Thread: Illinois Road Trip

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"....As much as we'd like to still be 19 in our minds, the ol' bod just doesn't always cooperate....................but that doesn't stop us from playing the game the best we can does it?....."

Just got thru reading Bob's road trip story and boy did it hit a cord. I just got back from 3 weeks in Illinois seeing Mom and got back Friday evening.

The important part first......some of you may know I drove back a couple months ago after Mom had a stroke. The reason I went back this time was far more happy. Mom felt she was ready to move back home. I wanted to be there for the first couple of weeks to make sure she would be able to live on her own. She is doing absolutely great and I have no concerns she (and her cat) will be fine.

As far as the trip. I took the Caddy powered El Camino back last time last, so this trip it was the 57 Plymouth's turn. The trip out was pretty uneventful, I broke the drive into 2 days and spent one night in motel.

The trip back was a bit different story. My wife and my anniversary was yesterday and I figured I'd leave in the late afternoon on Thursday. I like to drive at night and it would put me thru the bigger cities during non-rush hour times (and miss the Friday night drunks) and I would be back home sometime late Saturday morning.

The drive was pretty good, the old Plymouth did great but I did run into a heck of a rain storm between Iowa City and Des Moines. The problem was that by the time I would normally have started looking for a motel, I was just a few hours away from home. Yeah, I decided to go ahead and drive all the way thru......26 hours on the road and I pulled into my driveway at about 7PM Friday night. I was beat and just pulled the car into the shop and went into the house. I know in the old days I didn't hurt that bad or take as long to recover.

To add insult to injury when I got up the next morning and wandered out to the Arizona room I found out my yard looked like a game preserve. When I left I figured the monsoon season was pretty much over and the grass was starting to turn a lovely shade of brown. I really figured I was thru mowing for the year. It had rained a bunch while I was gone, so I spend 6 hours on the lawn mower.

Right now I REALLY enjoy sitting on anything that doesn't have a steering wheel in front of it!!!!!!

That rain storm you drove through in Iowa was a pretty nasty one about 40 miles north of I-80. I'm glad to hear you made it home safely. I'm sure you drove right by our exit on your way through.

Good to know Mom is doing fine!!
Prayers being answered!!
Glad you went for a happier visit & glad you made a safe round trip!

At least you have a riding mower......lol.....

And you didn't come by for a visit
Seems strange since I had a gentleman & his wife drive in from New Zealand & surely you had to be much closer then them

Glad to hear your mom is doing better & that you had a decent ride to & from. Makes me want to pack up and take a trip to my home town Larrabee, Iowa and the area to visit the cousins.

The Community Center use to be owned by my Grandfather from the 1909 until his death in 1948 as a meat market & was ran as a tavern/diner by my parents from 1950 til 1959..

Great news on your Mom, Mike! Good hearing the trip was ok, had to be a nice cruise in the '57!!

Originally Posted by Mike P

...............I know in the old days I didn't hurt that bad or take as long to recover.

Ain't dat da truth..........

Glad all went well and Mom is on the mend.......makes for a happier trip.
I like to think of these times as "....they took care of us when we first came into this world, and now it's payback as they near the exit." Somehow it doesn't sound as maudlin in my mind..........

".....That rain storm you drove through in Iowa was a pretty nasty one about 40 miles north of I-80....." Ryan it was pretty intense on 80 too

"......And you didn't come by for a visit...."
One of these times I'll have to do that. The last few years I've been catching 35 North in OKC instead of going thru St Louis and taking either 67 or 74 North.

".... had to be a nice cruise in the '57!!...."
Dave, I really enjoy driving that car cross country (it's it's 3rd trip back to ILL). I built it specifically for this type of trip an haven't been a bit disappointed in it.

"...... Somehow it doesn't sound as maudlin in my mind......."

Not maudlin at all Bob!