Here at last. What a thrill to rest after driving 1300 miles at 55 mph (2300 miles in the last 2 weeks). Mom’s heart procedure is tomorrow AM. Tango is staying with one of her friends for a few days so that I can be at the hospital and not have to leave him in the camper all day. Apparently, Mary loves dogs. She and Tango certainly clicked. He has his new bed with him and lots of food/treats. I miss the little fellow. A bunch. Going to sleep without him hogging the bed will be awful.

So, let me back up a few days. Somewhere in South Dakota, someone turned on the humidity. For two days with 92+ degrees,  I ran the AC full blast while driving but still had to buy a 12-volt fan for Tango. To stretch out he lies on his bed, which is just beyond the van cab. It’s hot there, but the fan helped.

About halfway through Iowa, someone replaced all the conifers with hardwood trees. I didn’t notice the transition at first, but it was a great treat to see the majestic midwestern trees again.

Somewhere between Illinois and Ohio, the plants turned emerald green. Lush. About once a decade I am in Ohio in August, and I am always astounded by the greenery.

I was reminded why the vegetation is so green. Yesterday, our last full day of travel for a while, the skies opened and rain fell in torrents. I had the windshield wipers on the highest setting and still had difficulty seeing. Temps were cool but the heavy rain made travel hazardous. In fact, I somehow got on I-94, which I didn’t realize until I saw a sign that said welcome to Michigan. Ooops. Michigan is not on the way to Ohio on I-80. I was a bit frustrated, so Tango and I took a nap at the Welcome Center/Rest Stop, on the Michigan border. Refreshed, I checked with the folks inside and learned that we were only 8 miles off course. By then the skies cleared, but within an hour we caught up with the storm and followed it all day. I forced myself not to think about the drivers stranded in Louisiana’s rain storms.

Some tips for campers traveling on the Indiana and Ohio Turnpikes: Because I have 4 axles (2 on the camper) I paid $22.00 to travel the Indy Turnpike. The Ohio Turnpike set me back $24.00. Fees for 2-axles are about half that. I had some cash on me, having learned the hard way over the past 40 years about not having turnpike cash. However, they now take debit/credit cards. Kids have it so easy now!

Another tip: some of the Service Stops/Rest Areas on the Ohio Turnpike have special parking for RVS! You can park for free next to 18-wheelers or pay $20 for a slot with electricity. Those that had the RV pay areas also had a free dump station. I opted for the free site.

And, despite the high price to travel through Indiana and Ohio on I-80, the roads are not great. The worst, however, is in Illinois, south of Chicago for about 60 miles. Bump, thump, thud; I thought for certain I would break an axle or wreck my new front tires.

So, my job now is to hang out with mom at the hospital for a few days and enjoy cooler temps. It’s always fun to be in my hometown, even though so much has changed. The iconic grocery (Westpoint) is gone. A two-lane road we traveled to visit grandpa in Cleveland is now a 6-lane Hwy (Route 8). Four years ago I learned that my high school was torn down. Life goes on. Even the old hometown changes. I wish it didn’t.