Day 23

We cruise. 760 miles. Mostly through spring fields of corn and wheat, huge cattle ranches, and the occasional town. I-90 misses most of the towns but I remember the names fro,m years ago. My mom and the kids must have travelled much of the same route I follow now only then it was on Route 14, portions of which still exist and portions are merged with I-90 and marked - I-90/US 14. It brings back such fond memories. It is a reward I did not expect.

Today we saw three dead deer, the Sears Building, The John Hancock Tower (impressive), two Cyrstler factories - with people actually working at them!! - the Hormel Chili plant, and, my favorite, the Hormel Spam plant.

The disappointing things is that for the most part we are the only people on the roads. There are a few trucks but, here, in the rust belt, I'd have expected more. Nothing like Toronto. We were through Chicago and surrounds in 45 minutes. There were two slowdowns and no stops. That, with parts of the road under construction. "Drivers", as they now call themselves, are getting 2100 miles a week in jobs. Not enough to live on in that business. Go too, by the way, is the colorful CB lingo of the past. People call each other by there name and say what they want. A typical conversation might be, "Anybody going west? "Yes". "How,s it look back there?" "There's a patrol (sometimes they still say "bear" but a trucker ... oops, sorry, driver had to ask me where the word came from!!!) at 44 and 155."" Thank you driver." "I just got on so I can't help you. Have a save trip." "You, too." Times cxhange.

We should be home tomorrow. The end of The Last Great Adventure. A whimper, not a bang.