The Beer Traveller

After leaving Great Dane I thought I was a little better prepared than the night before.  I actually had the name & location of the campground where I would be crashing.  After again exiting the normalcy of the freeway, I was again in never never land Wisconsin.  I was able to find the campground (~12 AM) only to find a lit-up police car out front w/ a ranger walking some young man off.

The sign said “Campground Full”, but my past experiences have shown signs suck.  The walking ranger turned around to tell me the campground was full.  I asked if there was anywhere else nearby & he replied with “I don’t have time to give you directions right now”.  I wanted to reply with “State Parks need another budget cut, cause you’re about as helpful as a tree”.  With the cop car right there, my current state, & the Beer Traveller logo plastered on my vehicle I decided to take the smart route; shut my mouth & leave.  Back to the night before.

After about 45 minutes driving the back roads w/o GPS, I drove by a campground sign, nailed the breaks, & threw it in reverse.  At this pt, I didn’t give a hoot & was crashing here no mater what.  Appeared to be an RV park, but all I needed was a piece of land.  I jumped out & started setting up my tent only to find that I was in Mosquito capitol of the world.  This place made Alaska & Africa look like the anti-insect capitols.  I looked like cho-cho the idiot circus boy setting up my tent in world record speed while swatting like King Kong during a seizure.

I awoke the next morning to find my 2 neighbors smoking & staring.  Time to pack-up & head off to Chicago O’Hare to pick-up my sister.  She would be joining me on my Chicago to NY leg.  Between the smell of a frat house & the oozing open sores I had received from the night before, I knew I needed to freshen up.  I was on the look-out for freshn’-up facilities when it occurred to try a truck stop.  1st time for everything.

Apparently if you don’t get a hundred & some gallons of gas (the Tacoma takes 17), they charge ya $9 for a shower.  Best $9 I ever spent.  I didn’t quit fit the trucker lifestyle as I pulled out my organic cucumber moisturizing shower gel & Trader Joe’s Citrus Orange shampoo, but I was finally clean & the facilities @ Love’s Truck stop were second to none.

Chicago airport was about 2.5 hrs away & I was on my.  Got there about an hr early & pulled out the Mac to rub in the faces of the business travelers fumbling w/ their PCs.  Melissa had arrived & I had suddenly forget where I parked.  Forgetting where you parked @ Chicago O’Hare is not the same as forgetting where you parked at the local grocery store.  From the time I met up w/ Melissa till we left the airport about an hr had elapsed.  The truck was found & it was now time to go drink.