Day 21: Field of Dreams

We left Joliet, IL at 6:00 am with a half hour head start to pick up Bill R. in Aurora, IL who we thought was about a half hour down the road. After 10 miles we were enmeshed in an incredible traffic jam. We called on the cell and told John and Judy to avoid route 30 to Aurora at all costs. We actually turned around found some country roads around the mess. Bob followed his nose and two hours later we arrived on the other side of Aurora. About 2 ½ hours to go 45 miles. We finally caught up with Bill at Lee Center crossroads 2 hours later, J and J about 10 minutes later, and we all had breakfast. Interesting crossroads out in the middle of the farmlands, an implement dealer, a restaurant, and a motel and that’s all, looks like it would be a good place for a gas station. Did I mention that it rained for the first two hours on the road?

To Chuck Christensen, we have spent considerable time on the Lincoln Highway (route 30 in this part of the country), we know this because it is well marked. We stopped at a Harrah’s casino in Joliet (of all places) to try to find a wireless connection to post on the blog from the parking lot, but no luck. Stopped in Sabula, IA (on the Mississippi) at a one room schoolhouse (converted to a welcome center) where we bought some handmade crafts and a bottle of local cranberry wine (drank the wine this evening, not bad).

Bob filled the transmission again on the little black coupe and then checked Bill’s transmission and added a bunch of gear lube to it also. I think we can be trailed across the country by following the oil drops.



Next stop was on route 20 at Dyersville, IA where we visited the Field of Dreams. The white house, the baseball field, the bleachers and even the corn were all there. It was getting hot and late so we targeted Waterloo as our destination for the day. Had a little miscommunication problem, Bill R. was following John, lost sight of him, didn’t pick up on the fact that he was no longer in front of him and ended up a 100 miles down the road from us tonight. Bob found out that the little black coupe does not like to sit at long traffic lights in hot weather, gives it a touch of vapor lock, until a little speed is reattained.

Sally and Andy Vano (friends of ours from way back when) drove down from Alexandria, MN to meet up with us tonight. They are going to shadow us for a day or so. We have heard from all our friends on the road tonight, Ray and Linda, Bob and Shirley are approaching Keystone, SD already from the southwest. We won’t be there for two more days. Dave and Susan, Ted and Susan, Will and Karla are in Rockford, IL tonight. Dave still has a bad noise under load, everybody has their fingers crossed on that one. Jack and Don are in Waupaca, WI. They had a problem with the roadster today. It did not want to start. Took 5 ½ hours to get it going, changed about everything that could be changed, and still not running 100%, but they are heading west. Never did figure out exactly what the problem was. Maybe it didn’t get enough sleep last night.