Okay I am duty bound to blog about my trip to Minneapolis.  This will probably sound like a stupid “what I did this summer” essay, and THAT is just how it is intended.  So suck it!

My fabulous “road gypsy” sister in law (the mysterious Denise) accompanied me on my maiden voyage as a long haul driver.  It was quite an experience.  Here’s how it went down from my stupid MS Word calendar.

July 21 – Left for MN at 1:30pm.  Arrived at Eldersburg (casa del Brente) 4ish and left for MN at 5:30p.  Drove thru the night and morning.

Things I learned:

1. The state of Ohio smells bad and the state of Indiana smells even WORSE!

2. Once you get started on a trip like this, you really can’t stop for anything (so sorry John).
3. Always bring along some music that really sucks but you know really well (this keeps you awake by making fun of the music by screaming along)!
4. At the right time of the early morning, with properly balanced tires, and with cruise control you can drive across the entire state of Indiana and never touch the steering wheel (so damn flat).
5. Wisconsin is the indoor water park capital of the world.
6. Gary Indiana makes Elizabeth New Jersey look like an oasis.
7. If you are travelling from Indiana to Illinois, you will not get welcomed to the state with any sort of “welcome to this state” sign. Dont know why.

July 22 – 7:30a to 11:30a – slept in a parking lot for a first care facility which sits next to a restaurant called “the bog”.  Here’s the best I can find for a webpage for the restaurant.  It has a map so you can see where to sleep when the rain comes down in sheets and you’ve been driving for MANY MANY HOURS.

Stupid Link to The Bog

July 22 – 12 ish.  Arrived in Minnesota where Liz came out to the car to meet us.  It was sooooooo coool!

July 22 (Thurs) to July 26 (Mon) – Had a wonderful, exciting, and relaxing time hanging with Liz and Chris.
Things I learned:

1. Minnesota is really nice and clean and perty.
2. The people that live in the city actually have lawns.
3. The Mississippi river flows thru EVERYTHING.
4. The mall of america is over the top consumerism on steroids.
5. The public transit is clean, convenient, and very slow (ala chocolate world speed).
6. The bars have very nice people in them (at least the ones we went to).
7. Chris OFFICIALLY does a very good McJagger dance (as approved by Denise and Myself).
8. Chris has introduced me to the world of Portable Alcoholism (thank you “sensei” (did I spell that right?))
9. Liz is an awesome friend, the best hostess, and has the best tan in Minneapolis (“stay sexy Minneapolis!”).
10. The Juicy Lucy is INCREDIBLE!
11. Black Sambucca tastes good in coffee.
12. I am addicted to Cheese Curds.
13. Chris always remembered his lunch money and his permission slip in the morning when he went to work.

July 26 (Monday) – Left with difficult goodbyes at 10:45am.  Bought some Cheese curds at a quicky mart in Wisconsin.

July 26 – rush hour –  Hit rush hour in chicago.  Wasn’t really bad because we were on toll roads.  Gave us a chance to take these bad cell phone pictures.

July 26 – Entering Indiana – Almost lost my temper at the “take ticket” toll booth.  There was no ticket sticking out so i pressed the button to “get ticket”.  Still no ticket.  Pressed the button to get help.  Got an actual recording thru the speaker on the ticket box that said,

“all operators are busy please stand by” with hold music.  Sat there with traffic backing up behind me waiting on the operator to answer.

Finally she answered and I couldnt understand/hear her at all (I was at a toll booth and the speaker box was as small as my cell phone).

Finally I said, “I’m not from here, I dont know where I am and I’m trying to enter your stupid state of Indiana from Illinois and I cant get a damned ticket to come out of the stupid box!”  She garbled something and the ticket came out.  Finally, we were on our way again.

Stopped at a gas station in Indiana and stumbled over a toll booth ticket on the ground that was cheaper than ours.  We took it and turned it in when we got to the other end of the toll road.  It was accepted!!  Correct me on the amount but I believe we saved 2 bucks… Denise?  Comment?  So Indiana paid me back 2 bucks for the hassle (and I kept the original Indiana toll ticket as a souvenir).

Around midnight in Ohio, we considered settling for a cheap hotel but I think in hindsight, we realized that Ohio along the toll road wasn’t really an appealing place to spend the night so we just muddled on in a screaming haze.

July 27 – The construction around Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania is horrific even at 2AM.

July 27 – Took a crap in a rest stop in Maryland.  Very regrettable.

July 27 – About 5am – Pulled into Elderssykesburgville Maryland.  Immediately crashed in the new improved bed in the room where the former disfiguring “stapler” bed used to be.  (The new bed was quite effective).

July 27 – about 11:30 am – woke up.  Had coffee.  Brente cleaned my car up.  (That much travel in ANY car can ruin the interior).

July 27 – 1:30p – Headed back to rehoboth beach delaware.

July 27 – 4p – arrive in reho.

mileage estimates:
1230 miles to Minneapolis from Rehoboth Beach, DE.
I drove 1000 of it.

1280 miles to Rehoboth, DE from Minneapolis.  (I think we took a wider different way around milwaukee on the way back…not really sure.  Maybe it was highway dementia having an affect on my odometer).

IN CONCLUSION:   All I can say is WOW and:

1. I never knew I could drive that far!
2. I never knew I had such a fun sister in law to travel with!
3. I never knew Minneapolis could be soooo cool.
4. I KNEW that Liz and Chris are awesome and we’d have a good time and we DEFINITELY DID!