Holding my breath, it was time to cross the border.  I was nervous about it, but only because of the unknown.  It was different this time.  Joerg was pre-approved for a Visa to stay longer and this was the first time we were crossing in an RV.  It turns out, it was the same as usual.  We had to pull the RV over and they inspected the RV as we went inside the office.  It turns out, the paper that was inside Joerg’s passport for our last visit was supposed to be turned in at the border.  I think, in the past, it has usually been taken by the border person, but last time we took the Port Angeles ferry and they didn’t check anything when we left.  We will be sure to always turn it in going forward!  We were approved to visit until March 31, 2019 and off we went.

Destination – Indiana Dunes State Park.  The park was nice, quiet and clean.  The first thing after setting up the RV was to go down to the beach and see the water and the waves.  It was beautiful.

The next day we decided to take a rest day and do a little hiking around the park.  We walked along the dunes and in the trails for a couple hours.  I was surprised to see so much green growing in the dunes.  I was expecting more hills of sand.

Wednesday we explored Chicago.  Only 5 minutes from our campground was the train into Chicago downtown so were on the 7:10am train and were in Chicago by 8:30am.  As usual, we walked a lot and it was a hot day, so we got tired sooner than usual.

The train let us off at Millennium Park, so our first stop was to see Cloud Gate and the Fountain.  Next, the most important part, was to step foot on the corner where Route 66 begins.  The sign is very subtle, but the tourists knew where to find it. We then wandered in the area, trying to find the tourist office.  Google gave us directions, but we didn’t see it at first.  It turns out, it is a little desk inside Macy’s. We picked up a map of Chicago and off we wandered again.

We enjoyed the stroll along the riverside and watched as a sailboat passed through the canal by making all the bridges (one almost every block) go up so it could make it through.

Next, we went down the Magnificent Mile (Shopping District). In one of the stores, knowing we were Canadian, the clerk asked, “So what do you think of our president?” We answered, “No comment”.  We have decided we don’t want to get involved with political discussion while in the USA.  You can never be sure who you may encounter and how serious their convictions are.

After the walk along the Mile, we headed out to the Navy Pier where we really understood the name “Windy City”.  We relaxed a bit on the pier and then it was time to start heading back to the train.  Along the way, Joerg spotted a AAA office so we went inside to get some info on Route 66.  The woman was extremely helpful and gave us a map specifically for Route 66 and then a map of each of the states that it passes through.  I think she was just happy to see someone.

On Thursday, we were on our way along Route 66.  We stopped in Dwight Illinois where there was an old-style gas station.  It nicely displayed some historic artifacts and a Model T Ford.  We had our lunch in the Route 66 Family diner in town and then hit the road for St. Louis.  We decided to stay at a Wal-Mart just outside St. Louis.  We arrived in St. Louis around 5pm so we were in the thick of rush hour traffic.  Not fun.  By the time we got to the Wal-Mart, we were beat.  I went inside to stock up on groceries, then it was straight to bed.

The Itinerary for our Journey from Hamilton to St. Louis

Day 124 – 154 (Sept 1 – 30) – Stopped in Waterdown (Hamilton) ON
Day 155 (Oct 1) – Waterdown – Indiana Dunes State Park IN, Stayed 3 nights – Total driven: 715km
Day 158 (Oct 4) – Indiana Dunes State Park to St. Louis MO – Total driven: 555km