Chicago - The Windy City

Team Breitmann galloped into Illinois, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln,  and settled in about an hour north of Chicago. Chicago is an interesting and bustling place as we were soon to find out!  

Here we are,  all set up at Illinois Beach State Park, located near Zion, IL.  The campground is located directly on Lake Michigan and seems a world apart from the hustle and bustle of Chicago.  You can read a bit more about this park at this link: Illinois Beach State Park

Hailey,  ever the tom-boy,  just can't resist a good climbin' tree! "Hey, dad!"  Me:  Looking around, bewildered.  "Hailey?!  Where are you?!"  Hailey:  "Dad!  Up here!"  Me: Looking up..."go figure!"  Why am I surprised?!

A first for the gals of Team Breitmann...on the shores of Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes.  Do you know the names of all five?  Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario.  Lake Michigan is the 5th largest lake in the world and the third largest of the Great Lakes.  It is the only one of the Great Lakes that lies entirely within the borders of the United States.  All the other Great Lakes are bisected by the borders of the US and Canada.  Lake Michigan is 307 miles long and 118 miles wide, giving it a dimension only slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia.  At it's deepest point it is 923 feet. 

Of course, the girls have to jump in the lake to get the "full experience!"  This ain't Florida, girls!  Kids...if only we as adults could be so open to the "full experience!" 

"Are ya cold?!"  Look at the red nose and fingers!  Hailey (teeth chattering): "Ddddaaaad, wwwwere issss the the tttttowells?" 

The sand isn't quite like the sands like back home on the Gulf of Mexico but, hey...it's good for making mud volcano! 

Just up the road from our campground is the Zion Metra train station, which we use to get back and forth to Chicago.  This is definitely the way to go! It took us about an hour by train to get to the very downtown of Chicago.  The Metra dropped us off at the Ogilvie Train Station, where we could connect to subway, trains, or buses.  If your interested in maps, schedules and general info on the trains, you can see it at this link: Metra Rail - Chicago

All aboard!!  Look at these three lovelies getting on the train to Chicago!  "Going my way, girls?!" 

Okay, we made it to downtown Chicago....now what?!  Notice Stacey has a CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) map in her hand.  We are trying to decipher the bus schedule.  It took us three days to fully comprehend how things worked but, we "cracked the code" and by the third day, we were giving strangers directions!  You can view the CTA map at this link: (keep in mind, we did not have the "click able" version in hand!):  CTA Map

A familiar face!!!  Since Austin, Texas, we have not seen a familiar face but, we have now!  Stacey's friend, Donna, flew into Chicago to meet up with us!  How nice!  We all just love her!  Stacey and Donna stayed downtown and did a "girls" weekend, while me and my "two reds" hung out in Zion.  It was nice for all of us.  Stacey got to shop til she dropped with her friend and I got some quality time with just me and my girls.  

What is going to Chicago without some deep dish pizza-pie?!  Our first order of business, after meeting up with Donna was to go directly to Gino's East for pizza!  Good stuff!  Take a look at Gino's here:  Gino's East of Chicago

It isn't all fun, games and pizza!  Hailey works on here "final version" of writing assignment on President Andrew Jackson, while I do the laundry.  We are both thrilled!  (Sarcasm intended!) :)

With laundry and school assignments complete....it's back to the big city!  Well, you can take the country girl to the city but, you can't get the country out of the girl!  No, trees?!  Well, Hailey will climb whatever looks good to climb!  Here she scales her way up a monument on the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago.  Notice, she took her shoes off!  Gotta love that gal! 

Downtown doesn't compare to the good looks of these two!  

The gals of Team Breitmann seem to look very metropolitan as we make our way to the Museum Campus area.  The Museum Campus is a very cool place.   It is home to the Alder Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum and Soldier Field.  You check out the a map of the Museum Campus here: Chicago Museum Campus

Hailey strikes a pose in front of the Chicago Field Museum.  You can check out the Field Museum here: The Chicago Field Museum

Here we are inside the Chicago Field Museum posing with "Sue" the T-Rex.  Sue is the world's most complete and well preserved T-Rex in the entire world.  We laughed when we saw "Sue" because this looked like something right out of the movie "Night at the Museum"!  We love that movie and the sequel.  If you haven't seen them, check them out. 

One of the museum staff members let the girls hold a casting of one of Sue's teeth.  It's as big as a large Bowie knife!  Yikes!   I gotta hand it to Heidi!  Just like in the Lowell Observatory, she held her own with one of the museum staff, as he tried to espouse evolution , along with stating that there were four "extinction" events in the Earth's history, as if it was a proven fact.  Heidi listened patiently and calmly and with a nonjudgmental statement,  replied; "Sir, I don't subscribe to that theory as fact.  I subscribe to creationism, as described in the Bible.  Thank you, for sharing!  Have a blessed day!" She asked me later, "Hey, dad.  If there were supposedly four distinct extinction events, then how did life supposedly start over four different times?!"  Good question, Heidi!  There are indeed a lot of holes in evolutionary theory that are claimed as fact.  I love her!

