WISCONSIN

Wednesday 10th April
Picked up trailer from yard and made our way to the border, sailed through this and meat inspection. We were on our way to Winconsin.  Stopped at Shelby to fuel up and made our way over Montana on highway 2. Saw a family of pelicans on a lake.
Thursday 11th April
We started out to a glorious sunrise through snow capped hills through North Dakota.  We passed a place called "Home on the Range" What a fantastic name.  Stopped at Beach to refuel and maddy played in the snow.  The scenery was like something from a christmas card. We listened to country with the open road in front of us with the occasional truck passing.  We travelled on I94 going through Bismark and Jamestown.  We hit Fargo around 3pm with heavy snow, the snow ploughs were out.  We still had a way to go before we found somewhere to stay the night.  Now Minnesota, we kept driving through to early evening into Minnapolis and stayed outside St Pauls.
Friday 12th April
We awoke to thick snow.  The interstate was clear.  Into Wisconsin, we passed Yogis Yellowstone Park.  It was still snowing.  Message from despatch, we had to change trailers next truck stop, near Tomah.  Apparently the driver had refused to take his load to New York.  We had to do it.  Dave was not a happy bunny!  There were going to be two drops, New York and Massachusettes.  We
had to be in New York by 2pm tomorrow!  We carried on I94 through the centre of Chicago amidst the skyscrapers, most definately the "windy city".
Into Indiana on the I80, it was now 5pm, dave was going to run out of driving hours.
Saturday 13th April
5am.  It was already light (we had passed a time line but we stay on Alberta clock) Dave sent a message to despatch we wer`nt going to make the 2pm booking.  We kept going into Ohio on the I80 toll road (expensive!) We now had tree lined green fields which reminded us of home.  Everyone either had a horse or RV in their backyard (or both) there were so many RV parks it was obvious people lived in them instead of a house.  Some were nearly as big as daves trailer.
The toll road took us past Toledo, it was raining, miserable, what a difference the sun can make.
Toledo looked affluent, after what we had seen so far, nice estates with golf courses and lakes, even the truck stop (should i say travel plaza) was posh.  On passing the outskirts of Cleveland the countryside changed from flat farmland to hills and forest with winding rivers.  The toll ended, just under $80!
Pennyslvania was much the same.  Some bridges were so high it was scary looking over into the water below.  The job had now been booked in for tomorrow morning at 9am.  It was a sort of rule that trucks did`nt stay in New York overnight because of the crime, so most travelled in early morning then left (you would either get robbed or your truck wheels would disappear).  It was 3pm and we stopped at Brookville to refuel. We stayed at a rest area at Bald Eagle State Forest.
Sunday 14th April
We were still surrounded by forest.  Bright sunshine streamed through the window.  We carried on I80 through New Jersey into New York, not too much traffic as it was sunday morning.  We went
over the George Washington bridge heading for Queens.  Over Robert F Kennedy bridge, both had fantastic views of the Empire State.  In Queens we got lost, we could`nt rely on the sat nav as there were too many low bridges, so we used the map.  So many roads refused trucks, we eventually got to the meat wholesaler (still we saw more of New York than we expected) We got lost again coming out, still better luck next time.  We did`nt have to deliver until 10am tomorrow so we took our time travelling up coast through Connecticut on I95, there were so many small harbours and private jetty`s, some houses were huge with private yachts.  We stopped early, found a truck stop near New London which had plenty of countryside round it (for a change)
Monday 15th April
It was a bright morning,  We drove into Rhode Island on a long straight road with blossom and daffidils on the banks.  Names of Taunton and Exeter on boards above, it gave you a sort of "going to the seaside" feeling.  Rhode Island was lovely, the best place so far!  Providence reminded us of Amnityville from "Jaws".
In Massachusetts.  Lakeville on Highway 44. The business park was set in woodland.  Industrial units were spaced well apart.  We were early so had breakfast of toasted muffins.  Took maddy for a long walk through the pine trees.  It was so quiet you could hear birds of prey above.  After unloading the rest of the day was our own.  We had a job come through for tomorrow in New Jersey so we had to go back the way we came, back through New York etc, but that was another day, time for some shopping!