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Published: September 14th 2010
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Entry 34: East Moline, Illinois drive to Chicago, Illinois: Final Day of Trip!
Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010 Out of East Moline… I was tired, but clean and satisfied for all the work that I did on the blog (and my own personal hygiene) when I awoke at 10 a.m. in the Motel 6 in East Moline, Illinois (I cringe just typing “East Moline”). After a night of bad TV (we don’t have cable, and I must’ve flipped at least a couple of thousand times throughout the night). It was odd to actually laugh out loud, as, besides chatting with Scott, there was really nothing to make me chuckle throughout the past 6 weeks.
I quickly packed (there was quite a lot of stuff strewn about) the truck for the final time, and went out to the parking lot. I missed the free coffee, so I had to break down and buy some; it would provide me with the much-needed caffeine for the final stretch of pavement leading me home on the last day of the trip.
I stopped at an antique store and settled on an old, brown jug for Jennifer’s gift (I know…not
too exciting…). On the Interstate 80, the stress and anxiety was growing, particularly in the safety department. It would be terrible to have driven over 6,000 miles just to encounter problems in the final 170 miles.
And, of course, there were cops everywhere. It was quite difficult to keep at the slower speed limits, and the driving turned much more aggressive than anywhere else that I had driven, including Seattle. I was cautious, especially since the pavement was deteriorated, producing various jumps and bumps to the truck as it guided me home. Having recharged all electronics, I listened to Townes Van Zandt and the Rolling Stones for the final 3 hours it took to reach my ‘hood.
Sweet Home Chicago It was strange to see African Americans/blacks en masse, as during my travels, I had seen very few. Driving through Bronzeville, I forced myself back into Chicago’s grasp (although it would take a few days to decompress).
Pulling into the back of the condo, I unloaded the entire truck (which only took about an hour). I rinsed all the uneaten food, placing it into the cupboards. I created stacks of dirty clothes. I
guiltily carried the unplayed guitar and placed it the second bedroom. I looked at postcards and thought about the trip (which I was very satisfied with, in every aspect).
Then, I tore through the stacks of mail waiting for me while I waited for Jennifer to return from work.
All in all, it was a great trip, and I would highly recommend the mode of travel, truck camping in the National Parks/Forests to just about anybody who would listen…
Thanks for the nice comments about the photos and entries for the blog!
Until next year—Chicago Dave and Sophie the Dog, blogging out from Chicago!
Summer 2010: Chicago to Seattle Trip
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