Evanston-Indiana-Ohio-Pittsburgh… Ohio felt like the longest state ever…No one has been thrown out of a moving vehicle, but we’re getting closer.  If you’re in Pennsylvania and see someone hitching on the side of the road it’s probably me.  Honk when you go by…

1. Northwestern has a course called Marriage 101, which pairs students into couples for the quarter to see how they navigate the pitfalls of relationships.  Of course, I wonder if they also have a Divorce 201, and if it involves taking a road trip with your spouse…
2. Also wondering if there is a class: Marriage- The Legal Issues
3. You know how people say there are no stupid questions?  Guess what?  There are stupid questions…At today’s info session, a parent asked if students needed to go to class.  OK- let’s start with this being a highly ranked school, with kids who are excited about learning.  I don’t know why someone would go to this school if they did not want to attend class (FYI- most classes are less than 20 students with a student /faculty ratio of 6:1 and participation is graded)
4. Speaking of parents who should think before they speak- Listen to the information that is being stated. Do not ask questions that have been covered quite clearly in info session
5. The Indiana Cracker Barrel Sign- French Toast- Southern Style
6. There were no signs for Cracker Barrel in Ohio- I wonder if Ohio is anti Cracker Barrel
7. We passed the RV/MH Hall of Fame- remember this, because this is actually going to come up in a future post
8. As we drove through Ohio we found it odd that there were no road signs or Pittsburgh.  Finally, as we approached Youngstown (pretty much the last place in Ohio before Pennsylvania) we finally saw a Pittsburgh 79 miles sign.  About 20 feet past the sign we saw a signpost for New York City…
   
   

   Northwestern

   

   The Beach near Northwestern

   

   Cheese Curds – The Farmhouse, Evanston. Best regional food we have had on this trip by far

   

   Primonti’s sandwich- they put the fries and the cole slaw on the sandwich…seriously…
   
    

Well, we haven’t killed one another yet…Another day in Chicago!!!

1. When I get home, I’m sending a picture of the milk selection at my local 7/11…
2. If I were to do college all over again, I would make sure I studied in High School and I would go to University of Chicago.  I think it would have been a great fit for me.  Except that I met some amazing friends at college- and that I would not change for the world…
3. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a klutz.  I don’t think I vacation without a fall.  So needless to say, when I was at the dolphin show at the Shedd Aquarium I fell down the steps…glasses flew off, scraped my leg, jerked my back…good times…
4. While watching the dolphin show, the MC was talking about how high dolphins jump.  He asked for a volunteer to see how high a human jumped.  A little boy went to the front, and it went something like this:

MC: I need you to jump as high as you can

Little Boy: In the water?

MC: Really glad you asked that question.  No. Just jump right hear on solid ground…

Shedd

Shedd

Chicago

Shedd

Shedd

Shedd

Shedd

Shedd

Chicago

Duckies

Ghiradelli

Woke up in Chicago- went to bed in Chicago.  Here’s how the day went, and some thoughts:

1. Chicago has traffic- though weekends not so bad
2. Went to a restaurant with an 8pm reservation- they weren’t ready for us, but did offer us drinks and gave us a free dessert.  They were very gracious and the Hostess at the place was amazing!  She handled everything that came her way with grace and calm.  Nice job.
3. We keep jumping from hotel to hotel- when I packed I should have made little packets of clothes- pawing through my suitcase is not fun
4. When we were about to go to a college info session they told us that we would not be allowed to bring in drinks, so as we walked we needed to “Sip with purpose”.  Love that
5. We were also not allowed to bring in food, which prompted the question: Is a mint considered food?
6. When attending information sessions at I’ve noticed that at the “higher ranked”  schools, more kids crowd the front of the room
7. Also, students tend to ask all the questions at the “higher ranked” schools.  Parents tend to ask the questions at the “lower ranked” schools
8. When talking about cars at school- I don’t care if kids have cars.  What I do find troubling is that cars/driving was one of the first things discussed at some of the tours.  What about discussing education first.  I’m about to pay an obscene amount of money on a college education.  My daughter shouldn’t need to ask “What’s the student/faculty ration?” That should be told before anything is mentioned about cars. Unless you’re going to Skip Barber Racing School
9. Univ Chicago offers a class on aesthetics of art in the era it was created vs the era you’re watching it.  If my daughter ends up there I am going to make her take the class
   
