11 June 2008

Travel conditions: terrible

When we checked into the hotel yesterday afternoon in Vermillion and we asked the desk clerk about the rivers and other local sites of interest, he advised us to take advantage of the day's light. Tommorrow, he said, was not going to be nice. So, we "did" Vermillion, sweating a little on our walk and, as you might have noticed from the river photos, struggled with the sun high in the west.

At 5:00 this morning the thunder woke us thoroughly. The rains came and the wind howled. Not what this part of the world wants or needs at present. Travelling was exhausting. While the rain abated from time to time, providing periods of relief, the wind never let up and, over the course of morning the temperature dropped from the low 70s to 50. Eventually, we stopped commenting on the fields-turned-lakes. We stopped being surprised at water-filled exit and entrance ramps onto I-29 closed to traffic. One good thing: the spray from passing vehicles was a non-issue, since it all blew left (west)!

Fortunately, it was a short travel day and we're safely in Grand Forks. After a nap we ventured out to visit Cabala's in East Grand Forks MN and to enjoy supper at Applebee's on the Red River. Yes, it's in flood stage. And, yes, it's still raining.

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