Ms Dozey’s Daily Diary

Sorry it has taken so long to get in touch – Neill is on the laptop so late that I am fast asleep by the time he has finished.  We have just come to the hotel for a shade-break from the 97 or so degrees so I have grabbed it whilst we have a makeshift afternoon tea of cake and pastries with tea/iced tea respectively.

 Day One

Arrived in Chicago after a chilly flight (stewards tell me it is one of their “coldest planes” and to “take as many blankets as you like”.  After that, the heat of the city was very welcome although I kept my jacket on for a while!

I was fascinated by the raised trains which followed the roads – why bother digging underground when you can put giant struts in place and put it on top?

The Chicago architecture is a blend of art deco and the most up to date – a real find was the City Library where we found a lovely roof top atrium with shady olive trees and a Mediterranean marble piazza. 

Finished the day with a warm baguette with Mediterranean veg and feta – quite a find amongst the chicken and burger dishes on offer.

Day Two

A lot of walking in a lot of heat!  Architectural River Cruise was fab with a well informed guide explaining the sky line and looking behind the scenes at the history of some of the buildings.  A shade break in the mall outside Macy’s gave some respite from the heat before walking on to Navy Pier.  This was a disappointing mall with a ferris wheel and not really worth the walk.  Dinner was also a disappointing portion of fries as many local veggie friendly restaurants were closed.

At least having my own travel kettle gave me a chance for a real cup of tea - rooms only have coffee makers and when asked “you want cawfee?” they don’t understand some people just don’t like it!

Day Three

A bit of a punishing day, on the road for about ten hours.  The gas guzzling monster we hired didn’t seem very comfy (only another 2,400 miles to go....) and the road, in places, was quite rough and bumpy. 

Passing many famous, and some not so famous sights on R66, we arrived in Springfield (should I say Spring-cleanfield as it is the neatest cleanest town ever).  Highlights of the road were the tiny two cell jail and a visit to an old gas station where local residents Don and Joy told us all about the old days.   We had a huge brunch (“welcome to America honey” said the waitress as I queried the portion size).  Later, I had recovered from jet lag enough to sample some Michelob American beer before bed time.

Day Four

Springfield is a lovely town although, as I write this after visiting most of the Abraham Lincoln sites, I am almost Lincolned-out.  We just have the tomb to drive out to before nightfall.  The guide today at AL’s home was very good and most of the attractions are free.  Dinner will be from a selection of sides at the Cozy-Dog (the home of the Corn Dog in the US of A) as a query over the bill last night means the most veggie friendly restaurant may not be a good option tonight.  Tomorrow we are back on the road heading to St Louis so more news when I can get on line.