   

   University of Chicago- Talk about a beautiful campus

   

   Sunday in the Park with George…

   

   Deep Dish Pizza- Giordano’s

   

   Millenium Park

   

   I think they call this the bean…

   

   Garrett’s Popcorn- funny thing- we have a Garrett;s in NYC yet we never go there…but in Chicago we will gladly wait on line

   

   Bean

   

   Route 66- The Beginning

   

   A little smooth jazz

   

   Chicago Dog- Portillo’s

Drove across Illinois to reach Chicago!  Chicago is one of my favorite cities, and I am always happy to get back here!!!On a different note, watching scenery pass by is the perfect backdrop for thinking (not that I need much to make me think…)

1. I Continue to have trouble getting tea the way I like it.  I think you all know my evening ritual is to have a cup of tea and relax before bed.  I went to a 7/11 to get my tea (I like black tea with milk and sugar) and was told they don’t have milk for the hot beverages, just half and half.  I know I have gotten hot tea with milk in 7/11’s before.  Does my wanting milk with my tea seem like an odd request?
2. Thinking of Atlanta- I really liked how Centennial Park was surrounded by CNN, Coke, Aquarium and Civil Rights museum.  Even though I didn’t get to go to all, it was nice to know they were easy to access in a convenient location.
3. The best thing I heard an admissions counselor say was at UVA. “People ask if it’s better to get a B in an AP class, or an A in a regular class.  The answer is – get an A in an AP class.”
4. Driving through Illinois made me think of Superman- as we drove past cornfields I kept expecting him to appear out of no where…(I think I’m going to call this the Roswell effect)
5. The Cracker Barrel billboard in Illinois was ” Breakfast Y’all Day”
6. We passed a sign for the worlds largest covered wagon.  I think I’m going to regret not turning off the highway to see it…
   
   

   Lighthouse on Michigan Avenue

   

   Incoming Call- Abe Lincoln

   

   Lincold Park Conservatory

   

   LP Conservatory

   

   Statues that call you…

   

   LP Zoo

   

   LP Zoo

   

   LP Zoo

   

   LP Zoo

On today’s addition of gorgeous college campuses and amazing regional food:

1. Another note on Atlanta- we found ourselves free at night and thought we’d take in some regional live theater.  Couldn’t find any live theater on a Tuesday night.  Obviously, this is very different from NYC.
2. great hotel feature- little gooseneck lamps on side of bed that isn’t next to night table.  Brilliant for both people to be able to read in bed with proper lighting
3. Our St. Louis hotel has a breakfast buffet included.  They give you little table placards to put on your table to show that the table is occupied.  Another brilliant idea.
4. Of course, at said breakfast buffet we couldn’t find plates and couldn’t figure out how to properly get around buffet, but I guess that was just this mornings brain teaser
5. When we visited colleges in the Northeast and DC, no one talked about student cars.  On this particular journey, all we here about is kids taking their cars to school.  This is a bit of culture shock to my daughter as she doesn’t even have a learner’s permit yet, and none of her friends drive, and there is no way she is getting a car during college…
6. Washington University gives the best swag- water bottle and collapsible backpack thingy
7. Colleges campuses are just outstanding.  Felt like I was at Hogwarts today- waiting to watch the Quidditch team in action…
8. On another note, how cool is it that quidditch is an actual word according to wordpress…
9. As you are about to see, Botanic Garden today…
10. Grateful to my Mom for watching my pets
11. Grateful to my neighbor C for helping my Mom with helping her when she screws up the air conditioner and the tv

Washington University

St. Louis ribs- Pappy’s Smokehouse

Gorgeous Japanese Garden

Ducks in a row

Ted Drewes- the custard that inspired my beloved Shake Shack

We woke up in Atlanta.  Drove through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and then St.Louis Missouri…Here’s some random thoughts from being on the road for 8 hours…

