July 5-8, 2021 Road trip from SD to NC with Brueggemans and Zellers

7-5 We left Pierre today undecided on whether to drive to Rapid City, SD before returning to Georgia.  As we drove 30 miles south to interstate 90, we made the decision to turn east and not west.  Hurricane Elsa was heading towards our boat in GA, so it made more sense to head back.  We drove to Ames, Iowa.  We forgot that it would be a Monday holiday.  So lots of traffic and busy restaurants.

7-6 Tuesday.  We were close to Pam and Terry Brueggemen in Marshalltown, Iowa, so they met us for a late breakfast in Ames, Iowa.  Pam is my first cousin that grew up in Faulkton, SD.  It is always fun to catch up with them and hear about their family.  Our mothers were sisters.  Her mother, Julia Bower, is living in a nursing home in Faulkton and over 90 years old.  
We drove as far as Champaign, Indiana.

Dave, Mary, Pam, Terry Brueggeman

First cousins Mary and Pan

7-7 Wednesday.  We visited with Pete awhile before hitting the road today.  He was at our boat securing it for hurricane Elsa.  We then drove to Cincinnati, Ohio to meet other relatives for dinner.  We met between Cincinnati and Dayton to meet with James and Christa Zeller, John, Melanie, Zohn, and new born Hayden Zeller.  Their parents, Jim and Jane Zeller, were visiting their daughter Katherine in Arizona and her newborn daughter.  It was great seeing them again.  We stayed in Fairfield, Ohio at a Holiday Inn Express.  They are not all the same quality across the country, sadly.  Tonight, Hurricane Elsa looked like it wasn’t going to hit our boat, so we were able to relax and enjoy the trip home.

phone weather app  our boat is at the pin

John, Melanie, Hayden and Zohn, James and Christa Zeller, Mary and Dave

7-8 Before hitting the road on Thursday, we went to Jungle Jim’s, an international market that James and John told us about.  They boast that they have over 180,00 products form up to 75 countries.  This place was huge and amazing.  We had to just focus on a few countries we were interested in, like Germany, France, Denmark, some oriental sections.  We picked up a few non perishable items.  Our main focus was on the pâté and cheese section.  We wanted items for picnicking on our road trip home,  which we did at a city park.  We made it to Pikeville, Kentucky that evening.