Happy Monday blog fans! Had another good day in the car (is there ever a bad day in the car?), and made more miles than I planned. Should get in to Reno earlier than I thought on Thursday, giving me more time to annoy my CPOI buddy Steve Lintz!

Got out early, hoping to beat the thunderstorms predicted for Elkhart IN; managed to do that, but ran into a good old mid-western downpour about 45 minutes later. Nothing like doing 35 mph on I-80 with the wipers flapping back and forth fast enough to keep beat with a high energy disco tune! Fortunately it didn't last long, and by the time I hit Illinois, things were nice and clear, and the rest of the day was gloriously sunny and warm.

Most of the day was spent rolling through Iowa, which some of you know to me is: corn; more corn; windmills; more corn; more corn; windmills; more corn; more corn; well, you get the idea. Lovely state, nice flat 3 lane Interstate, with a speed limit of 75. Which I suppose, explains why I'm making such great time!

I'd figured on stopping at Des Moines tonight, but I made such good time that I passed by there shortly after noon, which is way too early to stop for the night. Next choice was Omaha, NE, but again, that came and went too early, so on I went.

Nebraska is just breathtakingly pretty. Sort of like Iowa, but with some nice rolling hills, different crops and flora, on a sunny August day, it really brings home what an amazing country we live in. Thought I might stop at Lincoln, but again, I went right past, and made it to York NE where I checked in.

York, as explained to me by the hotel desk clerk, is known for two things. One, it's got a very highly regarded Christian college, York College, that has turned out some pretty impressive graduates. Two, York is exactly half way between Lincoln and Grand Island. Now, what that has to do with anything is sort of lost on me, but I guess there's a reason.

Dinner tonight presented a few choices other than the usual suspects (chain places). There was a cute Mexican place, Salsa's, which was housed in what was at one time a Pizza Hut (can't hide those roofs!), an "Asian Buffet" (they seem to be everywhere), a couple of sports bars, and a couple of diner type places.

Figuring I needed some direction, I asked the desk clerk, who recommended "our amazing restaurant", which was Chances R. Turns out it was a perfect choice, and is just another example of why it pays to ask a local, and avoid the chains!

With a sign and an entrance like that, good things must be inside!

Inside, a nice comfy, old style restaurant. Very welcoming, very 'homey'. Had a few minute wait for a table, gave me a chance to hear some satisfied diners leaving. Staff, from the hosts to the waitress were very friendly and accommodating. My guess is that this has been, and still is, a family business, run by folks who know what people want, and who operate it with pride - which in many places seems to have been lost.

The menu had a little bit of everything on it, from home made soups to country style dishes such as chicken fried steak with cream gravy, to pasta and seafood. Seafood in Nebraska; nah, doesn't sound good to a kid from Long Island.

Asked the waitress for some advice, and after discussing a couple of dishes, settled on pan fried chicken. Ordered the white meat two piece meal, which came with choice of soup or salad, and choice of potato. I had salad with home made thousand island dressing (all the dressings are made here), and ordered 'real' mashed potatoes with the chicken. Since most of you have seen salad before, I didn't photograph it. The chicken, however....

Now that's how fried chicken should look! And yes, those are real potatoes, cooked perfectly! And now the 'chicken porno'....

Juicy, perfectly done, tender, and lightly seasoned, this is real pan chicken done right. Coating was the right thickness, had good flavor, but was a touch less crispy than it could have been, and it did sort of slip off the chicken when bitten. Could have been that the chicken was completely covered by the oil in the pan, which kept some of the moisture inside the skin, causing it to loosen up when it was plated. Such a minor complaint though, not worth fretting about. Passed on dessert, the meal, along with a nice Amber Bock, was more than enough fuel for the night.

Should you find yourself in York NE, either to visit the College, or because you've got a reason to be halfway between Lincoln and Grand Island, Chances R is very highly recommended.

Tomorrow - off to some place in Wyoming!