Day 3 Ohio onto Pennsylvania!

These would be our Gluten Free and healthy options at the Service Plaza.  Pricey little fruit cups, but at least there are some options.  The scenery is getting more and more beautiful.  More green and lush.  Beautiful little 2-3 story homes / homesteads with barns and farms.  Taking lots of deep breaths and breathing it all in!

More penny squishers!  We like penny squishers!

Ohio has many interesting billboard signs.  

Lots of insurance ads "Call me if you are in an accident"   Also noticed some poor grammar are signs ... "Earn your Doctor getting your Physiotherapy."  hummmm

Super cool Mommy & Me bathroom

Travel rest stop areas are now called "Service Plaza's".  Most have restaurants and showers with a truckers lounge, etc.  Lots of tourist info and they are clean and great to stop at.  Finally saw a highway sign saying $300 fine for littering.

We are very focused with getting to Pennsylvania to see my friend and her family.  Just keep driving!
We're noticing lots of white blooms on trees in Philadelphia area and then some brilliant purple ones.

We've started to see lots of corn fields...everything is looking freshly greened up. Lots of little churches around as well.  Wish we could stop and join in on a Sunday morning service.

Pennsylvania has lots of rolling hills and the trees are blooming end of April.  We saw a Tom Turkey and hens just after we went through a toll.  We're glad it's raining, or we would want to stop and enjoy this scenery more.  All agreed that it must be stunning in the fall... so many varieties of trees would make for brilliant leaves.  Gregg was surprised by the large rock formations and how beautiful it was.  I heard him saw "Now I know why you wanted to come back here so badly!"

It is getting late and we are getting a little giddy... excited to be entering Pennsylvania and our first destination!

Most of the barns look old, but the houses look well kept.

Factories in Pennsylvania

There seems to be lots of industry here too.  Passed many vehicle factories, etc.

Lots of rain makes for blurry photos from the vehicle

 We noticed just how wide and large the rivers are... The Ohio, the Mississippi.  We were talking about the Road to Freedom book with Julily trying to escape slavery and having to cross these rivers and walk through the dense terrain...sure put it into perspective!

Little farm yards

8am 9C  Gas $78
Put some air in the tires at a little garage $2
#80 to Ohio
Toll from Indiana to Ohio $7.90
Gave us 2 "loonies"  Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln Statue of Liberty coins
Amherst OH $80 gas
#80 to #76 Ohio turnpike $17 toll
#76 welcome to PA toll $5.90
Somerset $67.51 gas
Service Plaza not awesome like Ohio.
Toll #70 $15.40
Pinelane $29 fuel
Harrisburg Toll $7.30

Driving through Chicago at Midnight on a Sunday DAY 2

2nd day Sunday April 27, 2014
Wisconsin is now showing green grass, unlike in Manitoba when we left.   5C.

It was still pouring buckets of rain down on us, so all we wanted was a nice hot breakfast.  We asked some nice elderly folk in the grocery store if they could point us in the direction of a good breakfast nook.  We ended up at Denny's Retro Diner in Hudson Wisconsin.  Sunday morning, it was full!

They didn't have much for selection on teas in the US but they did have HONEY

Busy diner

Waiting for our food at Denny's

Pam, our waitress extraordinaire! 

Oh Pam, we almost drove out of our way on the trip home ~ just to see you again!

 A tip for Pam

 It turned out to be a little cold for the slushies and the slushies themselves were a little runny.  Some buyers remorse going on ...

 Noticing that prices on chips were not that different.  Everywhere we went they were around $3 for a bag.

All the Barbie, Life in the Dreamhouse characters!!! EEEEEEE

Gregg couldn't get over how they sell guns in Wal Mart

Kate and Uncle Gordon ... opps, I mean Uncle Si

Jo and Midge

Driving through all the wind and rain was exhausting

Poor Gregg ~ so much wind!  Lots of tornado's to the South East of us

Paying tolls is not necessarily new to us, but we were getting it down pat!

Tolls were around $10 to get into Indiana on the I 94

Guacamole... in a tub, but in a bag inside.  Yup, kinda gross.

Travel stops with pinball machines made for a happy time!

A pumpkin Cheesecake cookie.  Only found in the US, but Made In Canada!  HA!

Travel stops were just the best!  We noticed later just how many of our memories and photos were taken in them.  Traveling with children would be easy.  We often got hot water and made our own tea as well.

There are also Fireworks stores everywhere and they are huge buildings with huge signs.

Gas stations have names like "Freedom" and "Tesero" and "Loves" and "BP" and "Holiday"

We are noticing Pro Life and Pro Fatherhood billboards a lot.  Something you don't see too much around Manitoba.

Chicago radio station report ~ "We have a report of a couch in the center lane.."

No pictures turned out of our drive through Chicago around midnight on a Sunday night.  It was stunning in it's own way.  Old buildings, run down areas and then sky scrapers and modern architecture.  I made sure Gregg was watching the road !  ha ha.

Chicago Skyway toll $4.

The temperature rose dramatically after Chicago from around 5 C to 15C. by 8:30 pm. We stayed at the Comfort Inn in Portage IA for $78 with a CAA discount.  We are traveling with a thermarest mattress for Mei to sleep on the floor.

They served a hot breakfast (continental style) but nothing really for Gluten Free.
 We're in biscuit and gravy areas now!

The quilts were so comfy!

The rain stopped just long enough for us to unpack into the motel and then it rained all night as well.

Steve and Bertha being interviewed by Oprah on their traveling tips

2nd day Sunday April 27
Family Fresh Groceries $84.14
Denny's Retro Diner $38.38
Tomah, WI Kwik Trip 20 L $75
Wal Mart groceries and trailer lock $19.48
I 94 Tolls to Chicago, $6.40
OH 6 Ohio Turnpike partial toll
Wisconsin is now green 5C raining
Skyway Chicago into Indiana $4.
Indiana tolls I 90 $1.80
Temperature rose dramatically up to 15C at 8:30 pm