We Need More Time! The Pennsylvania Countryside, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago

We left our comfortable, lovely home in the suburbs of D. C. early on Friday, after putting everything in order.  We were so sad to go!  The drive through Maryland and Pennsylvania was picturesque everywhere we looked.  It was one well-kept farm after another.  We turned off the Pennsylvania Turnpike in one of these quaint little towns to get gas.  By sheer coincidence, it was near Shanksville and the Flight 93 Memorial.  The memorial was actually 20 miles out of our way, but there was no way we weren't going to go.  Ari has just read "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a novel about 9-11, so she was very interested.  I have always wanted to know more about the people on that flight and the details surrounding the crash. 

 The crash site.

 Tizzy wanted to hold the umbrella.

 It says, "and unborn child."

 Ari wanted to leave her bracelet.

The memorial was beautiful; several plaques detailing the events of that day, the timeline and the people on the flight.  I had forgotten that there were only 40 people on the flight.  It was raining hard as we followed the marble wall on which were inscribed the names of all the passengers.  One name had inscribed next to it, "and unborn child."  That got us.

Beyond a wooden gate, the crater from the crash has been filled in and a large boulder has been placed to mark the edge of the crash site.  It was a moving tribute, the whole thing was, and we were all glad we went and spent time there.  There is a specific emotion that 9-11 brings when I revisit how I felt that day and the weeks after.  It's uncomfortable to revisit it, but also cathartic in a way.

Driving back to the turnpike, we saw a sign for fresh maple syrup.  Scott must have been feeling adventurous, so we approached an old, well-maintained farmhouse with a huge garden and barn, where a sign said to inquire about syrup in the rear building.  When we entered the building, which looked like a banquet hall, there sat a family in what looked like Amish clothing, all sitting around a table eating lunch in silence.  Or maybe it was the sight of a pink-haired woman and the man in red pants bursting through their door that inspired the silence.  I thought I saw some jaws drop.  They turned out to be from a sect called the German Brotherhood, or something similar, who use electricity but dress and live very much like the Amish.  We had just decided not to take a detour to Amish country, and then we got to buy maple syrup on a real working farm, standing in a real kitchen, talking to a woman in a calico dress and a net on her bun.  She told us that the house was built before the Civil War.  Wow!  All the rooms were extremely neat and tidy.  What would it be like to live such a circumscribed life?

From there, we continued to Pittsburgh, to a restaurant Scott had heard of for Philly steak sandwiches.  It was delish and oozed with atmosphere.  They had a deal where if you gave them a license plate for their wall, you got a free cheese fries.  My car doesn't have a spot for a plate on the front, so I've been carrying around that license plate in my car.  We gave it to the restaurant, so there is a piece of us in Pittsburgh!  I rold Scott, if I get pulled over for not having a front plate, I am not telling the cop that I gave it away for an order of cheese fries!

The hilarious tan lines from Xanthe's shoes.  Her gorgeous skin is so quick to tan!

All of these cities we're visiting are places I haven't been since college.  I drove to and through Pittsburgh several times back then, and I always liked it.  It's different now, but the same.  I am fascinated by Pittsburgh.  It has a grittiness that is all its own, and a pride that is almost paplable in the air.  We spent a few hours walking the blue-collar neighborhoods, taking in Pittsburgh, getting it in our hair and on our skin and under our skin.  Driving past all the row houses, it almost looked like Pittsburgh has never torn anything down.  Some blocks looked old, some even dilapidated.  Somehow, they were poignantly beautiful against the steel background of the skyscrapers.

I want to go back.

Our plan was to stay just outside Pittsburgh, but we got to our hotel and did not like it one bit.  There was nothing going on in this boring suburb, and Cleveland was only a couple of hours away.  Keeping on to cleveland was the best decision we have made this trip.  We ended up racing the clock to Cleveland to get Freestone and Scott to a Cleveland Indians game, arriving just after it started.  The rest of us were planning on going to the hotel, but somehow, that never happens.  The Cuyahoga County Fair was going on, and really, how can you just not go to a county fair in Ohio if it's only 15 minutes away?  We spent the duration of the baseball game eating various deep-friend foods (cookie sough, Oreos, corn dogs, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups...), looking at animals and walking the midway.  Quintessential Midwest summer night. 

