south dakota: badlands national park, kadoka, minuteman missiles, and mitchell

After my days in the Custer state park area, I started a new day with another carb loaded breakfast (I love sugar, but three days in a row of sugar sugar sugar for breakfast was a bit ridiculous) then packed up.
I drove east on I-90, with a speed limit of 80mph, for a couple hours.
There are two major entrances to badlands national park, on either end of the one big road that goes through the park. It must be really easy to count the number of park visitors, unlike in other national parks that have many entrances. I paid my fee (good for a week, you're supposed to leave the ticket on the dashboard of your car) and continued driving.
My original idea was to drive through the park, stop off to take a few photos, then find a hiking trail. It didn't work out that way. There were so many stunning views that I found myself pulling over quite regularly to take photos and enjoy the scenery. 

Some of my stops had other visitors, some did not. I ended up taking a good 3-4 hours to drive the entire road. SO MANY STUNNING VIEWS.
I'm not really into geology, but I still loved being able to see layers of history, to see the different colours produced when the earth is exposed to different minerals over time. Heaps of natural beauty. So many overlooks that make you realize just how small humans are in the grand scheme of things.
Toward the end of the road, closer to the other entrance to the park I found the visitor/information center. I looked at all the postcards available (heaps) but didn't buy any. Yet. I found the ranger desk, and started asking questions.
I learned a few things about the park. One, there aren't many marked hiking trails. Two, you can go anywhere you want in the park, SO LONG AS YOU CAN GET BACK. 

Not surprisingly, rangers aren't keen on searching for people who have gotten themselves lost, or in other kinds of trouble requiring help. I should've asked how often that happens.
I parked the car in an actual parkplatz and explored one area a bit more, just because I could. It was fun to climb up the rocks, and find hidden paths. It's easy to see how someone could get lost in a hurry. I watched a storm rolling in, the clouds were beautiful, especially next to the already stunning landscape. The wind was strong at this point, it blew my hat off my head!
I drove out of the park, and about 20 miles down the road to a small town called kadoka. I drove through the storm on the way, everyone on the road slowed down quite a bit, the rain was really heavy. Even with my wipers going as fast as possible, I could barely see through all the rain!

I don't know why, but there is very little accommodation close to or in the park. Kadoka is the closest town to this end of the park, it isn't big. There are a couple hotels, some petrol stations, a local library, a small grocery store, etc.
After checking in, I asked the front desk clerk for a recommendation of a restaurant, preferably of the local diner type. She told me about Aw Shucks diner, very easy to find.
It was awesome. Service was a little slow, but I will blame that on the one server being pregnant. I ordered on an empty stomach, which is a dumb thing to do. (Just like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach.) I ordered way too much, especially considering the portion sizes. I did my best to finish all the food (I hate to waste) but left some food on the plate. 

The next morning I drive back in the direction of the park, but turned a different way on the entry road when I saw a sign pointing to a minuteman missile museum. I found the museum, which had just opened; the displays weren't yet completely ready. I found out I could take a tour of an old missile launch control sight, I booked myself onto a tour at 1500.
I drove into the park, and found the correct parkplatz for the hike I wanted to do.
The hike was awesome. Afterward, the ranger told me I'd gone 7 miles. It took me a bit over 3 hours, hot and sunny. I wore a scarf around my neck to protect the skin, otherwise I would've been in a lot of pain from a bad sunburn. It was beautiful, with more stunning scenery. I'm really glad I had my camelbak, I drank almost all 3L of water. Amazing.
I drove back out of the park, back onto I-90. I drove west until I got to the right exit to find the former missile launch control sight. My tour group ended up being just three people, several others didn't show up. Our guide was actually someone who used to work in this facility. All the stories he had were from personal experience. Awesome.
He told us how the whole thing worked. He showed us how the facility was arranged, and he discussed some of the items we could see. He told us what they were supposed to do if the worst case happened, and a nuclear war was started. (Thankfully, that never happened.) I really liked learning from someone who had experience.