What museum would be complete without an ancient Egypt exhibit!  

Chicago is famous for it's huge buildings.  In fact, Chicago can claim the title of "home of the skyscraper".  The world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, was built in Chicago in 1885.  By today's standards it is not impressive.  It was ten stories high.  However, it's architectural design known as the "Chicago skeleton" form of construction, which consists of a load-bearing structural steel frame that supported the entire weight of the walls instead of  traditional load-bearing walls led the way to the massive structures like the one pictured above.  This particular skyscraper was designed to appear as a waterfall, complete with ripple glass to look like water. 

Stacey shares some of the things she learned on an architectural boat tour she took with her friend, Donna.  She is describing the building of the Civic Opera House and how the owner had it designed to look like a throne. On a side note, the water ways in Chicago, pictured here, are dyed green during the massive St. Patrick's Day celebration held here, yearly.  St. Patrick's Day is very big here due to the rich Irish heritage roots. 

Near the Navy Pier, the girls cool off in a water fountain!  It was fun to watch them frolic, care-free amidst the hustle & bustle of Chicago.  I watched as the faces of passersby changed from introspective blank faces to wide spread smiles as they noticed the Team Breitmann gals skipping about in the spray of the water! 

Lest you forget the fool-proof formula for fun....
Kids + Water = Fun! 

Here the gals pose on the Navy Pier, in downtown Chicago.  It is Chicago's number one attraction.  It was originally designed for commercial shipping use and also was used, later as a fully dedicated Navy Training center, during World War II. Now, it is a public gathering place and home to shops, restaurants and cruising boats.  The girls and I take a ride on a replica of George Washington Gale Ferris' Wheel, which he designed and had built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.  The original Ferris Wheel.  It no longer exists but, this replica is a tribute to the original one. You can read a history of the Ferris Wheel here:  The Ferris Wheel 

A view from atop the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, looking out towards Lake Michigan. You can read more about the modern day Navy Pier here: Chicago Navy Pier

A view from atop the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel looking toward downtown Chicago.

The world is our classroom!  Here Hailey catches up on her history reading on the Metra Train! She looks like a regular commuter!

Good bye, Chicago!  The girls prepare to board the Metra train back to Zion station!  

Oh, we know how you feel, Molly...we are "dog tired" after running around Chicago!  

We are off to Indiana Amish country!  C-ya there! 

Madison - The Badger State Capital

Madison, Wisconsin...the capital of the "Badger State" and home to the University of Wisconsin.  We did not have a lot planned for this stop other than get some good bratwurst, see the farmer's market and do some repairs. 

Get good brats..."Check!" Upon a recommendation of a good friend, we headed downtown to State Street and State Street Brats.  Mmmm....good stuff.  Heidi and I had Sheyboygan style and Stacey had the red beef brats.  Both were OUTSTANDING! 

Hailey poses down on Capital Square.  Do the farmer's market..."Check!" 

Hailey, our "flower child" loves all the fresh flowers at the farmer's market.  The farmer's market here in Madison is home to the largest farmer's market in the entire United States.   You can check it out here:  Dane County Farmer's Market

We enjoy the bounty of the Farmer's Market for a picnic lunch on capital square.  We had cheese bread, fresh tomato, sausages and raspberries.  We also bought a zucchini to cook up later for dinner. 

Aaah...it doesn't get better than this!  A belly full of fresh farm food and my two "reds" in the shade!  Can I just freeze this frame?!  

Okay...so I mentioned repairs.  Well....I had a little "RV incident" with my electric, retractable stairs, while in South Dakota.  Not pretty.  The stairs have an automatic override switch that retracts the stairs,  when the ignition switch is turned.  Nice feature.  However, this only works when the door is closed.  I had left the door open as I drove a short few yards to a grey water dump station....well...as I turned the corner on an incline the steps, in the fully extended position, dipped down and came in contact with the ground.  It was a good thing that the parking lot was dirt or I would've done serious damage to the motor home.  The stairs did not fair well in this incident, as they were totally bent out of square and I found it impossible to straighten them out.  I had to remove them and order a new set, which I had shipped general delivery to Madison, WI.  Installing the new ones was not an easy task and I'm glad I had jacks and a hydraulic jack to assist me in getting the stairs in place.  No way I could "press" these heavy suckers in place with one arm! A few busted knuckles later and...voila!  New stairs.  Again, not bad for a guy who did not "work" for a living for 20 years!  

High Ho, Silver, Team Breitmann!  Away to Chicago we go! 

Wisconsin - Udderly Exciting Farm Country!

Team Breitmann headed due east out of Lino Lakes, MN, towards the mighty Mississippi  river valley.  We followed the river which had beautiful views from rocky bluffs.  It was difficult to capture on camera as we drove due to the many trees.  We crossed over to Wisconsin at La Crosse and took Wisconsin Hwy 33 into the heart of mid-western, Wisconsin farm country. 

We stayed in an area exemplified by rolling farmland dotted with small communities like; Wonewoc, Hillsboro, LaValle, Reedsburg and others.

