Short day today, only 18 miles, but I had a late start at 9:30. I started from Manhattan Fire Department II where Dawn and Sue worked some magic and got me, a room at Bourbonnais Fire Department and a room Thursday and Friday in Watsekia, along with a ride. Thank you ladies!!!!

Sue was also kind enough to take my cart all the way to the fire department for me, so I walked without BMW. Most of the day was on dirt country roads, and it was foggy and cool all day. I got into town right at 4, and had a quick interview with the local paper, and was showed a round a bit. I got my own room at the station, which is actually the exercise room they converted into a bedroom for me. 

They cooked a pasta dish with sausage and peppers and apple pie for dessert. I spent the rest of the evening working on routes and just relaxing.  Crazy storm outside, and will probably take tomorrow off.

Another great day today with another 20 miles done, and almost all on beautiful bike trails. Didn't have BMW again, she stayed at the hotel I am staying at again tonight. I got a ride back tonight from a really awesome taxi driver, Jason. 

Didn't see a single person on the bike trail, but I did see a crazy fruit that all my Facebook friends said was a horse apple. 

Feels good to be back out in the country again. I like the farms and cows and not so much damn traffic. My last stop for the day was at the Manhattan fire station 2, for a bathroom  break. Great guys! gave me a shirt!!!  haha, probably the highlight of the day. But other than that, just another quiet day on the road, and certainly won't complain about that.

Walk! Walk! Walk!

Back to the walkin' today, after a week break in Chicago! Thanks again to everyone, Linda, Sue and family, Kimi, and Shuanna I had such a wonderful time!

Sue walked with me today! She did great, it was a super short day, 10 miles. Which is just fine with me. I walked 15 miles (11 to the bean and 5 for AFSP) and I decided to count that for today's walk. It took nearly an hour to get there, and so we got started around 9 once I got BMW all put back together. We had a great few hours, chatting and checking out old buildings that have long since fallen away. We were on a bike path for most of day which was also really nice.

There was one point where we saw a few hundred red-winged black birds fly down from a huge cottonwood tree and fly as-one over the canal we were walking next to. They were singing and calling, and it was absolutely beautiful. That was probably the highlight of the day.

Not a whole lot more to say today, but please (click me) and check out my route to Indy. I am going to need some help!!! Thanks!

I had a wonderful time in Chicago! Thank you Linda, for hosting me during the week, and helping me get to everywhere I needed to be! Can't wait to see you again in Tucson! And thank you Sue and family, it was so great to finally meet you. Thanks for everything! I will see ya'll again too.   :)

Kimi, I can't believe we finnnnnallllllyyyyy got to meet! It was great to see you and your Mom, take care!!! Shaunna, so beautiful! I'm proud of you for getting out and seeing the world on your own, keep it up!

I visited Lurie Children's hospital, and met a bunch of kids, including one who got his purple heart! Completed treatment, and now is cancer free! Pretty amazing! I also had an excellent interview with CBS channel 2 in Chicago. My first LIVE TV INTERVIEW!!!

Today was yet another 25 mile day, but a really good day. Most of it I spent on the Illinois Prairie trail and what time I did have to spend on the road, it was, for the most part, not too bad.

It was cold, but felt good, probably only got up to 50. I had BMW all day, and got a few donations. Had 3 people stop me for directions! I just don't get it. I have a big sign that says: WALK ACROSS AMERICA, and yet, people think I know where I am? Or where everything is? I guess the funniest part, is that 99% of the time, I do. Yesterday was the first time I couldn't help someone find what they were looking for, he named some house, and I had no clue what he was talking about. But he got pretty excited when I told him I was walking across America, and gave me $1.

I got into Naperville around 5, and was at the Ace hardware where I was meeting Linda at 5:30. She was stuck in traffic for another 20 minutes, so I just parked out front of the store, and got a few more donations. She came and picked me up, and we went and found a restaurant and ate soup and salad before heading back to where she lives in Evanston. We got home around 9, and I showered and went straight to bed. And now time for a much needed 6 day break!

***I will be taking some time off from the 22-27 in the Chicago area. I will be visiting Lurie Hospital on Thursday at 10 am***

Today started off rather stressful. I said goodbye to Cassie and Dan, (thanks again for fixing up my cart!!!) and started my day leaving Woodstock in the fog. Now, I have ZERO sense of direction, and for some reason... instead of going left (east) onto the main road I had to walk down, I turned right (west). I walked about two miles, and realized something wasn't right because I should not have hit the major highway... Damn. I went 2 MILES IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. So typical, and I would have done it a lot more on this trip if I didn't have the sun to follow normally. So 2 miles back to where I started from.

That's nearly an 1 1/2 added on to my already 9 hour day of 25 miles. So I continued on, and it didn't get any better, because there was very little shoulder to walk on for much of the morning. By the time I finally got to actual town, I was feeling pretty upset with the entire day. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get to the house I was staying at before it got dark, and I was sick and tired of this no shoulder thing. Then, a SUV stopped with a man and woman. They gave me a donation, and asked about my walk. I saw them turned around and come back to talk to me, so I thought, maybe, they were headed towards Elgin?? I asked, and they said no, they were actually going the other way and saw me so turned around to come talk to me. So of course they asked why, and I told them I was looking for someone to take my cart to Elgin so I could walk in peace, and maybe get there before dark since I made that stupid mistake earlier in the day. I told them I had called the woman who I was staying with and she was trying to find someone for me, but I hadn't heard back.

