Food

Applebee's, Waffle House, Golden Corral... You know the lineup. The challenge is to find good eats along the highway. We want to avoid the chains but, as a practical matter, there is little else within easy reach of the interstate. You might also be surprised to learn that wheelchair access is far from universal.

Callahan's, 2917 Cassopolis St, Elkhart, IN 46514. This is a fine restaurant in the best tradition of reliable roadside diners. It was also located across the street from our motel. Jimmy opted for eggs, sausage, Texas toast and applesauce. I stuck to oatmeal and fruit. We were both very satisfied with our meals but other tasty delights were available but only for the brave of heart. At the table next to us sat five adults. The collective body-weight at this table was just shy of a ton. These folks were obviously regulars at Callahan's and they knew what to eat: Skillets. I am not sure what was in these skillets but they were big and full of food. The pros at the table liked to mix-and-match and we saw the skillets being passed around and sampled freely. One guy was complemented by his companions for being smart to order both pancakes AND toast. Genius. Callahan's. Good grub.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop, 564 State St, Madison, WI. Madison has a beautiful pedestrian mall in State St. We drove into downtown Madison on a whim and stumbled on it and decided to rest and eat. Jimmy said he was too tired to roam and opted to stay in the car, leaving it to me to find him something wonderful to eat. A block away I found Potbelly, a garden-variety college sandwich shop and bar. Live music. Nice booths. Friendly, smiling, well-scrubbed Wisconsin waiters. Where was I from? Baltimore. What's good to eat? Most folks like the grilled chicken and cheese sandwiches. Emphasis on Wisconsin cheese. So, I ordered two to-go on the whole-grain buns and returned to Jim with our lunch. Wonderful stuff! Too much mayonnaise, of course, but the hot peppers were perfect. I wolfed mine down and Jim finished his about ten seconds later. Madison is a wonderful place, I can't wait to go back.