After the tour, I drove east again. I stopped for another meal at Aw Shucks, because I know the food would be good. This time I didn't order nearly as much :)
After dinner, I continued driving east. I drove all the way to Mitchell. Upon checking in to a hotel there, I found out is crossed the time zone line, and moved forward an hour.
After checking in I drove to the corn palace. I made it with 20 minutes to spare. It's a big building, nearly all the decoration is made with corn cobs. All the corn is local, a wide variety of colors. The check in clerk at my hotel told me they change the designs of the murals each year, there is always a new theme.
While I was inside, I found postcards, each had a year written on them. Very cool to see what the palace looked like during various years.

The next morning I enjoyed the hotel breakfast. Plenty of carbs again, but there were other options too. Yogurt, hard boiled eggs. And they had a waffle maker, fun!
Then I drove back to mundelein, Illinois. 'Only' nine hours of driving. I picked up my hosts at the airport that night, that small round trip added another 2 hours of driving.

south dakota: custer state park, mt rushmore, and crazy horse

I'm pretty sure that in an earlier post I mentioned renting a Prius. I loved it. Quiet, (almost eerily so,) very fuel efficient, easy to handle. When I showed up at the car rental place for this 'trip' I saw the Prius in the parkplatz, yahoo. The lady gave me the Prius again, yippee!
Then I started driving west. A long way west. A very long way west. I ended the day in Hot Springs, South Dakota. (According to google maps, I drove approximately 925 miles.) along the way I stopped twice, for petrol and food. Again, I bought unhealthy food, as that is by far the easiest and cheapest you'll find close to most highway stops.
The Prius seemed to be the most efficient around 60mph. The speed limit in South Dakota is 80mph, so I was able to get across that state faster than other states.

Upon arrival, I used google maps to find my hotel. Unfortunately, Google suggested I drive on a road that was blocked off. Thankfully, hot springs is a small town, I was able to drive around a bit and get where I needed to go.
After checkin I headed down the street to a diner. I walked in the door ten minutes before closing time, without realizing it, but the place still served me without complaint. Grilled cheese, yum! And blueberry pie for dessert. More yum!
The next morning I woke up early (I was still on Chicago time, which is an hour ahead of most of South Dakota,)  but didn't get up to the hotel breakfast until 730am. The breakfast was included in my price, I was disappointed in the offering. All carbs, except for the hard boiled eggs. Powdered donuts, muffins, toast, rolls. Only coffee and milk to drink.

I grabbed my camelbak (loaded with 3L of water, and pretzels,) and cameras, then got in the car again. I drove to Custer State Park, less than 45 minutes away. The entry fee was $15, (per car,) and good for a week. I remember seeing some complaints about the fee, but I thought it was more than reasonable, especially considering it was per car and good for a week.
I found the visitor/information center easily enough. The Rangers working the desk handed me maps, and answered all my questions. I always end up asking a few ridiculous questions in addition to normal questions. They showed me where I could find hiking trails all over the park, and gave suggestions along the lines of what I wanted while hiking.
Even though I was in Custer state park, the Rangers told me how to get to Mt Rushmore, which is outside park boundaries. It's a national monument.

Armed with my maps and information, I started driving again. I found the road that basically leads straight to Mt Rushmore. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, with beautiful landscape views along the way. I pulled off the road a few times to take photos and just enjoy the views.
The road to Rushmore is called needles highway, because of some of the rock formations in the park. There are a lot of switchbacks on the road, you never get to go fast because there are always very sharp turns coming up. There are three places where a natural tunnel frames Mt Rushmore (though to it through the second one you have to turn around backward, which isn't very safe) which requires slowing down because everyone wants to stop and take photos.
Finally, I got to Mt Rushmore. 

Or, at the least, the parkplatz. (Parkplatz is one of my favorite words, I much prefer it to 'parking lot.') Mt Rushmore is the only thing to see there, but they charge $11 for parking!!!! Sure, it's good for a week, but I reckon the maximum number of times anyone sees the mountain is twice. Once during the day, and maaaaybe once again after it gets dark, when the faces are lit up for a little while. $11!!!!! Ridiculous.
After parking, I followed the crowds. It's not difficult to figure out where to go. There are a couple 'gates' built of stone blocks, people like to pose in front of those for photos.
The first one is at the start of the alley of flags. There are 54 flags: one for each state, 1 for Washington DC, and 1 for each US territory. The flags are posted in order of when they became states, it's kinda fun to hunt around to find your flag and see where it stands. (Indiana is the 19th state, which happened at the end of 1816.)

