Episode XCIX: A Long Road Trip

After our wedding, my wife and I went on a honeymoon to Europe, and eventually returned to Kansas, where all of our stuff was waiting in storage. We stayed in Lawrence a couple of days with the always-hospitable Tom and Beverly Griffin, while we made arrangements for U-Haul to move most of our things for us, and stuffed the rest of our belongings into our two vehicles. We then set out on a road trip to Massachusetts, going through lots of cities and states on the way, many of which I had not previously visited. Here’s a little map of our general zig-zagged route (we had essentially nothing planned ahead of time, just woke up and decided where we wanted to go that day.)

Put that together with our honeymoon travels and we begin to look like veritable globe-trotters (alas, Google maps only allows 25 points on a map, otherwise it would have shown us going from points A to Z.)

In total we spent 9 days on the road. Here are very few highlights:

Abraham Lincoln’s Springfield home (the only house he ever owned.) An entire handful of blocks restored to their 1860s condition, and a handy cell-phone audio tour explaining the histories.

Chicago. Way cooler than I had anticipated. The Shedd Aquarium is a world-class aquarium, but it was made 10 times cooler for us because they were showing a limited-time traveling Jellyfish exhibit! (In case you were unaware, jellyfish are the coolest animals ever.)

Some of the most delicious pizza ever, Chicago-style, at Gino’s East Pizza.

Indiana Sand Dune State Park; this particular sand dune is moving quickly enough that it should be resting on top of the highway in a few decades. Swam in Lake Michigan. Had delicious double-decker PBJ sandwiches.

[Editor’s note- this was the last point at which my digital photos were backed up off my phone. Since my phone recently got stolen (yes, for those keeping tally, that’s THREE thefts in three months for me and Meg) that means I have no first-hand pictures to accompany the rest of the trip]

Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Fallingwater. Possibly the coolest single house ever built, architecturally speaking. One of a dozen or so edifices we saw on our journey built by the great Frank Lloyd Wright. Built into a waterfall. Not above, or near, or around. Into a waterfall. Well worth the drive out into the boondocks to get there.

Cedar Point. Sandusky Ohio. “World’s Greatest Amusement Park.” It was indeed really nice. Loads of great rides, including the second tallest and fastest in the world. Plus, it’s on an island in the middle of Lake Erie, so every time you go up in the air you get a fantastic view.

Albany, New York. State Capital. Strange architecture.

And finally: Old Orchard Beach, Maine. This is where Meg’s parents live, and we crashed there for a few days while setting up a place to live here in Massachusetts. More on that next time!