Rain, rain and more rain

July 19, 2007

Indiana Beach, IN to Mt. Gilead, OH

267.4 miles

Heavy overcast and rain most of the day!

I didn't take any pictures today, because it was so dark and dreary and windy and rainy all day, which is a shame because this is all new country to me and I'll miss having reminders!

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That said, I'm really excited about today's portion of my adventure. We all have experienced losing touch with friends in this hectic lifestyle we're leading. We move, we live in boxes (I've lived in a post office box for over 30 years, and now live in a bigger box with no permanent address!), and we use cell phones which are basically untrackable, unless you are with the feds or police! I wander around the internet periodically looking for signs that missing old friends are still out there somewhere. I found one!!!

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A great friend from Hawaii days has moved at least as much as I - probably more. But the last time I checked one of those 'find someone' sites, remembering that he had family in Ohio, I tried again, knowing I would be traveling through the general area. This time, there was an address that wasn't too awfully old, so I gave the phone number a try. And I knew the voice that answered!!! What a delight to find an old friend - there are never enough good friends and to track Denny down just couldn't be sweeter. I will see him tonight!!

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But first, the day's drive ... racing is obviously popular in this part of the country - I saw race cars in front yards in several small towns - destruction derby kind of cars, all beat up, proudly wearing their numbers and colors!

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Plenty more signs of 'America' -

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4-H Fairs in almost every town

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big red barns with the open hay loft

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fancy steeples on the churches (I've always had a steeple fetish - I have pictures from all over Europe of church steeples too! no comments are necessary about what a steeple fetish might mean, thank you very much.)

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old cemeteries with stories to tell - hundreds of old headstones, wearing down at the edges from decades of weather

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intricate stained glass windows in the old churches

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lots of yard and garage and barn sales, one advertising 'mules and cockateils 4 sale' - interesting combination!

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There are more Hardee's than McDonalds to be found, and Huntington, IN welcomes visitors with a sign proclaiming it to be the home of our 44th Vice President, Dan Quayle (which is sort of a lie in itself, as he was actually born in Indianapolis, but he did graduate high school in Huntington, so I guess it's OK to claim him as their own.).

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One of my good friends is Ann Evans, from Green Valley, AZ but mostly from Hawaii, which is why we're so close! Her husband, Bob, appears to own a string of restaurants in this part of the world (Bob Evans Restaurant). When I asked her, she was aware of the place, but was disappointed that the restaurant wouldn't comp them a meal simply for being a namesake - not very good PR if you ask me! Never hurts to try though!

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Toward the end of the day, I was on a little two lane road, which has long since been found by the truckers. It's not easy to go east to west here - the roads just don't go where you want them to go! But this obviously is a good shortcut - it was wall to wall 18-wheelers in both directions!

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After some misdirection, I finally found the RV park I had chosen for the next couple nights, and between raindrops hooked up and cooled off. Probably wouldn't consider staying here again, because it's obviously not built for a rig as big as mine, and I'm not that big! The roads are tiny and tight - it was not easy navigating around. Nice otherwise - built around a little lake, as so many in the area are. Plenty big trees, no TV, no internet.

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Denny called when he finished work, and came for a visit - it was so terrific to see him and get caught up on way too many missing years, and of course solve some of the world's problems! Friends are too special to lose, and I have him back! Looks terrific, his smile is the same - I stayed an extra day here to have a little more time to visit!

Milan Travel Park
11404 U.S. 250 N
Milan, Ohio 44846
419-499-4627