I am at a McDonalds in Bimidji, Minnesota. I went a little out of my way yesterday to spend the night at the Seven Clans Casino, near Thief River Falls. I arrived at 8:00 and tucked myself along the far edge of the sandy RV parking area, then I went in to check out the restaurant. There weren’t that many options, but my ginormous turkey club with fries was very satisfying and only $8.

By the time I’d eaten and set up camp, it was going onto 10:00, which was 9:00 by my body clock because of the time zone change. I was tired, but not ready to sleep, so I left the tailgate open to listen to the birds in the marsh and read for nearly an hour.

I fell asleep quickly but woke up gasping around 1:00 because it was really hot, even with the windows open and the topper door cracked. I squirmed out of my sleeping bag, covered myself with the blanket only, and fell back into a deep sleep until about 5:20. That was another good night for me!

It was 5:45 when I hit the road. I stopped for fuel ($3.43!!!!!!!!!) and coffee and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the 100KM+ to Bimidji passed.

Croft asked how I feel about Moya’s gas mileage. It’s as I expected. I haven’t done the math yet, but, while I’m sure I’m not getting the 28MPG that Ford promises, it doesn’t feel that bad. I knew that I was trading fuel efficiency for a place to sleep and easier driving over rough roads.

I am hoping to make it to Sault Ste Marie ON today (The Soo), but I may opt to stay on the Michigan side and cross the border in the morning. I am staying at a motel tonight or maybe a campground if I find one with clean showers.