Sunday 16th August 2009 – Down the Mississippi

… down to, well, Quincy, actually, Quincy Illinois. Then across to Winchester, Glasgow, and Jacksonville, in that order, to find somewhere to stay. I have a fall-back address in Jacksonville, which is where I think I will end up, but Dulcie's not seeing it just yet. Although the various motel searchers held out no hope of anywhere closer, I'll have a look on the ground before I give in.

.........The weather, all the way down Iowa and Missouri, and halfway across Illinois is simply appalling. It is really heavy rain, interspersed with even heavier thunderstorms. I now know how they take those pictures of lightning: it isn't gone in a flash, it hangs about for quite a while. The sound on the roof is deafening, but I can still hear the thunder when it's close. Some of it seems very close.

I abandon plans for the side roads, and stick where possible to the interstates. I would have to stop on a normal road. Even on the interstate, I have to slow down to fifty (I only put that in to reinforce the prejudices of some people: they know who they are).

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On one of my trips to New York, back in the 70s, I went up to Niagara Falls for a weekend. We did the "Maid of the Mist" boat ride into the middle of the spume, and took the lift down to the cut-out at the back, where you can see the falls from a short distance away.

This weather brought these memories, if you'll forgive the choice of words, flooding back to me. I can see where the Mississippi comes from now.

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I now manage Dulcie by revealing the route to her bit by bit. I'm getting quite good at it. I set up all the places before we start, and then, just when it's too late for her to try her own way, I cancel instructions and set a new destination. She does a lot of sotto-voce "recalculating", but she plays ball.

By this subterfuge, I get her to take me across the Mississippi at Quincy. I haven't seen the Mississippi since Minneapolis, back in April: what a river! The weather doesn't permit much sightseeing (or even seeing) but it's still quite a sight.

I can see why Dulcie likes the interstates: "Continue for 94 miles", she says, than curls up for a nap. She hasn't noticed the weather.

When we get to Winchester, I drive out of town in all directions, to see if there are any motels hidden away. As I go south, I see a sign:

[6324]

(I didn't get out of the car, I just put the windscreen wipers on delay).

So I went down and had a look. It's actually there, a nice little village.

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Then it was off to Jacksonville, to the address I first thought of.