Day One 10/4/10

We woke up, showered, and began packing the car. I felt much better after several days of agony over a throat infection. Still not 100%, but good enough to get outta there and on the road. We got all packed and then went to lunch with my mom. Then we were off to Ft. Wayne to pick up our Visa Travelmoney cards from AAA. I forgot my camera... so we had to turn around and call my mom to bring the camera half way.

So after that we were off, our first destination being Minhas Brewery, where Fat Cat and Berghoff beers are brewed. It is located in Monroe, WI. Mapquest said a five hour drive, but we didn't want to take interstates, so we didn't even get around Chicago. I thought I had found a cheap campground south of Chicago, but we couldn't find any camping area in the Des Plaines State Wildlife Preserve.

We spoke to a gas station attendant who informed us that Kankakee River St. Park was fifteen minutes south of where we were, so we headed that way. It was about seven thirty and the sun was going down quickly. We managed to get the tent up before sunset. Eric cooked a meal of beef, corn, and rice. I looked unsuccessfully for fire wood. It didn't seem too cold. We ate, I did dishes, and Eric started a small fire with some wood he scrounged up. We went to bed and soon realized it was colder than we thought. I hardly slept, more from discomfort caused by the hard ground than by the cold; my feet were very cold though.

-Virginia