Dunes and Diners

***Miles travelled today: 59

***Total Miles: 3299

***States travelled through: Still in Indiana but not for long...

..... In my defence of yesterday and 'only two martinis'- I have to say that they were 'of-the-strongest-kind-anyone-could-ever-imagaine' and - I don't snore :)

Anyway, of the two of us-it was Linz who woke up 'grumpy' this morning as she thought that as we were heading out to the Dunes today, that I'd be wanting to spend all day lying on the 'beach' or 'lake-side' soaking up the sun. However, I didn't want to spend all day doing that as ......I'm now nearly 40 ! And so, Linz cheered up very quickly.

So after breakfast, armed with camera; we headed for the Lakeshore Sand Dunes where we climbed to the summit of Mt. Baldy which in height, is approximately twelve stories high. So, to get to the top of it, was like climbing twelve flights of stairs but in the sand. And then, getting to the top; one JUST HAD TO run down the other side, not once-but twice before carrying on with the walk. What was disappointing however, was that on looking to the right of these moving dunes, there was a huge power station built right on the shore line-we couldn't even take a photo it was that ugly, it was just upsetting as it ruined the natural beauty of the place and people reaching the summit, all felt the same, no-one understanding why it had been allowed to be.

There is something unusual about the sand in these dunes as it has to be very fine in order to create them (says my encyclopaedia to the right who has red hair and blue eyes and has been reading a great deal lately).....there is also something completely different about the feel of the sand against your skin-it's like running through silk or satin.

We did a long beach walk and came across marshlands and wetlands... or bogs, as I think they're called over here.....then made our way back to the hotel for some resting 'poolside'...

Linz tells me that of the two 'Roadtrip' books that we're using, we're between the Northern Route and the Oregon Trail..... [I think we're using them more than Linz is letting on but I won't 'let on' that I know :D ]

Anyway, in one of the books-it recommended a diner called 'Al's diner' in a 'stuck-in-the-1950s-style-décor-town' called Valperaisio, but unfortunately it had closed down last year; so we ended up at another recommended by a hotel guest-one that had opened in the 1940s and who's patrons looked like they had sat on the same seats since.....we clearly brought the mean-age down-dramatically, but the food was great.

A bonus upon getting back was that we were able to book ourselves onto a Dude/Cowboy ranch (yup with men/women in Wranglers/Stetsons and chaps ;0 - oh, and horses too)-it's later than we'd hoped which puts Linz's 'planner' out somewhat but she has assured me that 'We' ;) can work 'around it'.

So, tomorrow we are off to the delights and jazzy-tunes of Chicago-we can't wait!

Roll on all-that-jazz !!!!!!

(07.06.10: Apols for the delay in getting this posted, Blogger wasn't playing yesterday but managed to save it all to draft......)