it has been a little quiet here at RVThereyet.org -

Ah…….

We really did work quite hard at avoiding toll roads in and around Chicago. And by and large, it worked pretty well. It took us a little longer to get to our meeting place with Jon and Emily, but we had plenty of time to spare and didn’t really mind driving through lots of towns along the way. After our dinner we decided to drive right through downtown (on the non-toll expressway) since after all, it was 8:30 at night and a Tuesday. How busy could it be? It wasn’t actually too bad – we just kept to our lane and let the other crazy drivers go around us. And of course I tried to document the drive – especially trying to catch the beautiful Chicago skyline in the fading light.
Here you go -

The Checkmarks of Chicago

The Inchworms of Chicago

The Candles of Chicago

The Candy Canes of Chicago

The Birds of Chicago.
Kinda gives you a whole new view of the city, doesn’t it!
Needless to say, I either need a better camera or a smoother road, or a perhaps both!

It was a day of avoiding the toll roads around Chicago, dodging the rain drops, and sharing the road with lots of other folks. But the absolute best part of the day was our ever so quick dinner visit with my nephew Jon, his lovely wife Emily, and their beautiful daughter Ada.


I mean, really – those cheeks!!!!!
I’ll be holding my own granddaughters by the end of the week, but it certainly was a delight to get to hold this little one in the meanwhile!

Today we drove out of Minnesota, and through most of Wisconsin.
It was a lovely drive -

but we were not alone.

It probably comes as no surprise that Gary and I are really not “city people”. Although we lived just 30 miles outside of Philadelphia for most of our lives, we rarely ventured downtown and the thought of actually driving anywhere in the city filled me, anyway, with fear and trembling. But one thing we have learned in our travels is that if we are near a “‘big city” we should at least check it out.
Chicago. San Diego. Washington, DC. Every one was worth the drive and the traffic and the stress of getting around in totally unfamiliar territory. And even with the big 4th of July holiday looming large the next day, we knew that checking out Minneapolis was a good idea. We weren’t disappointed!

We took a lovely walk along the Heritage Trail, crossed over the Mississippi several times, learned that Minneapolis is home to the only waterfall along the Mississippi River (the St. Andrew Falls) and it became a city of substance largely due to the grain and logging industry.
Our walk took us down to the water’s edge,

across the beautiful Stone Arch Bridges,

with expansive views of the river and St. Anthony’s Falls.


There were historic buildings


and people on segways touring past the historic buildings!

There were interesting “ruins” and walkways


and views of the locks.

We saw some unusual sculpture

and enjoyed seeing some historic architecture along the way.


And even some unexpected businesses


Self Serve Dog Wash. Who knew?
We only scratched the surface of beautiful Minneapolis -

but we knew there were other sights to see.
Since Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 lakes, we thought it only fitting that we check out nearby Lake Minnetonka. It certainly looked like it was getting ready for a big holiday weekend

but what really caught our eye was the Noerenberg Memorial Gardens. Situated right on the lake it is considered one of the finest formal gardens in Minnesota.



I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the many paths and garden beds,

and Gary really enjoyed

the gazebo!
It was a fun day – the crowds weren’t too bad, the sights were great, and the history interesting.
But one of the best things about Minneapolis was being able to connect with some dear friends from Doylestown – Dan and Emily Young. It wasn’t the best weekend for them for visitors (Dan had rotator cuff surgery on Thursday and they are in the process of getting ready to put their house on the market), but they were gracious hosts and we enjoyed our time with them.

And as an added bonus, we were able to park our house in their church’s parking lot.
Sweet!

Tomorrow it’s back on the road for us – we’ll be heading towards Chicago and are looking forward to getting together for a quick visit with my nephew and his family. This life on the really has some perks, doesn’t it?