Driving home, Jordan kept remarking, “this is so cool!” She eyed Java on Christian as we neared home so Tuesday morning that’s where we headed for breakfast.

As I still hadn’t packed, and had several errands to run, and because I thought the girls should get to know each other without motherly intervention, off they went for a brief intro to Philadelphia’s history, walking to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Constitution Center, with a stop back a Rita’s on South Street for the obligatory Philly water ice. (As a vegetarian, cheesesteaks were not on the list for Jordan).

So, it was time to go. After brief introductions between Jordan and Tanya, we headed to the next neighborhood watering hole for lunch – where else but the New Wave. Somehow it was fitting – the Wave was where I ate every Monday when I was pregnant; it was the first place I went to after Ellery was born, it was probably the first place I had taken Ellery as an infant, so now it was Jordan’s turn.

We eventually hit the road around 1:30, at which time Jordan piped up from the back seat, “I’ve never seen mountains. We don’t have them in Florida.” Well, actually, we don’t have them in Eastern Pennsylvania either, notwithstanding the fact that they call the Poconos “mountains.” No worries though – there will be plenty of awe-inspiring mountains on this trip. In any event, we made it to Lake Harmony just after 3. Unfortunately, they were treating the lake so we couldn’t take the boat out. Instead, after a brief tour of our house and the meadow behind, the girls put on their bathing suits, and hopped into the lake, first and then, with a bit of instruction from Ellery, kayaking. Given how little Ellery kayaks, it was an interesting choice of diversions.

After that brief interlude, it was dinner at home (a pizza that we had picked up at New Wave) and then the two of them made the obligatory evening stroll to Hog Heaven for ice cream.

The evening ended with me upstairs reading, while the two of them played monopoly in the living room. There was something very cool about that – as only children, neither probably played many board games. But here they were, doing what siblings do.

It was a very cool first day.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 12, 2011 from Lake Harmony, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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Some observations. Jordan eats virtually nothing. Jordan has a sharp, sarcastic sense, but in a very quiet way. It’s nice to see someone give it back to Ellery every now and again. And Jordan texts constantly – really, how much is there to say and how many people are there to say it to? Ugh, I’m old; this is the comment of an old person who just doesn’t “get it.”

So, after Piggy’s the journey really began. We hit the road just before 9, heading to our first stop – Pittsburgh. To be honest, this was much of Pennsylvania that I had never seen before – there are some mountains here, and lots of rolling farmland, and some beautiful views. Unfortunately, Jordan slept through much of it; Ellery read through much of it. We passed through State College, near Altoon and Johnston, past Nanty Glo. We stopped at the side of the road for peaches and sweet corn, and then we came into Pittsburgh. I had never been here before, and driving into the city is a pretty awesome sight. Just through a tunnel, just as you curve around a bend, the city appears, all towers and Bridges.

I had decided that the Andy Warhol Museum would be a good focal point for this first day; little did I know that Jordan loves Andy Warhol. So, she and Ellery lingered long in rooms of pictures and videos that, to be honest, I just didn’t get. If a museum is supposed to increase your appreciation of an artist, for me, the Andy Warhol Museum failed. But not for the two of them, so the stop, including a brief walk around Pittsburgh, was a success.

Another interesting note; Jordan is so unfamiliar with cities, and particularly northeast cities, that I think she’s rather taken aback by the age, the grime, the small houses. In her mind, it all looks like ghetto, when in reality, it’s just a city.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 13, 2011 from Pittsburgh, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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After, the girls headed down to the hotel swimming pool, while I headed to the hotel bar to meet up with Jay, a friend I hadn’t seen in a year. It was wonderful catching up with him and we talked for a quite a bit before I returned to the room, instructed the girls to turn off the electronics that were occupying their time, and get some sleep.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 13, 2011 from Cleveland, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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I expected this to be at most a two hour diversion, but the museum is overwhelming and we spend nearly four hours there. It’s sensory overload, but well worth it. Really, the only disappointment was that someone decided that Taylor Swift deserved to be included in the “Women of Rock” exhibit. (Oh, and someone tell me, what do they have against Elton John? He’s nowhere to be found).

written by  shoshtrvls on July 14, 2011 from Cleveland, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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It was only an hour out of the way, and we spent only an hour there – most of it with Jordan shopping for GO BLUE wear, but it was all worth it. I think she was momentarily the happiest person on earth.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 14, 2011 from Ann Arbor, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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We walked down Michigan Avenue, stopping briefly for breakfast, then over the river, eventually arriving at Millennium Park, where we dutifully visited the Cloud Gate and the Pritzker Pavilion.

Then it was on to the main attraction of the day, the Art Institute. I had forgotten just how much amazing art is there. Trying to do it in a few hours is impossible, but try we did. We may even have succeeded (as long as you ignore the fact that we skipped everything but the highlights).

