TravelStream™ news feed for member sschwaiger on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/sschwaiger en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:52:52 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1222314000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1222314000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1222314000/tpod.html Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:52:52 -0400 Schwaiger Family: US Roadtrip

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San Diego, California, United States

Well, all that planning, all that driving, and all that fun. Our roadtrip has come to an end.
It's been a blast, and we'd do it all over again if we could. Probably not all that differently - we were frequently surprised at just how smoothly the plans we made before leaving worked out on the road. And once we got 'off the routine of a pre-confirmed schedule', we made friends with Hotwire and found that that worked out just as well for us.
We certainly didn't see it all, how could you in a country as vast and diverse as the United States of America, but we covered as much ground as we hoped and were rarely disappointed with our choices.
A little more time to unwind in certain places would have been welcome, but with a (sort of) school time frame and budget to work within we will leave America having a much, much, better geographical understanding, a couple of weeks worth of CNN coverage of US politics up our sleeve, and a sketchy, but better, knowledge of American history and Presidents.
To everybody who came along for the ride, we hope you enjoyed the blog, and we especially thank those who contributed and brightened our day with your comments and messages of support.
A few fun travel facts
Total number of photos : 10431
Total travel miles: 14340 (23078km)
Number of oil changes: 2
CO2 Emissions offset: $96
Total nights in a hotel: 52
Total nights in the tent: 21
Total nights in a cabin: 8
Favourite city: NYC
Favourite beach: South Beach, Miami
Best hotel pool: Biltmore Hotel, Miami
Favourite National Park: Yellowstone, Wyoming
Favourite State Park: Nickerson, Cape Cod
Favourite campground: Monroe County, Michigan
Favourite hotel: Hotel 71, Chicago
Favourite meal: Charleston Cafe
Biggest surprise: Washington DC, we loved it.
Will never go back to: The North Charleston Inn. Anywhere in North Charleston.
Would happily live in: Fort Lauderdale/Miami
Will definitely return to: Washington DC
Aviva's milestone moment: Losing a front tooth in Napa Valley
Daniel's milestone moment: Learning to snap fingers, whistle & fish
Tom's milestone moment: Taking off his swimming bubble
Matt's milestone moment: Disconnected from the world for 3 months
Susie's milestone moment: No cooking for 3 months
Car accidents: Not a one
Speeding tickets: None
Encounters with a sheriff: One, but no ticket issued. Vermont.
Lost items: If we lost anything, we are yet to notice.
Number of DVD players required in the back seats: 4
Number of spousal spats: 1
Of those, the number related to Navigation: 0
Scariest moment: Buffalo encounter, very close encounter. Yellowstone NP, WY
Highest temperature: 108F / 42C (Baker, CA)
Lowest temperature: 33F / 0.5C (Bighorn Mountain range, WY)
Rainy days: 6
Must haves: GPS, roaming Internet connection, Plug-in Kettle & a Double Deck Aero Bed for inside the tent.
Number of lost kids: 1 (Daniel @ Disneyworld), but we found him.
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Pismo Beach, California, United States

Well, another beautiful drive through Big Sur. We unimaginably (the sun was shining, the sea was blue, limey green in parts, it was spectacular) considered driving down the I-5, just to get to Pismo Beach and lie by the pool with satisfied smiles knowing we had all but circumnavigated the USA. But Matt, who in retrospect I realized had never really embraced the 'lie in the sun and relax' idea, had already plugged in the varying routes and discovered there was less than an hour between the monochromatic freeway, and the near heaven-on-earth experience of winding along US 1 from Carmel to SLO. We stopped for sandwiches, we stopped (dozens of times) for photo ops, we stopped for lion seals, and we stopped to soak up the sun and the sea, knowing this was pretty much it for us and the west coast. This trip.
We arrived at Pismo Beach, excited by the thought of staying clifftop and having the sea (and the hotel pool) to laze by under a warm sun. However ... the hotel was a haven for pelicans nesting on the cliffs below and the stench was almost unbearable, as were the flying feathers everywhere, the gusty and chilly ocean breeze, and the poop that stained everything from our patio to the sidewalk to the hotel lobby. The kids were blissfully unaware and were intent only on getting to the pool as fast as they could, so Matt - 'our pool guy' as Tom refers to him, took them for a quick dip before dinner. He reported that although I would have enjoyed the water temperature, it was unlikely I would have been able to see past the floating feathers. I didn't use to be so feather-phobic, but this was really a hotel that seemed better suited to the birds than the guests.
We enjoyed our last dinner of the roadtrip at the adjacent restaurant, watching the sun set over the Pacific which seemed a fitting way to end our nearly 3 months on the road.
The drive home from Pismo Beach was broken up only by lunch in Santa Barbara - a funny little sushi restaurant that filled us up before our return to an empty house that would have no onsite restaurant (and no fresh linen). We hit familiar traffic in LA, knew at what point we could take the pool lane, and as we crossed the San Diego county line we felt like we were home. We'd made it. All five of us; happy and wiser and bonded together in a way that could only be made possible by 82 days and nights of absolute togetherness.
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Carmel, California, United States

