6:15 alarm clock. Pack up. Starbucks stop for caffeine. Hop on I-39 towards Normal, IL. No one above average allowed. Pass through Paw Paw, IL. Home to as many animals as humans. New pup, Willa, hops in the car in LaSalle. Time to take my singing talents to an audience. Go with a Taylor Swift crowd-pleaser. Willa whimpers. Then falls asleep. Alarming number of passengers playing IPads. Apple commercials everywhere.

Farm.

Oversized semi.

Passed by an Illinois driver.

Repeat.

Take a bite out of a big cheesy noodle in Champaign, IL. Drive over Kickapoo Creek. Stop for Subs in Salem. Southern accents starting to come out. Miniature Washington Monument in Mount Vernon. Willa unsuccessfully tries to bite a hole in her crate. Stop in Metropolis to see Superman. Superman themed gas station. Large statue. Catch the bottom of the state.

Enter Kentucky. Drive by a few houses on wheels. Exit Kentucky.

Welcome to Tennessee. Stop to Volunteer. Get to Nashville. Turn up the country music. Hit traffic. Titans’ stadium looks amazing. Squiggly road. Drive down a mountain. Enter Georgia. Exit Georgia-huh? Been through each CD 4 times. Arrive at hotel in Chattanooga. Southern accents in full force. Time for food and sleep.

Final day of travel tomorrow. Follow it @apettersen1.

You have the right attitude for a road trip through the midwest. Enjoy all the off-the-beaten-path sights to see. I have a long and not very interesting story to tell regarding an ice storm and a cafe in LaSalle.