We resumed our cross- country tour after the mishap in Del City, Okla.

Our first stop was in Kirkwood, Missouri, near St. Louis. We drove through the edge of St. Louis. Brent reminded me when he happened to call as we were driving into St. Louis. “You remember what happened to Chevy Chase when he got lost in St. Louis in the 'Vacation' movie, don’t you? Watch your hubcaps.”

We crossed over the Mississippi River and got a glimpse of the Great Archway and continued through the southern parts of Illinois and Indiana.

Our next stop was in Covington, Kentucky across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. There, we had dinner and a nice visit with a long-time friend, John Fearing. He was executive director of the Arizona Newspaper Association when I served as president. He now lives in Covington and is semi-retired, driving a limo to and from Covington and the Cincinnati airport two days a week.

John developed the program that became a model nationwide for putting public notices on-line that run in newspapers.

We met him again the next day for lunch with his lady friend. Upon leaving Covington, we made a wrong turn and it took us into downtown Cincinnati. I was glad we did. It enabled us to see the downtown area of the city including the Reds’ baseball stadium.

We got as far as Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania that night. The trip across was uneventful. I noted there were a number of signs for museums. When I got back to a computer I asked the question, “How many museums are in Ohio?”

It gave me an answer that was too long to count. They ranged from major art museums in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

There were a number of small museums we saw driving along the route. One was the Quilting Museum and another was the National Motorcycle Museum. I couldn’t tell you what towns they were in, I just remember the signs.

The journey through Pennsylvania wasn’t very much fun. It was raining when we got up in the morning in Belle Vernon.

And it rained and rained and rained all day long. Sometimes it was lighter but it never stopped. And to make things worse, fog set in.

Diane doesn’t like most fast foods. I on the other hand can’t wait to pick up a hot dog to go or sink my teeth into a Big Mac when I’m on vacation.

So you can’t imagine the pleasure I experienced when she said, “Let’s stop and get a bite at the next rest stop. I just have to stop and get away from that fog for a while.”

Now, the rest stops we saw in this part of the country have a lot more to them than those out west. This particular one had a pizza place, a Nathan’s hot dog outlet, a Popeye’s chicken and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stand. It also had a large general store that was well-stocked with snack-type foods and beverages.

The restrooms were spotless and there was a large area for eating. We were there for 45 minutes. The rain was starting to slow down.

“But is the fog going away?” Diane asked. I looked on a big weather board that took up most of one large wall.

“It looks like the rain may be ending soon,” I told her.

It was a good thing for me that the showers and fog ended about an hour after we resumed our drive.

Next stop was daughter Tammy’s home in New Jersey.

That’s where my column resumes next time.