California traffic had us moving very slowly along the 101 to Carmel, so we crawled into Monterey late and hungry. Not wanting a hamburger or pizza or chicken strips, we drove 'round and around trying to find a bowl of pasta, but the only Italian we could find open had pristine white tablecloths and flickering table candles, and at the end of a long day we were not looking at all elegant or well behaved. Accosting a hotel worker to aid in our search, he recommended his hotel restaurant, which probably wasn't the cheapest option but did give us pasta and soup and an ambience that seemed more in keeping with our attitude.
Driving into Carmel by the Sea at night was dark, really dark, as if the residents have opposed street lighting in an effort to confuse tourists, so finding our way to the hotel took away much of our patience and good humour, but it turned out to be a comfortable night in yet another Best Western.
There isn't much to say of Carmel, other than it is a lovely place to wander and window shop, and the beach with the view across to Pebble Beach Golf Course remains as idyllic as ever. Daniel & Aviva had a great time on a sand bar that was flooded every now and again by the crashing waves, but Tom refused to go anywhere near the water, preferring to throw sand up the hill. Matt looked wistfully across the bay and made mental calculations as to when he would be back with his clubs.
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Sonoma, California, United States

Time for wine country. First up we stopped for breakfast in Mendocino, a New England style village just south of Fort Bragg, which was pretty but still a bit gloomy in the fog.
We'd followed the coast - and been under cloud cover - so long now that we headed inland in desperate search of the sun, and found ourselves driving through the spectacular Anderson Valley. It was a surprise to find the road here dotted with wineries, and chancing upon Husch Winery, one of very few Californian wines we were familiar with, had to dash in for a tasting. The kids were entertained by the server who was both knowledgable about the wine she was pouring us and simulatenously proficient at making paper aeroplanes from the tasting notes for the kids. We zigzagged a bit throughout Sonoma county, meandering first through the Russian River Valley and then back to the coast to see if the weather had improved. It hadn't - warm, sunny skies inland, cool, foggy skies on the coast. Headed back to Napa, by this time getting quite late in the afternoon, we entered Sonoma and liked what we saw, so decided to stay for the night. Great food, excellent wine, Sonoma was lovely. We had planned to make an early start out to Napa, but the excellent wine from the night before made us a little slower than usual. And then stopping to fill up with gas at a grotty little gas station, Aviva lost a tooth, which pretty much took us to lunch time before starting our wine trail.The first winery we stopped at for a tasting (Clos du Val) along the Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap district had decent wines but an attitude that may be common in the area but was so off-putting I took the kids outside to play in the rose garden while Matt gulped his way through the 4 offerings. Not one for the kids!
One winery down and we were ready for lunch. We snuck a look at the French Laundry just in case, but settled for Taylor's Refresher at St Helens. Taylor's is fast food, Napa Valley style, with very tasty burgers, cooked to order after visitors mingle in line (about a 1/2 hr wait) to place their orders, and then retreat to the picnic tables under the oak trees to wait for their food. The kids ordered and looked at their burgers, but when the mint-chocolate milkshakes arrived, they were dazzled and could only slurp their way through lunch. We thought about another tasting, but having reluctant children and a desire to get to Carmel by the Sea later that night, we decided a drive through the area would have to suffice this time. One day we'll go back, without the kids!
Despite both wanting one last look at San Francisco, once we got on the fastest route south to Carmel, neither Matt or I could bring ourselves to detour. Internally we are now programmed to head south, so we just gazed across the bay at the Golden Gate Bridge from the Richmond Bridge and continued on.
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Fort Bragg, California, United States

