We have officially been on the road for 6 weeks! You know how time seems to fly-by as you get older? I don’t know what it is, but especially after you have kids, one minute they’re tiny newborns and your knee-deep in changing diapers and feedings and the next second you blink, and poof they’re fourth graders! Well, except for maybe the first week on the road which I mentioned before was a little daunting, the last few weeks have gone by in warp speed. That could also be because we have been going so far, so quickly to get to Maine by September to see the fall foliage. Don’t get me wrong, we have been relishing and truly enjoying the moments. Despite the fact that it’s still a little nerve-wrecking to drive this ginormous RV and her hitched buddy (I haven’t actually done any of the driving yet but man, has my husband gotten good at maneuvering them) we really are settling into life on the road. Let me also say these Hutch girls are AMAZING! Their ability to adapt, stay positive, and just see the JOY and excitement in EVERYTHING is truly contagious. It reminds us how special this time is AND how thankful we are to God for the opportunities.
And now for the latest stops: CHICAGO!!!!! Dear Lord, do I absolutely LOVE this city and this stop, after some fun in Wisconsin, was EXACTLY what we needed. I have been to Chicago a couple of times and I was so excited to share the city with the girls. First of all Chicago has a FANTASTIC place to park your RV, 5th Wheel, etc. right in the heart of the city for bus parking and for 35 bucks a night you can boondock (no electricity, water, or sewage) but we were able to pop out the RV and had lots of room. It’s a great option if you are considering traveling in a coach with your family and want to visit Chicago. Now having said that, we only actually slept one night of our five nights in the RV but were able to keep it there for our 6 day visit. 3 nights we stayed at a BEAUTIFUL hotel in the Gold Coast district and one night we were hosted by our awesome friends the Hillebolds! There are so many things to do in Chicago we really could have stayed another week and been perfectly content.
But before I share more on that let me share the other fabulous thing about Chicago. We got to see Grandma (John’s mom) and one of my closest friends, Christa, her husband Ryan, and our buddy Jeane. It felt soooo good to see family and friends even for a short time. Life on the road is so exciting but the social butterfly in me can get a little lonely, so hanging with my peeps and also spending time with new friends was fantastic! Some of the highlights:
- We took the architectural boat tour with Grandma where you hear the history of all the buildings on the river. It’s breathtaking and a must do if you’re in Chicago.
- We visited the Sears Tower, sorry it’s now called the Willis Tower (Whachu talkin’ about, Willis?) but no one really calls it that. You can ride all the way up to the Observation Deck (the building is 108 stories) and look out from the 103rd floor extending glass balconies. It really does make you feel like you are floating over the city.
- We did the Untouchables Bus Tour a great 90 min that takes you around Chicago and shows you some of the landmarks from the Prohibition Era and the Gang Wars from the time.
- The girls and I walked from our hotel to the Lincoln Park Zoo (free) and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum the where the have a giant butterfly garden.
- One warm evening we took the girls down to Millennium Park and the girls ran around in the giant fountain after we listened to Purple Rain which was playing the parks open theatre.
- Of course, one of the highlights of the trip was seeing our friends for Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field. Grandma was able to watch the girls and John and I got out for some fun! It was an incredible experience and something we will never forget!
- We visited the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank in the Financial District
There are lots of other things we did. The city is so beautiful and has so many things to see and places to explore. I know for example the highlight for D was to ride the L and for me really, just walking everywhere and anywhere made me happy. Well, that and all the delicious food we ate including, of course, Chicago style pizza.
We could have stayed in Chicago for several weeks but we had to move on. Again, we were on a fast track to Maine before it gets too cold. Our next stop was Lake George which has one of the greatest privately owned RV Parks we’ve ever been too. The area is gorgeous and so much fun and this campground has more to offer than any other we’ve been to. Stay tuned for our next post on VERMONT and Maine!!!