WI
TS8 Hop 5: Madison WI to Lombard IL
126 miles via US 12, IL 53, I-290 and I-355 with a lunch stop at Nora’s Cafe in Elkhorn WI. Cumulative TS8 route miles: 1313. Cumulative TS8 car miles: 1516. Car miles since the end of Hop 4: 267. The extra 141 miles were due to all the various activities we had during our week … Continue reading
A week in Madison WI
We spent a full week in Madison WI. The main events were the 55th high school reunion (with golf outing) and two trips to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. But we did some other things, too. And ate a lot of food. Other activities worthy of note: Pizza at Grampa’s Pizzeria with long-time friends Ben and … Continue reading
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
The weather in Madison on Sunday and Monday was, in a word, dreadful – heavy rains and highs in the 50s. Ooma says she can’t understand why anyone would live in Madison. And she hasn’t seen winter. But before the cold and rain descended on us we made an outing to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. … Continue reading
55th high school reunion
Yes, I am 73 and graduated high school 55 years ago. The TS8 detour to Wisconsin on our way back to Florida was due, primarily, to a desire to attend the reunion. It turned out to be a pleasant and relatively lively event (as lively as an event involving septuagenarians can be). Good food, good … Continue reading
TS8 Hop 4: Fremont IN to Madison WI
329 miles via I-90, I-290 (west and northwest of Chicago), US 14, and I-90 again with a lunch stop in Palatine IL and a shopping trip (Old Navy and a food store) before we arrived at our hotel. Cumulative TS8 miles: 1187. Cumulative car miles: 1249. Miles since the end of Hop 3: 333. The … Continue reading
A week in my hometown
Well, close to my hometown anyway. DeForest, when I was growing up in Madison WI, was a little village. Now it is a town with 2 water towers and more than 10,000 residents. My week included a number of social and recreational activities: Dinner with 5 friends from high school at Paisan’s which, in my … Continue reading
TS7 Hop 12 – DeForest WI to Oxford IA
220 miles via WI 19, I-39/I-90, US 151, I-380 (south of Cedar Rapids) and a bizarre sequence of lousy county roads the last 12 miles to the destination. Cumulative tow miles: 2299. Truck miles: 652. Cumulative truck miles: 3475. The extra truck miles were accumulated as a result of a series of social and recreational … Continue reading
TS7 Hop 11 – Carlock IL to DeForest WI
212 miles via I-74 and I-39. Cumulative tow miles: 2079. Truck miles: 260. Cumulative truck miles: 2823. The extra truck miles were due to refueling and dinner out. This was another easy hop, with no problems with the rig. In fact, the mileage was suprisingly high: almost 9 mpg. There was a little rain, but … Continue reading
STW2 Hop 1: Stoughton WI to Oelwein IA
180 miles via US 51, US 151, US 20 and IA 150. I have been to Dubuque before, but it has probably been over 60 years. Things have changed. The route – primarily US 151 – is a very nice 4-lane road that winds and dips through some beautiful rural countryside. Despite the intermittent rain, … Continue reading
STW1 Hop 7: Michigan City IN to Stoughton WI
220 miles via I-94, US 41, WI 50, US 12, WI 89, US 14 and I-90. Cumulative tow miles: 1439. Truck miles: 282. Cumulative truck miles: 2296. See that U-shaped dip on the Wisconsin portion of the route? I can thank the GPS for that. I was following the map until we got to WI, … Continue reading