There are two viewing platforms to look at Mt Rushmore. Both have bleacher seats, the lower platform has many more seats. Occasionally there are performances of various kinds in this amphitheater.
The two of you reading this blog already know the basics of Mt Rushmore, but for anyone else who stumbles onto this post, here are the facts of Mt Rushmore: it's a mountain with the faces of four of the most prominent U.S. presidents carved into the rock. The presidents are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Construction started in 1927, the monument was opened to the public in 1941. The faces are 18m tall.
Before seeing the mountain, I was expecting to be wowed. But I wasn't. Yes, it was impressive, but it didn't seem as big as I had thought it would seem.

There is a short trail that gets a bit closer to the mountain, but it doesn't get super close. I wish it was possible to get a whole lot closer, to 'feel' how big the faces are.
I hopped back in the car, and started driving toward my next destination. Crazy Horse memorial has been under construction since 3 June 1948, it isn't anywhere close to being finished. I wonder if there is a projected finishing date. When finished, this memorial will be HUGE. Heaps bigger than Mt Rushmore.
Again, parking was $11. Argh. Sure, it's good for a week, but does anyone see this one more than once? This memorial is being funded by private monies, they don't get federal dollars. My parking fee is funding the construction of the memorial. Judging by the number of people visiting, I can't imagine funding being a problem, at all. 

My parking fee got me a little ticket that allowed me into the visitor center. Inside there were historical displays, and a model of what the finished memorial will look like. You also have the opportunity to watch a video about the family doing the entire memorial. A Polish immigrant family.
Visitors can pay another $4 to take a bus a little closer to the memorial, but you don't have the chance to get out and walk around. I didn't take the bus ride, I was a bit annoyed by the money grubbing feel of everything.
Back in my car I drove into the town of Custer. It's in the state park, it is mostly full of tourists now. A few of the buildings look like the old west, and there was a good (but overpriced) bakery. I liked my piece of red velvet cake roll. 

On the way back out the other side of the park, I followed the wilderness loop. If you take a tour with a ranger, they point out more animals, but all I saw were buffalo. I'd read stories of traffic being stopped by buffalo crossing the road, but I didn't think it would happen to me. But it did! Very very cool. Also a little scary, as they are big, and strong. You can't tell what they're going to do. When they are grazing close to the road, everyone slows down and stops to take photos. Awesome.
That night I went back to the same diner as the night before. YUM.
The next day I again had another carb loaded breakfast, then filled up my camelbak. I drove back to Custer state park, and talked to the Rangers a bit more.

My first hike of the day was through the Needles. Cathedral Spires trail. Only a mile and a half each way, but absolutely beautiful. I loved it. Beautiful, natural formations of rock; quiet except for a few other random hikers.
Then I drove to a small lake, called Sylvan lake. Parking was a bit of a challenge, it was pretty crowded. There are plenty of people camping or staying in cabins in the park, this is a popular area.  The lake is pretty, I liked it.
I walked around the entire lake, which only took about 20 minutes. (Well, it might've been longer because I kept stopping to take photos and enjoy the scenery.)
Then I had to make a choice for my second hike of the day. Both options sounded good, but one was 3-4 hours, and the other was 4-5 hours. I wanted to do both trails, but didn't have the time.

I chose the hike that took me to Harney Peak. The longer hike of the two. Harney Peak is the highest mountain west of the Rockies, if I read the signs correctly.
The whole circle took me around 5 hours, for a few reasons. One, my normal stops to take photos and enjoy the many views. On a clear day you can see really far at various points along the trail. Another reason was that I added a small bit, to get to Little Devils Tower on my way back. Well worth the extra bit. I liked climbing up the rock, and figuring out how to get down without falling.
The end of the trail had a lot of down, my legs were pretty well wrecked, in a good way.
Another dinner at the diner that night!

america: florida: ft walton beach

continuing my visits of friends and their homes around the states, i came to the panhandle of florida to hang out with a friend of 15 years. i've known john since the summer i lived in iceland!
my first flight left BWI (baltimore) at 0650 (yes, that means i was up crazy early to get to the airport ahead of the flight) on time...the connection was in charlotte (north carolina, a surprisingly large airport, or at least it's surprising to me) and also left on time. i got to ft walton beach about 20 minutes early, then had to wait for john to get there.  he arrived right as the plane was supposed to be landing, but i still teased him for being late.