Here we are setup just outside Wonewoc, WI at the Chapparal Campground.  What a gem of a find!  We had full hookups, plenty of space and access to the pool.  Also, they have an on site restaurant.  The girls enjoyed the pool nearly every evening.  The owners, Dennis and Diane, are great mid-westerners and made us feel like family!  If you are ever in this neck of the woods, we highly recommend you come visit and slow down and stay awhile!  Check them out at this link: Chapparal Campground

Dennis invited us to explore his adjacent 350 acres of farm, woods, several ponds and wetland restoration project.  Here Heidi takes a look at a field of soybeans.  The girls stated; "Look at that!  It's a whole field of edemame!"   

Talk about being treated like family!  Dennis dishes up a big helping of midwestern hospitality and gives me the use of his Ranger four-runner to take the gals around the 350 acres.  We saw a large flock of wild turkey in the woods and about 40 Canadian geese.  Hailey shows off a wild turkey feather she picked up along the way.

The gals are eager to get up close and personal with cows in Mr. Dennis' feed lot!  None of the girls, including Stacey, had ever been to a cattle feed lot.

After some antique shopping in the tiny town of Lavalle, we wander out on County Rd G to the Carr Valley Cheese Factory!  It is easy being cheesy!  This company is very small and only has two locations that they make cheese.  They have several retail outlets throughout Wisconsin.  Unlike the big cheese makers, they have decided to focus on specialty cheese at low volume, ensuring uniqueness and quality.  You can special order and have cheese shipped to you.  Check out their website and try a slice of Wisconsin "heaven"!  Carr Valley Cheese 

Hailey seems to agree that Wisconsin Cheese is awesome!  She loves the cheese curds, also known as "squeaky cheese" due to the sound it makes against your teeth.  We tried goats milk cheese, sheep milk cheese, a blend of goat and cow's milk cheese and my all time absolute favorite....10 year aged cheddar!  Unbelievable! A pound will run you around $25!  I could not resist and bought around $12 worth.  

"Hey, Dad!  Look!  It's a cheese named after me...Heidi"!  Sure, enough!  Heidi's full name is: Heidi Anna Breitmann!  Even the picture looks like her.  And, yes, we had to buy some of this swiss cheese!  The ladies behind the counter got a real kick out of Heidi and gave her a whole sheet of the label stickers that had the logo of the cheese on it!  

A first for the gals of Team Breitmann...seeing Amish folks!  I grew up near Amish country, so this was not new to me but, it sure was an education for Stacey and the girls. We stopped at an Amish family farm that was selling baked goods, jams, preserves, pies and hand made pasta.  Yep, we bought an awesome apple pie and some pasta.  Here Heidi poses with the family "car"!  

The girls in the Amish barn, visiting the family source of milk!  Hailey really is interested in the Amish way of life and what they wear.  She says, "...it would be fun to wear the dresses and bonnets!" Even though we tell her,  I don't think she's totally aware of the amount of work these Amish ladies do!  

On our way towards Baraboo, WI, (the original home of  Ringling Brothers Circus) we stop by a re-created 1880's farm village, complete with school house and church.  Stacey says, "Hey, Todd, if you build one of these log houses, we could afford it!" Me: "Uh, yeah, sure Stacey.  Good luck with your illusions!"

Only in Wisconsin can you go to the grocery store and your kids can compete against each other in a cow milking contest, while you shop!  Love it!  Did you know that Wisconsin is second in the nation in milk and butter production and leads the nation in cheese production?  It ranks first in production of corn for silage, cranberries, ginseng, oats, potatoes, carrots, tart cherries, maple syrup and sweet corn.  These numbers reflect crops for processing.  The Wisconsin state quarter design is a depiction of a Holstein cow, an ear of corn and a wheel of cheese, signifying the importance of agriculture in Wisconsin.

After we attended Sunday worship at Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church in Reedsburg, we stopped by a Wisconsin "must-do"....Culver's.  It is much like Braum's is to Oklahoma.  We had cheddar butter cheeseburgers, fried cheese curds and frozen custard.  My body is not going to be able to stand more than a year of this traveling!   After lunch, we decided to do a trail ride at "The Ranch" stables. I think I kinda look good on a white horse, don't ya think....well, okay...whatever!  It was worth a try!

The Trail Queen of Wisconsin (T.Q.O.W) saddles up for the ride on the 500 acres of woods and meadows. 

Heidi says; "Horses know I love them!  I have a way with them."  Okay, Ms. Horse Whisperer!

Hailey demonstrates the art of at least looking like you know what your doing....even when you have no clue!

A view of the meadow, along the trail ride, as we pop out of the woods.  We love this area!

Afer a hot, dusty trail ride, the girls decide it's time to take a dip in the campground pool.  

Remember what our motor home "sticker map" looked like on the 17th of February 2012?  Well, here's a reminder! 

Here is what it looks like as we start our 7th month of travel!  Holy sticker mania, batman! We've certainly seen a lot and there is sooo much more to see.  It really is unbelievable!  God Bless, America!  It's off to Madison, WI for Team Breitmann!