Category: Cross Country Trip 2016

Day 10 (7/9). (Lin) Continued our exploration of South Dakota today. Up early to visit the incessantly self-promoting Wall Drug Store (we saw something like 50 signs for it coming across Wisconsin and South Dakota). It was as crazy as advertised. Essentially a large complex of kitschy stores and a large cafe, we could have spent an hour or two there just looking around. Instead, we opted for five-cent coffee and homemade ice cream.

Since it was another beautiful blue-sky day, we decided to drive a few miles back into the Badlands again, given that we drove through the last half at dusk the night before. It was stunning, of course. After pulling ourselves away, we got on Rt. 90 and drove to Mount Rushmore. The kids were underwhelmed at first. I had been there as a 5-year old, but it left quite an impression on me. Things are built up quite a bit more than they were in 1981, with a series of new buildings, a large restaurant/cafe, and a little walkway of state flags. Still, it was impressive just to sit there and imagine undertaking that project. We talked a bit about how the Lakota and other Native nations see Mount Rushmore as an enormous insult, having been carved out of their lands and rocks they consider sacred.

From Mount Rushmore we drove south into Custer State Park, following the Iron Mountain Road as it twisted and turned up and down the mountain. The kids enjoyed the “pigtail” turns (where the road corkscrews back over itself again) and the one-lane tunnels through the rock. Also neat were the many places where you could see Mount Rushmore from different angles and from far away.

Another highlight in Custer State Park was the Wildlife Loop Road, from which we saw bison, deer, prairie dogs, burrows, and bighorn sheep.

While in Custer we decided that it was too late to drive the Needles Highway and tackle a hike or two. Instead, we drove to see the monumental Crazy Horse Memorial. I have been showing my students pictures of this thing for years now (under construction for over 60 years), so it was really meaningful to see it in person. It is much larger than I expected in many ways (although the visitor center is far enough away to slightly diminish the effect of its size). The visitor center complex is really huge, and they have lots of cool local and national tribal things going on. Two thumbs up.

Due to anticipated colder and wetter weather in Yellowstone Sunday and Monday (31 F on Sunday night and snow and sleet Monday morning!), we decided to cancel our hotel in Custer and drive a bit closer to Yellowstone tonight. So I booked a hotel in Sheridan, Wyoming. We thought this meant we had to cut out Devil’s Tower National Monument, but at the last minute we decided we could beat the sunset and still do it. It was so worthwhile – an amazing 867 ft. columnar monolith that just rises solo out of the Wyoming plains. We could see it over 30 miles away at one point. We hiked the 1.3 mile trail around its base in the soft sunset light. So gorgeous.

The price we pay is a late night – a midnight hotel arrival. But a fun, full day. Harrison said before he drifted off to sleep: “We did so many things today I can’t remember all of them!”

Note: if you click on individual pictures, it pulls up a larger version of it (can see them all in a slideshow).

Day 9. (Lin) Today we were up early for a quick breakfast with our super lovely hosts, the Harrells, before hitting the road. Minnesota was nice (windmill farms and crazy clouds), but it was really in South Dakota that the scenery turned from modestly different to mesmerizing. The turning point was really the Missouri River. After stopping briefly at the Chamberlain overlook (which gives a sweeping panoramic of the Missouri River valley), we crossed the Missouri and immediately felt transported into an amazing landscape of small rolling hills of wheat and hay and then, later, the pure flat beautiful nothingness of the grassy prairie. And, of course, hitting 80-85 MPH (legally) on the arrow-straight roads is also fun. Our loaded Odyssey handled the extra speed like a champ.

Perhaps somewhat regrettably, we did swing through Mitchell to see the famed Corn Palace. It was a bit “eh,” but the delicious Mexican lunch we had just down the street made the stop worthwhile.

We arrived at the Badlands at 4 pm, after the pleasant surprise of gaining an hour en route. The weather was perfect — warm, but clear and breezy. We hiked a few of the shorter trails before heading to the visitor center, where we watched a surprisingly honest video in terms of local Lakota land loss and treatment by the U.S. Government.