he responded by teasing me about my gray hair. i've definitely had more gray hair in the past three years, and i've noticed it, but he is the first to bring it up. i laughed, i love being teased by my friends. i'm not very good at comebacks, but i try :)
john drove me around town for a while, bringing me back to places i've seen before, and reminding me how to get there while driving. the beach in ft walton beach is technically on an island, not quite part of ft walton beach, but to me they are the same. it's a white sand beach, absolutely lovely.

we had lunch at a place called stewby's seafood shanty. yum. it's a small place, more like a large shack, and is very local. there is no air conditioning, but they have a system that makes it really cool inside. something about keeping the roof cool by water and fans. if john hadn't told me about the system, i would've thought it was regular air conditioning. my lunch ended up being shrimp tacos and fried okra. yum. definitely a place i could go again :)
we went to the supermarket to pick up some food (and tea for me) then made our way home. that afternoon was nothing exciting, but that's okay. we watched multiple episodes of a tv show called bates motel.  it's based on the old movie psycho, but is modern too. despite watching multiple episodes during this visit, i don't know how i feel about it. it's not good, it's not awful.

for dinner that night john heated up soup. i got to have leftovers of a stew he'd made a few days earlier, sooooo good.  different types of meat, and i don't know what else was in there. yum. and ice cream for dessert, yippee!
i fell asleep watching a morgan freeman movie. the last nights, or something like that? not really my style of movie, but he is a fantastic actor, so i enjoyed it.
the next morning i got to go to the beach. john let me drive his truck!! (but he wouldn't let me get any photographic evidence of this.)  it's a big truck, especially with the paddleboards mounted in the back. i didn't really know where the edges were of the truck, but i didn't bump into anything, so woo hoo! the truck growls when you accelerate, it's awesome. john was great, he put a beach chair, and cooler in the back. i didn't bring them to the beach, but having cold gatorade afterward was awesome.
as i said earlier,

america: washington d.c.

Even though my flight from JFK to national left on time, we sat in the airplane for an hour on the tarmac in DC. Argh. Something about the gate not being open yet. Argh. When I did the math, I figured out I had been on airplanes for exactly twice as much time as I was supposed to be. Argh.
Anywho, everything moved along nicely after we were finally able to get into the airport. I took the metro to the home of my friend from uni, Sarah. My plane being late ended up being a good thing, as Sarah wasn't able to leave work on time.
We didn't do much that night, other than walk down the street to have dinner. As with everyone else I've seen and will see all summer, it was great to catch up with someone who has known me for ages.
The next morning I was awake early, but didn't do much of anything for a couple hours. I had every intention of going into the city early, but that didn't happen.

I was just a few minutes late meeting a friend, we met at the archives. We met in Germany (not a gapper) in late 2009, and have kept in random touch ever since. We walked around the city center, the area where all the tourists start out.
We watched people on one side of the White House (while you see a lot of expensive cameras around travelers, you also see people who don't really know how to use a camera) and people lined up outside museums.
We ended up stopping for a snack at a chain place called the shake shack. Not bad, not great.
After my friend left to go to a baseball game, I hopped on the metro to go to coffee bean. When is looked online I found a couple locations in DC, so of course I had to have my chai latte :)
For dinner my host and I went back to the same place we had visited the night before. I was thrilled, as there were plenty of items on the menu that sounded good to me.
The next morning I got up and took the metro back to coffee bean again. I take advantage of proximity when I can!
My first sight of the day was a place I'd never seen before, the national building museum. It's not the type of museum I would normally visit, except that I'd heard about a temporary exhibition they had. I'm not normally into the details of architecture and names of builders, styles, etc...

The exhibition I wanted to see was called 'the BEACH.' It was built by a company from either Boston or philly, I can't remember. This is one time when photos do a better job of explaining than words. The company had poured a whole LOT of white, anti-microbial balls into a contained area they had built. They'd added beach chairs and umbrellas to complete the atmosphere.
SO MUCH FUN! The line to buy tickets was just as long as the line to get in, but I thought it was worth it. You could wade into the balls, or follow a runway a little way out, and jump into the balls. Once you were off your feet, it was surprisingly difficult to get back to standing straight up. Fun to take photos, fun to play. I loved it, so did everyone else. I'm pretty sure the only complaints were about the long lines. After I walked out I asked a security guard, and he told me they could only allow a certain number of people in at a time. 

