Maine to Chicago

Hi Family,

After parking the van in Tinley Park with the Dervins on October 12th, I hopped a flight to Rocklin. I wanted to be home for Mike and Charley's visit (and the tour of the wine country we promised them), Kyle's birthday (he's 29) and the Eagles concert tonight here in Sacramento. Tomorrow, the 19th, I fly back to Chicago to pick up the van and continue my way west.

After dunking my feet in the Atlantic I turned southwest and drove to Buffalo where I camped for 2 nights. I took a 9 hour tour of Niagara Falls that ended with a wonderful buffet dinner in the penthouse of a lovely hotel in Canada with a spectacular view of the Falls. The tour included a boat ride into the horseshoe formed by the Falls on the American and Canadian sides. What a ride! That roiling and rolling water, churned green by the minerals content races away down the Niagara River in a Class 6 rapids doing 35 MPH. It's a sight I won't forget.


Neither is the sight of this Mad Max piece of farm gear that I spotted in North Dakota. Can anyone tell me what in the world such a thing does?


Buffalo to Chicago was uneventful. I took the Interstate to pick up a day's travel which turned out to be serendipitus. While getting an oil change in Chicago the attendant pointed out that 3 of my tires were dangerously shot due to slippage of the steel belts beneath the tread. I ordered a set of tires (that size isn't usually stocked because it is a trailer tire with a load rating of C) and Dick Dervin had them installed while I was in Rocklin.. What a guy!

Kathryn surprised Mike and Charley and especially me by revealing, just as we were leaving to tour the Amador Wine Country, the stretch limo parked in front ready to whisk us away on the all day tour. What a surprise! We had a great time and a great visit as we were driven, in style, from winery to winery.


I haven't yet worked out how to share the wealth of photos I have from the trip but once home, early in November, I'll decide on some way to share them with anyone who is interested. Meanwhile, I've scattered a few through this narrative.

I hope I don't have to wait a month before the next entry. But time flies when you're having a good time......

I want to write more from the road but getting a good connection with the Internet has been a problem. Following are some photos from last month that you might find interesting. I did. They don't necessaryily have anything to do with the narrative but I found them interesting anyway.

That's it for this time. Love to all.

Dad/Grandpa