The route and stops are planned!

So Matty McMatterson will be coming on the trip with me, after poor Matt R. realized he just didn't have the money to make the trip. This will be even more fun now with my Matty!

We started talking about specific routes and stops, and normally I am not good at planning stuff (just ask Kat, she'll tell you), but this time -- thanks to the wonders of the internets -- I was able to plan all the stops AND hotels and stuff!

I decided to give our patronage to the cheap but always clean Motel 6 chain. Once I figured that out, it was easy to plan!

I also decided to skip the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, because on the map it looks like it's kinda in the middle of suburbia and golf courses. Ugh. So we'll just have to look along the way for my Lesser/Greater Prairie Chickens!

STOP 1, Saturday, August 1: Hammond IN, which is right near Gary Indiana (hee hee hee Gary Indiana Gary Indiana Gary Indiana let me say it once again! Gary Indiana...).
Driving distance: 9 hrs 19 mins (counting a detour to drive through Gary Indiana hee hee hee Gary Indiana Gary Indiana that's the town that knew me when! hee hee)
Room rate(always for 2 full beds, non-smoking, pets okay): $55.99. And if we pay an extra $2.99, we can get WIFI!

STOP 2, Sunday, August 2: Lincoln NE, where we might be able to stay with a school chum of Matty's
Driving distance: 8 hrs 9 mins
Room rate: either free or $45.99

STOP 3, Monday, August 3: Cheyenne WY
Driving distance: 8 hrs 9 mins, and that's counting if we drive through that Pawnee National Grasslands (in Colorado) that I wanted to drive through.
Room rate: $51.99

STOP 4, Tuesday, August 4: Wells NV
Driving distance: 8 hrs 30 mins
Room rate: $40.99!!!

STOP 5, Wednesday, August 5: ROHNERT PARK CA!
Driving distance: 8 hrs 27 mins (going through Napa Valley!)
YAY! We're home! Free room! (well, after we pay rent...)

Wow. This is really happening.

Weird.