He also mentioned happy hour, which was happening on Wednesday nights, during which time adults could bring alcohol into the exhibit. Even though I can't drink I wish I could've seen that.
I skimmed through the rest of the museum mostly to find a better photo of the BEACH, as the normal content of the museum didn't really interest me.
I went outside and spent a few moments of quiet reflection in front of the law enforcement memorial, located just outside the national building museum.
Then I walked to the Lincoln memorial. This time when I looked out, there was water in the pool, so it looked way better than it had three years previously. There were plenty of tourists, but not quite as many as I expected. Maybe that was because it was hot and humid.

At that point I could tell I needed hydration. It took me a while to find one of those guys selling drinks out of coolers, but when I did I bought water and Gatorade. (Gotta replace electrolytes and salt.)
I walked past Ford's theatre (and the home across the street) on the way to finding postcards. There were lines outside both. Why have I never visited either? Next time I will get there.
For dinner that night my host drove us north, across the state border into Maryland. We ate at a Mexican restaurant; pretty good food with huge portions.
The next morning I was given a ride to BWI, the airport a little north of DC. There is no traffic at 0400.
I really wish I'd had more time in DC, to catch up with more people, and see more of the city. AND, I need to do a better job of planning and thinking ahead with the time I do have.

america: new york city and west point

Kelley drove me to the airport at 2200 Sunday evening, several hours after we had returned from Kokomo. I'd booked a flight to New York City leaving at 0600 the following morning, and I wasn't about to ask anyone to drive me to the airport at 3 in the morning. I've slept in airports for years, and will probably continue to do so for a while.
My flight was supposed to leave at 0600. I was checked in and past security by 0400. Unfortunately, the flight didn't happen as planned. We boarded on time, I had high hopes. Then the pilot spoke to all of us and said we had to wait for a storm coming through. Ugh. After a couple announcements, they said we could get off the plane if we wanted, at 0730, but we all needed to be back by 0815. I didn't bother going anywhere, as I was sleeping.

Finally, we took off at 0900, three hours late. It was only supposed to be an hour and forty five minute flight, but we had to go around the storm, which added time. Plus New York is an hour ahead of Chicago. Instead of landing at 0900, I landed just after noon. Ugh.
One of my rugby friends from Korea had arranged a place for me to stay, so I took public transport to get there, to Brooklyn. Easy! I introduced myself to my temporary roommate, changed clothes, then took off again.
I met up with another rugby friend, my old rugby captain from Korea. We decided to hang out in coffee bean, which I know ice mentioned before is my favourite coffee shop chain. I love their chai lattes! Great to see Nat again, I think it had been 5 years. She still lives in Seoul, but was in NYC to train for a jiu jitsu tournament.

Nat had to go to jiu jitsu training after a couple hours, so I walked around Manhattan, just enjoying the atmosphere of NYC. Lots of people, lots of very tall buildings. I came very close to eating in koreatown, I really miss Korean food. (I just wasn't hungry.)
I walked one of the main streets in Brooklyn for a while before returning to the flat. Always fun to explore a new place, though Brooklyn isn't as photogenic as Manhattan. (I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree.)
The next morning I woke up slowly, because I could. Eventually I got on the metro, riding all the way to 86th street. I used my phone to find the closest coffee bean and started my morning with a chai latte. (This company really ought to hire me as a brand ambassador.) Down the street I found a bagel shop, yum.

Then I walked to the metropolitan museum of art, about three blocks. There were hot dog vendors out front, people hanging out on the steps, and giant posters advertising the current temporary exhibitions. The museum is iconic, for good reason. (It's one of several museums on the so called 'museum mile.')
There is no required entrance fee, but the suggested fee is $25. I opted to pay $15. The weather wasn't so great, I was in the museum with thousands of my best friends.
The metropolitan museum of art (often shortened to 'the met') is big. Really big. I spent 3 hours, and I'm pretty sure I missed quite a bit. There was a European section, a pacific island section, ancient civilizations, Asia, etc... It can be overwhelming. No selfie sticks allowed :)
Eventually I escaped, found my way back to the metro and rode downtown. I got off at Washington square park, and walked to a bookstore on the square to meet one of my old rugby coaches. We spent a few hours hanging out, catching up. Apparently this NYC visit was all about rugby folks :)

