Day 47 Home!

Home again, home again jiggity jig! What a trip! This truly was an amazing opportunity and I feel so blessed that I had the chance to do it. I am blessed with wonderful children, whom I missed terribly but were more than capable of holding down the fort so there wasn’t a thing for us to worry about (except missing them!). Heck Mary-Kate even kept Boss Communications running with David checking in from the road. I am blessed with a wonderful husband who is game to try any crazy thing I suggest and who is still great company after seven weeks locked together in a confined space – good decision to marry him over 30 years ago! I was also blessed with that “confined space” and have learned that I LOVE RV life … I could continue for another seven weeks easily! But clearly I am also blessed with a well balanced life for while I was so excited in anticipation of this trip and loved every minute of it, I am also very excited about the idea of coming home! I have learned about life on the road. I have had a taste of the freedom of retirement (although it’s years off yet). I have learned so much more about the variety of geography and culture we are blessed with in Canada. I have been blessed to travel across two countries to experience such diversity and fun. But as Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.”

Day 46 Cleveland

… and now we’ve seen Cleveland. The trip into the city was an easy one until we found ourselves in the middle of a movie shoot! Marvel Studios is filming The Avengers on 9^th Avenue in the heart of downtown Cleveland. We happened upon loud explosions, a gun battle and whatever other shenanigans super heroes get into while trying to destroy one another in the name of truth, justice and the American way! With a little pecking around to find streets that ran in the right direction we managed to circumvent the area and arrive at our destination – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Looking from the front a little like the Louvre, this six story building houses anything that you can think of having to do with the advent and evolution of rock and roll.

Downtown Cleveland. The middle building is the Fifth Third Bank ... why wouldn't that be the Eighth Bank?

Americans are really into these windmills. This one is on the lawn of the science centre next to the R&R Hall of Fame.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - side view.

The displays cover everyone from Nat King Cole to Lady Gaga and while it contains mostly costumes and memorabilia it also had enough interesting facts to keep us busy for an afternoon. David possibly appreciated it more than I did (I’m a little more into natural wonders) but my main discomfort was over the guilt that I was there and my boys weren’t! Jonathan and Andrew would have lost their minds in the Les Paul exhibit alone! We couldn’t take pictures at all inside but outside I was able to photo the only external display – the tour bus used by Johnny and June Cash for the last two decades of his career. It was weird to see an RV that was purchased when money was no object. Now granted it was 1979 but still that isn’t that long ago and ours is so much better!!! Perhaps other folks today saw the nostalgia and were thrilled being in the same space that Johnny Cash called home. I could only see how much the RV industry had come in the last 30 years! Maybe it really is time to go home and move back into a real house!

David in front of Johnny's bus.

Day 45 Cleveland

So sad to leave Chicago with so much not seen but in truth there is no way we could have managed more in just over a day! We’re covering another three states today so off to an early start. Indiana appears so quickly I barely got the sign that marks the arbitrary line on the Interstate! Interesting billboards through this part of the country – two of my favourites, a picture of a beautiful woman with a caption that says “She wants a stud … give her two (beside a pair of diamond earrings) and an ad for dental implants that says, “Don’t die with your teeth in a glass”!!

Ohio is fun because by this time in the trip David is starting to get pretty punchy and we manage to laugh our way off the Interstate on the way to our next campground in the rural countryside outside of Cleveland. The towns we drive through are absolutely beautiful. The last town before the campground is Hudson and it honestly looks like Pleasantville! This place is just too perfect to be believed.

Setting up we realize that we are doing this for the last time. When we leave here in two days, we leave for home! But first, let’s see what Cleveland has to offer.

The most interesting highway bridges in Ohio. They are blue and white and multiple lanes come together at crazy angles!

Will we ever run out of interesting geography that just appears at the side of the road?

Pretty, pretty area!

Day 44 Chicago

I LOVE Chicago! Let’s get that out of the way first. Up and out before 9:00, gone for over 12 hours and didn’t see half of our “must do” list. This trip was supposed to be about crossing off the bucket list, today I added to it! For all the Ontario RVers reading this blog, do we have an idea for you! Chicago West KOA is nestled in the beautiful little town of Union, Illinois. The park is extremely well run and the sites are convenient, large and pretty and the water pressure and internet are awesome – what more do you need for this lifestyle? We began by heading to Crystal Lake, the town with the nearest Metra (Chicago commuter) Train. Crystal Lake is ‘Little Town USA’ right out of the movies. Easy to find with the KOA handmade map, complete with notes for where we might get confused and assuring us not to be!

