Days 8,9,10....arrival!

Well, I got off that daily blogging practice because I was too dang tired to think and write after a long day of driving.  But, here is my summary of the last few days on the road and our arrival in Providence!

Day 8 - Chicago, IL
We buzzed through Madison, WI which included a visit to WORT community radio.  The staff was very generous to give us a fantastic tour of the station. I had known a few of the veteran radioactivists from back in the day, like Norman Stockwell, and it was a treat to visit with him and the others during our time there.

After our visit, we drove to the Chicago area. We weren't quite in the city but staying at a hotel in Des Plains, just out of the city.  It was hot and humid.  Neither of us was feeling motivated to drive downtown and explore so instead we ate some dinner at a crappy diner and hit the hay.

The next day, we did take the time to take a gander at the gorgeous Lake Michigan on our way to Toledo, OH.  What a stunning sight it was!  It was a gorgeous sunny day so parking was at a premium at each of the small lots we tried to navigate.  We were able to do a quick look-see at what looked like a tropical beach to me. The water was turquoise and the sand was bright white.  There was even a pink house right on the beach!

 

Day 9 - Toledo, OH

Not much to share about this stop except we decided to skip our stay in Erie, PA in order to hightail it to my Aunt Susan and Uncle Peter's home in New York.  It is one of my favorite places on the planet.  There isn't any internet (gasp!) and barely any cell coverage (true!) so there isn't much screen time to suck up your life.  Susan and Peter were marvelous hosts.  This was my first visit in about a decade and I was looking forward to it.  A sweet opportunity to visit with my family and meet their family: Tippie the dog; Rocket, Gallop, and The Devil Cat (that last one has another name, but I can't recall it?). Susan also made us play Monopoly, the card game. I admit it, it was kind of fun. ;-)

 

 

Day 13 - Middletown, NY

After several relaxing days at my aunt and uncle's Shangri La, Liam and I drove east towards our final destination of Rhode Island.  We stayed in a nice hotel for our final night on the road and ate dinner at a nearby Greek diner.  The rain was overwhelming!  We learned that there were several areas on flood alert.  I later heard that Pennsylvania was hit, big time, with all the excessive rain. Yikes.

Day 14 - PROVIDENCE, RI !!!

We arrived in Providence around lunchtime and I met my new landlords for the first time, Michael and Marilyn.  What dolls!  I felt instantly welcome by them and as they gave me a tour of my new home. Marilyn and I spent the night texting one another about all kinds of things and Michael invited us out for a driving tour of the city that included a phenomenal dinner at the Old Canteen in Federal Hill.  Liam and I ate dinner at Julian's, which is a few blocks away from my new place! The following day, we went to my new coffeehouse, Sin, for amazing coffee and fantastic service.

 

I think I'm going to like it here.