Well, Mammoth Cave is spectacular, by far my favorite cave to date (although Ellery still prefers The Caves we saw in Belize). And the tour was great; the Ranger described in wonderful detail how people have been touring the cave, and writing their names on the walls and ceilings, since the early 1800’s. And the fact that it was cool in the cave – compared to the 100 degrees plus temperatures that have followed us throughout this trip – was an added bonus.]]> Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285995 0 37.1471820997238 -86.0105895996094 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285988 0 37.1471820997238 -86.0105895996094 Up early, our goal was to see the National Civil Rights Museum first thing in the morning, then head back to the hotel for the 11:00 a.m. duck walk, and from there to Graceland. So, we took the Main Street trolley down to the Lorraine Motel and were there well in advance of the opening time. And yes, I felt very guilty that we rushed through the museum in an hour and a half – it was well worth a longer trip, but Ellery was determined to see the ducks and, well, I wasn’t going to let her down. But, there was a lot to be had in that hour and a half – I had forgotten how well-done the exhibits were, and there was a half-hour film about MLK, Jr.’s last days that was really very good. In the end, the only part of the museum that we gave short shrift to was the portion in the building where James Earl Ray took his shot, dealing with his capture and prosecution.

We did make it back to the Peabody in time for the duck walk, which Ellery dutifully captured on video. It was, indeed, quite fun and I’m glad we saw it.

Then it was back on the road, just a few Miles, to Graceland. Is it wrong that we spent more time at Graceland than at the Civil Rights Museum? Probably, but Graceland is so over-the-top, so kitchy fun, how can you not take the time to see all the gaudiness that was Elvis?

]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285979 0 35.14944 -90.04889 Peabody at 5:10, minutes after the ducks had departed for the evening. Sigh … well, there was still tomorrow.

So, we checked in, went to the rooftop for a view of Memphis, and then I had my annual meat fix at the Rendez-Vous. Bar-be-que that was definitely worth it.

Then we headed to Beale Street. Everything I remembered and more – the more in this case being Bike Night, a Wednesday night tradition. Hundreds of bikers and bikes. Plus the usual streetside musicians, beer garden bands, and wandering crowds. And “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” being played and sung at every single bar up and down the street. Really, Memphis didn’t turn out any other song? None?

Well, tomorrow includes a stop at Graceland, so we’ll see if there isn’t another tune or two around.]]> Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285975 0 35.14944 -90.04889 Ah yes, we started in Kansas City, MO. And we drove east, arriving in St. Louis just around 10:00 a.m. I don’t recall anything about the drive, except that I believe it was rather unimaginative – nothing particularly beautiful or ugly. Just road.

The plan was to drive by the Arch, snap a few photos, and continue on to Memphis in time for the 5 p.m. duck walk at the Peabody Hotel (where I had decided we would spend the night, after our less-than-stellar Holiday Inn experience). But that Arch is pretty alluring – close up and in person, it is pretty magnificent. Since we had made good time, so up we went. (Actually, first you have to go down below the Arch, and then you take a pod-like tram to the top). And I realized that St. Louis is one hell of a big city. Really big. Oh, and the Mississippi River is pretty ugly down here, as compared to up North.

After the Arch we walked along a small historic Riverfront area (in need of some life), ate lunch and got back on the road. But, eeek! Would we make it by 5 p.m.? It was looking iffy but I was determined to make a go of it.]]> Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285970 0 38.62722 -90.19778 Katherine went to school) and the Brookville Hotel in Abeliene for the best fried Chicken dinner anywhere.

Oh, and we did stay at the same crappy Holiday Inn as the Kansas City Chiefs, back in training after the lock-out ended. Those are some big, big guys.]]> Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285967 0 39.09972 -94.57833 Jordan was up without any prodding and quickly packed. If there was any doubt last night that she was ready to go home, it was resolved. She wanted to go home. So, we drove to the airport, again in silence but, this time, not an angry one. I asked her if she wanted me just to drop her off and she said no, so I helped her check in and walked her to security. As I told her that I hoped we’d see her again, maybe in a less stressful situation, and that I really did like her, she gave me a slight smile as she headed through the screeners.