In plenty of time for the train we took some time to wander this beautiful little town. Oh how I wish we’d had more time! The farmer’s market had just opened in the town square. The band stand radiated pleasant music with the occasional announcement like, “Be sure to visit the purdy little thing in that booth with the red checkered table cloth. Ain’t she just the purdiest little thing? She is sellin’ cookbooks for the theeeatrical sooociety and they sure could use your support.” Like I said, right out of the movies! The corn and herbs, preserves, pies and cookbooks were laid out in such attractive, clean little arrangements that you would think they had been spread by a Rogers and Hammerstein prop department! It looked as if they had been doing this (with the same music) for a long time as the announcer’s voice faded and Young Love swelled. We wandered down main street and gazed in window displays and puttered in shops that demanded our attention until it was time to head back to the little train station platform to catch the train to Chicago.

Who can afford to drink water?

Crystal Lake Farmers Market

Hopping on the double-decker train we purchase our $7.00 tickets that will take us to Chicago and back - for as many times as we like, all weekend! Our portion of the trip takes about 90 minutes and we don’t have any parking costs or traffic woes. It delivers us to Oglivie Station next to the river in the heart of downtown – now that’s public transit! The train meanders through suburban little towns each one as clean and pretty as the next. It would be fun to come here just to explore the little towns.

True to the plan we arrived in Chicago to emerge by the river to grab a water taxi to the Michigan Ave. … the Magnificent Mile! We learned in Vancouver and Victoria to take water taxies when you can. They are convenient, inexpensive ($2.00 a ride, or $6.00 for an unlimited all day pass) and just way cool! I knew that the Chicago River ran through downtown but never realized what that meant! The river is a main “street”!!! I mean Mississauga has the Credit River but it isn’t a major thoroughfare!! Chicago – Windy City or North American Venice? Check out the pictures. You decide!

And while Venice may have a little more history, for its relative youth, Chicago has a pretty colourful past! Since its establishment in 1837, from gangsters to Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, there are stories to be told but none more interesting in my mind than the building and rebuilding of the downtown core. These folks have had disasters and they’ve made mistakes. In both cases they tenaciously chose a redo! Heck they even changed the direction of the flow of the Chicago River!! Naturally flowing to Lake Michigan the river served to carry away Chicago’s yucky stuff. Like we have done so often before, it wasn’t long before the river was horribly polluted and Lake Michigan, the source of Chicago’s drinking water was obviously, quickly following suit. In what was nothing short (in my mind) of an engineering marvel – oh those engineers (!!), they carved a canal at the bottom of the river. At that point Mother Nature took over once more and gravity reversed the flow away from Lake Michigan toward the Mississippi River, which I’m sure pleased the folks who lived along the Mississippi, but it did allow them more control in the narrower channel and a fighting chance at rehabilitation. The resulting success rejuvenated life on the river and the result is stunning.

Liz and Cliff had told us not to miss the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Tour. We had been told that many times over by the time we reached downtown. Since it appeared to be unanimous, we went straight to the little blue awning under the bridge at Michigan and Wacker and purchased tickets for the 3:30 sail.

With time to kill we went in search of sustenance. Wandering the River Walk (part of the revitalization) we happened on Cyrano’s Café and Winebar. We thought it would be an OK place to stop … little did we know! Settling into a table right beside the river at about the same time another couple road up and bikes and sat at the table next to us, we tipped them off that we were local and the friendship began! Bob and Mary live in the suburbs and work in Chicago and clearly love their city. Insisting on buying us a drink and paying off the local busker to switch to Chicago jazz we enjoyed a great lunch on the river as they regaled us with tales of Chicago and what we really shouldn’t miss. They were disappointed that we had already bought tour tickets since they have a boat in the harbor and would have gladly taken us for a tour, and I’m sure they meant it! The restaurant was very busy but we spent our time happily getting to know our new friends … when the storm hit! It was fast and furious and there really wasn’t much place to go since they were on bikes and we were wandering so while other (maybe smarter) folks ran for known cover, Bob grabbed a patio umbrella (a bit of a risky move since one had just landed, table and all in the river) and the four of us huddled together right before the hail hit! By this time we were soaked, laughing hilariously and Mary was stealing David’s french-fries – she claimed if we were this close, now it was allowed – fair enough! The storm eventually passed and we went on our separate ways but serendipity once again blessed us with a cherished memory … and that was just a washed out lunch!

Drinking local

Our table on the River.

