There is one thing I can say about toll roads: they're very fast. For one, the speed limit was like 70 or 75 MPH, better than the 60 or 65 MPH outside a turnpike. They can do this I assume because there's less traffic on a toll road -- there are other routes. Also, turnpikes have few entrances and exits. Now depending on the turnpike you pay going in or going out, which is bit weird to have a toll booth at every exit.

And it's not like there are a lot of tool booths -- except in Chicago where there seemed to be one every couple of miles. But the ones we used we only had to pay every 30 to 50 or more miles. It's kind of surreal, driving at the early predawn hours, going 80 or 85 along with the few other cars. Gas stations are set up in the median or off to the side so that you don't have to leave the turnpike.

As I probably mentioned last time, Troy drove for a couple of hours before he got tired. I drove a very shaky hour since I had only slept a couple of hours so far this trip and we had started out late. Maybe sitting up front all the time was not such a good idea -- I probably could have gotten more sleep sitting farther back. Van Horn took over. He was kind of tired too, so he actually drove ok. Not all tensed up like he usually is. Did wake up everybody when he braked really hard whenever he thought he saw a police cruiser.

No wait. Sweet drove after me since he drove through St Louis. Van Horn was on the wheel when we drove through Chicago. Chicago was rather slow going. Not so much the traffic, which there was plenty of. But lots of toll booths, every couple of miles it seemed. Only like 15 to 50 cents each time, which is rather annoying. Why not just have less toll booths and charge them more? (Because most drivers don't drive as far.) On to Wisconsin, where there was road work so traffic was driving on the inner shoulder for miles. And there were gratings and such on the shoulder so we kept going bump bump bump.

We arrived in Milwaukee at around 14:00, or was it 16:00? Before then, Woo had paged Dave and after we stopped so he could call Woo we found out that his flight had been delayed. He'd call us when he was in Dallas or wherever the next to last stop was. Have I mentioned how muggy it was in Milwaukee. It was as bad as Memphis when I went there last year with my brother. True, it's early August in the Midwest, but I thought that it would be cooler this far North. I wasn't that surprised though since I had checked the weather forecast and it was going to be hot in Wilwaukee that week.

The Marriott Residence Inn was about four blocks from the Convention Center. I'm surprised I got a room there with only a couple of months to spare. I suppose what helped is that it's not listed in the Gen Con material, probably one of many hotels/motels not affiliated with Gen Con. The Inn is next to some river running through and there's a huge mall across the street from it. I've never been to one before so it kind of surprised me -- it's more of a corporate apartment than a hotel. Big room with a living room section which includes a fold-out couch, a kitchen area with a full-size fridge and a counter with stools for eating. A couple of tables, closet and shower. No room service or hotel restaurant, which makes sense.

The building it's in also has offices, the hotel elevator not going to floors 2 through 5 being another hint. The parking garage is half reserved for the office employees, which is too bad since the hotel parking spots are the farthest from the elevators. (You take the parking garage elevator to the first floor, then have to exit and walk into the hotel where you can take their elevator to your floor). They have a Happy Hour with snacks and drinks four days a week -- we only caught the end of one that first day. Everybody left to check out the Convention while Dave and I parked and brought up the bags.

Man, was I tired! I went to sleep for a bit while Dave showered. Then I needed to shower too because I was stinky! I'm not too sure if we did anything else until we had to go pick up Woo. Oh, wait, we went to the Safe House. That'll be the next Journal entry.