Well, here we are... back in the States... having ended our two-year stint in Guatemala, we are starting off on our month-long road trip in our own country. We have been planning for this trip for about a year now, and we are super excited to see some cities and national parks that we have never visited before as a couple. Call this a transition trip (between our leaving Guatemala and re-entering life in Nashville), our five-year anniversary trip (which actually is coming up this Fall), or our last trip as just a couple (before Baby Hatchell comes along), but really this is just a continuation of our adventures around the world, learning new cultures and enjoying God's creation... may the adventure never stop!
On Friday morning, May 31st, we headed off from Lebanon in our GMC Envoy, bikes in tow.
We had to stop to take a few pics of the wind turbines in Indiana. They were HUGE and wen on for miles and miles.
Our first view of Chicago, the Windy City (which truly lived up to its nickname).
Me, trying to memorize the CTA (public transportation) map, so that we could get ourselves around the city that first night.
One of many trains/subways we took during our two-and-a half days in Chicago... thank you, Groupon, for your three-day transit pass for just $9.
The City at night.
And the City in daytime.
Our first stop Saturday: the Field Museum.
Sue, the largest (75 ft. long) and best preserved T Rex ever discovered!
A model of the Mayan pyramids in Tikal... believe us, they are much more impressive in person!
While we would have preferred to see a live Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala, before leaving the country, we decided we could settle with seeing this stuffed one at the museum.
After the museum, we headed out on one of our favorite ventures of the weekend: a Food Planet Food Tour of Bucktown/Wicker Park, two very trendy neighborhoods right outside of the downtown area. Two of MY favorite stops along the tour were at a restaurant called Hot Chocolate, run by a nationally famous pastry chef, where we tried- of all things- her famous iced hot chocolate (it was so rich, Kris couldn't finish his but I didn't seem to have any trouble), and an innovative ice cream shop called "i Cream," which makes your ice cream to-order on-the-spot in less than 5 minutes using Kitchenaid mixers and liquid nitrogen. Don't be surprised if we bring this idea back to Nashville and become millionaires. Kris's favorite stop was George's Hot Dog Stand, where we both sampled our first real Chicago dog, complete with all-beef hotdog, mustard, onions, peppers, tomatoes, a pickle, and celery salt.
We ended Saturday night chilling (and resting our feet) at a famous Chicago jazz club called Andy's. We had our very own "Ray Charles," a blind jazz/blues pianist (or organist), entertain us as a special guest... it was a treat!
We started Sunday morning off right with a trip-advisor recommended visit to Wildberry Cafe, an awesome breakfast joint with scrumptious pancakes and other savory options.
As you can see, we did not go hungry at this restaurant... and we even split one menu item! This was a startling reminder of the North American trend toward obesity and throwing away perfectly good food. However, we sure did enjoy our Mexicana Sizzlin' Skillet and our (or rather MY... Kris ate some toast... boo!) Berry Bliss Pancakes, with berries cooked into the batter, drizzled with strawberry compote and both strawberry and vanilla custards, and topped off with fresh blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. Try not to drool!
We had hoped to go see a Cubs game on Sunday afternoon; however, the temp had dropped about 20 degrees overnight and it was drizzling rain most of the morning. So, we opted to go to the highly-recommended Museum of Science and Industry. (Don't worry... Kris got a pretty cool vintage Cubs hat, so we can at least pretend like we went to the game!)
Why is it that all boys, young and old, love trains?
By far the coolest exhibit: the first German U-boat caught by the U.S. Navy in World War II.
And of course, Kris loved the airplanes exhibit!
We were pretty amazed by this pendulum exhibit that proves the 24-hour rotation of the Earth.
Me, content to rest a few minutes after a second long afternoon on our feet.
We called it an early night on Sunday and decided to get some much-needed rest for our 13-hour drive to Rapids City, SD on Monday. This was our last view of the city as we fought rush-hour traffic Monday morning (warning: leaving "early" at 6:30 AM does not mean you will by-pass the traffic in nor outside of Chicago).
And we crossed over into Wisconsin.
All I really know about Wisconsin is that they make some really good cheese, so before exiting the state, we had to make a stop at this cute little "Cheese Castle." We got an aged cheddar, vegetable monterey jack and specialty merlot, along with a roll of bison summer sausage... that means no necessary stop for dinner tonight!
And finally, we crossed over the Mississippi into Minnesota, where we made a lunch stop at the house of our good friends Richard and Winnie Williams (parents of Rick). We got back on the road by 3:30 and have a goal to make it to Rapids City before midnight. Our next few days will include the Badlands and the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. We'll post pics as soon as possible... enjoy!
We look forward to seeing you guys back in TN and hearing about your Guatemala experience! (The Wimpy's)
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