Yesterday and today were days when I really needed friends; I was amazingly lucky, really, to have them waiting for me in Denver.

While I was sad to see Jordan go, things really did lighten up; it was really the best thing for all of us. I returned to Denver proper and joined Leslie and Ellery for breakfast. Soon, we picked up Gabe and explored the 16th Street Mall in a bit more depth, and made our way to the capital for the obligatory sighting of the mile-high marker (although I’m told there are three of them and no one is really sure which step is a mile high). Eventually, Phil and Rachel also joined us, and we spend several nice hours just hanging by the swimming pool. At which point Ellery suggested that the women all get pedicures so, off we went and had our toes painted.

After saying good-bye to Phil, Leslie, Rachel and Gabe, we returned to our room briefly, but were soon picked up by David and Anne, and we all headed to a very cute little neighborhood overlooking the city for a nice Mexican dinner at Lola, a stroll around the neighborhood, and a drive through various parts of Denver (which included our sighting of a Calatrava bridge under construction – we’ve now seen four Calatravas on three different continents). Denver really is a lovely city; lots of diverse neighborhoods, a solid city Center, and enviable natural beauty.]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285962 0 39.73917 -104.98417 As planned, since Jordan has never seen snow, our morning was set to begin with a 9 a.m. ride up with Jake up the Gondola to the top of Jackson Hole, were there was breakfast of waffles and nutella (Jordan’s proclaimed favorite food), to be followed by frolicking in the snow. Ellery and Jake and I enjoyed all these things amongst some amazing views (which included watching snowboarders make tracks in late July!)

Jordan did not, however, enjoy any of these things. As Ellery and I had come to learn, Jordan is not a morning person, but her mood this morning was as bad as it had ever been. She did not enjoy the ride up the gondola, she did not like the waffle (and yelled at Ellery when Ellery asked how it was), and refused to partake in any reindeer games. It was now clear that, under any circumstances, Jordan was not having fun – whether it was because she is 16, because she was homesick, because she didn’t enjoy our company, or whatever it was, it wasn’t going away. And things did not get any better when I told her that I would tolerate many things, but being rude and mean to Ellery and Jake was not one of them.

This resulted in a crying fit of significant proportions, a lengthy conversation with someone about how I was treating her like a 12 year old (earth to Jordan – even adults like snowball fights in July) purposely made within my earshot, and, unfortunately, a 9 hour drive through beautiful Shoshone National Forest, with amazing wide open green pastures, and the Wind River Canyon, with striking red rocks, in complete, steaming, angry silence. And then another 7 hours of the most boring drive I have ever made (really, worse than Kansas or Texas). As much as I kept telling myself that this was merely moody teenager behavior, or that it would pass, I was pretty overwhelmed by her anger, even when she decided not to participate in the ritual cross-the-state-border photo (a ritual that she, herself, initiated).

Fortunately, relief was waiting in Denver, in two magnificent forms – the Lynch/Hyman family from Texas and David Picker and his girlfriend Anne. So, after checking into a beautifully large room at the Westin, Ellery and I (without Jordan, who chose to stay in the hotel and have room service – a choice I did not dissuade her from) met up with Leslie, Phil, Rachel and Gabe for a very nice and enjoyable dinner at a restaurant on the 16th Street mall. Then, while the kids went up to Phil and Leslie’s hotel room, we met up with David and Anne for drinks, where I promptly cried my eyes out over the stress of the day, which they allowed me to do, along with offering me various theories of what was going on, all aimed at making me feel better. And when I said, “Really, I’d love to just put her on a plane home, but I don’t want it to end this way,” Phil said, quite wisely, “Why don’t you just offer her the opportunity to go home?” I thought about it, and realized that despite the fact that I had wanted to see this trip through, really, that was the simplest solution. If she said yes, it would make us all happier; if she said no, it meant that she was committed to the trip and, hopefully, would be happier about it.

