Across the Plains, Great Western Adventure Day 3

“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ~ Gustave Flaubert

If you’ve never driven across the country, you’re missing out on one of life’s Great Adventures.  I set out on this Great Western Adventure with the idea that I would spend the hours in the car getting some real work done. 

I’ve been cloaked in work-related stress for the last several months.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish the many goals I have for our little marketing department to get our companies out there into the world.  I figured I would use these days checking off tasks on my to-do list.

Instead, I find myself relaxing, content to stare out at the passing landscape and sing along to the tunes The Husband is playing.  To the left and right are fields as far as the eye can see, sometimes broken up by Langolier-like windmills turning slowly as we pass.  My mind is unclenching and my spirits are naturally lifting as the miles unwind.  I am resting easy in the passenger seat, navigating when necessary, and bickering with The Husband over spatial vs. verbal reasoning as we plot the next waypoint.  (It doesn’t come as a surprise to me that his preference is spatial, but I often find myself defensive in support of my verbal reasoning preference.) 

We’re traveling up to Highland Ridge Campground in Spring Valley, WI.  The Siesta Adventure Team is currently up ahead some miles since I’ve requested multiple rest stops today.  Hydrating while traveling comes with some necessary delays. 

Last night we stayed in Crawfordsville, IN at a lovely little KOA tucked just off I-74W.  They were hosting a vintage camper gathering with a High-Roller Casino night theme. The Husband snapped a few pics of a makeshift “wedding chapel” next to one of our vintage brethren with a full menu of services offered.  Another camper was painted with a classic 60s-style flower-child theme.  It was a fun diversion for a much-needed evening walk before we headed to bed early.

Things to remember from this last leg:

• David Allen Coe’s “You Never Even Call Me By My Name” never fails to evoke memories of John Dalton singing karaoke in that bar in Charlotte so many decades ago.  “In my heart, I know I can sing.”
• Bridges of all sorts are still my very favorite thing in a seemingly bottomless list of favorite things in my life.  I am delighted every time I see them and can see an artist’s heart behind every civil engineer who is behind one. I can never take enough pictures of bridges.
• It’s fun traveling with The Siesta Adventure Team.  They are our equals in travel partners in all ways.  (Happy anniversary, kids!)
• The Husband is a driving machine.  So far, he’s driven over 800 miles on this journey.  We’ve decided he’s more comfortable doing ALL. THE. DRIVING. than he would be fretting in the passenger seat watching me cling to the wheel every time a semi blows past.  So, I just hand him snacks and beverages and…blog.  And social media.  And sing along to the radio.  It’s good to be a Kelly.

Following the Siesta Adventure Team