A Little Backstory:
My ancestors came from Germany and Ireland and England,
and settled in Chicago in the late 1800s.
The stork delivered ME through a freezing snowstorm
in February of 1960, although I really don't remember that part.
I DO happily remember living my first 8 years in a tiny community
on the South Side of Chicago, called Roseland.
on the South Side of Chicago, called Roseland.
My parents, in 1968, were the first in the family to pack up and go West to set up
housekeeping in Tucson, Arizona.
They got tired of the harsh Chicago winters and
My dad chose to do his post-doctorate work at the University of Arizona.
So, I was 8 when we moved to the Southwest,
They got tired of the harsh Chicago winters and
My dad chose to do his post-doctorate work at the University of Arizona.
So, I was 8 when we moved to the Southwest,
But what do I recall of my first 8 years in the Mid-West??
Good times for a kid!!
*Huge snowstorms for sledding. (The blizzard of 1967)
*Fireflies in summer.
*Snowboots and frozen toes.
*Hide-and-go-seek with the neighborhood kids.
*My mom working downtown and taking the El (elevated) train,
no matter the weather.
*My dad graduating with his Ph.d. in Chemistry.
*The 2 huge cherry trees in my grandma's backyard.
***So many, many more wonderful memories...
hard to believe that I absorbed so much with such a new little brain, haha!!**
In later years I went back to visit a few times,
but had not been back to show my husband and daughter MY City ~
my daughter's heritage!
And that's almost 25 years!!
Time for a Tourist Trip to Chicago
Let's start at the beginning.....
New Albany, Mississippi
When you start out your drive early in the morning,
the first stop is breakfast-to-go at McDs.
Then take to the road with your daughter's GPS
(named Valerie)
attached to the front windshield - the black rectangle on the left...
Valerie became a very good friend.
(Spoiler: we never got too lost)
Begin by heading northwest through Memphis, TN.
This is The Pyramid on the Missisippi River.
(Points for you if you guessed the correct shape).
It was first built as a huge Convention Center,
but is now owned by a HUGE sporting goods empire.
But remember this: Aren't The Pyramids in Egypt?
Continuing on.......
I really adore complex bridge structures and this one is taking us over
The Mighty Mississippi River
and leading us into...
"Are we there yet, are we there yet?"
How close is Arkansas to Chicago?
WHOA! a sign for our destination ALREADY?
Arkansas IS close to Chicago!
Did I fall asleep??
How fast are we driving??
WOW, the sign on the right says Cairo...
Is that Cairo, Egypt??
What continent are we on now??
*Hide-and-go-seek with the neighborhood kids.
*My mom working downtown and taking the El (elevated) train,
no matter the weather.
*My dad graduating with his Ph.d. in Chemistry.
*The 2 huge cherry trees in my grandma's backyard.
***So many, many more wonderful memories...
hard to believe that I absorbed so much with such a new little brain, haha!!**
In later years I went back to visit a few times,
but had not been back to show my husband and daughter MY City ~
my daughter's heritage!
And that's almost 25 years!!
Time for a Tourist Trip to Chicago
Let's start at the beginning.....
New Albany, Mississippi
the first stop is breakfast-to-go at McDs.
(named Valerie)
attached to the front windshield - the black rectangle on the left...
Valerie became a very good friend.
(Spoiler: we never got too lost)
This is The Pyramid on the Missisippi River.
(Points for you if you guessed the correct shape).
It was first built as a huge Convention Center,
but is now owned by a HUGE sporting goods empire.
But remember this: Aren't The Pyramids in Egypt?
Continuing on.......
The Mighty Mississippi River
and leading us into...
How close is Arkansas to Chicago?
Arkansas IS close to Chicago!
Did I fall asleep??
How fast are we driving??
WOW, the sign on the right says Cairo...
Is that Cairo, Egypt??
What continent are we on now??
Where are the Pyramids??
Wait, The Pyramid was back in Memphis, remember?!
I'm so confused (more than usual, ha)!!
(Geography was never my strong subject...duh, ya think?)
Look...A SIGN......
No, not there yet. Or yet. Or even yet.
Time to watch the beautiful farmland and silos and houses race by the windows...
We're passing through Missouri and Illinois...
Hmm, that's more blurry than the first photos...
is the driver speeding up?!
No, that's definately a clear picture of a red barn.
Uh, yes, that's the same red barn as the last picture, but somebody put a large orange/white piece of
Highway Art in front of it.
If you've driven on highways, you know what that means.
More Highway Art...which leads to...
Road Construction!!
Luckily we're driving on a Sunday, so no actual workers are out.
But the signs are still shouting out your speed,
So, someone, somewhere is watching.
What does it say??
End construction (silly optimist)???
Oh. Yeah.
A blinking yellow arrow guides the way.
Time to look at the scenery...
Haha! If you're going to have a pavillion for family picnics,
put in a port-a-pottie behind the bush!!
Especially when you're this close to the highway!!
We have arrived!!!
Look...A SIGN......
Time to watch the beautiful farmland and silos and houses race by the windows...
We're passing through Missouri and Illinois...
is the driver speeding up?!
Highway Art in front of it.
If you've driven on highways, you know what that means.
Luckily we're driving on a Sunday, so no actual workers are out.
But the signs are still shouting out your speed,
So, someone, somewhere is watching.
End construction (silly optimist)???
A blinking yellow arrow guides the way.
Time to look at the scenery...
put in a port-a-pottie behind the bush!!
Especially when you're this close to the highway!!
We have arrived!!!
In Tinley Park, about 20 miles from downtown Chicago.
...do we look a little road-tired?!
Mark did all the DRIVING,
while we watched the countryside speed by.
Yes, Amanda can and would love to do some driving, but her dad
worries as a passenger...
not because he doesn't trust her driving, but
he was in a bad car wreck in his 20s and can never relax
as a passenger.
Tomorrow we become Tourists.
More story and pictures to follow...
Thank you for sharing your road trip with us, Lizzie! I was just thinking that it had been an awfully LONG time since I chuckled and chortled and hooted when reading a Lizzie Blog, and LOOK - here's another one!! Can't wait to see the next episode, thanks-thaks-thanks,
ReplyDelete- Joanne in Tucson (I'm really not anonymous)