Today (Thursday, Dec. 17th), armed with a negative COVID test, Jeff and I embarked on our first (and hopefully last) pandemic trip. To make a long story short, taxes can be difficult and expenses are necessary so we needed to purchase a new truck. The cheapest one we could find with the least amount of miles was in Chicago...so off we went. We flew to Chicago on Thursday (17th) afternoon. The whole airport experience was interesting. Of course, we had to wear a mask the whole time, but everyone seemed just a little more on edge. Thankfully, our flight was on time and there was no trouble in the air. In fact, there was no trouble getting into Chicago or to the dealership. The purchase process had already been expedited so we were in and out super quick. We finished up around dinner time and when in Chicago, you have to eat an authentic deep dish pizza. We chose Lou Malnati's based on several recommendations, and it did not disappoint!
When we finished, there was still enough time to enjoy a little stroll downtown. We walked along the river and looked at the store windows on Michigan Ave. Downtown Chicago isn't really friendly to oversized vehicles. Thankfully, it is a great walking city! The skyline was mesmerizing. There were so many lights, including an overabundance of Christmas lights.
We stayed in a hotel close to all the main (and open) attractions in Chicago. The building was old. It had once been the Chicago Motor Club, a main hub on Route 66. The hotel had purchased the building about 5 years ago and converted it from the office complex it used to be into a hotel. It was actually pretty cool.
On Friday morning (18th), we began our journey home...but not before visiting the "Bean" (really known as the Cloud Gate) and walking along Lake Michigan. One nice thing about the pandemic is that there aren't many crowds. The downside is that most tourist attractions are closed or the experience is modified. I was a little sad I couldn't get closer to the Bean or stroll along Navy Pier or do one of the many city views, but I loved what I was able to do. Even Jeff enjoyed the morning walk, especially once we got to the lake. (He wasn't as impressed with the Bean.)
Once we finished our sight seeing in Chicago, we grabbed our things and started our 1,300+ mile journey home. I had to take a few more pictures of the city as we left. It's such a unique place! The above-ground train system is really unusual to me. Maybe one day I'll come back and explore a little more.
We decided to take a little longer route home so we could drive through Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota (states I had never been to). First up, Madison, Wisconsin. We drove straight to the capitol where we snapped a few pictures (from the outside because of course tours were suspended due to the pandemic) and grabbed the most delicious, authentic Wisconsin lunch - brats, fish fry, and cheese curds! When in Wisconsin...must eat cheese!
From there, we drove into Minnesota where we stayed the night. We didn't do any sightseeing in Minnesota, other than seeing the scenery as we drove straight through.
On Saturday (19th), we pushed through the rest of Minnesota and South Dakota. The scenery was a never-ending view of flat farmland. Jeff and I were super grateful for the massive amounts of billboards in South Dakota to break up the monotony. In fact, we were so grateful for the signs that we actually stopped at the store, Wall Drug, that they advertised. Evidently, this used to be just a simple drug store, but it has transformed into an entire city block of shops. The original owner's wife suggested the first sign advertising free water to travelers in an effort to increase business. That has snowballed into some of the most clever, humorous, and definitely abundant signs I've ever seen. The shops were tailored to tourists and had everything from medicines (after all, it is a drug store) to boots and cowboy hats. It was a fun, random little stop.
Next up, Mount Rushmore! I was excited to see this. There isn't much around the national memorial so it's not much of a destination vacation, but it was the perfect thing to stop and see on our way home. The Black Hills are actually really beautiful and the monument was impressive. Trails were closed due to the weather and pandemic, but we still got to see the faces. We even went to see the Crazy Horse monument, which is a work in progress just 20 minutes down the road. Both stops only took about an hour total and it was back on the road.
We stayed the night in Casper, Wyoming before our final push home on Sunday (20th). We hadn't planned any stops. We didn't know of anything on our way home that would be worth seeing, until we stumbled upon Martin's Cove. Jeff and I had no clue this historical church site was on our route home. Like most everything else, the visitor's center and tours are closed because of the pandemic, but we were still welcomed to walk around this sacred site on our own. This is where a handcart company got trapped in an early winter storm. They had been pulling handcarts through this area in the beginning on November when a snowstorm hit. They were already tired and had already abandoned blankets and excess clothing to make the handcarts lighter when this storm hit. The "cove" is where they tried to find shelter while rescuers came to their aid. It is here many of them died from exposure to the intense elements. It is here where their faith was tried...and where miracles happened. Our short experience here was made all the more poignant because of the weather we were experiencing. There were high winds (40 mph sustained with gusts up to 60 mph) and biting cold. The snow whipped our faces like sand. Jeff jokingly suggested that we hike a little of the trail back to the cove. I was quick to shoot down that idea in favor of seeking refuge in our nice warm truck. We too were ill prepared. We didn't think we would be stopping anywhere and had packed our warmer clothes away. For a moment, I felt ashamed of my quick denial of Jeff's original suggestion. I know I don't have to place myself in a risky situation to prove my faith, but it seemed a trivial task when I reflected on what they had endured. I am grateful for my pioneer ancestors. I am grateful for their faith. I can't imagine what hardships they endure...and I was grateful that for just a moment on a very miniscule scale, I experienced a small moment of what those physical hardships could have been. We didn't stay long at the site, but the experience will stay with me forever.
We finally made it home around dinner. I was happy to be home. I cherish the times I am able to be alone with Jeff. He is my best friend. We listened to scriptures and comedy shows. We laughed and had deep conversations. Even though it wasn't meant to be, it was the best spontaneous Christmas gift.