By the time we left the museum, somewhat after 1 p.m., life in the park and along Michigan Avenue was in full swing.

Jordan was dazed by it all, ready to pack her bags and move to Chicago. And I have to say, I don’t blame her. It was a beautiful Chicago day – sunny and bright, but not to hot. People were lively, musicians were everywhere, and everyone had a spring in their step. (By the way, have I mentioned that Jordan is a slow walker? She is, or maybe the Schillers are fast walkers).

Much as we wanted to saunter, there was no rest for the weary (which I was) because we had tickets for a 3 p.m. architectural boat tour. Unfortunately, our docent was less than thrilling, and the girls were bored by the narration, but as always, the amazing buildings of Chicago were enough to keep us going.

After such a busy day, then, it was nice to return to the hotel and find that, yes, they really did give us a nicer room. Not just two beds, but a mini-suite, which was a welcome respite before dinner and a movie. Yes, indeed, I had the poor judgment to schedule our vacation for the very same week that the last installment of the Harry Potter series was released. We couldn’t get tickets to see it last night, but I managed to get what I believe was the next best thing – tickets for tonight, so the girls can at least say that they saw the movie on the day it was released. (This seems to be important, but I know not why).

written by  shoshtrvls on July 15, 2011 from Chicago, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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There was one truly amazing site that we passed, though, and that’s the Mississippi River. It is really awe-inspiring coming upon it – it is huge, and I did not expect it go be so vast, and so populated with lush, green islands, Huck Finn’s Story notwithstanding. It is definitely a mighty River.

Unfortunately, Jordan was the only one able to get a shot of it, which doesn’t do it any justice. You see, we expected to be able to take photos at the Tourist Info Center just over the Minnesota Border but … thanks to the budget impass and MN government shut-down, all the rest areas in MN were closed.

Oh, one other unexpected adventure – the bottom of the car fell off! Well, almost off. Fortunately, we made it to Sioux Falls with a bit of assistance from some duct tape (the wonder invention), where a wonderful hotel clerk, seeing our bedraggled faces, gave us a beautiful room and directions to the Hertz car rental location where, after a few hours of exasperation while the girls went swimming at the hotel, I finally got a replacement vehicle.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 16, 2011 from Sioux Falls, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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But very quickly, we realized that it wasn’t the same because, unlike those other states, South Dakota has … WALL DRUGSTORE! And not just Wall Drugstore, although that was the most ubiquitous of the road signs, but also Reptile World! 1880 Town! Old MacDonald’s Farm! Petrified Forest! In short, we had come upon a portion of I-90 that has more roadside attractions per square mile than any other place in the world, or so I’m guessing. And there’s a reason for that – the number of families doing this drive through South Dakota to Yellowstone as a summer roadtrip is astounding. From packed tiny Toyotas, to SUV’s, to pickups hauling airstreams, to truly massive tour buses, there are hundreds of them … thousands of them. And squished in between are bikers, many of them on their way to Sturgis. But, there’s a good reason they are all here. There’s amazing stuff here.

First, a brief turn-off in the middle of the Grasslands National Park. Who knew there was such a thing?

Then, not much further ahead, we got our first glimpse of a few bluffs, but there was no doubt that we were arriving at the Badlands. Another hour or so and there it was, the turn off for the Badlands National Park. And it was spectacular – first, from a distance, the wall of jagged mountains and then, closer and closer, until we were upon them.

The drive was spectacular, and we stopped a few places along the way, but not too often because we were driving through the hottest part of the country during one of the hottest heat waves ever.

Immediately after the Badlands we finally arrived … 250 miles of road signs couldn’t be wrong – Wall Drug! Free Ice Water! Lots of people! Many things to buy! OK, it was cheesy, but fun.

Motoring along, our next stop was Mt. Rushmore, which we reached around 4:00. It was still over 108 degrees out, so I confess, we didn’t take the interpretive walking tour, or ohh and ahh over it for long. Rather, we came, we saw, we ate ice cream, and we looked for a hotel in Keystone to spend the night.

But the day was not over yet. First a stroll around Keystone where we ran into the one person at the Hertz counter in Sioux Falls who stood up for me during my struggles, and then,after one of the worst meals I have ever had in my life (always beware of the buffet), at dusk we headed to Crazy Horse to see the monument that’s been more than 50 years in the making, and will most likely be another 100 before it is done. That was followed by a cheezy laser show which became absurd when it ended with Lee Greenwood's "Proud to Be An American" (somehow, I don't think the native americans would appreciate much of the lyrics) and a quick trip back by Rushmore to see it lit up at night.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 17, 2011 from Keystone, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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