What's on the Dance Card for Today???

We enjoyed sleeping in today - the alarm didn't go off until 5:00 am. We loaded the trunk, then had a free breakfast (of sorts) at the hotel. Yesterday had been a 7.5 hour travel day. Today would be just over 8 hours. Yesterday had been basically to get from Point A to Point B. Today there would be three highlights; two of those were foods.

We set off in the drizzle, ready for any adventures that came our way. At home we have gas stations with names like Citgo, Mobil, Hess. On the road we would be seeing gas stations with names like Pilot, Sheetz, Stinker. At one of the many rest areas we visited, Bonnie got into a little tangle with a purse hook in a stall. The hook was a great security tool, but untangling it was even harder than securing it in the first place. Ohio is a pretty state, reminding us of home. There were farms, farms, and more farms, but we also glimpsed a couple of drive-in theatres, a deer, and the plant where Chevrolet builds Cobalts.

Indiana brought us beautiful sunshine, and one fine meal at Amish Acres. While we dined at our window table, we looked outside at the ducks, chickens, and rooster roaming the farm, and remarked that this was our first experience eating in a barn. The dinner was all we could eat, mostly all carbs, with chicken and pot roast for protein, and the desserts were... well, I covered the desserts already. Meals like this were why you should never pack tight clothes for vacation wear.

After supper we planned to visit Bonnie Doon Drive-in in Mishawaka for ice cream, but somebody (make that four somebodies) ate too much at the dinner table. No matter - we also planned a visit to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend to walk off any food excesses, of which we already had several. After checking in to our beautiful Sleep Inn in South Bend, and getting directions to the school, we set out. We got lost, but with the help of Susie and common sense, we reached our destination. It had been Donald's idea to visit Notre Dame and see the gold dome and the Touchdown Jesus, and see them we did. We drove around the campus and saw some renovations, new construction, and some campus tours of what looked like 12 year olds. Bonnie and I saw many photo ops, and we all made like tourists in the campus store. I got a sweatshirt, Donald got a shirt, hat, and key chain. The key chain plays the Notre Dame fight song, "Three Cheers for Old Notre Dame." Perhaps you've heard it. Perhaps we heard it 47 times during vacation. Perhaps Donald shouldn't have gone up to a complete stranger wearing a Notre Dame T-shirt at the Grand Canyon and played the key chain at him. Well, that's water under the bridge, but let me just say that I will think twice about pointing out musical toys to Donald in future.

Back at the hotel, there were several antique Army Jeeps and motorcycles belonging to some men in a (Jeep? Army?) club. They were headed for Chicago in the morning. Clyde and Donald were talking with them before we retired for the night. We all went upstairs and found that a woman was trying to break into Bonnie & Clyde's room. Maybe "break into" is a little strong. She was using her key in the slot, and it wasn't working, and was not getting it when Bonnie told her several times that it was Bonnie & Clyde's room, and their luggage was inside already. She finally went away, headed for the front desk. That desk clerk earned his money dealing with her.