Driving East to Newport, Rhode Island

August 24~September 9

We’ve been in an electronic black hole. My PC laptop self-destructed….Rick’s Mac is schizophrenic…..the printer is having issues…..my camera is suffering from a droopy iris. This, plus the dreary landscape and long, long boring drive to Newport has put me in a snit. Bought a new laptop and trying to get in the groove again.

Leaving Chicago we made the short trip to Elkhart, IN…..why?....because that is where Tor was “born” and Rick wants to take a factory tour to figure out exactly how these coaches were made. We’re very surprised just how unfactory-like it looked. Very much like a cottage industry; a very successful cottage industry….guess that’s why Berkshire Hathaway bought it!

Stayed at Elkhart Campground (elkhartcampground.com) seemingly whose only reason for being is for the throngs of people who visit the huge number of RV factories here.

Stopped in Shaker Heights to visit my former sister and brother in laws from another life.  I'm so very fond of them and their daughter, great to see them after a very long time. Tried  to get Tor in their driveway, but that was a losing battle before it began.  Parked it in a large city lot.  Had cocktails in Tor so they could see it, then they took us to a wonderful, kind of funky restaurant, Felice Urban Cafe. The pictures I took are so bad that for everyone's sake, I'm not going to post them!

Trying to find a next stop that would be a fun place to stay for a couple of days rest.....thought the Poconos would be good......wrong!  Thought we could play golf and go to the Mount Airy Lodge, which I've always heard was a lovely old hotel.  Well, found out the hotel closed a few years ago and was razed to make way for a casino.  Looked at two places to stay; one was so scary we opted out....they other, Mount Pocono Campground (mtpoconocampground.com) at first also looks very scary, but if you can make yourself get past the "seasonal" sites, the others are bearable.  Went to the casino....gave back a lot of our former winnings.....but had good calamari and sliders at Red's Bar.

Just two more days to Newport!  Stop in East Lyme, CT at Aces High....have no idea why they call it that...(aceshighrvpark.com).  It's billed as a luxury resort....wouldn't go that far, but it is perfectly  fine and  probably a good base if visiting Mystic and New London.   It also offered Rick a chance to get out his fishing gear again! It was a good thing we weren't planning on fresh fish for dinner!

Finally get to Newport and it's so good to see our kids and their new home. We have a souvenir night...these from San Francisco Chinatown.

A lobster dinner.....Kelly really didn't eat all this, but it is her fav!

 

Spent two days on the beach...some "surfing".

Sand castle building.

Due to the Hurricane Earl which churned up the sea, we found the beach different each time.  One day it looked like a jellyfish farm with eggs all over the sand and in the water.

The next, a huge clam buffet for the seagulls who got very, very aggressive in attacking their prey.

Since we will be visiting here alot, we bought a season pass to the Newport Mansions operated by the Preservation Society.  We did two this time.....Rosecliff and Marble House. Unfortunately you can't take interior pictures, but the exteriors certainly presage what's inside.

The Newport Polo Club, located in the town of Portsmouth, hosts a wildly popular Internationsl Series.  We were lucky enough to catch the home team win over England.

Ian's favorite part is always the divot stomping and the half time football tossing on the field.

Dinner at 15 Point close to the polo grounds....pretty view but hugely disappointing....bad food and terrible service.

"Did" the shops in Newport twice.....adorable  and perhaps the preppiest town in the universe, which suits Kelly and me just fine....but mostly we just enjoyed our time with the kids.....Ian started his new school and soccer team....both seem to be working out really well....proud grandparents need to say he scored two goals in the first game!

The only disconcerting thing we discovered during our stay was that our visitor from Park City, "Stuart Little" not only didn't leave us weeks ago as we thought, but he also had a wife!   Had is the operative word because the traps we left in hidden compartments got them.  We also discovered they were setting up housekeeping under a floorboard and under the sink made of shredded toilet paper and paper towels, Q-tips and......rigatoni!  They're gone now but it still creeps me out!

I so hate to leave, but our great adventure is coming close to full circle.  We'll stop in Pennsylvania to see my mother, then back to Georgetown.

Chicago

August 21~23

Chicago isn’t “Second City” to any place. This is one beautiful, livable, well-planned and cared for town. I may be a little prejudiced since I grew up in one of its suburbs; but I haven’t been here in 20 years and it is better than ever.

We only have one day and our main destination is Millennium Park (millenniumpark.org). It is glorious. Many cities should take note…..particularly our home town of Washington, DC. The National Mall, which is sorely in need of a makeover, would shine with some of the elements found here.

The focal point of the 24 acre park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. This outdoor concert venue is a triumph of architecture, sound and accessibility. I’m not a fan of Frank Gehry architecture; but this one really works for me. The 4,000 fixed seats and a lawn that can hold 7,000, seem all tied up in a big stainless steel bow. The overhead lattice work is a state-of-the-art sound system that distributes the sound evenly over the area, like an indoor venue. We heard a noon concert….the sound system works!

"Cloud Gate"  is the most fascinating outdoor sculpture I’ve ever seen. This highly polished stainless steel artwork is reminiscent of liquid mercury reflecting the skyline and clouds above. There’s not an angle that’s not completely fascinating….all 66 feet of length and 33 feet of height. You can also tell why locals call this piece “The Bean”.

There are gardens and ponds where people sit and cool their feet. The most astonishing water feature, though, is The Crown Fountain. Two 50 foot glass block towers, that sit on either end of a shallow reflecting pool, project images of a broad spectrum of Chicago residents. And with a nod to humor and gargoyles, the artist has inserted an outlet that spits water out of the photos mouths.

A walkway, that again utilizes stainless steel, carves an interesting path out of the park supposedly to Lake Michigan. It’s a wonderful structure, but the fact of the matter is you can’t really get to the Lake….just to Lake Shore Drive.


We are trying hard to get a Chicago “dog” for lunch…can’t find one anywhere. There’s a nice outdoor/indoor restaurant, very much like The Promenade Café at Rockefeller Center….this café also turns into an ice rink in the winter…..but we don’t want to take time to linger. There’s an International Festival of Chicago Sister Cities in the Park…..lots of vendors and food….find a good beef satay to share. We’re saving our appetites for dinner….,and this time I know the place well….Lou Malnati’s (loumalnatis.com) which, in my opinion, serves the best deep dish pizza in town.

Took a drive up “The Drive” The apartment buildings that line the street are handsome and have a stunning view of the Lake. There are beaches everywhere; we walk a bit. Drive Michigan Avenue; then State Street….sad to see the wonderful old flagship Marshall Field’s wearing a Macy’s sign.

I haven’t had a Malnati’s pizza in 20 years and I’ve built it up so much, Rick is also salivating at this point. Can’t wait…up to North Wells Street. Nowadays, I’m a real thin crust fan, but this decadent, thick, deep-dish pizza piled with tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, onions and peppers served in a cast-iron skillet is still extraordinary! Happy campers!

Staying in Joliet, about an hour out of the city, because it’s close to the highway we need to be on and we’d rather drive the car into town than Gigantor. The Empress Casino (empresscasino.com) has an RV Park that at first blush looks acceptable…..when we hook-up, much to our surprise, we find there are no sewer connections…very inconvenient to pick up stakes and drive to their dump station. Nevertheless, we play awhile at the Casino and come back with a bit more than we started with.

Elkhart, Indiana next. Why? This is where Gigantor was “born” and Rick is chomping at the bit to take a factory tour to see how these things are made.