled up we got back onto Route 6 and headed west. Bob stopped so Karen could take a picture of the welcome sign for this small town. Then Bob started singing. It went something like "I sat there on the coast of Marseilles. I spent all the money I saved. And still I did not get over you." I don't remember meeting anyone named Jimmy Buffet. Karen and Bob were talking about him like an old friend. 

The next stop was in Ottawa to see the murals painted on the buildings downtown and the statues of Lincoln and Douglas commemorating their first debate. 

Driving between Ottawa and LaSalle Bob pointed out a barn quilt. We have only seen a couple since we left Pennsylvania. Our hotel is outside of Peru near I-80. No pet friendly hotels in town. We stayed in again tonight. It is raining and cold so no one is motivated to leave the hotel. Karen had half her steak sandwich and fries left from lunch. Bob was full from his big lunch so he just wanted popcorn. At last I get something besides kibble. Bob always shares his popcorn with me. I get 6 pieces - woohoo. 

Chicago - White Sox Day

What a difference a day makes. How true that is today. The winds are light. The sun is shining. It's warm. You can see the difference in this picture. Hard to believe it is the same Lake Michigan from yesterday.

Karen and I had a nice long walk in the big grassy area in front of the hotel in the view of the lake. Then Karen and Bob took a cab to the White Sox game. They decided to take a cab instead of public transportation so they didn't ride the L. That sounded more fun to me. They took these pictures at the game.

It was a good game. The White Sox were playing well after a slow start. Karen and Bob had Comiskey Chicago dogs - yum. Karen said they should get some of the neon green relish they use. They came home after the 5th inning. While it was warmer, they were in the shade and with the breeze were getting chilled. Karen said they should have dressed warmer. Wishful thinking that they would only need their light jackets. One of these times Karen will book tickets on the sunny side.

We all stayed in for dinner. I had my kibble and Karen and Bob had leftover pizza. Tomorrow we are on the route again.

Chicago IL - Day 12

We got a bit of a late start leaving South Bend. It took Karen a while to purchase the tickets for the White Sox game for Sunday in Chicago. What is this? A baseball tour or a Route 6 tour? Turns out Route 6 goes through the "southlands" of Chicago. So as long as we are getting that close, Bob and Karen want to see another ballpark. They picked the White Sox because they have been to Wriggley Field where the Cubs play.

The architecture is very interesting to watch as we drive through the various suburbs. We arrive at our hotel on the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 1pm. We gained an hour crossing into Central time on the west edge of Indiana. The Illinois Indiana border splits the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Most of it is in Illinois but East Chicago is in Indiana - go figure. The wind is whipping and there are whitecaps all over the lake. The temperature isn't bad but the wind makes it feel like the coldest day of the trip.

Karen and Bob have lunch then leave me again to go see the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie house. There are many Wright homes in Chicago but most are still private residences. The Robie house was built for Frederick Robie and is now a museum open to the public for tours. It includes examples of Wright's art glass windows which is why Karen wanted to tour this one. Bob posed for this picture at the entrance. The pattern of the ironwork matches the art glass design used in the home.

The house was built in 1908-1910. It is one of his last Prairie style homes and hence considered the best example. It has many of the features used in Fallingwater which was built much later. The use of steel beams to provide a very open floor plan and cantilevered balconies that also serve as coverings are two examples. The home is very warm and inviting due to the use of wood, paint colors and art glass. The house is still being restored but you see much of what it would have looked like in 1910.  How would you like to have this space as your living room?

The light fixture below is an original. The fixtures would have been all around the room.

After they returned, Karen took me for my walk. The wind practically blew me over. The worst is walking down wind. I hate a breeze from behind. Karen and Bob left to go to dinner in search of the iconic Chicago deep dish pizza. They must have found it because they came back with a box that smelled wonderful. They showed me this video but didn't share even one bite. They ate at Pizza Capri, a neat neighborhood joint that smelled great with friendly staff and very tasty food.

You could hear the wind all night long. It is supposed to let up tomorrow - sure hope so.

South Bend - Day 11

The plan today is to go west on Route 6 until just east of La Paz and then head off route north to South Bend. Bob and Karen want to see Notre Dame. The scenery was pretty much the same as yesterday until we drove into Nappanee. We were just waiting at the red light when we saw this Amish horse drawn carriage go through the intersection.

