Kalamazoo, Michigan to Eau Claire, Wisconsin

753 kms, 13 hours

What should have been a 7 hour drive today took more than 12 hours. Construction delays, toll booths, dodgy roads, coffee breaks, slower max speeds with a trailer and a 3-year-old boy with a strangely random and urgent peeing schedule all conspired to almost double our travel time. We have ended up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We pass through Minneapolis tomorrow, our last big city before crossing the border.

My first experience driving with the trailer was hairy, tense and ill-timed. I had barely pulled out on to the I-94 near Chicago and traffic started picking up. Before long I was in the midst of cars and trucks zipping across lanes while bouncing across potholes and patchy road repairs. I think Richard’s experience as a passenger with me driving was more stressful than when he was the driver. He quickly suggested we switch again.
On the plus side, the weather was great. The temperate was up to 7 degrees in Illinois and the roads were dry. I’ll write more tomorrow since I can barely keep my eyes open and a comfy bed awaits.