Our view from our table.

 My feet after the storm ... my white linen pants may be no more! So worth it!

After taking our bath in a public restroom sink – another first – we were decent enough to continue our day!

The River Tour on the First Lady, was damp but oh so worth the effort. Guided by a volunteer from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, we spent the next 90 minutes floating along the Chicago River learning so much about the history, architecture and culture of this very unique city. Anyone who says, “you’ve seen one city, you’ve seen them all”, has never been to Chicago! Along the way we saw …

• the world’s largest post office – since Chicago was home to the three largest mail order companies beginning with Montgomery Ward in 1872 and joined by both Speigel and Sears the building was needed to control the volume of mail that travelled through.
• the world famous Sears Tower, now known as Willis Tower, the tallest building in the world for a short time. Using the knowledge that a group of sticks bunched together is stronger than a single stick, it introduced the world to the innovation of bundled tube construction.
• marina city that uses elevators to bring cars to the upper level parking garages in semi-circular buildings.
• the O’Leary’s barn, now in an interesting twist a fire hall, that ironically survived the Chicago Fire of 1871 despite being the location where the blaze that destroyed most of the city was located!
• the second largest building in the world (second only to the Pentagon) Merchandize Mart, once home to Marshal Field & Co., once owned by the Kennedy’s, has 4,000,000 square feet of floor room space! Outside the building statues have been erected to recognize the retail giants in a walk of fame that include Woolworth, Montgomery Ward and Field himself. From the River you actually only see the backs of their heads. Odd you say? They were intentionally positioned that way, like all good retailers … they’re watching the store!
• Navy Pier, the site of the world’s first Ferris wheel for the 1893 World’s Exposition. The one that stands here today is a little more than half the height of the original! Here we can also see the lock erected at the junction of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Since they have altered the direction of the River flow, this must be carefully maintained and controlled to prevent massive flooding by the now higher Great Lake!
• the Chicago River Bridgehouses, each one different but each housing only a very small motor to lift incredibly well made, efficient bridges! There is a free Bridgehouse Museum that unfortunately, like so many of the things we saw, we didn’t get to visit!
• the reflective buildings, designed to create mirror images of downtown views and mirages of cascading water.
• countless fascinating design features that range from impressions of waves, to trusses on the Boeing Headquarters that an allow a portion of the building to be suspended over the railroad. If the beauty and the fun of Chicago weren’t enough, The Windy City would deserve attention for the architectural innovation alone! Goethe called architecture “frozen music”. Today we heard a symphony!

If you're buildings are on the water, you need somewhere to park the boats!

The Boeing building using trusses to suspend the lowest section over the railway.

Bridgehouses, they are architecturally different on every bridge.

Literally a city on the water.

Sears/Willis Tower bundle tube construction.

The Mechanize Mart with the busts of the retail giants...they are the round green things on the top of the posts (sorry for the poor photo)

Condos

Ferris wheel at Navy Pier site of the very first one!

Here is where Chicago began. The original trees at the corner of Michigan Ave. and Wacker mark the spot.

Restaurants and bars dot the River Walk and flower boxes decorate the entire water front.

When you build over water you occasionally have to be creative with things like stairs!

Greenery - clearly talent can garden even here!

Merchandize Mart, the 2nd largest building in the world!

Check out the parking here over the water. Elevators bring the cars to the parking levels.

Three buildings side-by-side all designed by the same architect to reflect the skyline.

The ultimate reno - this building (centre) originally ended where you see the gaps at the corners. It was later more than doubled in height without any disruption to the existing building!

Trains run under the downtown buildings.

Trump Tower

Wave shaped balconies that give the effect of water cascading down the building.

Back on land, despite the weather, we just can’t resist stopping for a few more pictures along the way to remind us of why we must come back here.

Courtyard between NBC Studios and the Chicago Tribune.

Wrigley Building at the corner of Michigan Ave.

Folks standing under the new Marilyn Munroe statue to get out of the rain!!

The view that's causing all the controversy!

The people of Chicago erected a monument to themselves - fair enough!

Water canons.

Trump Tower close up!

Thanks to the Donald for offering an overhang near the water taxi stand where I could let my feet dry a little before heading back!

Our water taxi, train and truck return trip couldn’t be easier and after a short stop to get gas and groceries for our journey to Cleveland tomorrow, we made it back to the campground in time to thank the lovely lady in the office who provided wonderful advice for an incredible day in Chicago. If Chicago isn’t on your bucket list, it deserves to be!