It's a great day in the Amanas:  No bills!  (The buildings behind Doris were once communal kitchens.  Meals served were enjoyed by women & children dining in one area, men only in another.  15 minutes to dine & talking was frowned upon, probably because communal cooking wasn't that good.  )

Thursday, 9/02

Time to move on.  Rental car returned, we're rolling eastbound on I-80, the first freeway driving since 1,000 miles ago ... and not missed.  With so much to see, good roads and so little traffic, the side roads were a special treat.

First stop was "I-80 Truck Stop", advertised as the largest in the world and part of a History Channel documentary.  Definitely worth seeing, but buy your fuel elsewhere and save money.  Huge museum, and the largest trucker/tourist shop that makes Macy's look wimpy.

Attention shoppers!  We have a special on tractor trailers today!  Macho driver not included.

Driver Doris, the cutest coast-to-coast double clutching, gear jammin', horn blowing momma.  But don't get in her way!

One truck.  One 134' windmill blade.  One challenge in heavy traffic.

The task of the day was to find our second replacement air filter since we filled up the last one with horse sanctuary dust.  Real dust, not horse d'overs. You might think the engine manufacturer (Cummins) dealers would have them.  No.  Mack, who uses them?  No.  Anyone?  Yes, only if we're willing to wait 2 to 4 days for delivery from another planet.  Finally, one dealer referred us to a parts store in Rock Island, IL, around the corner from the truck/engine dealers we contacted.  Sure enough, they had our filter.  Several of them.  Why couldn't the dealers get one from them?  No one knows.

Filter in possession, we drove a few blocks to recommended Ace Muffler where owner "Butch" helped me man-handle the filter into place inches rear of a hot engine.  $15 and 15 minutes later, we're on our way northeastward to a funky lakeside park in Rock Falls.  Tomorrow:  The Chicago 'burbs and dear friends we're excited to visit.