Getting Closer to Home...

We crossed 'Big Muddy' this morning into Illinois. The flat plains, and blustery day are murder on high profile vehicles such as semis and RV's. We were still killing bugs left and right, today, it seems with a little more vengeance. We're putting political parties and faces on the bugs today. The dogs were a little nervous there for a while.
The pantry door latch broke as we went down the road; so I bagged up all the canned goods en route. Jim found a bungee cord (what a marvelous tool, huh?) and it's OK until we get in our driveway.
We can't go past Springfield, Illinois without stopping at Cozy Dog on old Rt. 66. Hot dogs on a stick and a cherry Pepsi. Unpeeled, hand cut fries, made famous on this strip since 1950.

It's been two years since our last visit, when a Rt. 66 Festival was going on with an additional 80,000 folks in town. We didn't go downtown that day to see the historical district, but today we did. Springfield was one of Jim's routes, and he used to make stops at the Lincoln Library, and the Auditor General state offices.
Downtown is something else; it's a blend of old and new. There is lots of reconstruction and revitalization going on. The new Lincoln library and museum; bricked, train depot with a clock tower; the State Capitol with rotunda; and the state capitol of Lincoln's day, are all impressive buildings. We've decided to go back one day, leave the RV in a nearby campground, and explore it all by car and on foot. There's so much to see and do, and it was disappointing not to be able to go today.

Tonight, we're in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Monticello, Indiana. It's two hours from home, but it's been a long, tiring day. Going down our alley, unhooking the car from the motor home, and lugging stuff in, just didn't sound appealing. As Scarlett would say..."tomorrow is another day!"