So, we came back to the room and I asked her. “Do you want to send me home?” she asked. “No, I don’t, but I’m giving you the opportunity to go home.” “Well, if you don’t want to send me home, then don’t.” OK, I thought, she wants to stay. It isn’t as bad for her as it seems. But just a few minutes later, she piped up, “There’s a 10:30 flight but I can’t change my ticket.” So, that was the answer – and it was OK. She was homesick, she wasn’t enjoying herself, she definitely wanted to go home. I bought the plane ticket.

Throughout the night, I thought maybe she would change her mind in the a.m., but that would be OK too. ]]> Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285957 0 39.73917 -104.98417 River. As I had received estimates of the time it would take to get to Moose of between 3-1/2 and 6-1/2 hours, I knew I had to make good time. And we did – under 3 hours. Of course, it helped that there wasn’t much traffic through Yellowstone, that we had seen that stretch of road and the attendant sights several times by now, and that the road through the Tetons was fairly flat and straight.

Oh, but what a drive. I seriously did not expect the Tetons to be as beautiful as they were. Pictures do the best talking here (especially since the girls are now, evidently, "bored" with mountains).

Having made it to Moose in record time, we waited for the Thompsons at the Visitors Center before heading off for our float trip, which offered even more fabulous views of the mountains as well as a bald eagle or two.

On our way back to Teton Village, we finally got a good look at a moose – a young male, not very large, but still impressive.

Then it was time to check into our hotel, the Snake River Lodge, a very nice place. Ellery and Jake then headed off for a horseback ride, Jordan to the room to do whatever it is she does on the computer, and me to the spa for a quick 20 minute massage. Heaven.

The kids then spent some time swimming and the day eventually ended with a very nice dinner together at the Mangy Moose, after which Ellery went back to Jake’s hotel for a last late night swim.]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285953 0 43.58806 -110.82722 Miles up the road to another ranch for a 2 hour trail ride, which took us across several small streams and up the side of one of the canyon walls for some very nice views.

Then, it was back into Cody for lunch and a stop to pick up supplies at the local Wal-Mart.

The day ended with Ellery and I watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind (love that Amazon instant streaming) in light of our recent stop at Devil’s Tower. ]]> Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285949 0 44.4651510135196 -109.623985290527 Miles to the East Entrance, then 27 Miles past Yellowstone Lake, then 21 Miles to West Thumb (see where I’m going with this? Even reaching this trip’s destination does not mean the end of driving), crossing the Continental Divide, then a final 17 Miles to Old Faithful.

Woah. Masses of people. I’m thinking there are people who come to Yellowstone, see this geyser, and then leave. Which is, honestly, what we did. We arrived just after it spouted so had lunch and waited the 75 minutes or so for the next eruption. As did lots and lots of other people. And while Old Faithful didn’t disappoint, I have to say it was a bit anti-climatic. But, it can now be checked off the “been there, done that” list.

Much more interesting and impressive were the pools a Midway Geyser Basin, a bit further up the road. Beautiful blue steaming turquoise ponds surrounded by red and orange clay. Really beautiful to see.

We then headed back, stopping briefly at Kepler Cascades, a very picturesque little Waterfall.

After about an hour break at the cabin, we headed back into Cody for dinner and the rodeo. We had a really fine meal (truly) at a restaurant near the stadium, and then headed in for the evening’s festivities.

Another disappointment. The “show” was corny and at time offensive (Brokeback Mountain jokes the prime offenders), and the riders themselves were not that good or graceful. It was like seeing a bad bullfight, but without the bill dying. We were more than happy to leave after the bull-riding, back to our cabin for the night.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285941 0 44.52639 -109.05583 Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and continued North. As we drew close to Mammoth Hot Springs we came upon our next wildlife sighting – a herd of female and young elk in a clearing off the side of the road. We got as close as we dared – close enough for the elk to look at us, but far enough so that they didn’t seem to care much.

After this Wilderness adventure, we finally made it to Mammoth Hot Springs. Interesting enough – several levels of pools of water, creating a Terrace effect.

We also stopped at the service area at Mammoth Springs for ice cream, a nice diversion. Mammoth Springs was definitely the nicest tourist area in the park that we had seen to date. And, it was only 2 Miles from the Montana border, so a quite side trip was definitely in order.

