We love going on road trips.

 . . . but COVID-19 has put a damper on the spur-of-the-moment-hop-in-the-car-with-a-bunch-of-coffee-and-snacks-and-head-out drives.

Now, we need to consider stops as necessary dangers because of idiots er, stupid er, ignorant er, irresponsible er, careless people who take no precautions when it comes to both their safety and those of others. Ergo, QED, summa cum laude, dominus Nabisco, we have a limit on both the distance and time of our drives.

A surprising feature has popped up in our planning . . . we look for Wal-Marts along our routes and at our destinations. That’s because Wal-Mart makes an effort to clean their bathrooms regularly . . . unlike gas stations. Rest areas are out of the question because, despite semi-regular maintenance, they are . . . ah . . . questionable even in the best of times.

. . . my experience points to people be having no regard for basic courtesy and hygiene when traveling.

Last week, while looking at the map of the area, I noticed that a little over an hour away from us, is Chester, Illinois. “What’s there?” you ask. Well, we get to see the Mississippi River. Did I snap a photo of it? Nope. There wasn’t anything interesting about it. Just water. No barges, no riverboats, no canoes . . . just water.

There was this . . .

Them be somewhat suspect representations of Lewis and Clark. <<<This is a link You see, they stopped here during their travels. Well, a nearby island, but close enough.

Let’s take a closer look . . .