Holiday Inn Exp Valparaiso

We were feeling jumpy and almost put the boat in last Saturday but the travel lift (the mega-machine that moves boats into and out of the water) had some sort of malfunction while bringing the last boat before us out of the water.

The hiccup in our plans turned out for us to be an advantageous thing as we took care of a couple of things on the keel where water was entering slowly but surely ...

Here's a quick look at where we're headed over the next month and a half. You can also check out the route in more detail via Google Earth by opening this file (if you've already got Google Earth installed).

Here's the general breakdown of our route from Chicago to Mobile:

-Downstream on the ...

... the battery system with a new deep cycle starter battery and four house batteries which should provide us with sufficient power when we're at anchor. We've replaced the AC input jack and fixed the wiring for our navigation lights. We've learned more about the inner workings of the diesel engine while pumping and filtering diesel from the tank to check for solids accumulation, by replacing a worn raw water impeller and the primary and ...

... our next adventure........ Will keep you posted. By the way you are all invited to my island and sundry other destinations party, no date as yet, so watch this space!! And thank you all for your kind interest . It was really nice to have that link home even tho I don't think I was homesick, not even for a second! Looking forward to seeing you all in the flesh. Lots of love, the travelling kind, from me to you Jackie xx

... over the next few days. We were completely blown away and horrified by the night. An Aussie girl even commented that she isnt going to have kids anymore after seeing that. Chicago is a very out there city. There is always stuff going on. At every corner, we found live music and cultural centres, where we watched an amaxing african play followed by a Paul Simon - Gracelend style performance. It was brilliant! I left Cold Chicago after 3 nights and travelled South to St Louis...

... read all those books that I never have time for and eat anything that is put in front of me. I hope you enjoy reading about my trip as much as I will enjoy experiencing it. I'll do my best to keep this blog updated, especially so my mom can sleep at night (Dad, have you gotten the emergency prozac yet?). Drop me a note and let me know how you are doing, as I will obviously miss everyone terribly. Carpe diem!

I drove to Chicago in the late morning with my parents and Will. I slept for a good portion of the trip because I had been out pretty late the night before. When we got to the airport and had checked all my luggage, my mother and I went to the bathroom. When we came out Cindy was waiting with Will and my dad. My parents met Cindy ...

... and the view was good but unfortunately, like the Jinxiang Tower in Shanghai, the smog put paid to a much better view! I also visited the Pizzeria Uno on the corner of Warbash and Ohio Drives. This restaurant is credited as the birthplace of the Chicago Deep pan pizza so I felt that it had to be tried. I had the small one (9 inches) and still had to force myself to eat more than half of it. It ...

Well. I arrived in this strange land yesterday, but I was so worn out from the trunk-ride that I decided to write today. I have visited many a lands in my day, but this is the smelliest SO FAR. My bed was less than comfortable as seen in my first picture. Ah well. I'll let the photo album tell the tale of my first day on the farm.

... different roles people on the floor and outside the actual building play in the whole scheme. I was also interested to learn how the traders regulate the price of grains and keep the industry from getting out of hand supply/demand-wise. After watching the closing of the Board of Trade, where everyone gets frantic for about 60 seconds, we bused over to the Chicago Historical Society for a history lesson on the city of Chicago. I found the information about the Native ...