The next morning I was up early, so I could be sure to make it to grand central station on time for a specific train. While talking to Nat the first day, she had mentioned another of our teammates had just moved to West Point with her husband. I sent a message to Allie (half the team called her Kentucky, as that is where she is from,) who said it would be awesome if I could come up for a day. So I did.
Allie picked me up at the train station, and I realized it is completely inconvenient for people living at West Point to get to the train station. West Point is almost directly across the river from the train station, but the bridges don't connect the two. You have to drive several miles either way to get to a bridge. How annoying.
Allie used her ID to get me on post without a problem, and we drove to her new house. They'd literally just moved, arriving there only a couple previously. Household goods had arrived the day before I came up, so the house was chaotic. Plus they have a new puppy who didn't yet know the rules. So cute.

After a while chatting, we drove to the visitors center for the school and signed up for a tour.
The United States military academy at West Point is old and storied. Many of America's greatest military leaders went to school there. It's a beautiful campus, with plenty of history, traditions, and stories. Academics are rigorous, cadets (students) are busy all the time. In addition to a regular academic education they also have military education. Every cadet who graduates must serve five years active duty starting just after graduation. I know a few army officers who graduated from West Point, they stay in touch with each other and the bond is strong.
Our tour took us to a few highlights of the campus, and the tour guide gave her spiel pretty well. I wish I was allowed to wander around on my own, to see the beauty at a slower pace, and have more fun with photos. Other noteworthy members of our tour group: 3 Buddhist monks, and a family wearing navy gear. The rivalry between army and navy is HUGE (even though navy has won all the gridiron matchups in recent history) so wearing navy anything on a tour of West Point is...interesting.

After the tour we found a gift shop on campus, I bought postcards. Of course.
Next we had lunch at a local place. Highland falls (the name of the town just outside the gates of West Point) isn't big, and I'm guessing nearly everyone who lives there is either directly dependent on the academy, or indirectly.
We found a gift shop back
A couple hours later Allie drove me back to the station. It was sooo good to catch up with her :)
Dinner that night was low key, pizza.
The next day I flew to DC, but not until afternoon. I used my metro card to get back up to 89th street, and have another chai latte from coffee bean.
Then I walked down 5th avenue. All the way to 23rd street. In less than 2 hours, including brief stops in at Patrick's cathedral and a couple shops for postcards. The weather was great, and I love to walk.
Then I hopped back on the metro, went back to the flat, packed everything and made my way to the airport.
Thankfully, this flight left on time :)

america: indiana: kokomo

I didn't take any photos in Kokomo. I don't know why, but I didn't.
I went with Kelley and Jon from mundelein to Kokomo, it's a 3-4hr drive, depending on road construction and such.
That night the three of us were joined by Kelleys parents and Anita and Chris for dinner. I met Anita and Chris during the Ireland trip. Kelley used to work with Anita, they have been friends for years and years and years. Great to catch up with everyone, and laugh. A LOT.
The next day, after a very slow wake up and breakfast on my part, Kelley and I hopped in the car with her mom. We did what I like to call the 'tour de sugar.' We visited four or five bakeries, I bought something at most of them. I had a brownie, two pies, a couple cookies, and more. I think everyone (including me) went into a sugar coma just looking at and smelling what I'd bought. The next time I go back I want to revisit some of those bakeries. For whateva reason, I've really been into pies for the last few months!
That afternoon all of us relaxed around the house, not doing anything in particular. It was lovely.
Dinner was also lovely. I don't remember what we ate, but I remember eating too much :)
The next morning we packed up and drove back to mundelein. I love spending time with Kelley's parents!

america: indiana dunes state and national parks

In what became the way I 'planned' the entire summer in the states, I decided to go to northwest Indiana (an area people in Indiana call 'the region,) only two days before I got there.
I realized I had an opportunity to see a part of the state I've never seen previously, and the chance to catch up with someone I knew back in my youth group days.
I rented a car, and got lucky enough to get a Prius. Great gas mileage.
The drive from mundelein to the dunes took less than two hours, mainly because I avoided the morning rush hour.
I found the visitor information office of the entire dunes area, and stopped in. One of the rangers gave me a map of the area and explained all my options. There is a state park, surrounded by a national park, I don't know why there are two parks in the same area, but oh well. The ranger told me where to find hiking trails, where to park, etc.

