Day 6 (6/19) - Aberdeen, Drive to Wall, Wall

The day started well when we met Mom’s cousin Lyla in Aberdeen and talked to her. She was very kind and we talked for a little bit before saying goodbye and leaving. We went to lunch at a place called The Flame and I got a great bacon cheeseburger (Michael, if you’re reading this you know how we both love a good cheeseburger). After lunch we went to Ipswich where my great grandfather grew up and met my mom’s other cousin Diane. She was just as kind as Lyla and showed us around town. After leaving we began to drive to Wall, South Dakota. We stopped in Pierre on the way to see the state capitol building. We got back on the road and arrived at about 6:25 MT(8:25 ET, we gained another hour on the drive). We explored the complex we are staying at, we went to bed in Badlands National Park, our first of seven on the trip (don’t be confused because Wall is 5 miles from the park).

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Day 5 (6/18)-Minneapolis, Drive to Aberdeen, Aberdeen

This morning after breakfast Dad and I played a round of golf at Hiawatha Golf Club in Minneapolis to open the Pacific Cup, our golf match play series. Dad won 2 & 1, or, in simpler terms, was up two holes with one hole to go. Neither of us played well. I shook it off though knowing I have 8 more chances to get back at him in our best of nine series. At lunch at a restaurant called Revival, I got the best Chicken and Waffles in my life. Then we started the 5 hour drive to Aberdeen. Finally we arrived and checked into the hotel. We wen’t to dinner at Danger Van Dempsey for pizza and that was also excellent. We made back to the hotel at around 10:05 CT. (Don’t forget to like and comment below!)

Left to Right: Chicken and Waffle Sandwich at lunch, South Dakota Hills, Minneapolis skyline

Day 4(6/16) - Chicago, Drive to Minneapolis

Today started with Mom and I going for a run at Northwestern University, home of the Wildcats. We ran about four miles before returning to the hotel. We packed up and left Chicago around 10:30 (11:30 ET) and started driving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, stop #3. After about 2 ½ hours we stopped in Madison, Wisconsin for lunch at a restaurant called Graze. We tried fried cheese curds for the first time. They were surprisingly good. We arrived in Minneapolis at about 6:45 (7:45 ET) and went to the room to unpack and get ready for dinner at Hazelwood Food & Drink. After that we returned home and swam in the indoor hotel pool before going to bed.

Left to right: Lake Michigan and downtown Chicago behind me (the skyline is hidden in the fog) from the Northwestern University Campus. The brightly painted rocks behind me are done by students and have lots of different messages on them.

Dad, Ada, and I walking to lunch in Madison, Wisconsin with the state capitol building in front of us.

Ada and I in the hotel pool.

Day 3 (6/16) - Chicago

This morning we got up and Ada and Dad went for a run at Northwestern University while Mom and I stayed at the hotel. After breakfast we went to the Museum of Science and Industry (shout-out to my 5th grade teacher Mr. Pollard for recommending it). It was amazing and very interesting. For lunch we went to Devil Dawgs and got hot dogs. It was also very good. We took the train and walked everywhere. We didn’t drive the car at all. We took a river cruise on the the Chicago River. It was very interesting and fun except for the fact that the temperature was in the low 50 degrees and it was very windy. We finally made it back the hotel. After dinner at at a restaurant called Farmhouse we went back to our hotel room #504. Then something was wrong with the elevators and they were really loud. We had to move to room #710 and finally went to bed.

Left to Right: Chicago River, River cruise on Lake Michigan with Downtown Chicago in the backgrouns

Day 2 (6/15)- Cincinnati, Drive to Chicago, Chicago

This morning we went for a 2.5 mile run along the Ohio River as a family. The weather was good and the city and river views were amazing. After breakfast and packing we started driving to stop number 2. Chicago. The drive was supposed to take 5 hours. Then there was terrible weather throughout the drive and we stood in standstill traffic for about half an hour before we took an exit to get around it. We finally arrived after about a 6 hour drive (All pictures I found were off the web. I couldn’t get any good pictures in the bad weather). About an hour longer than it was originally supposed to be. We checked into the hotel and watched golf for a little while before going to see my dad’s friends the Harris’s. They had a ten year old named Will, an eight year old named Emmett, and a six year old name Sam. Ada and I hung out with Will most of the time. After about four hours at their house we went back to the hotel to get some rest after gaining an hour going from ET to CT.

Left to Right: In center is Willis Tower (tallest building in US), Willis Tower Shrouded in fog as we saw it, Lake Michigan in front of Chicago, Downtown Chicago with Lake Michigan in the background

Day 1 (6/14)

Day 1 (6/14)- Drive to Cincinnati, Cincinnati

We left for the trip today and began our 6 ½ hour drive to Cincinnati. Twenty minutes into the first trip, we realized Ada forgot her camera and we had to turn around. Just less than an hour in, we stopped for lunch just before we entered West Virginia(Capital: Charleston Abbreviation: WV. I haven’t forgotten my education!). The drive is pretty long but not horrible(except for tolls. Luckily we have EZ-Pass. There are some pretty views. We arrived in Cincinnati around 5:00 pm. We then met my parent’s friend’s dad for dinner and ice cream. We went to Montgomery Inn for ribs and they were delicious. It was the best ribs I have had in my life. Then we went back to the friend’s dad’s house and went on a rooftop deck overlooking the city and ate ice cream (also delicious). We then went back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.


Left to Right: Eating ribs at the Montgomery Inn, Ada and I in front of the Cincinnati skyline, WV state capitol building in Charleston, WV, Downtown Charleston, WV, Cincinnati, OH skyline, Cincinnati, OH skyline