1. I don’t pack conditioner and shampoo when I travel, so going to hotels is always a game of conditioner roulette.  Didn’t work in my favor in Charlottesville (FYI- thin hair, humidity and no conditioner are not a pretty package.  Did hit it big in atlanta with Aveda!  Also a score in St. Louis with Oxygen.  Two out of three ain’t bad…
2. My Husband pulled a very illogical move today, so to answer the question, does logic come with maturity, the answer is No…
3. Atlanta residents like to tell you how bad the traffic is.  Dear Atlanta- Come to New York or LA…
4. It’s funny how Cracker Barrel has different billboards for different states.  It was about Dumplings in the Pennsylvania and the Carolina’s, Biscuits in Georgia and Waffles/Pancakes in Tennessee and Kentucky.  Who knew there was such divergent marketing for these states.
5. Drive thru’s. We obviously don’t have these in NYC, so the thought of staying in a car to get an order is foreign to us.  So here’s the question.  When we stop to refresh, we get out of the car because, well, you know.  But there is never a line inside any fast food type franchise, yet the drive thru line will be 7 or 8 deep.  Wouldn’t it be easier to park and get the order quicker?  What are the pro/cons?
6. We heard Phil Philips on the oldies channel.  Seriously- he was on American Idol during my daughter’s youth.  What makes an oldie anyway?
   
   

   The Arch-

   

   The Shadow of the arch

   

   View from the arch

   

   highest point of the arch

   

   You have to go on a riverboat called the Tom Sawyer

   

   Apparently, you’re not allowed to leave St. Louis without trying fried ravioli…

Yesterday found us waking up in Atlanta and going to sleep in Atlanta.  We got lucky with the weather though- rain threatened but held off!

I’m going to give you a little story.  Look at an item on your desk- say a pencil.  Now imagine how much that pencil knows about cars.  Now imagine the pencil knows more about cars than I do.  So last night, Husband and Daughter were parking car.  I was checking into hotel.  I get a frantic call:

Husband:  “What is this light on the dashboard and why won’t it go off?”

Me: dead silence

Let’s start with, I’m not in the car.  I’m in the lobby of the hotel.  The only thing I see is our luggage and the front desk.

Husband: “Is it supposed to be on?”

Me: dead silence

OK- the manual for the car is in the glove compartment.  Which is in the car.  Which my husband is in.  I know for sure the manual is not in my wheelie suitcase.

Happily- the brain trust figured it out…

random observations:

1. After some college tours, there are two things we never want to hear again.  Holistic and great question, as uttered by someone giving an information session or tour.  Sadly, I expect to hear those terms a few more times…
2. Up until this week, we’d only toured colleges in the Northeast and Washington DC.  At these schools we hears extensively about the blue light system (campus security).  We’ve yet to hear about these things in the south…
3. Last night we watched a show on ABC called (I think) “The Proposal” hosted by Jesse Palmer.  This might be the worst tv reality show I’ve ever seen, and I’ve rarely seen a good reality TV show…
4. Tried some really funky soda flavors today- some better than others.  Some flavors are just not supposed to be carbonated…

And the winner of worlds smallest hotel bathroom goes to….I’m pretty sure you can use all three pieces at the same time

Fried Green Tomatoes…it’s a vegetable…

Emory

Just a flower

Centennial Park Atlanta

World of Coke

CNN tour

World of Coke

The theme of the day was rain.  Woke up to rain- had horrible sheets of rain as we were driving south- could barely see!  But we made it to out next stop!!  Some random thoughts:

