Grand Haven, MI to Joliet, Illinois

The last evening we were at Grand Haven, a big storm moved in with heavy rain and wind. As we left, we drove near the water and saw large waves splashing over the pier. Photo to the right. We called Elkhart, IN and found out that only two of the three parts for the awning had arrived. So, we will hope for after this weekend. We wanted to go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where Steve's parents were born, but that now seems unlikely since we will have to return to the factory in Elkhart before hightailing it west to arrive in Nevada for Burning Man. It's hard to believe but Burning Man is only a week away! We called friends who live in Aurora, IL to see if they were available to meet for dinner. They were, and would call us back with a time and place. We traveled back down US Hwy 31, turned west onto US Hwy 12 and west on Interstate 94, and west on US Hwy 30, the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Hwy, America's first transcontinental highway, was conceived in 1913 specifically with the automobile in mind. Prior to the Lincoln Hwy, the very few roads in existence were around cities and towns. Most of the roads were just dirt and they really didn't lead anywhere. A man by the name of Carl Fisher recognized the need and got the entire nation involved after Henry Joy, president of Packard Motor Car Company suggested he appeal to the country's patriotism by naming the highway after Abraham Lincoln. There were great rivalries between towns trying to get the economic advantage of having the highway go through their town. Ultimately, the route chosen began at Times Square in New York City and ended in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The Lincoln Highway inspired the National Interstate and Defense Highway Act of 1956 championed by President Eisenhower, who had traveled the Lincoln Highway as a young soldier. Lincoln Hwy is US 30 from New York to Wyoming and then becomes US Hwy 40 and 50 further west. Lincoln Hwy travels through Joliet, Illinois where we stopped for the night. Our campground was on the premises of the Empress Casino in Joliet, about 25 miles from Greg and Jeff's home in Aurora. We decided to meet at a Ted's Montana Restaurant between Joliet and Aurora. It was great to see our friends again. We had met them on a cruise in the Mediterranean two years ago. We had seen them in 2008 on our way to pick up our RV in Elkhart and again earlier this year when they were in California. Photo of Greg, Jeff and Steve to the right.