I chose to start with the state park. I paid my entry fee (only $7!) and found a place to park. Or so I thought. I found the beach and walked for a bit, thinking I would find the trail head for the 'famous' 3 dune challenge. After walking for a bit, I realized I was in the wrong area of the park, so I walked back to my car, and drove to the right area.
The 3 dune challenge is a short, mile and a half trail, going to the top of the three tallest dunes in the area. It's a good way to get people who might not otherwise do much while camping in the park to move a bit. I followed the trail, accomplishing the challenge. Walking/running in sand is not easy, thank goodness this trail wasn't too long.
In August the park is full of cross country teams around the state doing pre season training. The average American isn't nearly that active, of course.
After finishing that trail, I found another, longer trail. This time the distance was quite a bit longer, but it was also very flat. I got to see some swampy areas, complete with mozzies. The last bit of this trail was along the beach, back to where I'd first parked in the morning. 

Of course my car wasn't there, so I had to walk the park roads to get back to where I'd parked. Not fun, but not difficult either.
Around the time I got back to the car, I texted my friend and found out she'd just gotten home. It was super easy to get to her flat from the dunes, the drive was only about 10 minutes.
It was great to see Katie again. It had been years and years since we had seen each other. I also got to meet her man Shawn.
After a while of catching up, we went to dinner in town. Chesterton isn't big, but that's fine. They took me to a local place with gourmet burgers. I had fried pickles as an appetizer, tater tots as my side. A nice experience, despite the lack of healthy options.
For dessert we walked down the street to an ice cream shop. Yum.

Katie is a wholesale coffee roaster, the proud owner/CEO of Needmore Coffee Roasters. During this visit I got to learn a lot about coffee, and roasting. I don't love coffee, I never have. I love the smell and the atmosphere, but i have never been a big fan of the taste. It was really cool to learn from someone who is so passionate about what she is doing.
The next morning I went out the door at the same time Katie went to work. I got to have a 'tour' of Katie's work. She showed me the different beans she roasts, and showed me how different roasts look. (Since I've never been a coffee drinker there is a LOT I don't know.) She told me where she gets her beans (Central America, and they're all organic and ethically sourced,) and told me how she chooses her suppliers. Katie showed me her roaster and explained how it works. Contrary to popular belief, the smell during the roasting process isn't so good. 

I loved learning everything. I see good things in the future for Needmore Coffee Roasters.
Note to coffee drinkers: a stronger/darker roast doesn't have more caffeine, it has less. It seems stronger because the taste of the 'fire' is stronger. More caffeine is found in lighter roasts.
After my 'class' in coffee, I drove to an area in the national park. I hiked Cowles Bog. There is a little elevation change, you definitely feel when you're going up. One end of the trail took me out onto the beach, which was totally empty at that time. Beautiful. Indiana definitely has moments of beauty.
After this trail, I went back to Katie's house and cleaned up in time to say hello to Katie's sister and mom, both of whom I also knew way back in the day. Great to see them again.

For dinner I met up with one of my PYOCA friends, Steve. Also at dinner was Steve's wife and son. We ate at a diner type place and caught up on each other's lives. It's been 3 years since I've seen Steve, it was a nice catch up. His wife is awesome too. I love keeping lifetime friends.
The next morning I drive back to mundelein.

illinois: Chicago

This was the first time I set foot in the states (not counting embassy visits) in just under three years.
To get to the states I had three flights. The first was kyiv to Barcelona. My layover there was 5 hours, so I got the passport stamp, then took the train into the city center. I wanted real food, and I knew there was plenty of it in Barcelona.
I went to a tapas restaurant is visited last summer, and stuffed myself :)
I walked a bit just because I could, then went back to the airport. My next flight was from Barcelona to Madrid. The flight landed later than scheduled, after 8pm. I figured that was too late to go into the city (I'm not a fan of walking around brand new cities in the dark) so I walked around the airport looking for a place to hang out for the night.
The airport in Madrid is not the most comfortable place in which to be stuck overnight.