Okay, we have officially gone soft. We passed maybe 20 State Park campgrounds between Crescent City and Fort Bragg, and not once did we feel compelled to drive off the road and enquire about a tent site. We have San Diego in our sights, and even if we become completely depleted of funds we feel like we could walk home and be happy, as long as we keep up with the hot showers, TV, and complimentary breakfasts offered by the hotel/motel option. The drive south from the OR/CA border was again shrouded in fog, but we made it a fun day for the kids by stopping at the wacky tourist traps that line the coast road.
First up, the Trees of Mystery in Klamath which offered giant statues of and by Paul Bunyan, with Babe the blue ox guarding the entrance. A 1/2 mile walk through the redwoods followed by a Sky Rail over the tree canopy and then a return 1/2 mile through the various wood carvings. The kids loved it!
A very pretty drive followed but again, the Pacifc Ocean was mostly viewed through our foggy lenses, so we detoured slightly and did the original Drive Thru Tree at Leggett. Well we would have, except we didn't fit. The kids were disgusted that we could travel so far and not be able to drive thru and it was tricky explaining that a ripped roof at this stage of the trip would be a real downer. So we had them walk through instead and watch the line of cars following us go through, some of which made it through by nothing other than a hairs width. Matt filled up and was shocked at the price of gas... California was expensive when we left and expensive when we returned.
Heading back to the coast after a journey inland (where the sun was shining) brought us back amongst the fog, but we continued on to Fort Bragg which we had read was a much cheaper option than Mendocino/Spendocino and found a great hotel called the Beachcomber. Dinner was a family run italian that wanted to close before we appeared at their door but they were kind enough not to send us away at 8pm without a bowl of pasta.
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Crescent City, California, United States


We hit the Pacific Ocean at Cannon Beach, a charming seaside village that was overrun with Sunday revelers from Portland, but we eventually found a parking spot & table, and enjoyed the first fish & chips meal we can remember having in the US. It was a beautiful afternoon as we set off on Highway 101, and at times a thin strip of road that followed the coastline even more closely, and we felt a welcome return to the West coast of America.
The kids were unimpressed with our decision to drive until we found the perfect lodging for the night - they like to be able to see the flag on the GPS and count the minutes to our arrival - often starting at about 240 minutes. I wouldn't say we found the perfect lodging, but it had onsite dining and an indoor pool, so it satisfied two of our criteria and made the kids deliriously happy.
Unfortunately the next day was a foggy start, and it stayed with us all day, blocking us from seeing anything other than the road ahead. We hiked a trail to Heceta Lighthouse which we couldn't see from the bottom of the hill, and once we got all three kids to the top, couldn't see a thing from the lighthouse either. Instead of hanging around for a clearer day, we decided to just imagine that the famed Oregon coastline is much the same as the Californian coastline, and we continued southward. Despite stopping a number of times to take a photo (of fog), we made it as far south as the California border, settling into a cabin deep among the Redwoods which seemed like an enchanted forest.
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Portland, Oregon, United States

