2026 Road Trip - Day 33

Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 - Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia (with a quick touch into Kentucky) = A Long Day. I want to make up for lost time and lost ground. After 11-and-1/2 hours, 494 miles (and 22 Post Offices), I checked into the Microtel Inn in Mineral Wells, West Virginia at 9 PM (East Coast Time, finally):

The 22 Post Offices cover from Rochester to Providence:

Wait - I thought I was somewhere in Southern Illinois???

Well, Kansas, Illinois does have some pretty cool Wall-Art:

Sometimes The Road Is Still BEING BUILT:

And then it was time to rack-up the "Interstate Miles" (221 miles, from Dennison, IL to Bethel, OH):

I did stop at the VERY COOL "Welcome to Indiana" Rest Stop:

I whipped past Indianapolis in early afternoon:

And there goes Cincinnati:

Down in southeast Ohio is wall-art, libraries, and the BEST POST OFFICE PHOTO I HAVE EVER TAKEN (45640 - Jackson, OH):

I crossed into West Virginia at 7:30 PM:

After 494 miles, I checked into the Microtel Inn in Mineral Wells, West Virginia at 9 PM (outside photo from the next morning):

Thank you God for this wonderful ILLINOIS-INDIANA-OHIO-WEST VIRGINIA Adventure Day!

Music for today:

In the Hotel Room:

various - If You're Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison, 2019 tribute album, last heard in a blog never. With Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Chrissie Hynde, and Bonnie Raitt (among others), this is a nice album of Mose Allison songs:

Time to hit The Road:

The Temptations - The Ultimate Collection (Temptations), 1997 compilation album, last heard in a blog never. Excellent Collection:

Bill Morrissey - Inside, 1992 album, last heard 7/10/2024 - Wendy and I love Bill's stuff. Very sad he died in 2011.
This past year I have been lisenting to my iPod, but for a few months I was listening alphabetically, in the "C's". It is a wonderful way to experience the songs of my life, song-by-song, sometimes one version followed by another. At one point "Casey, Illinois" came up (from Bill Morrissey's album "Inside"), and it sounded BEAUTIFUL. Since I knew I was doing a Fall-roadtrip, I made a point of going through Casey, Illinois. Today is that day. All I got from that town is their Post Office:

but here are some of Bill's lyrics:

Well, through the years
Each mile just added to the distance
Between us two
And somewhere on some road
I crossed that line, I moved too far
Now there's nothing I can do

Vineyard Sound - In The Newes, 2009 album, last heard never - excellent a cappella music:

Cream - Wheels of Fire (2 cds), 1968 double-album, last heard in a blog 7/21/2024 - once again, very good listening to an old friend:

John Cougar Mellencamp - The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987 album, last heard in a blog 9/08/2023 - Well, I am driving through Indiana! (so I listened twice)

R.E.M. - Automatic For The People, 1992 album, last heard in a blog 9/12/2025. Excellent Album (listened twice):

various - Billboard Top Hits: 1987, 1994 compilation album, last heard in a blog never. 10 great songs from 1987:

various - Billboard Top Hits: 1983, 1994 compilation album, last heard in a blog never. 10 great songs from 1983:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

2026 Road Trip - Day 32

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026 - southeast Iowa and Illinois = A Longish Day. 247 miles (and 13 Post Offices), at 9 PM I checked-in at the Days Inn in Charleston, IL:

The 13 Post Offices cover from Albany to Boston:

As I said yesterday, Paul Simon wrote "They've all come to look for America" - well, given the DOZEN people who stoped to see if I was ok, and the 1/2 dozen the next morning (a guy kept trying to give me water bottles), I found America, and it has a big heart.

I spent the night in the passenger seat, in my down parka. The tow-truck got to me at 11:20 AM, and I was able to ride with him down to the Walmart Car Care Center in Keokuk. At least dawn was pretty:

Gabby was able to get the tire-size, but they didn't have any in stock (bad news). But GOOD NEWS, there are 5 at the Walmart 33 miles down the road in Quincy, Illinois (which is right on my way!):

After 1/2 an hour, the mechanic in Keokuk was able to get the bolt-lock nut OFF MY WHEEL, and put on the spare!!! And they did not charge me anything!!! (I figured it was ok because I was buying a tire down at the next Walmart, so "they" were going to get my money anyway). My original hotel for tonight was the Days Inn in Florence, Kentucky (just south across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio) - 439 miles/6 and 1/2 hours straight of Interstate driving. That is too far for me. While at the Walmart in Quincy, Illinois, I cancelled that reservation, and made a new one at the Days Inn in Charleston, Illinois (203 miles, 3 1nd 1/2 hours on "Blue Highways"):

I left the 2nd Walmart at 4 PM. I don't have a picture of the Wonderful Walmart in Quincy, Illinois, but here is one of their Post OffIce:

Some of these roads Google Maps wants me on are pretty rural:

Nice Wall-Art in Mount Sterling, Illinois:

Street Scene in Meredosia, Illinois:

And there are always COOL ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS:

After 247 miles, I checked into the Days Inn in Charleston, Illinois at 9 PM:

Thank you God for this wonderful IOWA-ILLINOIS Adventure Day!

Music for today:

The Airborne Toxic Event - Dope Machines, 2015 4th album, last heard in a blog never. twice, because I want to get to know this band:

Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love, 1987 album, last heard in a blog 8/29/2025. Sounds really good - really really good:

Joe Jackson - Volume 4, 2003 album, last heard in a blog 8/29/2017 - I like Joe Jackson a lot:

Joe Jackson - Volume 4 (Bonus Disc) [Live}, 2003 album, last heard in a blog 8/29/2017. The Bonus Disc has 6 songs - live material from the 2002 UK tour:

Joe Jackson - Night and Day, 1982 album, last heard in a blog 9/25/2023 - Wonderful:

Mumford & Sons - The Road To Red Rocks [Live], 2012 live album, last heard in a blog 6/13/2017. Good collection, Great Energy:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/