We all slept in a bit.  Jeff suggested he and Daisy drive separately and we go up to Ft Wayne for some Thai food before I continued into Michigan.  Sounded good to me.  The food was excellent!  While there, Daisy mentioned there was a place nearby with air hockey.  Of course, I had to go and defend my title of Air Hockey Champion of the Universe (no, really).  I think we last played air hockey together in 2005(?) in Florida.

I successfully defended my title in my game with Daisy, but lost it to Jeff.  So, Jeff has the title until next time…

We said our goodbyes and I checked my route.  I had charged overnight at their place and had built up enough range that I could skip Angola and take a shorter route through the corner of Ohio.  After I crossed the state line into Ohio, I decided to send a text to Jeff and Daisy that said, “I’m behind enemy lines”.  Jeff responded with something like, “Be careful good soldier”.  So… WTF, right?  Well, back in college, we were joking around one day and at some point we decided we needed to declare war on Ohio.  (yes, I know).  And we never resolved that conversation in any way over the years.  I share this text because it leads to something in tomorrow’s blog entry.  🙂

I took more fall colors pictures near where we ate lunch in North Ft Wayne

I arrived in Ann Arbor around 5:30pm and decided to go check out downtown.  I parked in the garage and walked around the neighboring blocks.  I stopped in the Arbor Brewery for dinner and to sample the local brews.  The food and beer were good.  Another place was all about cherry products, including wine made from cherries.  I tasted three, all of which were sweeter than your typical red wine.  After walking a bit more, I headed back to the charger to decide what to do for the night.  I found a good deal on a hotel so headed there for the night.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I realized my laptop had not charged while traveling so I could not write my updates.  I watched a movie and called it a night.

Most things were prepped before I went to sleep on the 1st, but it still was late morning when I left my sister’s place.  It’s always hard to say goodbye to family and friends.  I stopped by my grandmother’s place on the way out of town, but she wasn’t home.

I made my way SouthEast of Ft Wayne to visit my friends, Jeff and Daisy.  They own a farmhouse out of the city set on about four acres and surrounded by a farm.  It’s very peaceful and a good place to relax for a night before going back to the solo trip.  The weather was nice so we spent some time sitting out in their yard at a table, talking and playing with the animals.  I took a few pictures of the surrounding trees and landscape.

Their daughter played an unusual drum performance for me.  I noticed she’s grown a ridiculous amount since I saw her last, six months ago.  She’s definitely inherited her parents’ quick wit.  🙂

We went into a neighboring town for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  Afterwards, we picked up some snacks and drinks for the night.  I took a picture of a restaurant with a name and sign I found amusing.

We returned to their home to play Scrabble while watching the Cubs win the World Series!  Jeff took the Scrabble victory.  Daisy fell asleep and Jeff and I talked a bit before calling it a night.  Their cat, Piggy, slept next to me for half the night.

 

I’ve spent the last ten days in NW Indiana, catching up with family and friends, and visiting some old places to see how things have changed.

My sister took me to walk the path at The Shrine of Christ’s Passion near her place.  Someone donated the land and a walking path of Jesus’ time after capture and through crucifixion is depicted with various audio stations along with statues.  I grabbed a few pictures.

Of course, we’ve been watching the World Series and hoping for the Cubs to win.  We watched the first game at a friend’s bar / restaurant: The Three Monkeys in Crown Point.  Great food!  Definitely recommended if you are in the area.

On Wednesday the 26th, my sister hosted a friends and family night at her house to watch the game.  I redeemed my Chipotle Chiptopia reward for catering for 20 people, so we had plenty of food.  It was Tom’s birthday so my friend Rick picked up some special beers for all of us to share.  They were better than expected, but expensive.

Earlier in that day, I caught up with my cousins Phil and Brian and met Phil’s daughter Katherine. 🙂

Saturday night, we watched the game at my friend Tom’s house and then went out to Twincades bar in Griffith.  I managed to fit six adults in the Tesla on the way to the bar.  Twincades is a bar / arcade with classic games from the 80’s and 90’s.  We stayed until last call and then decided to head back to Tom’s.  Of course, we had to do a late night Taco Bell run.

My sister and I went out shopping a few times over the past week.  She helped me pick out some new clothes.  Last night, I FINALLY bought a new pair of shoes. 🙂  The old ones went into the garbage today.

My important mail was forwarded to my sister’s house this week, so I had an opportunity to catch up on bills and such.  My mail-in ballot is completed and in the outgoing mail for tomorrow.

I had planned to leave today but pushed it back another day.  Mom came by Julie’s place tonight and we watched game 6.  I have the car just about fully loaded and ready to begin the road trip again in the morning.  I grabbed an updated picture with the bed rebuilt in the car.

The windshield may get fixed in Boston.  I’ll be leaving from Boston for a week trip to Terceira in the Azores off of Portugal.  My sister is currently planning to meet me in Boston before that trip and travel around New England with me for a while.

Tomorrow I’m heading to visit Jeff and Daisy near Ft Wayne, Indiana.  From there, I’m probably going to head into Michigan for a day, then drive through Canada to Niagara Falls.

It’s been great spending time with family and friends here again, but I’m looking forward to continuing the travels and seeing New England before we get into winter.  My blog updates will pick up again.

Miles: ~5975

This morning has been time catching up on various items.  I’ve called Tesla about getting a windshield replacement and doing the annual service.  Unfortunately, there is not a windshield for my car available in the Chicago-land area.  I’ll call ahead to various cities on the East Coast and see if I can find one and time it for when I’ll be in there area.  I also put the claim in for insurance.

I’ve unloaded the car and will get it cleaned today or tomorrow.  Some of the bedding from the back of the car is already in the dryer.  I’m planning to spend time with family and friends in this region until after Halloween.  I’ll start the next leg of the road trip probably November 1st or 2nd.  The wine glass from Cakebread made it intact!  I’ve washed it and will leave it for my sister’s house.

So far, I’ve gone through very few of my supplies.  Much less than anticipated.  I have eaten way too much fast food, though.  It looks like I’ve gained 2 or 3 pounds since leaving Phoenix.  The car has done very well.  The windshield and the small dent from the charging connector are the only obvious wear signs I can see.  I’m sure there are more rock chips, though.  At the end of the trip, I’m planning to tally up the total money spent.  Of course, so far I’ve spent $0 on fuel for travel. 🙂  I’ve stayed in hotels more often than I had planned, but the foam bed in the Tesla has saved money already.

The blog may not see daily updates during this week.  It depends on what I see and find interesting.  If I take pictures, I’ll probably write a blog post.  My sister and I are planning to go for a walk soon that may lead to some good pictures.

Since it’s only morning, I may update this entry later.