Karen wanted to stop at the local Amish store. She was hoping to find something for Megan's new baby Ruby. No luck with that but she said it was interesting to look through the store. Plus she bought a coffee for the road.

When we arrived in South Bend, Bob drove directly to the Notre Dame campus. We first circled it and then headed across the campus. They wanted to see the building with the gold dome that is typically seen in shots of the university during televised Notre Dame ballgames. I made sure I caught all the sites as we drove around.

We couldn't drive directly to the domed building because it was student moving day and traffic was restricted. The gentleman at the gate said we could park and walk to it. So Bob, Karen and I all walked around the Notre Dame campus looking for the domed building. They thought it was the Bascilica of the Sacred Heart but it turns out it was a university administration building. The Bascilica is located right next to it and is an even more impressive building with a tall spire.

Karen went inside. She said it was beautiful with vaulted ceilings, wonderful stained glass windows, and ornate altar. There are historical items on display including relics from the saints, statues and more. You can see more about the Bascilica here. Bob and I patiently waited for her to return. We all walked back to the car. College campuses sure are active with all the people walking to and fro. I didn't see any other dogs though.

We spent the night in South Bend. We will get back on Route 6 heading west again tomorrow. I sure enjoyed the little detour. Maybe I'll go to college one day.

Kendallville IN - Day 10

Route 6 makes a nice little path through Sandusky as it follows along the shoreline. It seems there's more going on in Sandusky than just thrill rides. I see a number of larger impressive looking buildings near downtown. Outside of Sandusky you are really in Midwest farmland. Most of what you see are farms with lots of open fields for crops. The barns have changed from the unpainted weathered wood ones in Pennsylvania to the red painted versions you see across the Midwest. I saw one barn quilt. The topography is flat. Route 6 still curves but it's all in 2-D.

In Fremont OH we drove by this Big Boy. Karen said her sister Denise used to work at one.

We left Ohio and entered Indiana; one more whole state to go. We stopped at the Kech Kan Tavern in Waterloo. We have been using the book Stay on Route 6 as our guide. The author recommended stopping to see the murals. All I can say is the book was right. Evidently they allow smoking in restaurants in Indiana. On to Kendallville and our new home for the night.

Karen and Bob said they sure had a hard time finding a place for dinner. They ended up at a pizza joint. The pizza wasn't too bad but they had few customers. Seems like someone could do well here with a nice, non smoking restaurant.

Sandusky OH - Day 9

We really enjoyed our stay in downtown Cleveland. When the valet brought the car around and we started loading up, Bob saw his black toiletries bag. We lost it a few days ago. We even replaced the critical items (like toothpaste). Evidently we just misplaced it. I don't know how we missed it when we originally searched the trunk for it. It isn't that big. How did that happen?

The first part of today's drive was one of the most enjoyable so far. Route 6 winds along Lake Erie which is lined with very nice homes. In between homes you can catch glimpses of the lake. We see many different styles of architecture as we travel along Lake Road. There are older modest homes intermixed with huge, new, very elegant homes. There are older, well maintained duplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings. The view of Lake Erie is much better through Sheffield Lake and Lorain since Route 6 is very close to the shore. In Lorain we stopped to get a picture of the Lorain Lighthouse. As you see it was raining. It was hard to get a good picture since the lighthouse was out on the breakwater.

Karen wants pictures of all the lighthouses along our path so we stopped in Vermilion. There is a museum there that is supposed to have an exhibit on wrecks on the Great Lakes including the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Unfortunately it was closed. The lighthouse was not like lighthouses on the Atlantic. It looked more like a scaled down replica.

As we drove through Vermilion Bob spied this Route 6 Pub sign so we had to stop so they could have a beer. Vermilion looks like a very nice little town. I wonder what the history is that towns like Vermilion are doing well and those like Sheffield Lake look like they are struggling.

Another stop in Huron for pictures of the Huron Harbor Lighthouse.

I saw my first Canadian geese. Karen wouldn't let me get out and meet them. She said geese are mean.

Karen and Bob had dinner at a local place known for their fish. Karen had walleye. She said it was just like she remembered. Our hotel is on the east edge of Sandusky so we will go through the thrill ride city (home of Cedar Point amusement park) tomorrow.