Although we planned to drive through the park in the late evening, we didn’t anticipate how large the park really is. The sun went down on us before we were even halfway through, which, while beautiful in a soft way, was a much different experience than it would have been during full light. But the one advantage to finishing the drive at dusk was the number of animals we saw: bighorn sheep, fox, rabbits, deer, goats, and prairie dogs, in addition to the chipmunk and birds we saw earlier in the park (pictures below!).

All in all, a great day. I’m tempted to go repeat the drive through the Badlands in the morning, but I think we may head to Custer Park and Mt. Rushmore instead. After, ahem, a brief stop at Wall Drug.

Note: if you click on individual pictures, it pulls up a larger version of it.

Day 8. (Lin) Minneapolis, we were told, is all about the lakes! So today we tried to experience them a bit, as well as a few other iconic Minneapolis spots. A bit of a lazy start allowed Jo, Eden, and me to go for a run from our friends’ house to Lake Harriet, in the southwest part of the city. Afterward, we drove to Wild Rumpus Bookstore, a totally fun youth/young adult bookstore with live animals (birds, a ferret, rats, etc.) and a fun atmosphere. From there we went to Uptown, parked, and rented a canoe and a paddleboat (don’t judge — a favorite of some of our crew!) to explore Lake Calhoun, the canals, and Lake of the Isles. All that paddling (and the heat!) made us hungry, of course, so we had to grab some excellent fish sandwiches at Tin Fish, perched on the edge of the lake. From there we drove to the Minihaha Falls, just off of the Mississippi River, which were fun and impressive (although better to see it now before the Yosemite Falls sets the bar impossibly high).

Because we were fully embracing our tourist status, the only next logical stop was…The Mall of America. It was, as advertised, huge. The Lego store was fun and entertaining as always, and then it was off to the main attraction: the sizable amusement park in the center of the gigantic square-shaped mall. The kids enjoyed a few rollercoasters — including one ridden by the girls that went upside down twice and all over (so much so that Helena almost lost her glasses). Impressive. It was also amazing how many Somali families were there, comprising 30-40% of the people there. Felt fun and diverse.

Having had our fill of middle American commercialism, we drove north to the Mill Ruins and the Stone Arch Bridge, which is a lovely bridge across the Mississippi with the Minneapolis skyline in the background.

Our final stop for the day was to have dinner with some old Boston friends. 4 kids + 4 kids = lots of rowdy fun.

All of us are excited to hit our first National Park tomorrow! Badlands, here we come.

(Lin) Up early to hit the road. Got our last glimpses of the Chicago skyline heading northwest out of the city on Rt. 90. We stopped in Madison, Wisconsin, a cute little university city nestled between two large lakes, to walk the quaint quasi-pedestrian State Street and eat brunch at the Sunroom Cafe (the french toast was amazing!). State Street runs right into the University of Wisconsin campus, which is lovely, perched along the shore of Lake Mendota. Upon recommendation, we had ice cream at the Terrace overlooking the lake.

From Madison, it was 4.5 hours to Minneapolis, where we will be for two nights, staying with friends who used to live in Boston. It got much hotter as we drove west and north — 88 F or so; it was the first real test of the van’s AC. All systems a go. A huge thunderstorm rolled through just after we arrived, dumping sheets of rain and triggering a flood warning. Still, it is very green and clean here. Looking forward to exploring some of the city lakes and parks tomorrow.

It’s been fascinating to track the topography; Wisconsin was much hillier than we expected after the flatness of western Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The true flatness, I’ve been told, is yet to come.

(Lin) Today we got to spend a lovely day in the Second City and on the Third Coast (Lake Michigan). After a lazy start (including runs along the lake for Jo, Lin, & Eden), we walked and scootered from our hotel down the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave — full of shops), across the Chicago River to the Bean, Millennium Park, and the new Maggie Daly Park and playground. Lunch was, of course, large Chicago dogs (mandatory toppings: tomatoes, onions, relish, pickles, mustard, hot peppers, and celery salt). Normal hot dogs are just not quite the same after having Chicago dogs — and I say that as someone who appreciates Rhode Island’s New York System Weiners (chili, onions, mustard)! After making our way back to the hotel, Eden and I swam in Lake Michigan while the others opted for the hotel swimming pool (boo…). For dinner, we got Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza to go and ate it on the waterfront. Mmmm. I have yet to find authentic Chicago deep dish on the east coast! We worked our way through the crowds around Navy Pier before opting to watch the fireworks from a bridge over the Chicago River. Happy 4th, everyone!