Leaving the grandeur of the Tetons in the rear-view mirror, we set off across the vast empty space of Wyoming and Idaho, loosely following the Snake River. We liked the sound of Idaho Falls for a lunch spot, but when we sidled into town and saw the falls, they fell far below our expectations, so we snapped them from the car window and continued on at 50 mph, which seemed about the right amount of attention they deserved. We had selected Boise as the city of choice to have a layover, and thought we'd booked a hotel through Hotwire, but when it came to plugging in the hotel to give the GPS an address, I couldn't find the reservation. So we had another stab at Hotwire, this time getting a crappy Holiday Inn, which served our purpose but not all that fancily, and days later we got a bill for both hotels. We ended up seeing more of Boise than planned due to a critical oil change, so very, very late, we started the 7 hr trip to Portland, Oregon. We did discover along the way though why the attendants at gas stations were so eager to beat Matt to the pump - its the law in both Oregon and NJ, not just extra special service as we had started to think.
Eastern Oregon was a dry and barren expanse, until we hit the dramatic Columbia River gorge, which marked the beginning of a very scenic route into Portland. The highway, and railway, wind alongside the river all the way into town giving the kids a good look at river traffic. Pulling up at our fancy-pants hotel (if valet come to the car door upon arrival the kids know to try to adopt 'hotel behaviour'), but it was late and Tom hadn't had much of a run around on this leg of the trip, so he squealed and slid his way around the lobby anyway. A converted Days Inn now called Modera, with its sleek modern interior was our base for the next 3 nights.
Not quite located in downtown Portland, and without any dining options of its own, we did more walking in Portland than the kids were used to, but with bikes, electric cars and lots of locals for company, it seemed a reasonable way to get around town. We explored the downtown area on foot, enjoying the city and the weather, and the following day got out among the neighbourhoods to enjoy Portland local style.
The kids were especially taken with Portlands version of the beach, a water fountain that filled and drained creating fun water cascades and a large swimming pool with waves, for the under 10 set. We took it pretty easy in Portland, and without really knowing we were ready to head south to San Diego, made the decision to forgo Vancouver & Seattle, and begin our journey home.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1221100380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1221100380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1221100380/tpod.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:31:10 -0400 Schwaiger Family: US Roadtrip

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Jackson, Wyoming, United States

Heading west toward Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons we hoped we were leaving Mt Rushmore's 'chilly spell' behind. Nope. Driving up the side of a hill (turned out to be the very elevated Bighorn Mountains), Matt asked if I thought the rain falling on the windscreen was snow. The temperature had dropped to 33 degrees, so it seemed plausible, if just a little concerning as we had another 3 hrs drive to get to Yellowstone and snow chains were one of the things we left in the garage in the Final Roadtrip Pack. It was a pretty drive through this part of Wyoming, and the Bighorn Mountains are spectacular, with plenty of snowdrifts covering the fields (that the kids were just itching to get out and play in). Clearly winter had arrived in this part of the country but by the time we reached Cody the skies had cleared and it was a beautiful evening. We'd heard good things about Cody, frontier-town, the real Wild West, Buffalo Bill country etc, so we debunked at the cabin and sauntered into town for dinner. There only seemed to be a choice between a "Family Restaurant" the style of which we had already found not to be ours, or a lively looking Hotel. The Hotel turned out to be the historic Irma Hotel built by Buffalo Bill and named for his daughter which served up great pub food. Exactly our kind of style on this wintery night.
Entering Yellowstone NP was a like driving into another world. The Park Ranger at the gate gave the kids an I Spy sheet of animals to look for, noting that seeing 7 of these animals would put them in the "good spotting" range. Matt scored the first point with a squirrel running across the road in front of him, but it was our first bison (buffalo) that had us hopping with excitement. Rounding a corner we had 2 bisons crossing the road, giving us a chance to get up close and snap a few shots. Over the course of the day we saw elk, a mule deer, coyotes, a fox (we think), Canadian ducks, pelicans, a mountain goat and bison. Unfortunately we didn't spot a bear, grizzly or black, but not for lack of trying. We stopped and watched some fly fishermen for a while in the hope that we might see some trout, but they weren't having any luck with us as company. Our biggest animal thrill, or heart stopper in Matt's case, was rounding a corner and finding two bison standing in the middle of the road. I had read earlier in the day the suggested method of dealing with this hazard, and had mentioned only to Matt that he should not be in the direct line of a moving beast. Finding himself in this situation, he manouvered the car off the road as best he could, only to find the bison changing direction toward us again. Now slightly panicked, we all sat wondering what to do next, but after nearly putting his nose up to Matt's window, the huge (they get very big when they are this close and you don't want them to be) bison wandered away past our car. And we hit the speed limit on our way to the south exit of the park. We saw, and smelt, lots of geysers and mudpots including of course the star attraction, Old Faithful. After a 20 minute wait, off it went, impressing the decent crowd that had gathered. Except Daniel who wasn't all that impressed; maybe we had built it up too much, or more likely, he has been dazzled by so many man-made explosions that this gentle force of nature was a little tame in comparison. A day isn't long to spend in Yellowstone NP, we didn't get as far up as Mammoth Hot Springs, but after a full day of smelling geysers, hot springs and mudpots, the kids were definitely ready to leave the 'rotten eggs' behind.
Our next night was spent just outside the park, in a cabin, surprisingly in Montana, not Wyoming. Checking in, I was advised to store all food inside the car or inside the cabin, as they had had bears rummaging around all week with lots of damage to coolers and boxes left outside. We thought we might see a bear afterall, but when it came to perhaps our best chance of spotting one, none of us were game enough to get up in the middle of the night and do a run to the toilet-block.
Grand Teton NP is an easy drive through kind of park, so we meandered along the main route just stopping for photo ops and a stretch of the legs at Jenny Lake. There we encountered a bus group of oldies from MA, many of whom stopped Matt to ask him if he was from there as he was wearing his Red Sox sweater. They were among the friendliest and chattiest Americans we've met all trip, and were intrigued by our travels and why the kids were not in school. Our next cabin was in Jackson Hole, we've made a mental note to return one winter, overlooking the Snake River, so we spent the last of the light enjoying the chance to relax and chuck rocks into the river.
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Hill City, South Dakota, United States

