Excelsior. Yup.

Well, we're getting there. Not very fast, but that's OK. We had a gorgeous drive through the mountains of north western MD and WV, which I spent convinced we were going to crash. Spent the night in Cumberland, MD. Pretty, but avoid if you have a UHaul and a truck on a tow trailer. I think we were the day's entertainment. Literally people were gathering to watch our little parade try to get out of the city. Then we hit virtually the next three exits to deal with gas and food. It's hot up here too, so our tempers were a little short by the time we got really moving.
We finally got to Ohio, only to be greeted by a closed welcome area and dead skunk. Wonder what kind of social commentary that could be...
Oh, well. We ran through OH as fast as we could, managing to get all the way to Elkhart, IN. Found a hotel that looked ok (we're fans of Holiday Inn Express, by the way). Turned to be next door to a firing range that was open all night. It also appeared our hotel was full of drunks, and they hadn't invited us. How rude, to quote my namesake.
Got through Chicago unscathed, though there was way too much traffic going our way. What is so exciting in Chicago on a Sunday that people have to get in their cars for? Didn't they know we were coming and wanted to avoid sitting for two hours in traffic? Really.
Once on the other side, I started to hear a nasty noise coming from the Red Rocket (heretoafter to be known as RR or the Rocket, or simply Rock), so again we stopped. Got a bite, found an NTB in Antioch, IL, an HI in Pleasant Prairie, WI, and, after some judicious juggling and a portal whining, got me settled with the kids, in a room with an unfortunate view of the pool and no swimsuits or patience, at the hotel and Duane at the NTB with a dying phone and an urge to gab.
Ah well. It all turned out well. The RR is fine, the kids are itching for a quick swim and I need to run some laundry before we hit the road. Hopefully Fargo today. Bring on your woodchippers and complaints about not talking;)