Happy Birthday America

We opened the windows a bit and settled in to watch the city change as the sun slowly set.  The sound of a fantastic swing band Swing band Comp_0242playing in the band shell just below us floated up.   Colored lights began to show as they danced on the water of the fountain as did the bright white patterns of the Ferris wheel lights on Navy Pier.Navy Pier_0248

Red, white, and blue began to glow on the Aquarium, Solider Field,building lighting_0236 Anthem’s high rise, along the Pier and other office buildings.  Very cool.

Promptly at 9:30 the sky was lit up by fireworks.  I’d say it was a pretty good birthday party.

Here we come Chicago

Brian is visiting with us for a few days.  We were a tad bit late into Midway to pick him up thanks to a number of idle but still disruptive construction zones.

Gino’s Deep dish Chicago pizza.  Yummy but not quite as good as I remember Edwardo’s from years ago.

The Congress Plaza Hotel

Twelve floors up facing Michigan Avenue with a bay window that displays a panoramic view of Grant Park and Lake Michigan from Adler Planetarium to Navy Pier.   Sweet.  The windows even open a bit to let in the sounds of the city…mostly great, occasionally shrill and disruptive….city none the less.

Streams of water in buckingham fountain comp_0189Buckingham Fountain shot as high as 140 feet and danced from the mouths of seahorses and fish.

Navy pier – Yikes there are lots of people and its only 6PM.  We decided that the view from the hotel window was the best to be had so we didn’t hang on the pier too long.  We did get to check out the tall ship Windy and lots of other boats and yachts.  I couldn’t pass up dough ala mode!  It is like an elephant ear but fried in more bite sized pieces, smothered in cinnamon apple topping and gelato topped with whipped cream and nuts.  How could that not be good?

Good thing there were three of us but we didn’t waste a bite.

Ok, back to the hotel for the fireworks.   Fireworks_0266 Sail Flag Web_0203It’s a mile plus stroll but the evening is beautiful.  We checked out some new age sort of music at the Pritzkar Pavilion in MillenniumPark. It wasn’t really to my liking but hey, it was a new experience and it was free.  A quick stop at the polished kidney bean/butt crack sculpture and a cup of Caribou coffee and on home to the Congress.

This is Valentine

Valentine Comp_0167I bought 6 raffle tickets to win this magnificent hand carved carousel horse.  The drawing is December 31.  Mom already said he can live at her house until we settle somewhere that has space.  I am gonna win you know.

We visited the Carousel Museum in Sandusky Ohio.  They display a number of 1890s early 1900s carousel animals most of which are from private collections.  Some are preserved as found and some are restored.  All of them are fantastic works of art.Carousel figures Comp_0148 Carousel Figures Comp_0152 Lynns ride Comp_0158 Lynns ride_0159

The detour added a couple hours to our drive from PA to IN to make it a whopping 13 hours in the Miata.  I still ache when I think about it!  I think it was worth it….don’t ask Kent though.  I’m not so sure he appreciated the extra couple hours behind the wheel.

We did it

We bought Kayaks. I can’t wait to get them out on the water.

Kayaks Comp_0121Kayaks Comp_0117

Wow, our trailer is getting full!

 

 

We got the kayaks all settled in so they will ride without beating themselves up against other stuff and/or falling on the Miata.  Kent worked at it quite a while.  I think maybe we have maxed out on toys for the road.

The Elkhart Jazz Festival

Blues and classic jazz: Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers (it felt like New Orleans)

A bit of local flavor: Truth in Jazz,

A wonderful sampling of the wide world of Jazz: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.  Familiar sounding stuff from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Bennie Carter, Fletcher Henderson, and a bit less familiar, requiring a bit more effort to appreciate, Thelonious Monk.

Did you know that trumpets, trombones, and even saxophones can sound like sheep baaing?  They did in BaaBaa Blacksheep.  This was probably my favorite piece.  Walking Shoes originally by Gerry Mulligan was great too.

Track 360 (who knew that Count Basie was such a train guy?) was great fun too.

A day filled with music.  It was FUN.

I’d do it again in a minute.

Hello Elkhart

Cool, there are statues of beautifully painted Elk scattered around town.  It much like the pigs and roosters etc. we have seen in our travels as other towns have adopted critters as their mascots.

Municipal band.  Great sound.  They played a march of course plus a lot of jazz stuff since this is jazz festival week.

Motorhome repairs:  this is the place for it.  We are getting the AC worked on, the coach stereo replaced, and a few other general mechanical repairs.  Just little niggly things.

Wakarusa Dime Store jumbo jelly beans!

 

Looking back at Brookville Lake

A bald eagle made a showing.  We found a pretty good pan fish spot.  More catfish.

The Mounds SRA on the lake is a pretty nice campground.  Sites are a little tight but are placed on carefully mowed rolling hills dotted with shade trees.  It is quiet.  Maybe 10% of the sites are occupied.

Then the weekend comes.  Wow, what a zoo.  This is definitely a family campground.  Kids are everywhere: on bikes, trikes, scooters, motor scooters, running, walking, playing ball, climbing all over playgrounds like ants at a picnic.

Fathers Day mousey

Kent enjoyed calls from both of the kids and an otherwise quiet day.  It was rainy so we hung around camp.

A new fishing lure made its appearance:  Little Miss Mousey.  Cute, huh?  Its supposed to be the greatest thing for bass and pike……???

We are houseless!

We closed on the house in Elkhart today. Hooray! There is a little nostalgic sense of loss but the overwhelming feeling is FINALLY! It is nice not to have to worry about it any longer and to not have the frustrations of dealing with realtors and what not from a distance.