Day 2 - From Cleveland to Chicago

EL DIA DOS (Day Two)

9:30AM. Wake up in the hotel room and continue the excitement for a new day. No frantic pace to anything we do, but trying to enjoy everything about everything. At 11:30 we park across the street from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and look for something to eat.

Cleveland is a very quiet and very clean city, or at least from what we’ve seen.

“Like a movie set,” remarks Rachel.

12:45PM. Walk up to the entrance of the Rock Museum. Pretty awesome. They’re blaring “Money” by Pink Floyd on the outside loudspeakers!

The place itself is pretty cool, though they didn’t allow photography. Great seeing things like the guitars of Jerry Garcia (who had about 7 there, all with Grateful Dead insignias on them), Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, etc. And the outfits! Pretty interesting when viewing everything from that close. Looks very human now, though they always used to appear as the garb and tools of Gods.

2PM. Leave museum and walk to take a look at Lake Erie. Boats frozen in water, birds walking and cavorting on top of the ice.

Rachel does some yoga poses to help stretch out her lower back in preparation for the coming drive to Chicago. On the pier. Yet it all seems very proper and natural to do so.

3:42PM. Let’s not forget what an adventure this is for the kitties as well! They probably thought that hotel room was their new home. Haha! They literally have no idea. Stupid cats.

4:51PM. The kitties are meowing like crazy. Time for some tryptophan?

4:54PM. OK, soaked some treats with the drug and fed to the kitty cats.

5:14PM. They’re out completely (and what turns out to be for the rest of the drive). Yup, crackheads.

5:25PM. 196 miles from Chicago!

Completely forgot to mention the fact that we have our 1st San Francisco apartment!!! Excellent. Everything we were

looking for and more. Visitors are welcome...and expected! Our new address is 3 blocks from Alamo Square Park.

Just discussed how at the end of this 2-week Vacation Across America we won’t be going “back” home. Instead we’ll be moving into a great new place close to our dear friends, Jesse and Lindsey.

Sure, we all knew these things were happening at the onset. But there is a bit of an emotional delay in dealing with

everything, since it’s a whirlwind of events for us. No jobs. Everything we own in the back of a large yellow truck. Our kitties are drug addicts.

Pardon us for taking the time to process it all.

5:39PM. Just crossed the Ohio-Indiana border. Tried to take a picture of “Welcome to Indiana” sign, but it just ended up Rachel yelling “INDIANA! INDIANA! TAKE IT! TAKE IT!” while I panic, fumble for the camera and snap a shot of some blurry

trees and road. What a team!

6:05PM. We get bored. Rachel tries sticking gummy candy to her lips while I watch and take pictures.

8:30PM. We’ve entered Chi-Town! Rolling onto the Chicago Skyway as Rachel squeals in delight.

10:30PM. (Rachel here) We were so great with remembering to find all the truck routes in NYC, however, I can’t say the same for Chicago. After figuring out that trucks are not allowed on Lake Shore Drive we ventured through the southeast

side of Chicago while trying to figure out how to get to the northwest side. Needless to say, due to my awesome driving skills and sense of direction, I got us here to the ALEXANDERS’!!!

11:00PM. Brian went to sleep (he is old), I went out for a drink at Hopleaf. If you’re ever in Chicago and enjoy drinking good beer, I really suggest this place on Foster and Winona. Over 40 beers on tap and over 250 in bottles - YUM! How much I’ve missed my hometown.