My last flight was from Madrid to Chicago. My feeling of being overwhelmed started on that flight, I'm not used to being around that many native English speakers!
As I only had a carry on bag, I was able to go through a shorter, quicker queue when I landed in Chicago. Yay! I asked the passport control officer for a passport stamp even though they don't normally stamp the passport of returning Americans. Of course I'm allowed into my own country :)
I found a place to sit, and after about 30 minutes my friend Kelley picked me up. It had been three years since I'd seen her but we picked up like there hadn't been any time at all. Traffic around the airport wasn't bad, it was around 1300.
On the way home, Kelley took me to two supermarkets. I know I've previously mentioned my love of supermarkets, I can explore for hours. 

Our first stop was Trader Joe's, which has its own line of products. Just about everything they sell is from their own brand. Some people are fanatic about various trader joe's products.
Our second stop was Marianno's, another chain supermarket. After buying too much at both places, we went home.
We picked up Kelley's husband, and went to dinner at a sushi place. It was my first experience at one of those places where sushi pieces are put on a moving belt, and you can take whateva you want. Yum.
After dinner we went to another American 'icon' (but I don't want to admit to the name) for basic necessities like shampoo and lotion and travel size bottles. (I'd had those bottles previously, but left them in the baths in Budapest.)
For dessert we each had a shake at Steak 'n Shake. More yum.

Before flying to the states I'd told Kelley I wanted to get onto the right time zone as fast as possible. I didn't sleep much on the flights, and wanted to stay awake until at least 8pm, which wasn't easy. As we were returning from dinner and shopping Kelley could see me nodding off in the car, so she suggested a walk to a nearby lake. Perfect idea. We walked for a bit, and I was quite proud of myself for staying awake until 2100.
The next day was the 4th of July, a major American holiday; so we had lunch at a fantastic Japanese ramen restaurant called misoya. I'm told it's authentic. You get to choose what type of broth you want, and what goes into the pot.
We 'celebrated' the holiday by doing what Americans do best: shop. I had a list of stuff I wanted to buy while I was in the states. I walked out after spending money in an apple store, cinnabon, t-mobile, and teavana.
That night we had dinner with two friends I met during the Ireland trip, it was good to catch up and meet their new baby. The baby cried both times I held her, she didn't cry with anyone else, boooo. After dinner we all stood on the front lawn and were able to watch the fireworks being set off by the city of Mundelein. Fun stuff. That's another thing done very well by Americans: set off fireworks.
The next day was a Sunday, but Kelley had to work. She wore black because she want happy about working. 

I continued my shopping spree with Kelley's husband by going to an electronics store and spending a heap more money.
The husband and I got home before Kelley, so we went to the gym. I swam for 30 minutes, feeling as though I was going to drown the entire time. At the same time, it felt good to do something active.
Monday Kelley dropped me off at a train station, I rode into Chicago. I got to meet up and spend a few hours with my friend Laura; she and I met when we taught at the same school in Seoul. I love catching up after a few years, in a new place. Go figure, the first restaurant we wanted was closed, as was the first bakery we tried. Fortunately, second options were available for both main course and dessert.
For dinner I met up with another girlfriend I met overseas, Megan. Megan and I met in garmisch, more than 10 years ago. She is making a big change in her life, changing careers, I'm excited for her.
Getting home ended up being an adventure. It turns out the trains to the suburbs stop running at something like 1900. That's not very helpful if you're a visitor like me. I definitely don't party all night, but 1900 still strikes me as super early.

The following day Kelley and I had a girls day. We started by going to the Chicago botanical garden, I'd never heard of it before. The entry fee is per car, so it can be cheaper if you come with more friends.
The entire area is divided into separate areas of themed gardens. We both liked the Japanese gardens the best. It was nice to wander and relax.
For lunch Kelley found an afghani restaurant, called Kabul house, in Skokie. Not only was the food great, it was really well presented. On the way out of that town to our next sight, we stopped at a bakery called sweetie pies, or something like that. I had no willpower at all, and ended up buying a red velvet cake truffle, a raspberry chocolate chip scone, and a raspberry/blueberry pie. That pie was AMAZING.
Our second sight of the day was the Baha'i house of worship. Beautiful building. There was a visitors center, showing both the history of the religion in general, as well as the history in the Chicago area. I really like the way it takes aspects of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc....
These few days were a fantastic way to adjust to being back in the states. Kelley and her husband are awesome.