Day 2: The corn belt

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Sunday was a brand new day. We erased all traces of Maui from the hotel room, packed up the car, and headed off to breakfast. We had a great tip from a friend to avoid the toll going back north to Kenosha. It sounds silly, but I think that set the tone for the day.

Breakfast was at a well-known diner called Franks. It's been there since the 1920s, when someone shipped a rail car out there and set it up as a diner. Back in the day it had some really famous people go through. It's changed owners a few times since then, but still holds the old grungey rustic charm. We sat at the counter and ordered a hash and a Pokemon pancake. Yep, even Franks has Pokemon.

Tesla tip #2: If the battery is lower than 15%, you can't control the climate through the app. Fortunately we were on shade and cracked the windows. Never got too warm. After breakfast we hit the charger nearby, which was conveniently located at the outlet mall! They all seem to be located near different stuff. And finding the charger is like going on a treasure hunt. You can see it on the nap but you have to look around because they can blend in a little. It's actually fun!

I got some nice shopping done and we got a pretty full charge. Enough to skip the next charger at Madison and head to Mauston, WI charger. That charger was located in a Culver's parking lot, which is a hugely popular fast food joint in the area. It was crazy hot and sunny, but the Climate control on the app was working great. We killed time by collecting Pokemon, which is a very good motivation for walking.

We skipped the next charger (last in Wisconsin) because we thought we had enough to get to Albert Lea in MN. Turns out going really fast drains the battery fast. So we made an unplanned stop in Rochester, MN to have dinner with a friend while we charged at a slow parking garage charger. We got a personal tour of downtown Rochester and the Mayo Clinic. Very cool! This is also when I realized that we forgot to get cheese curds in WI! We got fried ones at dinner but they weren't squeaky. Next time I guess! (in about 3 years) A couple hours later and enough charge to continue our trip was about $3 at the Chargepoint charger (superchargers are free, but there are some regular chargers you have to pay for). Still less than gas! There's a great app called Plugshare that lists all chargers nearby, and people even review them so you can see if there are any issues, or any great finds in the area.

A slight delay but we were back on the road with daylight to spare. Unfortunately there are sections of I-90 that need a couple more superchargers, so we had to stop at the next one in Worthington, MN. Last stop in MN!

Marking time by superchargers is actually a fun way to do it. You'll get out and stretch every 2.5-3 hours for usually about 20-40 min. I used to be a pretty solid destination traveler, but this car is turning me into a journey person. Not bad unless you're on a tight schedule (which we were the beginning of the trip).

One more short stretch and we pulled into Mitchell, SD! Scored a Ramada right next to a super charger. Also handy that most are colocated with hotels. There are a few hotels that offer charging, but they're harder to find. Planning an overnight at a supercharger is much easier to do (even though you can get a full charge in only 1-2 hours there). Nice easy and cheap stop! Another night of successfully sneaking Maui into a hotel.

Day 2: 629 miles, charging $3. No tolls.

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Photos

Cat beard on day 2
Almost cat beard. The start of our second day in the parking lot of the Marriott suites! The nicest place we started the whole time. Also coincidentally the cheapest.

Maui in the window at Marriott
Her favorite place to hangout. Amazingly we never got caught with her. Cats are easier because you don't have to worry about them barking, but there's the window factor to remember.

Franks Diner
Not much to look at, but tasty! Fortunately we found shade, because the car's remote climate control doesn't work when your battery is <15%!

Milkshake with breakfast
Because why not

Midday charge
In Maumee outside Toledo OH

Model X
At the Maumee charger

Ruh-roh
This is what happens if it looks like you won't make it. And further in it starts to lower that speed... We stopped at Rochester instead.

Coolers make great cat beds!
Much better than her actual bed, which she never used.

My seat
Within seconds of getting out of the car she's on one of our seats

Mayo clinic!
For those not in medicine, this is a pretty big deal!

The Mayo Brothers
1864 William Mayo (father) moved to Rochester and opened a clinic. Both sons (statues) went to med school and joined his practice. Then a tornado struck in 1883 drawing tons of medical people to help with the crisis. And the hospital was born.

Mayo med school!
It's like a 1-room schoolhouse! I think they have about 40 students per year.

Dinner in Rochester
With my friend Naiara who is in her last year of dermatology residency at Mayo! So glad we could find time to visit!

Cheese curds!
To make up for the ones we missed in Wisconsin! Too bad they don't squeak when fried. I've never experienced that!

Zubat
Nick got a Pokemon while Naiara and I were talking. Augmented Reality is the wave of the future.

Wind power
Fields of them. HUGE when up close. Though I hear they decimate birds :/

Albert Lea charger
We made it to the charger after Rochester! The one we were originally supposed to go straight to. It stays light here much longer than back home!

Worthington, MN
Last charger before we stopped. Had an awesome 24h grocery store! Hy-vee. Never heard of them, but big chain in the west!

Kitty in the bag
Typical hotel room from our trip! No frills, but cheap and right on the highway. Perfect. This was Mitchell SD.

Convenience
View from the Ramada in Mitchell. Those are the superchargers in the background! Parked there overnight and got 100% charge.