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(Eden) Today we got to Chicago, yay!

After a relatively short Hamilton-filled drive across the time zone, we reached the Windy City. It didn’t quite live up to its name today because Lake Michigan was placid. It was a pretty brilliant hue of turquoise.

We spent the last twenty minutes of the drive excitedly remembering all the cool things we had done the last time we were in Chicago.

Our first stop was the Museum of Science and Industry. It’s a HUGE museum, one of our favorites from before, that has so many different sections to explore it’s impossible to get through it all.

We got to pick our favorite rooms, like the model train set up of Chicago,

the baby chick hatchery,

the big weather section,

the farm section (this is the third time we’ve recreated this picture),

a VERY confusing maze of mirrors where I kept bumping into my reflection,
and the dining court. But this isn’t just a bunch of sticky plastic tables with matching chairs, it’s got the world’s biggest pinball machine! 
After checking one final time to see if any new chicks had hatched (they hadn’t), we headed north to Edgewater, where we lived for five months about two years ago. It was so weird driving through the area again!

We visited our favorite local city beach and just sat, soaking in the sun, the smell of salt, and the beauty of the lake.

Just kidding. Lake Michigan is freshwater, so no salt. However, it did smell very reFRESHing.

I’ll stop now….

Next was Taste of Peru, “Chicago’s Best Kept Secret.” We got to catch up with some old friends and eat a fantastic Peruvian meal. I highly recommend the fried plantains if you ever get the chance to visit. 😉

Then, back to our single hotel room, where hopefully no one will snore too loudly.

(Lin) Chill day in South Bend with friends that included attending the St. Joseph’s County 4-H Fair, going to the beloved South Bend Farmers’ Market, hanging out at Potawatomi Park, a brief stroll in the downtown (including a stop at the South Bend Chocolate Company), and dinner with friends. A nice relaxed start to a long trip so far. Tomorrow is our much-anticipated return to Chicago, a city that stole our hearts two years ago!

(Lin) Lovely puffy white cloud day to drive to our old stomping grounds in South Bend. We moved here in 2008 for my first teaching job at Indiana University — South Bend. Harrison was also born here — our only official Hoosier. Such wonderful people and memories. Enjoyed a dinner on our old street this evening.

The kids had fun on the 10-hour trip holding their breath through the PA Turnpike tunnels and looking for three-trailer trucks once we crossed into Ohio (there were also movies, screens, reading, and napping, of course!). Listening to Harry Potter also inspired some art by Harrison (below). Seems we are in for a cooler spell here–it is downright chilly tonight.

(Lin) Usually, summers in PA are unbearably humid, but today was gorgeous. We spent the day splitting and hauling a winter’s worth of wood for my dad and mom, in addition to hanging out with relatives (including some from Colorado), and eating a ton of good food. The kids love it here — hoards of cats to play with, a lawnmower to drive (backing up a trailer not so much), and tons of open outside space, including a huge grassy hill to fly down (today, on a toddler plastic tricycle and a plastic horse on wheels). Tomorrow we head to South Bend, Indiana, where we lived for one year in 2008-2009.

(Lin) We’re off! Up first: two nights in Elverson, Pennsylvania, to connect with both of our families. We’ve driven to from New England to Pennsylvania dozens and dozens of times over the past 17 years, but today I looked at the familiar terrain of each state differently, knowing all the states that we would be traveling through over the next six weeks. In case you have interest in these things, our route looks like this:

Northern route out, southern route back. Super sad to miss the northwest! There’s only so much one can do in 39 days.

One item of note along the way to PA today was the construction for the New Tappan Zee bridge across the Hudson just north of NYC:

Here is what it will look like when completed:

Upon crossing into Pennsylvania, I was reminded that this state is just beautiful in a way New England is not — much more open with sweeping, open farming valleys and gentling rolling hills. (Don’t get me wrong — I love Rhode Island! The access to water–beach, bay, etc.–is unparalleled.)

The kids were eager to get out and run around when we arrived at Landis Homes, where Jo’s father and his wife live.

All in all, a good start to the trip. Don’t worry, we’ll have more exciting posts in days and weeks to come. Thanks for reading!