1 box truck to Peoria IL

... spending the night at Morton IL

I have both yogurt and eggs this AM as I do not plan on stopping and eating. We have under 8 hours to go today so am break is not required.

The pan-handlers are still sleeping as I drove past their cart before 8 AM. Both our hotel and the discount one next to it were pretty full last night. Unusual to see a no-name hotel with just about all the parking spots full.

The Quality Inn on the other side of us was not as full but it did have a transporter with a box truck in the parking lot.

Today I don't see BB other than at the hotel. She drops the key off and I am gone ahead of her. I am only driving 65 mph but she does not catch up to me before her first stop.

I do notice that the no-name truck stop in Cuba next to the Blue Beacon is now a TA. Another place has upgraded to a one-9 in a nearby town.

Coming into St Louis things aren't as good. At one exit the Burger King and Stake-n-Shake had gone out of business 10 years ago and are still empty. Next to the Six Flags, a lot of food places are either empty or have changed names since they were built.

BB and I had talked about road construction in St Louis so we looked at a map and were going to take a different route. But I never saw those numbers on the exit signs so I kept going right through down town. No construction today. Worst I had to do was slow down for the exit ramp.

Looking back now, I had missed the other turn because the freeway number I was looking for doesn't start until the IL state line. Same freeway, different number in MO. Oh well, I saved a few miles today.

1st stop for me was in Hamel IL at a Loves for a break. I thought I should get food but the lines were long at McD's and Subway and none of the roller food looked good. So I bought and ate a half a cookie.

Back on the road I realize that I should have gotten DEF while I was stopped. Gauge is blocked by the steering wheel and it is not often we have to add any on short trips.

2nd stop was at a Road Ranger for DEF. I put in two gallons. I don't want to use my corporate card and pay the fee so I go in and pre-pay and then have to go back in to get a regular receipt. No an issue here, eight fuel island and I am the only truck. But that is why I picked it.

Across the street I see the parking lot is packed for that restaurant. Early on I see a large group of motorcycles leave but the lot is still full. When I leave, I realize that 2/3rds of the lot is a car show. That is one way to pack them in.

From there it is less than 100 miles to hotel and it is still early so I slow it down. From 65 mph to 62 mph. I have not been getting great fuel mileage today either. It has now dropped from 12 mpg to 10 mpg. And once I started heading north at St Louis it seems to have dropped to about 8 mpg.

3rd stop is the Circle K for more fuel. I am getting close to the 1/8th mark so I put in enough to cover the last miles to the drop. As I'm fueling, I notice one of those cars that has trash inside the car high enough that the driver can't see the right mirror. Then I see the driver ... yeh, he doesn't look like he has seen a shower in two months. Car is fairly new ... ??

Then across the street to the Quality Inn where BB is waiting. Once we check in, we go to a Mexican place across the freeway. Good (enough) food. I couldn't eat all mine but didn't want to take it with. At first the service was good, but then I had to flag someone else down to get my bill, then flag the waiter down a 2nd time because he forgot to bring me my receipt that he went to get.

Before dark we go and take our one mile walk. We have been able to do that a few times this week. Saw our first baby geese today. Didn't pet them.

No plan for tomorrow beyond dropping this truck. We are about 15 minutes from the drop. Shouldn't get lost this time.