From there it was down to the Norris Geyser Basin, a large grouping of steaming hot pools which evidently erupt every so often – like every five years or so for the largest of them. Definitely an interesting sight, and a teaser for tomorrow’s trip to Old Faithful.

It had been a long day, and we were ready for home. Driving back was much quicker – no need to stop for those pesky buffalo or elk sightings. And, unlike literally dozens of photographers, we were not on dusk grizzly bear watch.

We arrived back just as the nightly campfire was taking shape. Wisely, earlier in the day we had purchased all the makings for s’mores, so that’s what the girls, along with their new friends before heading off to play somewhere in the dark before we all collapsed in bed around midnight.]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285935 0 44.6276185167602 -110.534820556641 So today, we finally made it to Yellowstone. What an incredible place. I’m not sure, overall, the beauty exceeds what we’ve seen so far on this trip, but the sheer number of sights and views and wildlife is incredible. It can take over an hour to go 10 miles, because every few miles there’s something to pull off the road to see, whether it is a herd of bison or a bubbling cauldron or a raging waterfall (or two or five or ten). After a while, there’s so much of it, there’s no more pictures you can take, you just have to take it all in.

The thirty mile drive to the park entrance is as majestic as the 22 miles from Cody, jagged rocky peak after peak. Then, once inside the park, it is a winding road along Yellowstone Lake to the first major intersection, at Fishing Bridge. There we stopped to buy sweatshirts as it was below 60 degrees (and to think we were in 110 degree heat just two days ago) and to buy provisions for lunch.

From there, we decided to head north to Mammoth Hot Springs, but there was so much to see along the way. First, it was two Elk just off to the side of the road; we probably should have stopped to take a closer look but instead we pressed onward, hoping it wouldn’t be our only sighting of the day. Just a bit further, we spotted our first bison up close, just two of them, waiting for us – and for the dozens of other cars pulled off to the side of the road.

And not much longer after that, an entire herd of bison, grazing along the Yellowstone River. OK, bison. Check. And this wasn’t the last herd, but as one of the kids staying at the ranch said last night at the campfire, “At this point, a bison would have to be doing a cartwheel for me to stop and take a picture of it.” They are ubiquitous. And getting stuck in the pile up of cars that slow and pull off to the side of the road at every sighting gets very old, very fast.

Our first side trip out of the car was to see the mud volcanos. Yep, mud. Yep, they bubble. Yep, they stink of sulphur. But they’re still fascinating to see from the raised wooden walkways that wind through them.

Just a little further along, near Otter Creek, we stopped for our picnic lunch. Very lovely setting, but we were clearly outgunned. We had some bread, peanut butter, and chips. Other families had prepared a bit better, with coolers and salads and feasts fit for kings (or a family of six living out of a camper for 2 weeks).

We continued along to Canyon Village, through Hayden Valley, where every guide book assured us was prime wildlife viewing. Um, no. Beautiful rolling hills and valleys of purple and pink and yellow wildflowers, but no wildlife to speak of.

After Canyon Village we pushed north toward Roosevelt, through Dunraven Pass (which still had a fair amount of snow on it) and past Mt. Washburn. We declined to hike up to the peak, at 10,250 ft., admitting to ourselves that we might just be the laziest visitors ever to make it to Yosemite. But, just before arriving at Roosevelt, we came to Tower Falls and did some hiking along the path down to (and up from) the lower falls. The upper falls could be seen crashing down in the distance; the lower falls were crashing down directly below us. The walk was well worth it.

From here we also had remarkable views of the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Well, our day was barely half over … but now, I’ve got to get some rest. July 20 will be continued ….]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285912 0 44.6276185167602 -110.534820556641 The road from Gillette to Cody, while mostly boring highway, crossed through Bighorn National Forest. We spotted our first (and possibly last) moose, but for the most part the beauty was in the scenery, ranging from rugged mountains still covered in snow in mid-July to massive fields of wildflowers. The highest pass is nearly 10,000 ft., and you can really feel the altitude. And, most remarkably, there were cyclists – dozens of them – making their way through the mountains with us. Really, I can’t imagine anything more insane (yes, I’m talking to you Michael and Kevin).

