Began our journey out of Florida with a long driving day landing us on Saint George Island (home to Jimmy Buffett, Hank Williams, Jr.). Wonderful island to bicycle with miles of beautiful beaches.
Thanks to our dear friend Helena Cohen, we enjoyed a rest stop for a few days in Sandestin, FL. It is a planned community just outside of Destin, Fl. This part of the FL panhandle that has sand so white it doesn’t get hot on the hottest day of the summer. There was a rumor that due to its 99% pure silica quartz composition it squeaks when you walk on it – we proved this is true, very cool. I tried to take a video, but it just can’t be captured. You’ll have to visit for yourself, invite me, I LOVE this place. If it wasn’t referred to as Hurricane Alley, I’d consider living there.
Montgomery Alabama, quite the place. With nicknames of both “The Birthplace of Civil Rights” and “The Cradle of the Confederacy” you can understand its rich diverse history. Our friend, Kathleen Polston, recommended a stop at a powerful museum called “The Legacy Museum”. A well researched and executed museum which serves to raise awareness of a part of Southern slavery history that must be remembered and never repeated. A haunting quote in the museum spoke to the journey from slavery to segregation to incarceration…..a cycle which must be broken. Our shuttle driver was an amazing symbol of the forgiveness, strength, and resilience required to overcome the painful past and brighten the future.
A stop in Nashville, Indiana proved to be everything Scott Thomson said it would be. A sweet little tourist town with the unbelievable Indiana Heritage Art museum – the brainchild of a few local artists – features artists from all over the state. A featured artist, Nancy Noel, was told by a teacher that because of her dyslexia, she would never succeed in life. She certainly proved him wrong. https://www.nanoel.com/
A tasting at the Preservation Distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail on our way to Chicago was a treat. We saw a familiar site – a Bucee’s on the way in Kentucky – fell in love with the light, low calorie “lemon cookies”!
No trip to Indiana would be complete without a stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. From a winning speed of 74.59 mph (first race in 1911), to a record 236.103 (1996).
We love Chicago! My favorite expression is it is the biggest city with a small town friendly feeling. So much culture, architecture, beauty and FOOD! wowzah…We enjoyed the not to be missed Boat Architectural Tour which was filled with city history. The 6 shades of blue building, Aqua Tower, designed by female architect, Jeanne Gang was a tour highlight. https://www.dezeen.com/2015/09/22/jeanne-gang-movie-vista-residences-skyscraper-chicago-waterfront/#
Chicago millennial park – home of “The Bean” (Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate) whose reflections change with the daylight is a visual playground. Suprisingly, the Museum of Science and Industry houses a full size WWII u-boat. Did you know the first reference to the “brownie” in America appears in the Sears Roebuck Catalog published in Chicago in 1898. Bertha Palmer (of the now famous Palmar House Hotel) directed the creation of them in the Palmar House kitchen to be served at the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair of 1893. Take time to read, “The Devil in the White City” for more fascinating tales of the 1893 Chicago worlds fair.
No visit to Chicago would be complete without an incredible DEEP DISH CHICAGO PIZZA! Our find was Pequod’s Pizza – our mouth are still watering for another. When can we come back????