We kept getting turned around, though.  Ari asked me, standing in front of the rooster building, "Where are we?"  I said, "I don't know...I think the deep-fried Oreos are this way..."  She said, "No.  Mom. Where ARE we?"

I said, "Oh.  The Cuyahoga County Fair.  Cleveland.  Ohio."

"Oh."

Scott and Freestone lucked out and got a fireworks show in the stadium after their game, so we got to stay until the end of the fair, then picked them up downtown and went to our hotel.  Every day of this trip has been so great.  This day was one of my very favorite.  We all loved Pittsburgh.  We all loved that we decided to keep going to Cleveland while the kids happily watched movies in the car.  We all got to stay out late doing exciting things in Cleveland, yet another city that we wish we had more time to explore.  17 years ago when Scott and I drove through here, he wanted to visit the rock n Roll Hall of Fame, and we didn't.  And we didn't again this time.  Maybe next time!

 The famous "Touchdown Jesus" mosaic at Notre Dame.

The next day I can summarize fairly quickly:  We slept in a little bit, drove a lot, visited the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, took an unneccesary detour, found a better chicago hotel and then, finally, got down to the business of enjoying our time in Chicago, starting with the Taylor Swift concert in Soldier Field!  Traffic was crazy, but parking was worse, so it was lucky that I could just drop off Scott, Ari and Ruby at the stadium.  The other kids were so patient, and traffic was so bad getting out, I pulled over in a no parking zone in front of the Field Museum to get them grilled cheese sandwiches from a little kiosk.  There were so many limos parked for the concert, nobody cared that we were there, and we got to wolf down our sandwiches in front of one of the best views in the world.  Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline, the sailboats, the clouds...I think it's what Chicago residents live for, nights like this.

After swimming at the hotel, we picked up the kids and Scott downtown.  They all said the concert was amazing!  Taylor Swift puts on a quality show, apparently!  she is certainly talented and seems to have her wits about her.  What luck that Scott was able to do that with the girls. It about killed us that Golda wasn't here.  I miss her!  She had fun at her Ririe-Woodbury dance workshop with her dance company friends, though.  they got to stay overnight in Salt Lake.

 Ptolemy said, "How 'bout tomorrow do nuffin'?".....

 The beach!...

 ...in the city!  Again, the weather was utterly perfect.  Not too hot, not too cold, sunny, a few pretty clouds, just a Ferris-Bueller day to be in Chicago.  The beach was perfect.  The whole day was perfect.

 Watching the planes fly RIGHT over the pizza place, like 50 feet above our heads.  Freestone said, "I sure hope there's an airport around here."  There was. :)

Food stress.  She felt better after getting some food in her tummy.

 Freestone finally got his deep dish Chicago style pizza!  Truly, it was above and beyond any cheesiness we have ever experienced.

 Xanthe helping out at the hotel.  Our pool was broken and they sent us across the street to the much more posh Courtyard, where the pool was like an exclusive resort.  No kids...except us.

Me in my post-swimming attire.  We took this because I have a picture of me standing in the same spot when I was in college.  I'll have to dig it up.

Today, Sunday in Chicago, we opted to hang out at the beach on Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive.  Another brilliant decision.  Ptolemy had suggested "doing nuffin," and we chose the perfect spot for that.  Scott and the kids had easy access to the Magnificent Mile, and the weather was absolutely dreamy.  Ptolemy is so confused.  He looked around at the beach and said, "Where's the beach Jennie and I go to?"  He meant Imperial Beach in California.  Later, he said, "Let's go up to our condo."  We're not in California, kid!

Tonight was the experience Freestone has been waiting for, deep dish Chicago style pizza, and it did not disappoint.  So good!  After a good swim, we packed the pajama'd kids in the car and drove to see Wrigley Field.  Chicago at night is so, so beautiful.  We drove all over the neighborhoods, and a lot was going on for a Sunday night!  There was a huge block party near Wrigley Field and no shortage of bars and clubs packed to overflowing.  Sad that it's our last night here!   It's killing me!  Scott, too.