Chicago

We reached Chicago at around 3:00 pm. Jonah was in a race mood for some reason and it was kind of scary for Seb and me at times. We accidentally took the i-pass lane at a tollway. We had to call and figure out that the fine would be directly sent to Hertz if any.

We drove directly to navy pier. The weather in Chicago was very bad. The entire place was covered in mist. Most of the rides in the pier were closed. So we just walked around. Went to a 3D show and watched some artists sing and dance for kids.

We then drove to Aurora to Jonah’s Aunt’s house. It was about an hour’s drive. We reached there at may be around 8:30 pm. Aunt and uncle were extremely hospitable and they had cooked some dinner for us. She had specifically ordered Dal and Malai kofta for me, the only vegetarian. That was really sweet of her. After dinner, Jonah’s cousin Jimmy invited us over to the basement to watch a thriller movie called Saw. What a crazy but interesting film it is. We all were terribly scared when the movie ended. 

Next morning (Monday- 21st Feb) after breakfast we drove to Shed aquarium. The dolphin show was interesting. We also stopped by at the planetarium to watch a show called - "Stars of Paraho." 

The view of the modern city is spectacular from lake shore drive.

Next stop - Sears tower, tallest building in the world with its 110 Floors. Night view from the top was formidable. The weather was excellent and the sky luckily was clear. I must admit that i have never seen a city this beautiful. On a clear day it is said one could see four different states from here. 

As it got darker, the entire city began to light up and from the lake shore drive, the view was spectacular. Chicago is no doubt famous for its modern architecture. At the lake shore drive there was no one but us and that made this experience memorable. 

The city traffic is horrible. Everyone speeds here; at least by 15 miles more; even the trucks and thus driving here is a little difficult for those who are used to driving in Colorado Springs. We returned back to house at around 9 pm and had dinner. After which at around 10:30 PM we left on another long drive back home. This time we made no mistake such as last time. 

Experience had taught us not to have more than 2 hours of drive per person. That worked very well. Most of our drive back home was during the night. We drove through states of Iowa and Nebraska. Driving across Nebraska was really boring; plain lands on both sides of the road. We reached Colorado Springs at around 3:00 PM on 22nd Feb. More than 1000 miles in approximately 16 hours.

This trip boosted my confidence in driving long distances. In me it gave rise to the joy of travelling and exploring new places. It was somewhere during this drive that the traveller in me took a complete form. In days to come, I knew that I was going to travel as much as possible.