BREAKAWAY

     We have now been on the road for 2 weeks since Acacia and Adam's wedding and, with the installation of a WiFi antenna and booster, we are now able to post.
     The wedding was a complete success and it was as close to perfect as possible.  Acacia and Adam have now returned from their honeymoon and had a great time.  Also, their spirits seem to be soaring as the results of Adam's latest tests showed that his ordeal is finally at an end.  We are so happy for them.

Congratulations Acacia & Adam!
Thanks for the pic Carol.

     We finally made it to the west and are now in Cheyene, Wyoming!  Cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and cowgirls-what's not to like.  It wasn't until we got 1 hour west of Chicago that we felt as if we finally broke away from the tentacles of the east coast as the massive hoards of trucks declined to a mere trickle.  Also, once we hit Iowa the highway started featuring gentle hills which was a welcome relief from the pancake flat states (on RT 80) of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
     Chicago was far more impressive than I imagined.  It truly is an architectural wonder.  It is a "world class" city with heaps of stuff to do, fantastic restaurants, and world class prices (ouch).  We took the architectural boat tour on the Chicago river, visited the "old town," visited Navy Pier, and spent a lot of time in Millennium Park.  Our primary purpose for visiting Chicago was to visit our old friends Rick and Laura but we were very disappointed that circumstances beyond anybody's control resulted in not being able to see them.  We hope we are able to see them in the near future.

Cloud Gate, Millennium Park, Chicago

Inside Cloud Gate.

Chicago River

     After Chicago we bolted to the western portion of Iowa and stayed at Prairie Rose State Park in the town of Harlan.  We scored a spot directly on the lake and kept extending our our stay as we finally landed some prime lakefront property.

The view from our front window.
Prairie Rose State Park.
(I thought that Mary would like this pic.)

     After traveling over 400 miles through Nebraska it seemed amazing to hit the Wyoming state line.  It seemed a lot more western with distant views of the Rockies, an arid environment, western flora and fauna, and unusual geological features.

     This post is rather late as we have been unable to find any WiFi accessibility due to our remote locations.  I will try to post again soon to describe our new adventures, including how I thought I discovered a T-Rex!