On the Freeway.

We were to go south on I 75 and then get into I 80 east. Vishwa had driven on these roads many times and knew his way very well. Still, the GPS was on and the map was on the dashboard. This GPS is a very useful gadget. It guides you perfectly well when you know where you are going but It confuses you further when you are lost! Once it guided Vishwa into a dead end and was urging him to turn left where there was no road but only a river. Luckily for us, he ditched his GPS, relied on his map and his faculties and all of us are still alive.

The GPS said that we were on I 75, I tried the map and confirmed that we really were. I wanted to search I 80 and find out when we would be getting into it. I was seeing plenty of numbers on the map and while searching for our route, got some information about the numbering. The odd numbered ones run north south and the even numbers run east west. When there are three digits, the one beginning with an odd number ends in a city while the one beginning with an even number goes around it etc etc. Some addition to my collection of information which I may never use.

The road was good. Vishwa’s driving was smooth. He kept a steady 80 miles, just five miles above the limit but still had his antenna up for police cars. The surroundings were wonderful. The lonely farmhouses amidst large green fields were a lovely sight and I never got tired of looking at them. I do not know the negative points of those houses, but I envied those who were living there.



After driving for about two hours we stopped at a ‘rest area’. With many flags flying in the front, it looked like a consulate.



It housed the toilets, coffee bars, food and ice cream out lets, public telephones, tourist information centers and a large lounge. The travelling public have it good in the US. But the travelling dogs have it better. They have their own exercise area!



Another two hours and it was dinner time. The Mc Donald and Burger king signs were visible from miles away and we drove towards them.



We had carried our food but the children being more American, wanted Mc Donald to serve their dinner. The weather was cool, the surroundings were very clean and the seating in front of the outlet overlooking the freeway was ideal.



Most of us were sleepy when we resumed the journey but fortunately Vishwa remained awake and by eleven at night, we arrived in front of Holiday Inn Express Suites, Dubois, located right next to the interstate 80.