Newtown, Connecticut

We had a lovely suite last night so were
slow to leave this morning. Our breakfast
was a buffet at the attached restaurant and
it was complementary. We ate a hearty
breakfast which allowed us to skip lunch.

We drove to Scranton and to the Anthracite
Museum there. The museum was very intereting
and the most interesting thing was to learn
that Scranton had a huge silk industry where
thread, fabric and lace were made. Some of
the old machines were set up so that you
could follow the manufacturing process.

From there we headed for the trolley museum,
but Scranton had other ideas. Two bridges
were out so that it made it very difficult
and for us who don't know the city impossible
to find. Ms Garmin sent us in circles since
she didn't know the bridges were out.

Finally, we went on our way. Ms Garmin had
a different opinion of the route we should
take, but I prevailed. We later found that
her route, instead of about 200 miles was
closer to 3000 miles. She was set to avoid
toll roads. I-84 goes over the Hudson; the
bridge was not marked on my map as a toll
road, but it clearly is. She sent us west
and then north above Lake Superior, through
Canada and south through Vermont in order
to avoid toll roads!!

We arrived here about 3:30 having ignored Ms
Garmin's directions. Joy and Walt, as always
were warm in their welcome.

Danville, PA

Danville, PA

We spent last night in Fairborn, OH on the
edge of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base at
a Comfort Inn.

Last evening we had dinner at a bar and
grill next door to our motel. It was
trivia night and they had several tables
of locals who were competeing against
each other. It was pretty amusing and
the food was good and so was the Guiness.

We drove pretty steadily all day today
arriving here about 6 PM. I was so stiff
I wasn't sure I could get out of the
car despite the fact we had stopped
every two hours to walk.

Anyway we are in a suite at a Quality
Inn which we got for less than a
regualr room. I'm not quite sure how
I pulled that off, but it is very nice.

Near Wright-Patterson

BW Paradise Inn
Champaign, Ill

Another beautiful day. High temp was 84. Not uncomfortable.

We had a leisurely breakfast, checked out and drove to and
through much of the Amana Colony Area. Our focus was on
only three buildings of the many, many available.
The Colonies are impressive. People are still living and
working there although it clearly has become a tourist
destination rather than a community of production. Their
income primarily deriving from tourism.

Whirlpool-Amanda is there, but we didn't check it out.

Our first stop was the woolen mill. The area is
very picturesque except there were yellow tapes and orange
cones everywhere obstructing a good picture of anything.

The woolen mill had one loom operating. It was
purchased from Switzerland in 1981 and labeled as computerized
but it, the computer, was a plastic tape with holes
punched in it for the instructions. Whether it worked
like a computer punch tape or a player piano it was
certainly computerized. The operator would set a time
and start the loom by setting a lever.... When the time
was up it would stop giving her the opportunity to add
another spool of yarn, to insure it wouldn't run out mid-
stream. Or she would just reset the time and restart
the loom.

There was very large gift shop, but the only things sold there
that were actually made there were blankets. It think some
items, were made there, but of fabric made elsewhere.

From the mill we went to the furniture and clock factory.
Everything there was made there and pretty much made with
old type tools. We watched the workers for a while and
skeptic that I am, I assume there is a real factory
elsewhere. The pieces they were making, one, a small chest
of drawers would cost thousands of dollars at the rate
at which it was being made.

Robert and I fell in love with the looks and comfort
of a couple of platform rockers visualizing them
in front of the TV. We sat there for a time then
both stood up saying, I, "no, what would I do with
Dad's chair and Robert, "no, it would be ruined
sitting that close to the fireplace."

We admired the grandfather clocks. One, had a
round crystal ball which turned around, instead
of swinging. We couldn't figure how it could
work because as the weights lowered they would
collide with the crystal. Then I noticed the clock
was plugged into an electrical outlet. The
weights never moved.

Our final stop was the cultery factory. Again,
they do make a few things there, by hand, but only
for show and only on the weekends. Robert was
fascinated by all the antique tools.

There was so much more to see I'd like to go
back again.

Geroge and Janice met us at Biaggi Italiane
Restaurante for dinner. We had a lovely
dinner and conversation then back to their
house for coffee and more shared stories.

We met them again this morning at their
house for more conversation before we
took off east.

We are now in Fairborn, OH on the edge
of Wright-Patterson Airforce base. We
had planned on being in Akron, but didn't
leave Champaign until almost noon. Robert
had been indisposed earlier..not sure
what he had eaten, but he is OK now.

We head for Joy and Walt in the morning.

Williamsburg, Iowa

We had a leisurely start this morning..breakfast at
the restaurant next door. Not great, but it came with
the room. Last night Robert was really tired and out
of sorts. It seemed like a very bad motel. Later he checked
his timtline and found that in 2002 he thought
it was "very nice indeed." He decided it must
depend on his mood whether the motel is OK or not.

We stopped for lunch at a rest stop near the
Blue River. There was a walk-way to the river
which we took. The river was totally covered
with duck weed such that you couldn't see water
anywhere. Every once in a while a turtle or
frog would stick it's nose up through the weed
to check to see if the world was still there.
Ariel would have loved it because there were
lots of frogs in the water and on the land.

Tomorrow we visit the Amana Colonies and then
on to Champaign to have dinner with George
and Janice.