On the Road Again

After a pandemic hiatus, we drove to Wisconsin over Sarah's April break for the first time in three years. It's a two-day trek, about 10 hours each day. Sarah insists we stay at the same hotel (Best Western) and eat at the same restaurant (Baker's Square), at the half-way point in Mentor, Ohio. Don and I aren't enthused about those arrangements, but we haven't come up with a better plan.

We arrived in Mentor at about 6:00 on Friday evening. After checking in, Sarah and Abby stayed in the hotel room while Don and I got things from the truck. By the time we returned, Abby had pooped in the room, just so we'd feel we'd gotten our $40-pet-fee's-worth, no doubt. For dinner, Sarah had strawberry crepes, Don had pot roast, and I had eggs and hash browns. We're an eclectic bunch.

As usual when traveling, Don and I slept poorly. Sarah, however, awoke refreshed and said, "I love these beds; they're so comfortable!" She then ate four Danish from the hotel breakfast bar, raving the whole time. 

The next day, Chicago was a challenge, as usual. As soon as Don proclaimed, "Well, that wasn't so bad," traffic slowed to a crawl. We reached Waunakee at about 4:00, and Reid arrived soon after. Emily and Omar made a yummy taco dinner that included a lentil option for the vegetarian in the bunch (me).

It was a full house, with Don and me in Omarcito's room, Omarcito in Emily and Omar's room, Sarah in Sophia's room, and Reid on an inflatable mattress in Emily's office.

Sunday was Easter. After a wonderful brunch (Emily always feeds us well), the kids colored eggs and had an outdoor egg hunt. 

We then drove to nearby Verona to walk around the campus of Epic, maker of medical records software that probably runs your health portal, whether you know it or not. Sound boring? Au contraire, the company is constantly building new facilities, each with a whimsical theme. It is quite something.

We had ham, au gratin potatoes (Don's specialty), and asparagus for dinner. Omar's brother Paco arrived from Mexico, via Chicago, where he visited his girlfriend for the weekend, that evening. He bunked in the basement.

Sophia and Omarcito had Monday off from school, but the weather was cold and snowy, so we spent the day at the house. Don and I made a trip to Fleet Farm, a Midwestern home/farm/outdoors Mecca, in the afternoon. He bought fish hooks, and I got treats for Abby, trail mix, and some Pentel mechanical pencils that are the bee's knees. Lasagne -- choice of meat or vegetarian -- for dinner!

On Tuesday, the kids went back to school. Emily took the afternoon off to accompany Reid and us to Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. It was cold, of course, but we saw shoveler, blue-winged teal, ring-necked, scaup, and ruddy ducks, and a black-necked stilt. And lots of Canada geese and coots. 

Wednesday was Sophia's 14th birthday. Emily took the afternoon off, and we went to Madison with her to pick up the cake and do a little shopping. I love State Street, which is one of the most liberal shopping districts in America. I bought political pins, and Sarah got a t-shirt with a design of Minnesota and Wisconsin hugging.

On the way home, we stopped at Metcalfe's Market, located in an upscale shopping center. I was in search of a liberal bumper sticker, so we went to the University of Wisconsin Bookstore. No bumper stickers, but lots of cheese heads in stock. While Don and Emily went grocery shopping, Sarah and I visited Anthropologie and Lulu Lemon. She was thrilled.

Sophia chose Ancho y Agave, a Mexican restaurant, for dinner. Sarah and I had tacos, and Don had a huge chimichanga, which he didn't finish. When we got home, Sophia opened gifts, and we had lemon/lavender cake, her request. It was delicious! 

When we first arrived in Waunakee, Emily had a "magic" jigsaw puzzle started in the living room bow window. The edges and a few interior pieces were assembled. I started working on it and, of course, became compulsive, spending hours on it (sorry, Emily!). I finished it our last night there. Emily then gave me an envelope, which contained another envelope, which had instructions to rearrange the puzzle to make a large space in the middle. The final envelope held additional pieces to complete the center, revealing a cat, who was eating all the sandwiches made by the mice.

Sarah adores her niece and nephew. While she and Sophia are close, she and Omarcito also share a special bond.

We packed up and headed east the morning after Sophia's birthday. Sarah was relieved we could say, "See you soon!" because the Rodriguezes are coming to Vermont in August. Don wasn't up for another drive through Chicago, so we skirted it via I-39 and I-80. 

At a travel plaza in Ohio, Sarah and Abby stayed in the truck while Don and I went in. When we returned, Sarah had her window down and was pointing at a semi with its hood open about 25 yards away. She said, "That truck just had an accident." I then noticed the trailer flipped over beside the cab. Apparently, the driver came in too fast and lost control. A little more speed, and it might have reached our truck!

We stayed in Mentor once more, picking up McDonald's on the way to the hotel (one Baker's Square meal a trip is enough for me). 

The next day, we stopped for lunch with my good friend Alison and her husband Eric near Rochester, New York. They moved to a beautiful new home six years ago, and we finally got to see it! It was wonderful to see them after so many years. Abby was determined to get their old dog Buddy to play, but he wasn't up for it. We had a nice stroll around the neighborhood. It was a perfect break from driving and sweet addition to our trip.

We pulled into the driveway about 7:30 Friday evening. While we were all happy to be home, Abby may have been the most relieved. An hour later, as I was getting ready for bed, I heard her snoring on the floor beside me. She was pooped.

We were all tired, but so grateful for precious time with family. I have to confess, when I met Don, I didn't consider his three kids a bonus (and I'm pretty sure they felt the same about me). Now, I can't imagine my life without them, their spouses, and their children. They have blessed me with so much love and happiness and given Sarah a big, supportive family. I, too, am glad we could say "See you soon!" and hope Reid, Rachel, and Matt can join us this summer.