Up
early,
and
eventually
out,
but there are errands to run in this
intriguing college town,
both on financial and
supply
sides,
then at last
out on
80 West again,
the
world
flattening out towards
Ohio,
and
the
not-
particularly-
welcome
toll
roads
here
and
in
unfortunate
Indiana,
where
the
automatic
checkout kiosk insists on billing us as a four-axle vehicle, with no human recourse.
No competition re petrol on the robberways,
either,
so the e-is-for-excellence reading is
looming,
as we slow for
Chicago traffic.
Beyond in the tony northern suburbs, still very few competitive offerings, and we are left careening on a fool's errand for fuel errant.
Returning toward the highways, past an overlooked offering:
Wisconsin,
sunset
and
portents,
Milwaukee betrays us with a sudden detour, no obvious turnaround point, emergency vehicles -- it just gets better and better.
At last after ridiculous backtracking, we wend our way to Waukesha, for a non-intuitive transit to a slightly dear option re overnight accommodations, after friendly but glacial service. A well-intentioned but bum tip, the within-walking-distance restaurants are all closed and we are caught in the rain. Will night never end?
Another doomed mission for libations, and we settle for vending machine cuisine. Some days simply go this way, but, mercifully, not many -- this being the 70th of summer back home, high down 8 to 91 -- with temps in Pennsyvania and Wisconsin at 66 and 75 respectively.... Five states in one day... a feat not bested on this trip, nor last year's analogous one...
