For a conservative state, Missouri sure does have a lot of “adult” stores. But I guess that’s balanced out by all the JESUS IS WATCHING YOU JERK IT bulletin boards.
So much road construction. Where’s my goddamned hovercar?
How the hell did anyone drive anywhere solo without GPS? Getting through St. Louis practically requires wise Native American guides.
Thank god for Stephen Fry and his fourteen hour autobiography on audio book.
Does the entire state of Illinois smells like roadkill skunk? (Hour and a half later) Yes. Yes it does.
Vandalia? Wonder how that town got its name? Settled by descendants of the Vandals?
Is there anything more blinding than the setting sun in your driver’s side mirror?
Indiana appears to be lacking state pride. I didn’t notice any garish banners announcing my arrival within its borders. Come on Indiana, you’re not that bad of a place.
Okay, so maybe Indiana’s motto should be “Generally indistinguishable from Illinois.”
At one point, my GPS locked up. After 15 minutes, it still said I had 2 hours, 15 minutes left to reach my destination. For a brief moment, I feared I had died in a car crash and this was to be my own personal hell. Then I thought maybe my superpowers finally kicked in and I was outside the time stream. Then I rebooted the GPS and the time stream returned to normal.
Just another 12 hour day of mindless driving!
Thoughts, assorted:
1. West Virginia (where I currently reside, a transplant from Wisconsin) is also a state that is churchy and bible-thumpy and yet full of adults stores, strip clubs, etc. There is this entire strip between South Charleston and Saint Albans, called Jefferson, that has the most strip bars, seedy hotels, and adult bookstores that I“ve seen in one two-mile stretch.
2. Illnois. Yes. It does smell like that. Driving through Southern Illnois also takes FOREVER because there’s nothing to see. One experiences relativity there in spades.
3. I wish I were going to WFC!
PS I don’t remember how I found it, but I very much enjoy your blog. Keep on rockin’.
PS #2: I’d be interested to find the connection to the “Vandals” as WV has a Vandalia festival every year in Charleston (with lots of folksy music, bluegrass, and liar/storytelling contests).
Actually the motto for Indiana should be “The only distinguishable feature from Illinois is that it rains so damn much!” Becca’s parents used to live outside of Indianapolis and it rained so often that they regularly contended with a flooding basement.
How the hell did anyone drive anywhere solo without GPS? Getting through St. Louis practically requires wise Native American guides.
It’s not that bad! You just stay on the highway and follow the signs for Chicago till you’re across the river. (I assume you’re driving to Ohio.…) Or were you trying to drive on the city streets? That can be disorienting if you don’t know the layout yet…