2019 Route 66 Trip, Lebanon-- Part 5: An Easy Day

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

Another early morning thunderstorm, but it cleared up and turned into a nice day.  Had a nice talk with the people staying in the next two rooms.  That is an advantage of staying at an older mom and pop motel.  You can't do that at the new motels unless at perhaps the free continental breakfast.

Went to the Wal-Mart, looking for St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup gear, but they had nothing.  Ate breakfast at Hardee's again.  Their new loaded hash browns is really good.

Roamin' Rich is going to be at the nearby Gasconade  Bridge which is possibly on its way into oblivion and was thinking about going there, but didn't go.  Went to the Legion and watched the Cardinals win.  A lot of regulars were there, as well as the fun bartender from yesterday.

Back to the Munger-Moss and sat outside watching that neat old sign.

--RoadDog

About Last Weekend: No Hardee's, Sammie's, The Curse of the Round Lake Spring Carnival, Magee Teachers and Legion Name That Tune

THURSDAY, MAY 2

Four straight days of rain and that grass is mocking me.  Lots of flooding and the lower Fox River is no wake.  I saw a real creepy movie in Fox Lake called "The Curse of La Llorana."  Then went to Round Lake Beach and found that the Hardee's was closed.  I'm disappointed, but not surprised as there were hardly any customers when I went.  I ended up at Sammie's on Rollins for one of their great gyro meals.

I saw that the infamous Round Lake Spring Carnival was setting up, so that explains all the horrible weather this week.  Stopped at the Legion on the way home.

FRIDAY, MAY 3

A day without rain.  Wow!!  Went to the Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol, Wisconsin, and met with former Magee teachers.  Later went to the Legion in Fox Lake for 50-50 and enjoyed playing Name That Tune with the deejay.

--Roaddog

A Busy Weekend-- Part 1: President George H.W. Bush, Memories and Movies

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6

Wrote about yesterday's funeral for our 41st President, George H.W. Bush, in all of my blogs.

Bob Stroud went to 1971 for his Ten at Ten.  A great year of music for me as I was at UGA for the first half and NIU the second half.  My high school and college years are still my favorite for music  That would be 1965 to 1973.    I always pick a favorite song of the ten, usually ones that bring back a memory.

However, today, I had to pick two.  "Reeling In the Years" by Steely Dan always reminds me of driving the famous "Ramblin' Wreck," my 1963 puke green Rambler station wagon back and forth between Palatine and Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, during my student teaching.  The other song is Pure Prairie League's "Amy."  However, Bob  pointed out that it was released in 1972 but didn't get popular until 1975, when I really liked it.

Drove to Round Lake Beach and saw two movies at Regal Cinemas:  "Widows" and "Overlord."  I am trying to reach my yearly goal of 52 movies seen in theaters and have a bunch to go and running out of time.  Both great movies.  And, Regal Cinemas has $6 tickets, a free mall bag of popcorn ($2 for a large tub), $2 drinks and best of all, $2 Nathan's hot dogs all day Monday to Thursday..

Ate at Hardee's in RLB.  We don't have many Hardee's here in northern Illinois.  Try their double sliders.  Sorry White Castle.

--RoadDog

POLITICALLY INCORRECT CHRISTMAS SONGS:  "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"    Bullying.

About Last Weekend-- Part 3: Hardee's Breakfast, Saufen Und Spiel and Da Bears

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

We at Hardee's for breakfast.  We really like their breakfasts and were impressed with their new slider breakfast sandwiches.  Drove back to Spring Grove via the old way, Il-23 to Plank Road to Il-47 because of all the construction we encountered on the way to DeKalb yesterday.  This is the way we took from Palatine and later from Round Lake Beach.

Went to Sunnyside Tap in Johnsburg and watched the annual Saufen Und Spiel parade to honor  the village's German heritage.  We decided not to go to the Community Club grounds where they had bands, food, and, of course, bier.

Home and some yardwork before going to Spring Grove Pub to watch the Bears-Packers game.  Both Liz and I pull for the Packers UNLESS they play Da Bears.  Specials at the Pub were $4.50 pitchers of beer and a $5 pizza buffet. It being a new place, there weren't too many people there, but the ones that were had a good time in the first half of the game.  The less said about the second half, the better.

Parades and Da Bears.  How Much Fun Is That?  --RoadDog

TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:  It's frustrating to know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

N.C. Fall 2016: Day 1: The Usual

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

I have been driving this route so often, especially since Mom died in June, that things are starting to get very familiar.  I went to N.C. in June, July and now September.

After doing some last minute things on the internet, watering inside plants (primarily because for the life of me I couldn't remember if I'd done it yesterday or not) and packing, I left.  As usual, some small roads out to Ill-120, to Woodstock, then Illinois-47 to Mahomet.

I stoped in Dwight to eat at Hardee's and Mahomet at the BP.  Then I-74 the Crawfordsville Pilot station for gas, then to Indy and through it on I-70.  Usual stop  in Ohio at welcome center for motel coupon magazines and Englewood for Skyline Chili fix.

Drove to Columbus to Zanesville and stopped for the night at the Super 8.

--RoadDog

N.C. Spring Trip 2016-- Part 1: Clear Ride Through

APRIL 29, FRIDAY

I took the usual drive to North Carolina.  Illinois-120 to Illinois-47, to I-74, to I-70.

Sadly, Illinois-47 has built up so fast that it takes a lot longer to drive it, but at least they are finished doing the road work in Yorkville.  Now the mess is north of Morris.

It may be spring, but it sure is cold right now.  Global warming my foot.

I found another Hardee's in Illinois at the Love's Truck Stop in Dwight, near the old Route 66 bypass.

Unfortunately, leaving as late as I did, 9:45, that meant I would hit Indianapolis right at rush hour (with the loss of the hour going to Eastern Time Zone).  I went through the middle of it and was lucky as there were just a couple slow-downs to 20 mph, but the rest was clear-sailing.

Then I-70 to Dayton, Ohio, and a stop for my Cincinnati Chili fix at Skyline Chili.

Stopped at a Motel 6 in Springfield, Ohio.

--RoadDog

Just Hanging Around-- Part 1: NIU Loses and a Very, Very Funny Movie

MARCH 28, MONDAY--  Went to Sunnyside to watch the NIU-UC-SC basketball game in the Las Vegas Tournament.  Northern finished the regular season 20-10 and the was the first post season tournament in twenty years and we were quite proud of them.  Unfortunately, they couldn't get the channel at Sunnyside.

We went over to nearby half-Times and they could get it.  Despite leading most of the game, we lost in the last ten minutes.

MARCH 29, TUESDAY--  Went to the Round Lake Beach Theater and saw one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2."  Enjoyed their Tuesday special $5.19 for ticket, $2 large popcorn and $1 Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs.

Stopped at Hardee's on the way home and had their great Four for Four deal.  It's nice to have Hardee's back in the area.

Met some friends at Half-Times later.

--RoadDog