Leaving behind a miserable Chicago, we drove straight through the EziPass toll booth instead of stopping at the cash booth. We're blaming the rain.Onwards through Wisconsin - I wanted to stop for some cheese but it was too cold and wet to go looking for a dairy/farm - and we still had to get to Worthington for dinner (8 hours away). Another change of state, we entered Minnesota and although the GOP Convention was still in full swing in St Paul, we stayed well south of the Twin Cities. A long, long, day of driving, but the change of scenery again was welcome, lots of green fields in Minnesota. And lots of wooden barns. An overnight stay at a Travelodge was a huge hit with the kids. The decor was pure SleepyBear, so we had bears on the curtains, on the bed and in the bathroom. They hadn't been that excited about a hotel room since Nickelodeon way back in Orlando. Since we'd all sat through the Democratic Convention and Sarah Palin's acceptance speech we thought we should also watch McCain accept his nomination, although judging by the number of people in the hotel restaurant watching the NFL opener, it's possible we were the only ones tuning in.
First stop was a trip over the Iowa border - Matt's trying to get through all 48 lower states - and then on to Mitchell where we sought out the Corn Palace. A bit of a gimmick, but we enjoyed the hot corn for lunch. Entering South Dakota was a novelty - we stopped at the Tourist Center for their bathrooms, and the kids came away with Raging Bull Tattoos, an activity book and a South Dakota pin, which kept them entertained through the prairies that then stretched for miles. And miles.
Although we were following the I-90, we found the countryside quite beautiful - golden grassland prairies against the clear blue skies, and by late afternoon found ourselves in The Badlands National Park. An unusual place ... an otherworldly landscape with barren walls and spikes stabbing the air. I had heard it described as an inverted Grand Canyon, but to us it had more in common with the landscape in and around Bryce Canyon. There was a familiarity to the landscape though that we'd left behind in Arizona, so we breathed in the dry air for as long as the cold wind would allow and then headed along the scenic road to Mt Rushmore. Our trusted GPS got into a bit of a muddle with our KOA campground, taking us on a winding, narrow, railway criss-crossing expedition that had us all a bit tense. In part because we needed gas and these remote back parts of SD were not looking promising. We were also battling against time, it was nearly 8pm and the KOA restaurant closed at 8pm, so we ended up finding both gas & food at Keystone. We also found out where the campground was. We drove past Mt Rushmore but because it was not quite 9pm which is when they turn the lights on, we didn't get a glimpse. Besides, we were both too busy watching the road for deer, two of which had already run out across the RV in front of us while we had been lost in the back country. The KOA was a welcome sight, just a little chilly. The temperature had dropped to under 50 degrees, so we had to unpack some of the bags in the roof box that until that point had just been along for the ride.
Mt Rushmore is very cool. Much, much, larger than we expected and we didn't feel (as some did and probably still do) that the granite boulders should have been left alone, quite capable of impressing just by being there. The kids did the Jr Ranger program and were beaming with pride when they were 'pinned' with their badges. The booklet was quite comprehensive and Matt and I were very busy over lunch trying to help answer questions about President's we were only just becoming familiar with ourselves. Have to say though, there was a moment of pride when the Park Ranger gave them their test. Tom got his question correct: Who is this? It was George Washington, and lucky for him, the only President he knows. Dan's question was: Who is this? And having a brother named Tom, he had no problem remembering Thomas Jefferson. Aviva's question was: Who is this? Teddy Roosevelt. But the clincher, which Aviva knew was: What does this man usually wear and why? That one had both Matt & I stumped, but after 3 years in the US pre/school system, Aviva knows her Presidents!
We spent the afternoon at Crazy Horse (the memorial to the Sioux leader) and discovered by pure luck that we had arrived on the anniversary of Crazy Horse's death and what would have been the 100th birthday of the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski. There was to be a night blast (only 2 are done each year) following the laser show, so we zipped back to the campsite for some fishing and laundry, and then packed all our warm things and headed back to Crazy Horse with the other 3000 people wanting to catch some of the action. It was quite spectacular watching the zig-zagging of the dynamite blasting off (presumably) large chunks of rock for the soon to be sculpted horse (see video below). So far only Crazy of the Crazy Horse has been sculpted but the family are undertaking to complete the original design - a huge undertaking. 641 feet long by 563 feet high. Crazy Horse's completed head is 87 feet 6 inches high. The horse's head, currently the focus of work on the mountain, is 219 feet or 22 stories.
We really enjoyed the Badlands and the Black Hills region. Next stop, another National Park ... Yellowstone followed by Grand Tetons. Bears and mountains, here we come.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1220556720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1220556720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sschwaiger/1/1220556720/tpod.html Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:35:48 -0400 Schwaiger Family: US Roadtrip

