Off to Illinois

We left Sleepy Hollow State Park at 9:15 and paid the ranger on the way out.   Drove west and took the lake road around the tip of Lake Michigan.   We stopped at Lake Michigan Sand Dunes State Park for a look see and potty stop.   Glad we stayed at Sleepy Hollow.  Sand Dunes was less rural and not as well kept but it was a pretty and interesting place to see.

We left Sand Dunes and continued on the lake road.   We stopped in New Buffalo Michigan at a supposed landmark eatery called Redamak's and tried their famous burgers.  They were good but I'm not sure what all the hoopala is about. 


We made the mistake of continuing on the back roads which took us through downtown Gary and Chicago.  The roads were full of pot holes this size of Rhode Island, there were countless red lights,  the traffic was heavy, and construction taking place everywhere.  Needless to say it took forever and a little bit of the industrial landscape went a long way.

We finally arrive in Rochelle about 5pm.   We stopped at Betty Barnes house and her daughter Sue came over from Rockford.   Estelle and Simon also came by to see us.   We went to a Chinese Buffet for dinner and Candace talked late into the night.  We slept in the van because it is becoming like home and it is very comfortable.  

Looked around the town and saw a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house and went to the train yard and saw the activity.  Rochelle is a train hub.