When Manny and I declared that we wanted to go where the wind blew us, we thought we were using a metaphor. But shortly after leaving the factory, we headed into some of the worst weather the Midwest had seen in decades.
Driving through North Dakota, Minnesota and on to Wisconsin was a challenge. Pelting rains and gale force winds tested our little home on wheels, but I’m happy to report that she held the road proudly, like a sports car —unlike other vehicles we passed.
Blown away
My attitude is quickly changing about where to sleep on the road. Before leaving our home in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, I scoured the internet looking for campgrounds, preferably state parks, that were still open this late in the year. Most places —both private and public— located in cold weather states close by mid-October. It was slim pickings, but I was armed with places for us to stay, each one located about a 4 to 5 hour drive from the next. The first night we drove into darkness, in a torrential downpour, twenty miles out of our way and off the main road to find Lake Carlos State Park. In the morning, we saw that were the only ones in the very muddy campground.
The next night, windy weather once again dictated how much driving we could do. Since we are fully self-contained, we decided not to drive on perilously and to stay as a guest of a Super 8 Hotel —in their parking lot. Say what? Sleeping in a parking lot? Something I never dreamed I would do. We fired up the Cummings Onan generator, preheated the convection oven and spent a lovely evening eating a sumptuous Middle Eastern meal complete with Spanakopitas and drinking a smooth Rioja without ever leaving our cozy little motor home.
Another thing I had refused to do was to eat in a McDonalds. I pride myself on eating well and avoiding junk food. In Winkler, Manitoba, near the factory, there weren’t many restaurant options, so we were forced to eat at one of Ronald McDonald’s eateries. I was shocked at the transformation McDonalds has made. I chose a delicious Mediterranean salad garnished with the requisite feta cheese and black olives, while Manny enjoyed a tasty Thai salad that even came with a tiny package of crispy noodles. We sat on stools in front of a stone fireplace and enjoyed an excellent lunch.
The new McDonalds
So the next day (Wednesday, Oct. 27), we decided to wait out the ferocious winds and take advantage of their free WiFi access to catch up on correspondence at another McDonalds in Minnesota.
The upscale lighting, cozy booths, cherry wood décor, and flat screen televisions tastefully installed at some of the seating areas, made me think I was in some trendy coffee house. Manny even commented the décor rivaled the interior of our Serena! Although the menu wasn’t quite as good as the one from its Canadian cousins, the coffee was very drinkable and the atmosphere so pleasant that we spent most of the day there.
Sleeping in parking lots, eating at McDonalds… What other taboos will be broken on this new life of ours on the road?