On The Road!

I'm off! Left the parking lot at work by 11:15 and headed towards LaCrosse on a perfect autumn day. Last night was a total lunar eclipse which was very beautiful and unusually "visible" --- seems like usually it is cloudy or rainy or otherwise invisible but this one was fabulous. Seemed an auspicious beginning!

Given the sunny skies and trees turning colors I wanted to drive "the back way" to LaCrosse on Hwy 14. The Car, however, had other ideas! It REALLY wanted me on the interstate! Every time I passed a road heading north, it would ask me to turn to Get Back On Track. I made it about half way to LaCrosse, was listening to an audiobook and not watching street signs as much as following the directions the nav system displayed on my dashboard, when I realized it had lured an unsuspecting Me into turning north. Drat!

I must say, however, it was lovely. I went through Hillsboro, saw 3 horse and buggies with beautiful horses, wound through Wildcat Mountain (or some such) park, lots of pretty fall colors, hawks, etc before hitting I-90. Hilly curvy roads were fun to drive. Not one bit of cell service available but the nag system stayed live and got me where I was going!

Charging was easy. I filled up to the top as last winter I had a bad experience between LaCrosse and Albert Lea and got my range to zero and had no desire to repeat. It was windy as heck (of course it was a west wind! It there anything but a headwind possible??) There is a Home Depot close to the LaCrosse supercharger and the route to the restrooms goes through an aisle lined with about 400 white toilets, floor to ceiling. Do they do that on purpose??

Stopped to charge in Albert Lea and starting writing this there when a pretty white Model S with California plates pulled up to charge. A nice couple was driving from San Diego to Chicago and they gave me advice and showed me their maps. Their car was only 1 year old but already 24,000 miles. I asked if he put that many miles on his previous gas cars and got a wry grin in response. "Of course not."

Currently charging in lovely Worthington MN in the back parking lot of The Ground Round. The good news is their wifi reaches out to the superchargers.  :)   It is raining. Staying in Mitchell SD tonight which is the furthest west this car has been. Tomorrow -- The Black Hills.

what a pretty car!!