Took a Drive Up to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin-- Part 1

Yesterday, Liz and I took a trip to Lake Geneva to see those beautiful lights at Grand Geneva, close by Wisconsin 50/US-12. We like to do this every year, and it is a magnificent display with over a million lights.

In keeping with our 40th Anniversary "Trip Down Memory Lane," we stopped at Dilar's in Richmond for lunch. We stopped at this place many times while dating in high school and college. At that time, and, until about seven years ago, it was Mr. Sitka's. They had some excellent pizza and very reasonably prices for modest high school and college budgets.

At the time, we were living in Palatine and it never would have entered our minds that one day we would be living only about six miles from it. That drive north on US-12 seemed to go on forever.

Still has excellent food, especially their broasted chicken, and a whole meal with chicken, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and salad came to $8.25.

We then drove past the Wisconsin border on the four lane US-12 speedway. Speed limit is 65, but you'll get run over if you adhere to it. My favorite place along this stretch of road is where they have signs for "Airplane Crossing" and "Watch for Low-Flying Planes." This is not what you'd expect to see on a road. There is a subdivision at this point where one of the roads is a landing strip. These folks fly to their jobs.

It was still light, so we stopped at the Lake Geneva Lanes on Wi-50 and played NTN. It has 12 lanes and a great little lounge done up north-woods style with exposed timbers.

More Tomorrow. --RoadDog

Forty Good Years-- A Trip Down Memory Lane

This past Saturday, December 15th, marked the 40th anniversary of when I gave my wife Liz my ID bracelet on December 15, 1967, marking the beginning of a long relationship, that now has 34 years of marriage to boot.

Despite forecasts of, and snow coming down, we drove back to where it all started in Palatine, Illinois.

Liz had just transferred to Palatine from Madonna High School in Chicago. She took the Chicago & Northwestern train to Palatine every day until her parents got a rental house on Boynton Street while their home was being built by Winston-Muss Corporation on Patricia Lane.

We were both juniors and had first met at a party back in November when I mistook her for a girl I kind of liked and, along with another guy, picked her up and put her into a trashcan filled with ice. How's that for an ice-breaker? It's a wonder she ever had anything to do with me after that. But, that did not come to pass.

More on the Trip Later. --RoadDog