We made it to Cody around 2 p.m., had lunch at a local diner, then found our way to our home for the next four nights, the Rand Creek Ranch. The scenery along the way was even better, if that was possible, as we crossed over the Buffalo Bill damn and into what is known as "the fifty most beautiful Miles in America."

The girls immediately found their way to the stables and went for an hour trail ride as I relaxed from a week of driving, and made onward plans (Jackson Hole – in; Santa Fe – out). Then it was back to Cody for dinner at Bubba’s Bar-B-Que (where none of us had bar-b-que) and a wind storm that came from nowhere and disappeared the same way. Then a bit of time was spent at the campfire before we settled in for the night.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285908 0 44.4651510135196 -109.623985290527 We started the morning with a spectacular drive through the Black Hills, which offered amazing views of Mt. Rushmore and the mountains. The smell of pine was overwhelming, and I loved every minute of it. But, it was a slow, winding road and much to my frustration, the girls showed little or no interest in any of it – Jordan was texting and Ellery was reading. There was dead silence in the car and the only time anyone spoke up it was to ask for something. My frustration started to build.

Jordan wanted to see one of the caves, so we headed out to Jewel Cave National Monument. And we decided to take the long way, the “wilderness loop” through Custer State Park. And, much to my surprise, we did see some bison, and some (not very) wild donkeys, and a few pronghorn sheep (or maybe they were antelope – they were in the distance).

But, it was a two lane road and we were stuck behind several cars who thought that driving 10 miles an hour was a good pace. It wasn’t for me. And Jordan refused to get out of the car when, for example, we stopped to pet the donkeys. For some reason, this really bothered me.

Still, we continued on to Jewel Cave where, much to my surprise, almost all of the decent tours were sold out several hours in advance. What we were left with was a short trip into just one cave, and even that required an hour and a half wait. Jordan wanted to wait for a longer tour, but I just didn’t have it in me.

After the cave, we hit the road again, back up through the Black Hills where the continuing beauty was completely lost on the girls.

Finally, we reached Wyoming, and our next destination – Devil’s Tower. What I thought would be a quick look and go turned into a really lovely mile walk around the base. Lovely, except Jordan surged ahead because she did not want to do the walk. Yes, we had each reached our breaking point at Devil’s Tower.

Things did not improve measurably after Devil’s Tower, except the scenery, which did take on that classic red rock look of Wyoming. But dinner at an Appleby’s was complete silence and when we did eventually settle in at a roadside motel, I told the girls that it we were going to put the day behind us and move on, and that tomorrow would be better. At least, I was hoping it would be, because we have two more weeks of this.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285899 0 44.29111 -105.50167 But very quickly, we realized that it wasn’t the same because, unlike those other states, South Dakota has … WALL DRUGSTORE! And not just Wall Drugstore, although that was the most ubiquitous of the road signs, but also Reptile World! 1880 Town! Old MacDonald’s Farm! Petrified Forest! In short, we had come upon a portion of I-90 that has more roadside attractions per square mile than any other place in the world, or so I’m guessing. And there’s a reason for that – the number of families doing this drive through South Dakota to Yellowstone as a summer roadtrip is astounding. From packed tiny Toyotas, to SUV’s, to pickups hauling airstreams, to truly massive tour buses, there are hundreds of them … thousands of them. And squished in between are bikers, many of them on their way to Sturgis. But, there’s a good reason they are all here. There’s amazing stuff here.

First, a brief turn-off in the middle of the Grasslands National Park. Who knew there was such a thing?

Then, not much further ahead, we got our first glimpse of a few bluffs, but there was no doubt that we were arriving at the Badlands. Another hour or so and there it was, the turn off for the Badlands National Park. And it was spectacular – first, from a distance, the wall of jagged mountains and then, closer and closer, until we were upon them.

The drive was spectacular, and we stopped a few places along the way, but not too often because we were driving through the hottest part of the country during one of the hottest heat waves ever.

Immediately after the Badlands we finally arrived … 250 miles of road signs couldn’t be wrong – Wall Drug! Free Ice Water! Lots of people! Many things to buy! OK, it was cheesy, but fun.

