CHICAGO ¦ Trading a farm drive for the city life.

I’m BACK

& I definitely should have shared this first little bit in my last post. I don’t know what I was thinking. Clearly, I wasn’t. I was just so excited to get my Chicago postings list out so that I could begin the real fun that I totally spaced telling everyone that I have already returned from my trip. I caused just a little confusion. :P

But boy, did I have a great trip to Chicago! I can’t believe it’s already over but I am more than excited to share the trip with all of you; about fifteen posts worth, not including the approx. 250 photos I took with my manual camera. Meaning, I will be sharing some of those as soon as I get them developed.

I am just going to share now that I took too many photos. Surprised? No. I think it was close to 2,000 in all. Mind you, that is manual, digital, & with my iPhone. For Instagram, mostly. DUH. There may also be just a few that I took with my mothers camera because mine died on (only!) one of the days. I decided to use hers instead of my manual because I had already taken entirely to many photos with it & my iPhone. Thank you botanical garden beautifulness, & more!

But I digress…

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The drive from where we live in South Dakota to Chicago, Illinois is about fourteen hours. Yes, you read that right, 14 hours! I would like to think that the length of this drive is the main reason for the somewhat high amount of images in this post. But I think most of you know me by now, I just take a lot of pictures. & I can at least admit this problem too. I just figure, why not share it & them, right?

Anywho, all of these photos were taken with my iPhone & many of them are Instagrimages. You can probably tell which are & aren’t but I did crop a few that weren’t Instragrammed into almost a square. Wait, why am I explaining this? Just get on with it, Makena.

This trip was pretty much just like any other. Leaving from the same location, seeing the same sites along the way, & driving along miles upon miles of farmland. Stopping at a few rest stops & getting gas here & there.

However, this trip was still unlike any other. I have never been to Chicago before so the entire trip awaiting me was…eating away at me almost; I was so excited to just arrive, see our family, & get started! To see what Chicago was really like!

But first, we had to complete our 14 hour drive.
I had nothing better to do than to take pictures & Instagram, okay?

Enjoy!

“Horizon Lines”  //  South Dakota

“Sites” – barns, sculptures, badlands  //  Minnesota, Wisconsin & South Dakota

“Cornered Worlds”  //  South Dakota & Minnesota

“Have wings, will travel.”  //  South Dakota & Minnesota
QUESTION: Are you allowed to title works with already known/used quotes, etc?

It wasn’t all too long before we had a restroom stop. However, this was the nicest rest stop I have ever seen! One shouldn’t be so excited over rest stops, I think the lengthy drive was getting to me.

Rest Area  //  Minnesota

Isn’t it just BEAUTIFUL?!

“Stay”  //  Minnesota

I actually didn’t want to leave this stop…but we obviously had to & were soon on the road.

“On the road again, I can’t wait to get back [off] the road again!”

“Farming Four”  //  Minnesota & Wisconsin

Look! My iPhone captured G forces!   :P
I was attempting to capture the yellow hill in the background & got the wind instead.

Uh oh.  //  Minnesota

Speaking of “uh oh” it was eventually time to stop, yet again.
Boy, so many restroom breaks in 14 hours!

“A Calm, Serene Wind”  //  Wisconsin

Even so, we eventually reached all the way to Wisconsin! & let me just say, I have a little thing for Wisconsin, I guess. WISCANSIN. tee hee. Its landscape was surprising to me & I loved the little quirks I saw while passing through. Plus, I enjoy driving faster than the speed limit, just like the rest of the state. LOL Oh, & I LOVE CHEESE!!! Oh, Havarti Dill, how I wish we had had a cooler with us this trip.

I wanted to buy a cheese head when I saw them in one of the gas stations we stopped at (the same location of the Havarti Dill) but I figured since we didn’t actually “go to Wisconsin” that it would be a disgrace. Next time, Wisconsin. Next time.

Next time, Havarti Dill.

“Thank, Gas!”  //  Wisconsin

We were just driving along, fairly in the middle of nowhere, when we looked down & saw that we were out of gas! Luckily, Siri told us that there were in fact ten gas stations near by. Good thing! We made our stop, got fuel for the car & us, & were on the road again.

As I said, I found the scenery of Wisconsin to be, unexpected & quite beautiful. It also lent itself well to the none use of speed limits. You know, having a slight chasm &/or forest between & around roads going in opposite directions makes catching speeders…difficult, to say the least. & boy, did they all know it or what?!

Yay, quilts!  //  Minnesota & Wisconsin

“Distance to the Road”  //  Wisconsin

Silly Wisconsin; I think I like you.  //  Wisconsin

After passing through, what I believe to be one of my favorite states & possible suspect for living in the future, Wisconsin, we made it into Illinois, & finally, CHICAGO!

I had officially traded our farm drive for, the city life.

{all photos in this post taken with my iPhone4s}
FUN FACT: most taken at approx. 70+ mph

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WHAT YOU CAN / EXPECT TO SEE

// PREVIOUS POST //
—CHICAGO ¦ what’s to come

// CURRENT POST //
—GETTING THERE & general—
CHICAGO ¦ Trading a farm drive for the city life.

// NEXT POST //
—THE full TRIP w/ a few pictures—
CHICAGO ¦ A Five-Day Travel Diary (The Full Trip, written) + 

// COMING //
—DAY ONE—
CHICAGO ¦ Day 1 (1 of 2): Art Institute of Chicago
CHICAGO ¦ Miscellaneous Day 1 (2 of 2): Cloud Gate // Downtown +
—DAY TWO—
CHICAGO ¦ Day 2: Boating Lake Michigan +
—DAY THREE—
CHICAGO ¦ Day 3 (1 of 4): Lincoln Park Zoo +VIDEOS
CHICAGO ¦ Day 3 (2 of 4): Garfield Park Conservatory (Botanical Gardens)
CHICAGO ¦ Day 3 (3 of 4): Stained Glass Museum // Navy Pier
CHICAGO ¦ Miscellaneous Day 3 (4 of 4): Wrigley Field, Sculptures, the City +
—DAY FOUR—
CHICAGO ¦ Day 4 (1 of 4): Artful Downtown (Sculptures)
CHICAGO ¦ Day 4 (2 of 4): Hancock Tower
CHICAGO ¦ Day 4 (3 of 4): Museum of Contemporary Art
CHICAGO ¦ Miscellaneous Day 4 (4 of 4): Magnificent Mile // Downtown +
—DAY FIVE—
CHICAGO ¦ Day 5 (1 of 2): Shedd Aquarium // Museum Campus +VIDEOS
CHICAGO ¦ Miscellaneous Day 5 (2 of 2): Adler Planetarium // Museum Campus +

+ My ANALOG PHOTOS – Once my film returns.