AmericInn Madison West

The weather was the story today as we traveled from Chicago to Madison, WI. Things were great until we reached Madison and then all the elements combined to make an interesting evening. But we weren't deterred. We walked thru the campus and down State St to see the impressive capitol building. Monday morning we took off for our end point of Mitchell, SD. Along the way, we saw farms, cows, and more farms as we drove thru WI, Minn and SD. Before ...

Wow, can't believe it's been a year since I left my house and moved onto the road. With hindsight I wish I took more pictures. I was in great places where I didn't document with my camera. Hopefully this next year I will be again motivated to write in this travel blog and take more pictures.<br><br>While I was in Madison I had a great time! So many good friends! I took photos of the Dairyland Cowboys and Cowgirls barn dance, the Union Terrace and ...

... definitely something I've been looking<br>forward to since we started.<br><br>We're staying America's Best Value<br>Inn and value it is. For $44 USD we get a king-size bed, free wifi,<br>cable tv, an outdoor pool, and the breakfast - phenomenal! There are<br>waffle makers that you can help yourself to, scrambled eggs, potatoes,<br>sausages, cereal, bagels, pastries and American style grits! They sure<br>do value their food here, especially in quantity!<br>

From Roswell we traveled north through a tip of Texas. No photos but lots of memories of seeing and smelling cows in feed lots. We drove through a nasty little snow storm in Kansas City, MO. and I now know how well Shorty Too travels in the show.<br><br>Madison was significantly colder than NM, the lakes were ...

... crashing around us, 2008 was an amazing and memorable year. We look forward to realizing the many lessons and blessings this trip brought us and are overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunity to have had this experience. We appreciate all of your love and support throughout the journey. 2009 will surely bring new and exciting adventures of its own and we're ready. Bring it on! Gute Fahrt! (Good Journey) for your 2009.

... my friend Keith. I met him years ago at the Banana Bungalow on Maui. We have kept in contact; recently he dropped me a line saying whenever I was in the area to give him a buzz. So I buzzed back asking him what he was doing for the weekend. So now, I am on my way up to cheese head country. Illinois has been a fun drive though. People are literally flying by me going 90+ mph. I had a bit of a narrow escape ...

... greeted them again with a cheery hello. Dropping my things in the room, my host thought the best plan would be for he and I to go out and eat and see the city. I heartily agreed. He apologized for his wife's behavior and told me that she was drunk. <br><br>So, we drove around the town in the pre-twilight hours and landed at a Mexican place for dinner. Yes, I believe I would have that margarita. Dinner was nice and there was more humor over the ...

... of her favorite places that she had discovered a year earlier: The hostel in the Forest. For any of you curious about this incredible place, their website is www.foresthostel.com. Once I got to the hostel, I was in heaven. This place was built by one man and some of his friends in the rural parts of Brunswick. It is completely immersed in the forest. There are two large wooden domes. One dome is a common area (with couches, and many instruments), a kitchen, the office, and ...

... sure what the weather will bring or when it will happen. The bikes are ready and waiting in the garage with all fluids and electrical connections double checked. I need to finish some last minute business details and make a quick run to town for those supplies we really need like CASH.Stocks are taking a big hit today and glad I have cleared out most of my holdings. Phil

... of Washington, DC that I've been to. I did some sketches of the animals and I might scan some of them to add but they are a little disorganized. As I remember my two favorites were the kangaroos and the orangutans that had a scale in the cage and you could see their weight when they got on it. Also the ...