Holiday Road

Tuesday, June 22 marked the start of the road trip where, if there was any lingering doubt, my desire to emulate Clark Griswald gained full bloom. The original Clark, not the Christmas one. That day we all packed into the family truckster (rental Mazda) and headed out west. 

Day One. 500 feet down the street from our house we played Holiday Road, the first of what became a daily ritual when setting off on the road. We arrive in Chicago. The suburbs, really. I know this because we drove just south of downtown, for about 90 minutes, at the end of the day's drive. Not much to say about this first day. Somewhere in Illinois I asked for someone to pass me my sandwich, and got to say that I was hungry enough to eat a sandwich from a gas station.

A hotel pool, followed by a nice Mexican meal. Adjoining rooms, old school.

 

Day Two. Setting off we drive another 90 minutes through what is callously known as Chicagoland. But we eventually make it out and into Wisconsin. A first for me! I was disappointed by the lack of cheese everywhere. But we did manage to stop at the Wisconsin Dells for a boat ride. A cheesy affair in its own right, with some nice small hikes along the way.

 

A great concession stand too, with all the favorites. Except cheese (not queso).

Bad jokes, and two hours later we're back at the dock and on our way to Eau Claire.

The hotel was a glorious event. This was one of the two bedrooms.

 

 

Here I finally found Wisconsin cheese in the form of a block that sat atop a burger. Known as the Cheese Head, it's a burger few dare to try and even fewer have finished. I finished.

Day Three. A short trip to Minneapolis. The most urban of all the experiences (not the rap kind of urban, although in addition to Holiday Road we listened to an awful lot of top 40). The visit began with a walk in the park.

More walking around town was followed by pigs in the lobby.

Levi kind of went crazy taking shots with his phone.

Eva just went crazy.

Day Four. On our way to Brookings, SD (a first!). The long way, via a little piece of the SE corner of North Dakota. Another first! The experience cost me a stone chip in the windshield which I would replace later in the trip. Worth it for this shot.

Another walk in a (small) arboretum, and another dinner. The finest restaurant in all of Brookings, had Twomey 2009 vintage for 50 bucks plus 8 for corkage. Kids were excited.

Of note, on this day we heard Lean on Me by Bill Withers for the second time in two days. 

Day Five. After driving in the only real rain we saw all trip, we pop up in prairie dog town. Not the prairie dog town, but a prairie dog town. This first image is not photoshopped, and the kids actually did get that close to feed and even pet a dog. Parent of the year over hear.

 

 

Forget it, Jake. It's prairie dog town.

Bad bad bad bad lands; you make me feel so good.

Later in Wall we had our only true road trip motel experience. Doors of the rooms facing the outside of the building, outdoor pool. The kind you might find in Wawa, Ontario.

Another dinner, another burger. At the finest establishment in all of Wall. Levi wondered what he would look like with a double chin. Like this.

Then the big moment, crossing the street to Wall Drug. Signs for this place for 300 miles. And this is about the best I can say about it. Places to take pics, and buy curios. A fancy word for crap. It occurred after leaving that I didn't even get my free glass of water.

Tonight also marked the first night of chips. Apparently in SD, kettle chips are called "Dakota style." Is there nothing these people won't appropriate?

 

Day Six. Rushmore, finally. I was just glad that Hot Rod could be there to share it, at least in spirit.

 

 

We also noticed an exhibit with a planned expansion of the mountain. 

BREAKING: Rapid City, SD. The Department of the Interior announced today that two new faces would be added to Mount Rushmore, for a total of 6 likenesses. Unlike previous faces, the new additions made their mark outside of the political arena. Artist rendering is below (not to scale).

Hey, Kentucky.

Driving through the park we come across this little guy, eating in the mud.

A drive through a highway called Needles. Turns out it goes through some crazy stuff, with rocks that stick up like needles. OK.

Then, the highlight of the whole trip. A presidential suite in Rapid City! Another first! We pooped where six presidents pooped.

Indeed palatial. Look at princess.

When you have presidents staying here, you don't skimp on irons.

And the shower caps. My god, the shower caps. Four! Eva made in rain shower caps up in here.

 

Not just presidents. Apparently the bands that play at Strugis sometimes stay here. Def Leppard and Motley Crue, for example. No printer, otherwise this photo would have included a picture of you know who.

Interesting place, Rapid City. They have an art alley.

And one of those parks with lots of stuff where people can be fit and active and whatnot.

When you have a room like this, you just don't want the day to end.

 

Day Seven. Starts with a windshield repair. Then a trip to Hot Springs where they have a, well, a hot spring. The indigenous people believed the spring water had healing powers. So someone put up a giant shed over and charged people 15 bucks to get in. Worth paying though. Two solid hours of gravel bottomed pool time for kiddos. Including a solid hour for Levi on hanging rings trying to cross the pool like Tarzan.

Driving through more park we come across this little playful fellow, rubbing his butt on the ground.

 

Only minutes after this we (I) was warned by a good member of the national park police that any pass must be initiated AND COMPLETED within the passing zone. Just a verbal warning this time. On to Custer where we again couldn't just walk into a restaurant at 3pm for lunch without a long wait.

Day Eight. Corn Palace! The world's only corn palace. Can't believe it's not in Iowa.

On to Sioux Falls. Turns out they actually have some falls there.

Another wait for a restaurant, but another great meal. These two and their desserts. This photo was not staged, by the way. They are just always like that.

Day Nine. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As we go along our path we start from Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids. Read that in Johnny Cash voice. I've been everywhere, man.

Another fine member of law enforcement helped me out today. In SD, 80 means 80. Another warning, no ticket. He explained that he only gave me a warning because when he checked me out in the system he could see that I had had any incidents over in the previous days in SD. I tried to tell him about the nice lady in the national park but he wouldn't hear of it. "I want to show how hospitable we South Dakotans are," said the man. "No get out of here and tell all your friends."

Cedar Rapids, along with Eau Claire, were standouts in this trip.  Not the least of which was because of the Bohemian. Right behind the airbnb is the strangest place we've ever been BBQ take out place in the front, vintage jazz bar in the back. Like a mullet, the place was weird but awesome.

Self portrait.

Day Ten. On to Illinois through more corn on the way to warm home for the first time in 10 days. But taken at 11:30 this picture can attest to the fact that I was definitely not late for a luncheon in Davenport.

 

Rest stop swings and these two can't resist.

Day Eleven. Home. Multiple signs of the epicness of the trip emerged today. First, on I64 we passed a truck with a trailer. On the trailer was an Olds 98 from the early 80s. Nothing screams road trip like the big Olds. Second, no kidding as finish Holiday Road one last time after arriving in Lexington, five minutes away from our house comes on Dancin' Across The USA. The ending song from the original Vacation movie. It was the random next song on the Vacation playlist where I would pull Holiday Road.  It was literally the music playing over the final scene of our trip. All 3,203.5 miles of it.