I gave them my number, and they said they would give me a call after them got done picking apples at the orchard they were going to, to see if I still needed help. I thanked them, and continued on. About 5 minutes later, I saw them again parked on the side of the road with the trunk of the car open, and I got really, really excited. They said they could go pick apples another time, and decided to help me out instead. I was sooooo thankful. Heather and Steve Schweitzer, THANK YOU!!! So they took BMW to my next house, and I walked on alone without my cart.

I walked into Elgin around 5:30 and met Jeannine, her mother and nannie, and two cute kiddos. We ate a delicious chicken pot pie, and chatted for awhile before I went to bed. I was sleeping down in the basement with huge fresh-water fish tank set in the wall above where I slept. Pretty cool.

It still amazes me how things always come together when I need them to the most. So thankful!

State number 9 today!!!  Need to add up my miles, but I think I should be close to 2,300, which means by the time I get to Chicago, I will be 2/3 of the way done with my Walk across America!! Crazy!

Today started off cold, and never really warmed up, I suppose that's how most of my days will be from now on... but I got warm just because I had to push BMW all day. I got 22 miles in before the rain hit this afternoon, which worked out perfectly, since Dan, my next host, came and picked me up and took me back to his and his wife's, Cassie house. We had a great dinner of lasagna and salad and Dan fixed up BMW for me so the front "Walk Across America" sign should stop falling off! Yay!

And that's about it! Very exciting, I know.   

Last full day in Wisconsin!!! 22 miles again today and again without BMW. It was cold out all day, and probably never got above 47. I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was, bordering on too cold.

I walked fast, and didn't stop today. So I finished up around 4:30 and Dick and Philis came and got me in Walworth. We went to a local place called the Red Zone and had a fish fry dinner and then stopped back at the winery for a glass of wine before heading home. A woman called the winery and asked if I was there, and if I wanted her pocket penis. Yep, you read that right, pocket penis...

The back story to this: Way back in Montana, I was stayed with one of my landscape customers from back home in Tucson who owns a house in Big Sky, MT. He is a retired Dr., and we were having a discussion on how difficult it can be to find places to use the bath room as a female. He very casually mentioned this "Pocket penis". I had no idea what it was, so he told me all about it and how some of his clients had used it and loved it. What he knew as a pocket penis, was something you could keep in your bag, and pull it out and use it when needed, like camping or something and fold it up and put it away. I guess it's also known as a P-mate (Click the link, you know you want to). Anyway, we somehow got on the subject again while we were at the winery, and there was a woman who got really excited and said her husband bought her one so she could use it on the boat.

She didn't really care for it, so she brought it in to the winery for me tonight so she could get rid of it... and it was not exactly what I had in mind. Hence, the picture of "Pinot More" . I  will not be taking her version of the pocket penis with me on the road, but I will be sending home, because it's too damn funny not to.

Today I decided to walk without BMW. It was cold and rainy alllllll day. Luckily it was only 22 miles, and I got it done in a timely fashion. 

Started in Stoughton and walked just pasted Milton. Pretty uneventful since all it did was rain all day. I did stop at a truck stop to get some hot food and a hot beverage, and asked the woman where I could eat it. Sh told me I was welcomed to use the trucker's lounge and directed me where to go.

So I went up the stairs, and found a dark room with a tiny wood table and a TV on. There was a man sitting and watching the TV, so I asked if I could join and he said yeah, of course. So I sat and we got to talkin' and I told him about my walk, and he told me about his son who passed away last year at the age of 22 because of kidney disease. His boy loved music, and was out living his dream, and not letting his disease slow him down, he traveled and preformed up until he died. Take a look at his music video he made. Even if you don't like rap, take a listen, it's a good message!

I got into town right at 4:30 and Dick came and picked me up at his cousin's house, and we all went out to Red Robin and I met a bunch of his family and ate a fantastic burger, and a delicious pumpkin milkshake. Which was kinda silly since it was so cold out, but it was so good!!! Great way to the end the day.

This morning around 10, Shelly dropped me off down at the art museum, and I spent an hour or so looking around and enjoying the warmth since it was chilly and cloudy outside. This picture is a picture of the building, absolutely gorgeous.

After the museum, I walked downtown to the Public market and had lunch at one of the fish markets. Lobster bisque... So good. I walked around and found a paper shop? I was curious so I went inside and found a really nice quote book and bought it as my Wisconsin gift to myself.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time at all in Milwaukee. I took a bus back to Shelly's house and Dick came and picked me up at 2:30 so we could miss the rush hour traffic.

When we got back to Milton, we all went out to the local winery and had a GREAT TIME! Netleaf Winery, highly recommend it, good wine and better company.   :)