Hannibal, MO

So, Chicago didn't want us to leave, apparently- Mother Nature gifted us with some severe thunderstorms all morning and into the afternoon. We're talking torrential downpours, thunder and lightning, epic storms. Shannon, however, was totally calm and unfazed, ushering us into her little car for a driving tour of the city in the "daylight". This what it looked like:

Chicago, noontime on Saturday 8/20

We couldn't get any closer without getting struck by lightning...

Rain aside, it was a lovely morning. We went downtown for brunch and then stopped by Chicago's Millennium Park where Shannon let us out to see some amazing art. Such as,  the "Bean" of Chicago. Brilliant.









We left Chicago in the afternoon, still in the midst of some turbulent weather, and battled the traffic surrounding the city on our way to Hannibal MO. It was about a 5-6 hour drive and it was raining off and on the whole way. We were under a pretty serious storm cloud for the last 100 miles of the drive, but it was moving East as we moved West and the sun literally appeared to us shining down upon our destination.

The sun revealing itself upon Hannibal, MO, as we approached

Hannibal, MO (the birthplace of Mark Twain), is the first town on the Missouri side of the Mississpippi River, off Rt 72, which connects Illinois to Missouri (east to west). Our campground is located at the "famous" Mark Twain Caves, a historical monument at the site of some... caves... which Mark Twain  frequented in his youth and wrote about in Tom Sawyer and other books.

We arrived around 7pm so although we're only about 1/4 mile away from the river, we haven't yet had a chance to look around. We'll be investigating the site and brushing up on our history in the early morning.

Things are going smoothly on the camping front. We made dinner, organized our gear and set up our tent. Truthfully, the tent could benefit from being about 10 years newer than it is, but so far we've been able to fix all problems as they come along. Here are some pictures of our setup:

1984 wants its tent back from us. But we're keeping it.

 Relieved to have everything in order, we have been able to relax and enjoy the quiet of Hannibal MO. We called our friends and families, mixed up some drinks, and entertained ourselves listening to the troop of Boy Scouts who are camping across the way from us. They are extremely cute with their troop flag and their real fire. They admired our use of a laptop at a campground.

To address that point: Believe it or not, in 2011 there is free WiFi at your average campground. Really, I have to say, it's a bit of a marvel to be camping in the heartland of America these days. There is an RV across the way and I think they have the TV on. It's controversial, but so far we are genuinely enjoying the juxtaposition of authentic camping (incredible stargazing, total isolation, tent living) with modern technology (for keeping in touch with our families, making reservations for the coming days, and documenting our trip).

Boozing and Blogging

We were facing a 40% chance of showers going into the evening, but so far the skies are clear and bright, so we're going to get back to nature now. Tomorrow we head to Kansas City for an afternoon baseball game. Go Sox! Then... Kanopolis? Stay tuned.

xo
Cory and Kelsey

Chicago, IL

Hello from the Windy City

We completed our longest drive of the trip yesterday, about 9.5 hours from Niagara Falls to Chicago. Kelsey got behind the wheel of the Fit and did a great job with the manual transmission as we made our way through NY, Northern PA, Indiana and into Illinois.

We stopped for gas/lunch just inside Cleveland. Although we didn't get to explore the downtown area, we were both struck by the apparent state of the city. The evidence of the faltering economy is undeniable in some places. Our good fortune as human beings has been duly noted.

Chicago, on the other hand, is vibrant and beautiful. When we got near enough, we got off the highway and took Lake Shore Drive through the city so we could see lake Michigan up close. It was early evening and the scenery was beautiful.

Our first view of Lake Michigan- a glorious moment

Unfortunately, after we got done taking in the view, the traffic was outrageous. So after accidentally detouring straight through the hospital district at rush hour, we were very relieved to arrive (and find parking) at the doorstep of our good friend Shannon Falvey. For those that don't know Shannon, she went to GDA with me and Kels, and I think she is seriously wonderful.

Out on the town in Chicago

She has lived in Chicago for just over a year, in a beautiful old apartment in Lincoln Park in the northern part of the city, where she has graciously hosted us for the night. It's been great to catch up with her! She took us downtown to a trendy (swanky) rooftop bar last night with her friends. We had a wonderful time being out of the car, interacting with people other than ourselves, and generally stretching our legs in this new place.

We are just getting organized to get back on the road. We will leave this afternoon and drive about half the distance to Kansas City, our next destination. I've read about a small town in western Missouri called Hannibal, which is not in fact the scene of a horror movie but rather the historic birthplace of Mark Twain. It's a tourist destination with lots of touristy things to do, and as a part of that there are developed campgrounds right on the Mississippi River and that is where we intend to stay the night.

I will update again when I get the chance!

Love to all
xo
C