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

Yep, definitely our kind of town. Matt loved the beers, the buildings, and the trolley bus that did all the driving around town. I loved the shopping, the beach on Lake Michigan, and the restaurants. The kids loved Navy Pier and the ride to the top of Sears Tower. Chicago was every bit as great as those already in the know had told us. Coming into town on a spectacular sunny afternoon midway through the Labor Day weekend was a fortunate way to experience Chicago traffic. Still, we had that moment of apprehension we feel upon entering any big city for the first time as we unjumbled the mass of freeway ramps & exits, identify bridges crossing the Chicago River, and squeezing along roads running underneath the rail line with trains thundering above. It's usually at this point Matt asks "Why did you choose this hotel?". Mostly I can't remember, nor can I advise say whether it has a pool or a fitness centre, which adds to the pressure of finding our way through a new city. To his credit he has only likened one choice to the flea-ridden cess pit I once chose in the Red Light district of Nice, France, and I have to agree it did have similar qualities.
Hotel 71 on E Wacker St, however, was a gem. Well located just off Michigan Ave (Magnificent Mile), a huge L- shaped room with plenty of space for paper aeroplane contests and the ever growing menagerie of stuffed animals we have accompanying us. No pool, but I was forgiven that oversight. Hungry after a day of driving from Detroit we went next door to the stylish looking Italian restaurant. Told the wait was 1/2 hr, we thought we could probably endure that, so we wandered around admirinng the buildings and shops on Michigan Avenue. Returning expectently with starving children in tow, we encountered the first truly obnoxious maitre de in our two month trip, but we sucked it in and continued to wait until we could wait no longer, and had to resort to our first 'room-service' dinner on the road.
We went for the Trolley Tour again which we know works for this family, and were able to get the 3-day ticket for a nominal extra charge, which made getting around town a breeze. On Monday we ate down at Navy Pier and turned the kids into Cubs fans as we'd forgotten hats. In fairness when the weather turned chilly on Wednesday we should have decked them out in White Sox hoodies, but things are complicated enough with our Red Sox and Padres paraphanalia, and in a few short months I forsee 3 little Bombers following in their daddy's loyal footsteps.
Chicago marks the end of our big cities this tour but it was a worthy finale. Aviva will remember it for its American Girl Place, where she and Lulu (her doll) were treated to the works. Lulu needed a good scrubbing and her hair done (something I could do with myself) and they both topped up their wardrobes. The boys were hoping for some new Lego but found the Disney store instead so we now have a few new characters and Wall-E along on the ride. We tried the deep dish pizza we knew to be a Chicago institution but preferred the Sicilian style thin crust we had the next night at an Irish pub. With some very fine local (Chicago) beer.
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