Explore scenic drives in the heartland of America with experts from the Midwest Travel Network.
A Dozen States, Dozens of Scenic Drives: Announcing Midwest Road Trip AdventuresRead More
Fresh Air and Fine Feasting at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa
Need to get away? With delicious dining and lots of great outdoors, Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa fits the bill. We pulled out of the driveway. Suitcases in the trunk. Cooler in the back seat. GPS telling us where to go. Grins plastered on our faces. ROAD TRIP! It had been awhile since Mr. TLT …
Fresh Air and Fine Feasting at Eagle Ridge Resort and SpaRead More
An Illinois Road Trip Adventure: Route 66
Start where the Mother Road begins and explore Route 66 in Illinois. As I walked back to Sally, the SUV I’d rented for this crazy excursion, the thing I dreaded most happened: I had to use the bathroom. It was 7:40 am, which meant nothing was open. Nothing would be open, anyway, since the city …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: I’m not fine. But I will be.
I went to the doctor for what I thought would be a routine checkup. Not that I would recognize a routine checkup if I saw one. I hadn’t been to a doctor (except for two emergency room visits, one after being mugged and one after falling off a racing camel. Now that’s a story for …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: I’m not fine. But I will be.Read More
An Illinois Road Trip Adventure
When my alarm dinged at five I’d already been up for an hour and a half. Not by choice. I was anxious and excited. That day I would leave to drive four of Illinois’ scenic byways. During a pandemic. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even really know how I was going to …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: Why I Got Tested for COVID-19
What it’s like to get tested at a free Illinois COVID-19 Testing Site Since the seriousness of COVID-19 began to hit home mid-March, Mr. TLT and I have been cautious. We’ve limited our outings to grocery shopping, a couple of curbside pickups at Julie Ann’s Frozen Custard, walks on the Prairie Trail and an occasional …
Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist: Why I Got Tested for COVID-19Read More
Must Have List of Road Trip Essentials
Don’t leave home without these necessary items.
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 35 – Home
Almost. I should say almost home. Technically, we were still in Wisconsin and needed to get to Illinois. If you wanted to get truly technical, we still had no home at all. Whatever. We were close. We took our time breaking down camp that morning. We tried to take a hike, but we got about …
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 34 – Onalaska to Governor Dodge State Park
Home. That’s what I felt as we rode our bikes on the Great River State Trail. Home. I loved the unrestrained and extreme beauty of the west, the sheer extravagance of the earth’s upheaval, the power of an ever-changing landscape. It was one “wow” after another. But as we rode our bikes along the Mississippi …
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 34 – Onalaska to Governor Dodge State ParkRead More
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 33 – Eden Prairie to Onalaska
I love the big puffy clouds,” I said, “when they’re not dropping stuff.” I’d officially hit the loopy stage. That’s OK. We were getting closer to “home” with every mile. In two more days we’d be back in Illinois and then we could rest. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, my. Anyway… Day 33’s agenda was light. We drove …
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 33 – Eden Prairie to OnalaskaRead More
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 32 – Jamestown to Eden Prairie
Everything looks better in the morning. Jim called Hertz and extended our rental. With his mellifluous tones, empathy, and patience, our problem was solved and we had some breathing room. We had to be back by July 3, but that was four days away and those two extra days meant everything. We checked out of …
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 32 – Jamestown to Eden PrairieRead More
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 31 – Glendive to Jamestown
Don’t underestimate small towns. It’s something I’ve learned over and over. It’s something I’ve preached over and over. Yet here we were in a small town in eastern Montana, and I thought we’d be there to sleep and leave. Have I learned nothing? When we approached our hotel the night before we’d noticed signs for …
Two Lane Gems, Vol. 2: Day 31 – Glendive to JamestownRead More