Motoring along, our next stop was Mt. Rushmore, which we reached around 4:00. It was still over 108 degrees out, so I confess, we didn’t take the interpretive walking tour, or ohh and ahh over it for long. Rather, we came, we saw, we ate ice cream, and we looked for a hotel in Keystone to spend the night.

But the day was not over yet. First a stroll around Keystone where we ran into the one person at the Hertz counter in Sioux Falls who stood up for me during my struggles, and then,after one of the worst meals I have ever had in my life (always beware of the buffet), at dusk we headed to Crazy Horse to see the monument that’s been more than 50 years in the making, and will most likely be another 100 before it is done. That was followed by a cheezy laser show which became absurd when it ended with Lee Greenwood's "Proud to Be An American" (somehow, I don't think the native americans would appreciate much of the lyrics) and a quick trip back by Rushmore to see it lit up at night.]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285893 0 43.89556 -103.41778 Dakota? Congress, I guess. ADM, I guess. It’s a lot of corn out there. And wind farms, plenty of wind farms. Which at least answered a question from earlier in the trip as we passed several trucks hauling massive wing-like things that clearly were not airplane parts. Now we know what they are, at least. Despite the picturesque Andrew Wyeth-like farmhouses on hills, there’s really not much between Chicago and Sioux Falls. Jordan mostly slept; Ellery mostly read, and we managed to get through it no worse for wear.

There was one truly amazing site that we passed, though, and that’s the Mississippi River. It is really awe-inspiring coming upon it – it is huge, and I did not expect it go be so vast, and so populated with lush, green islands, Huck Finn’s Story notwithstanding. It is definitely a mighty River.

Unfortunately, Jordan was the only one able to get a shot of it, which doesn’t do it any justice. You see, we expected to be able to take photos at the Tourist Info Center just over the Minnesota Border but … thanks to the budget impass and MN government shut-down, all the rest areas in MN were closed.

Oh, one other unexpected adventure – the bottom of the car fell off! Well, almost off. Fortunately, we made it to Sioux Falls with a bit of assistance from some duct tape (the wonder invention), where a wonderful hotel clerk, seeing our bedraggled faces, gave us a beautiful room and directions to the Hertz car rental location where, after a few hours of exasperation while the girls went swimming at the hotel, I finally got a replacement vehicle.]]> Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285887 0 43.55 -96.7 We walked down Michigan Avenue, stopping briefly for breakfast, then over the river, eventually arriving at Millennium Park, where we dutifully visited the Cloud Gate and the Pritzker Pavilion.

Then it was on to the main attraction of the day, the Art Institute. I had forgotten just how much amazing art is there. Trying to do it in a few hours is impossible, but try we did. We may even have succeeded (as long as you ignore the fact that we skipped everything but the highlights).

By the time we left the museum, somewhat after 1 p.m., life in the park and along Michigan Avenue was in full swing.

Jordan was dazed by it all, ready to pack her bags and move to Chicago. And I have to say, I don’t blame her. It was a beautiful Chicago day – sunny and bright, but not to hot. People were lively, musicians were everywhere, and everyone had a spring in their step. (By the way, have I mentioned that Jordan is a slow walker? She is, or maybe the Schillers are fast walkers).

Much as we wanted to saunter, there was no rest for the weary (which I was) because we had tickets for a 3 p.m. architectural boat tour. Unfortunately, our docent was less than thrilling, and the girls were bored by the narration, but as always, the amazing buildings of Chicago were enough to keep us going.

After such a busy day, then, it was nice to return to the hotel and find that, yes, they really did give us a nicer room. Not just two beds, but a mini-suite, which was a welcome respite before dinner and a movie. Yes, indeed, I had the poor judgment to schedule our vacation for the very same week that the last installment of the Harry Potter series was released. We couldn’t get tickets to see it last night, but I managed to get what I believe was the next best thing – tickets for tonight, so the girls can at least say that they saw the movie on the day it was released. (This seems to be important, but I know not why).]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=68744 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=285883 0 41.85 -87.65