Balm for the Soul

Day 8: Milwaukee, Madison & Sioux Falls  603 miles

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So after packing the Grey Lady I said goodbye to Chicago and Alysia and headed toward South Dakota.  Today was a fairly long drive, a little over ten hours, but I was able to see some gorgeous parts of the country.

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Chicago's Mass Transit

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I stopped for a car wash as the bug guts were getting pretty gross!

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I decided to break up the drive and stop first in Milwaukee, just because I have always wanted to stop in Mil-walk- eh after seeing Wayne's World.

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Home to Marquette University, the old part of town is really pretty and not far from the Lake.  It was fairly deserted but it was a Sunday morning so maybe that was why.

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One of the most important cultural attractions in the city is a tour of the Pabst mansion.

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Unfortunately I was not allowed to take pictures of the 42 room Gilded Age manse but is was fairly spectacular.  Captain Pabst married into the Best family of Milwaukee, and eventually entered into the family business helping his father-in-law to run the local Best Brewing Company.  Eventually Pabst would take over the company and turn it into a national brand.  He renamed the company Pabst but kept a few homages to his father-in-law.  For example you know the blue B on every can of Pabst?  It isn't for Blue Ribbon, it is for the Best family.  That's a tidbit you can pull out at your next party!

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Wisconsin had a lot of dairy farms - I know shocking!

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I also stopped in Madison for linner, and a quick visit of the State House.

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This was the Great Dane - a fun brewery with good food!

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And I loved the old time hotel next door

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The impressive state house

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Local hero, via Norway, from the Civil War

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And then I was in Minnesota

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Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, unfortunately I only saw one and it was from really far away - its that blue in the distance!

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After a long day of driving a small storm passed through as I was leaving Minnesota.

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And left me with a gorgeous sunset

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It was a quiet moment that just made the trip!

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And was a balm for the soul

Miles traveled:  3120.5 miles

States:  Illinois, Minnesota & South Dakota

The Daily Grind

So I thought I would give you an idea of the daily grind - my system every morning that is reversed every night.

Step One: place bag on front seat

Step Two: Take Everything delicate that was hidden from underneath and place on top

Step Three:  Cooler and basket are taking from the trunk and placed on the back seat

Step Four:  Remove box, bag, and sleeping bag from the trunk and place on the ground

Step Five:  Take suitcase...

and place it in the empty space in the trunk

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it does fit

Step Six:  Place box, bag, and sleeping bag back inside trunk

 Step Seven: Close trunk, get gas and get on the road!

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See it all fits!

Ummm...where should the hair be growing?!

Day Seven: Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago  342.5 miles

Helllloooo Cleveland!  Thanks to my friend Sarah I had a great place to stay only a few days before she was about to move out of her house.

We had a great and super inexpensive breakfast at this local place, and it was on the way here that I heard one of the best radio spots of all time.  Browns receiver Braylon Edwards has just been traded to the Jets, and as the trade was going down Edwards chose to take some parting shots at the already beleaguered sports fans of Cleveland.  In response one of the local stations created a radio spot that was simply fantastic.  I can't seem to find it on the Web but basically the gist was a giant "Screw You" to Edwards and his mom.  But my favorite part was when the announcer tells Edward to grown some hair where it counts and to take him mom and himself out of Cleveland to New York.  It just seemed so Cleveland!

 

From Cleveland I drove through Ohio toward Indiana.

I am facing West

 

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I must be in the Midwest, lots and lots of corn...

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and other crops...

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and water towers, and silos...

and it's very very flat.

 

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While driving along the Ohio Pike I came across a sign that called my name...The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library, yes I am aware this blog is outing my historical geekiness.  

Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th President of the United States.  He was a professional politician who had risen to power in Ohio due to his influence and good friends that would eventually become known as the Ohio Gang.  During the election of 1876 he lost the popular vote but won by one electoral vote.  The Democrats and Tilden, his opponent, tried to oppose his election but a backroom compromise allowed Hayes to be president and Reconstruction was ended in the South, allowing the Jim Crow South to expand.

 

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This is the house Hayes and his wife Lucy retired to after his time in DC.  The family lived here in Spiegel Grove in Fremont Ohio with their four children.  Lucy was the first first lady to use the term first lady, as well as the first first lady to achieve her college degree!

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They have all kinds of his tings here...including his pencil sharpener.

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This is the 19th century version of the photo booth.  When famous people came to visit the President he would have them touch one of the trees in his grove - I know how that sounds - and then he would put up a plaque.  This is one of the ones closest to the driveway.

These are the gates to the Library and were a gift from the American people.  I want the American People to give me something - preferably something I can spend! :)

 

 Old Fremont - it is really just a small town with old homes.

 

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Fremont

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This is a little bit of a scary laundry.

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Indiana = Midwest (see above)

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Cool Old Bridge - glad not to drive on it

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As a student at Boston College I had to stop and check out enemy territory, and my cousin is a student here.

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It was very nice.

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The Catholic University?

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It had the biggest apparel section of any college bookstore I have ever seen!

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But of course the most important spot on campus.

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And then I was in Illinois.  Poor Cubs fans - the billboard says it all!

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This was the drive through McDonalds on a BRIDGE into the city of Chicago!  You couldn't go in, it was just a drive through in the middle of the road!!!  I wonder where Illinois ranks on the fat list of America?

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Chicago!!!

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My Brother's Girlfriend's Sister Alysia was a rock star and opened her outstanding Chicago apt (silverfish and all!) to this wayward traveler.  We had a fun evening hanging out and she took me for Chicago ice cream (and we all know how much I have been loving the ice cream on this trip!)

The place is called I-Cream and they literally make the ice cream on the spot and to order.

 

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Don't ask me how they do it...

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all I know is that they put salt and cream and other stuff in a bowl with dry ice...

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and the magic steam came out, and I got ice cream!!!

Miles Traveled: 2517.5 miles

States: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois

Sign of the Day:

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Not a good sign...