I had interesting stops along the way, from Annapolis to Ste. Genevieve, MO.  Taking I-86, instead of I-70, took me through Hancock and Cumberland, MD, both small, but historically vital towns.  Hancock was my dinner stop, and has a couple of hiking trails that could occupy the time of furloughed Federal workers, should there be another “hiccup”.  It also has Weaver’s, a decent family restaurant in the downtown area.

I didn’t take the hiking trails, but in the off-chance I get back this way, Hancock is close to the AppalachianTrail.

One of the trails begins near this bridge, behind Main Street.

My stop in Cumberland was for dessert and Wifi.  There was the added bonus of this historic train station park, which has a European Desserts Cafe on its southern edge.

Day 26 ended at a Super 8, in Waynesburg, PA. This is the heart of a fracking area, so I was lucky to get a room, on that rainy night.

The next day was bright and sunny, and got me as far as Bloomington, IL.  I didn’t indulge in sightseeing, though Rudy’s, in Springfield, OH, has some worthwhile barbecue, at a rock-bottom price.  Richmond, IN, is worth a stop, if one wants to sample Amish goods.  I stopped there for about an hour, for Wifi.  Getting to Bloomington, IL around 8:30 P.M., I encountered a welcome sight, at Schooner’s.

Nataly was gracious and a fine conversationalist.  Since Bloomington has become a favoured stop of mine, in this part of Illinois, it was  doubly worth our two hour visit.  I stayed at America’s Best Value, for the second time in two months, and took care of “housekeeping” tasks the next morning.  Much of Day 28, though, was spent in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri’s oldest settlement.