Author: anne

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Five, Nebraska and Wyoming

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Five, Nebraska and Wyoming

We awoke day five of our road trip in Sidney, Nebraska, close to the Wyoming border. The weather was cold and clear and we were looking forward to a warm shower to help get us moving. Unfortunately, the shower was quite anemic in its spray 

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Four, Omaha

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Four, Omaha

When we were brainstorming the plan for our epic road trip, we asked our children if there was anything they wanted to see. My 5-year-old chimed in immediately. โ€œWe should see a zoo and a circus!โ€ We knew the circus request was going to be 

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Three, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Three, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska

13 degrees that morning in Chicago with extreme wind.  Brrrrr!!
13 degrees that morning in Chicago with extreme wind. Brrrrr!!

We awoke on day three of our journey in our Chicago to 13 degree weather with lots of wind. It would end up being the coldest morning of our entire trip.

While normally we aim for Hampton Inns, Chicago was particularly crowded this time of year and the only hotel available to us was a DoubleTree Inn and Suites just outside Chicago.

I have never stayed in this hotel chain before but I really love the concept. The hotels are designed around a large center atrium. Generally, the restaurant and pool are in this center atrium. All of the rooms circle the atrium. You can look over the balcony outside your hotel room door and see what is going on in the atrium or look at other guests on their balconies doing the same. It creates a nice homelike, community vibe. You don’t feel like you have been filed away in a small room. Instead, you are part of one large party. This format would be ideal for conferences, retreats or weddings where you want people to mingle.

The cheery atrium of the Doubletree Suites just outside Chicago.
The cheery atrium of the Doubletree Suites just outside Chicago.

Each room is a small suite. There are large entry doors to the room, a sitting area with couch, TV, desk and kitchenette and a separate bedroom area in the back that is closed off by a connecting door. It feels like a small home. The kids went crazy for the concept. It was so nice to have the extra space. I used the sitting room for exercise and it was also nice to have two spaces so that people could make noise in one space while others have quiet time or rest in the other.

A peek inside the suite of our Chicago hotel.
A peek inside the suite of our Chicago hotel.

One interesting organizational feature of this hotel was its segmented garbage cans where you “filed” your trash into garbage and recycling.

The hotel's compact recycling system for each room.
The hotel’s compact recycling system for each room.

After two full days of activities, day three ended up being a mellow Sunday drive. It’s a little tough driving through the heartland on a Sunday in wintertime as most things are closed or open limited hours.

We had to adjust our expectations to simply enjoy the scenery. And there was plenty to enjoy.

Illinois farmland.
Illinois farmland.

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Soon, we crossed into Iowa.

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We made our way to our first destination, a skybridge in Davenport, Iowa that would give us a chance to get out of the car, stretch our legs and have a great view of the Mississippi River while still being protected from the wind and cold.

Riding the elevator in the skybridge.
Riding the elevator in the skybridge.
Inside the skybridge.
Inside the skybridge.
View of the Mississippi from the skybridge.
View of the Mississippi from the skybridge.
Another view from the skybridge.
Another view from the skybridge.

We burned off a little stir-craziness from the car ride by having everyone run and jump in the skybridge. The kids thought this was great.

Catching some air in the skybridge.
Catching some air in the skybridge.

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The skybridge connects part of the city to a casino near the river. Inside there is music playing. At night, it is apparently lit with festive red and green lights. While we were in the skybridge, this song was playing, which was a perfect fit.

Seeing a homeless man sleeping at one end of the skybridge was a sobering reminder to be so grateful for all that we had.

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As we exited the skybridge near the casino, we were treated to more music of the retro variety.

We drove on, passing “The World’s Largest Truck Stop.”

The World's Largest Truck Stop.
The World’s Largest Truck Stop.

We stopped at the fine eatery below for lunch. Recognize it?

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Believe it or not, this is a McDonald’s! I was shocked. Apparently, McDonald’s is experimenting with a more modern look, including bright colors and contemporary furniture. We thought it was great!

The rest of the day we drove on through more farmland.

Iowa landscape
Iowa landscape

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And to answer the burning question, “What are cows in Iowa up to these days?” I offer this papparazzi shot.

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More landscape followed punctuated by wind turbines.

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We also noticed the first appearance on our journey of water windmills, that seem to appear primarily in the middle of the country and almost nowhere else.

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The sun began to set in a dramatic way.

Iowa winter sunset.
Iowa winter sunset.

Soon, we reached the Nebraska border.

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We checked into our hotel, another Doubletree Suites since the children loved it so much. The staff had decorated a Christmas tree in the atrium and it was a festive touch.

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The hotel atrium with Christmas tree, a touch of home.
The hotel atrium with Christmas tree, a touch of home.
The sitting room portion of our suite.
The sitting room portion of our suite.
The bedroom portion of the suite.
The bedroom portion of the suite.

Day three was a bit lacking in highlights but it was still great and helped us rest up for more adventures the next morning.

*I am not affiliated with any product or service mentioned in this post.

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Two, Detroit and Chicago

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Two, Detroit and Chicago

We awoke in Cleveland on day two of our journey and after partaking of the hotel’s free breakfast, made an early start toward our first destination of the day, Detroit. Many we told of our travel plans were puzzled by our choice of Detroit as 

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day One Pittsburgh and Cleveland

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day One Pittsburgh and Cleveland

Ever since we relocated to the east coast, we have never been home for Thanksgiving. Sometimes we had to save our plane fare for Christmas or we didn’t have enough vacation days. Since it takes almost a full day to fly that far, the travel