1. Everything here is air conditioned, which is great, because it’s the south in the summer, but I have been SO cold every time we enter a building!
2. My daughter was leading the way as we tried to make our way to the building where the information session was being held. She was walking the wrong way, and it was the obvious wrong way, but it took her an extra step to realize her error.  Is this too much book knowledge and not enough practical knowledge?  Or is this a maturity thing?  You know I’m going to think about this, explain it better, and write more about it.  Also, about 20 people followed my daughter going the wrong way…sheep?
3. The parking lot were visitors were told to park was right next to the book store.  I felt like I was at Disney, with the gift shop at the end of the ride…
4. Our alarm clock in the hotel went off at midnight.  First off- Really?  And secondly- does a hotel need to have a digital clock?
5. In a truly bizarre coincidence, as we were watching the University of Virginia introductory video, they showed a clip of a former student in NYC.  The scene was shot a block away from our apartment.  What is the chance that we go to a college hundreds of miles away and see a video clip from our neighborhood?  If I believed in signs, would this be a sign?
6. We have heard a ton of Rod Stewart on this trip…I have no idea what this could be a sign of
7. I went into a restaurant and asked if they had hot tea.  The waiter asked if I wanted him to microwave the sweet tea.  The worst part is, this is not the first time this has happened to me…

Gratitude:

1. car being parked right next to the motel room so we didn’t get too wet going to car
2. that we safely arrived at our destination despite hellish driving conditions
   
   

   Duck Donuts in Charlottesville- they make the donuts fresh when you order them!

   

   S’mores, Flip Flip (chocolate and vanilla) and Sunrise (lemon raspberry)

   

   University of Virginia

   

   Lexington BBQ – North Carolina style chopped pork (vinegar sauce)

   

   Rainbow- best part of horrible rain

I am sitting in the least ergonomically correct chair on the planet, trying to type at a desk at least 4 inches too high for my vertically challenged body.  I was actually  in six states yesterday- where else can you be in six states in a matter of five hours other than the Northeast United States- New York- New Jersey- Pennsylvania-Maryland- West Virginia- Virginia…

Here are my random thoughts I had:

1. My daughter brought up the very philosophical topic: Is Water Wet.  This conversation went on through two states.  My daughter should indeed be a lawyer.
2. Radio on route 81 consisted of country or religious- these are two types of music I do not regularly get in NYC
3. As we stopped in a Starbucks to refresh and refuel, my daughter was happy to note the uniformity of Starbucks- her iced caramel macchiato tastes exactly the same
4. On a small stretch of highway we saw Lion’s Den House of Adult Toys, next to the skankiest Girls Girls Girls establishment ever, next to a billboard saying “You Lust- You Burn”
5. My favorite billboard was one for Cracker Barrel – Chicken and Yummmplings-

What’s Vacation without a little mini golf- I had two hole in ones and I still lost…

Southern Kitchen- Fried Chicken…When in the south…

Cville Downtown Walk

National Ice Cream Day- so we had to…

The Presidents

Gratitude:

1. That I saw that a truck was about to back into us in a parking lot
2. That we got a spot right near our motel room so unpacking was easy
3. my family didn’t kill each other before we even got on the road

Before we talk about last week, we are going to talk about the upcoming weeks…I will be away the next two weeks!!!!  What does this mean for you?  Well, I’m sure you’ll miss my pithy observations of my life…But never fear, though I didn’t pre write anything (imagine my Daughter screaming- “No- please don’t pre write- you were a lunatic before we went to DC”) but, WiFi Gods permitting, I will be writing a travelogue of sorts. You will get my feelings about being on the road with my family…which could make for an interesting blog or two…

But anyway…

What I did:

Cedar Beach- Long Island

Walk along the Hudson River

Boys in the Band- Broadway- My daughter got autographs from everyone except Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto

“Ant-Man and the Wasp”- theaters

What I Listened to:

1. Kacey Musgraves
2. King Tuff
3. Neko Case
4. Depeche Mode
5. Sutton Foster

Random Questions (randomlists.com)

1. Which do you like better, hot or cold? Hot
2. Which do you like better, chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
3. What is the scariest animal you’ve seen in the wild? Eel
4. If you had to become an animal, what would you choose? Cat
5. What do you like better, TV or movies? Movies

Quote of the Week:

“Always do whatever’s next” George Carlin

Have a great couple of weeks all!!!!