Moxie Takes Chicago

Temperatures rose slightly as we drove through Iowa and Illinois on Friday. But the chill remained, rendering brief a visit to Davenport's charming Credit Island Park. Bodies must adjust to these climes: Whereas I could endure barely 20 minutes outside of the toasty car, others rode motorcycles on a frozen inlet of the Mississippi River! I wish I'd snapped a picture of that. (My fingers were too numb to manage the camera.)

The town of Davenport itself seemed charming, too. I swung through only briefly to grab an egg-salad sandwich at Lagomarcino's, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, candy store, and diner. But it would have been great to have luxuriated over a rootbeer float. (When WILL restaurants allow dogs inside?!) This seems like it would be a nice place to spend a weekend in warmer weather.

Yesterday Moxie and I paused to enjoy a day of seeing old friends and a new city. We officially LOVE Chicago! Moxie played in the sand along frost-fringed Lake Michigan, then we met AB for an informal walking tour through the city's Lakeview neighborhood, stopping for a great cup of coffee along the way. It turns out that Chicago is quite a "dog town." Even in the unusually chilly weather, dogs and their people filled the streets. And AB may soon join those ranks! She and Moxie hit it off like old buds.

One of the highlights of my trip to Chicago turned out to be the Chicago Diner. AB recommended it enthusiastically, so I popped in for a to-go box while Moxie slept off the day's activities in the car. The whole menu at this place is vegetarian! Needless to say to those who know me well, I was paralyzed re: choosing something to try, so I went with a recommendation from a waitress. She didn't disappoint. The Seitan Caesar Salad was out of this world! I'll have to swing back through Chicago again to try something else there, and to pick up the groovy "Kiss A Vegetarian" t-shirt.

And the day just kept getting better. Generous friends AR and DB invited us to sup at their Libertyville home, where DB whipped up a ratatouille-and-polenta feast with outrageous chocolate cake for dessert. It was so nice to retreat to a home for an evening. We slept well last night, hearts and bellies filled to the brim.

Today's driving was easy, blessedly free of the snowy conditions that opened our trip. We took a walk in Indiana's Pokagon State Park. The wildlife there reminded me of the East... a bluejay crossed our path and the sounds and smells evoked childhood walks in Pennsylvania. Tonight we rest in eastern Ohio, ready to hop onto the PA Turnpike in the morning and arrive at my grandmother's house in Maryland by lunchtime. Once there, I'll scramble to meet a Thursday deadline, then get to work organizing and packing for our next trajectory -- this time toward sunny Florida!