After two LONG days of traveling through North Dakota and Minnesota…

Travel Log – 9/02/2007

Milton, WI

After two LONG days traveling through North Dakota and Minnesota, we arrived in Wisconsin early this afternoon. Why long days? It’s been so dang hot (upper 90 degrees), we’ve been starting about 2:30am so we’re off the road by 1:00pm. We avoid traffic, avoid the heat of the day, keep the truck running smoothly, and keep the RV tires clearly below blow out temperature. We have been averaging 450 miles a day – a bit longer than planned but needed to catch up to our schedule.

The early AM driving has been very surreal and actually relaxing. Some of the time we listen to audio books, sometimes talk, sometimes Lisa works on the computer (when we have Internet connection), and always enjoy the scenery. It is amazing how diverse our united states are. The landscape seems to incrementally change before our eyes.

Today, we felt like we hit our stride. We were on the road by 3:00am. We cruised through Minneapolis/St. Paul before sunrise. Overall, the day was a lot cooler (83 degrees) which helped a lot. We arrived at an RV “resort” in Milton, WI an hour and a half northwest of Chicago. We had lunch on the patio (see photo) and walked around the park. About half of the sites are “permanent” 5th wheels or mini mobile homes and some are quite comfy with their decks and patios. We even started a couple loads of laundry.

Tomorrow we drive through Chicago (early AM!) and end up in Lansing, Michigan, the location of our first customer visit: Michigan Rehabilitation Services. Brian and Anne meet us there as we’ll be conducting a “What’s New” training for 25+ people.

–Lisa and Rick

Empty road stretches and curves around a hill ahead of the truck; trees cover the hills in front of the truck.

An empty road stretches out in front of the trunk, winding between low foothills; a river snakes along beside the road.

Road stretches out in front of the truck, low foothills in the distance covered by haze

A sign for the Yellowstone Harley Davidson shop sits in a field off of the freeway backed by bright blue sky

Side mirror of the truck with the truck side reflected in the mirror; grass rolls out from the shoulder of the road

A distance to cities sign stands on the shoulder of the freeway it reads: Manhattan 5, Bozeman 22, Billings 164; bright blue sky stretches out behind it

The dashboard of the truck with directions to the destination in Wisconsin, and the temperature reads 93 degrees

Road stretches in front of the truck, curving gently to the right ahead, winding through low hills covered with green trees

Road stretches in front of the truck, curving gently to the right ahead, winding through low hills covered with green trees-Dakota_2_2007

A white farmhouse sits in the middle of a pasture, various trees stand in groups on the property

Dry grass spans out from the shoulder of the road with low, rocky foothills in the distance.

The sun shoots off tangerine and pink rays as it rises on the horizon; the rest of the sky is a dusty light blue

Rick Gifford cleans the driver's side windshield of the truck with a squeegee while stopped at a gas station

Rick Gifford cleans the passenger's side windshield of the truck with a squeegee while stopped at a gas station; a rusty red truck is parked at the pump in front of them

The fuel pump reads $91.40 and 30.785 gallons pumped

The road stretches in front of the truck; across the divided freeway, low foothills covered with dry grass roll against a blue sky

A green sign with yellow letters stands on the shoulder of the road and reads "North Dakota Welcome to the West Region"

The truck and fifth wheel are parked at a rest stop while the sun rises in a riot of golds, pinks, and tangerines

The front of the fifth wheel is covered in dead bugs from the journey and lit up by the setting sun

The truck and fifth wheel are parked at a gas station refueling; Rick Gifford stands near the hood of the truck waving down the length of the vehicles

The fifth wheel is backed into a spot along the water, nestled among the trees; green grass stretches out next to it with a picnic table

A white building reading "Land O Lakes Feed Countryside Cooperative" stands behind the fifth wheel against blue sky

The fifth wheel is extended, awnings open and Lisa Gifford sits at the picnic table under an awning, smiling to the camera

Lisa and Rick Gifford sit at a picnic table covered with a blue and white tablecloth, both are smiling to the camera

Milton, WI

Milton Facts

Milton is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. the population was 5,132 at the 2000 census (2005 estimate, 5,464). The city is located within the Town of Milton. The city was formed as a result of the 1967 merger of the villages of Milton and Milton Junction.

Originally named Prairie du Lac, Milton was settled in 1838 by Joseph Goodrich. Goodrich build an inn at the intersection of two trade routes in the area, The Milton House, today the oldest poured grout structure in the United States. Goodrich, a noted abolitionist, is believed to have aided fugitive slaves as a stop on the underground railroad.

The former Milton College operated from 1844 to 1982. Milton native Albert Whitford, a graduate, became a leading astronomer.

Milton is the site of a $70 million ethanol plant under construction by United Ethanol. A 170-foot (52m) Cargill grain elevator is believed to be the tallest building in Rock County.

The city is increasingly tied to Janesville, its larger neighbor to the south, and parts of Janesville are now within the Milton School District as that city expands to the north and west.

After two LONG days of traveling through North Dakota and Minnesota…

Travel Log – 9/02/2007

–Lisa and Rick

Milton, WI

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