After the train trip to Illinois from LA, I stayed for a couple days in Chicago, until catching a train south (again) to Bloomington, then getting picked up by mom we headed to Peoria.
Not of course before stopping at Cracker Barrel and eating really unhealthy food, but hey what is America for anyway?
Got to spend some time with Mom, Grandma and even Aunt Marcella, who I hadn’t seen for some time… over a year or so.
Mom with her new car
Gram cooking green beans.
Marcella and John - traveling role models for my retired life.
Also got some time to hang out with old friends, going out to Kickapoo and “camp” for a night. Mostly lighting fireworks and drink beer.
Random woodland dog.
Chase being 'manly'
There was also the obligatory shopping trips, one of which to the low low price land of Walmart, the devil’s shopping center. But hey with so many things for so cheap, let’s all embrace capitalism.
Could you ignore a bin of candy for $0.98?
Mom's street, how one know they are back in Central Illinois..
At the end of the Peoria stay I made it to Mike's place in the burbs of Chicago for a bbq and got to visit with he and Abby’s cute kid, Red (aka Harper).
Parting pic, view from Dad's building.