March 2024 - Toronto ON - Amarillo TX
March 2024 - Casey Indiana
Saturday and Sunday were busy getting the car packed up with golf clubs, suitcases, workout bag and overnight bag. Computer bag with all the chargers, external hard drive, and I decided to take my SLR camera.
The overnight and computer bags will be taken into the hotels on the drive. We will take the cooler.
Fridge had to be cleared out. Bread and milk in freezer.
We will also take a lunch for Monday.
Well, that was interesting! We don't tend to lock our unit door during the day. I was in the bedroom and heard it open, I thought it might have been John, until I heard a voice say sorry. We both rushed to the door and John saw Bob, a neighbour who said, sorry was daydreaming. Really?? He lives diagonally (catty-corner is often heard in the UK. Kitty-corner is common in the US and Canada) opposite to us. Therefore when he gets off the elevator he turns left and we turn right, plus we are right next to the elevators. We'll be locking it from now on.
Losing that hour was still a shock to me when I got up. I hate losing it!!
BUT we end up gaining two hours this week, one in Illinois and another in Amarillo Texas!!
We finally sat down on Sunday around 4 (damn lost hour)!
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After crossing the border we drove through Michigan and then into Indiana.
We checked into the Wyndham Fort Wayne IN around 4:15.
Dinner in the tiny bar with BIG portions and good prices.
This was our replacement room after we didn't like #234 at Wyndham.
Considering the drive we still managed to get in 9,400 steps.
There will be some photo repeats. Coffee in the hotel in Fort Wayne, the breakfast was awful.
Cracker Barrels are the best places on a road trip. Clean bathrooms, good food and prices and shopping. Exit 203 on I-69 Indiana.
Wind Chimes
Visiting Casey, Illinois, is like stepping into an episode of the old television series Land of the Giants or into the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The town of about 3,000 boasts some of the world’s largest attractions, larger-than-life items created by local Jim Bolin to help attract visitors to his community.
Located almost halfway between Saint Louis and Indianapolis along Interstate 70, Casey (pronounced KAY-zee) was once primarily a gas stop and a spot for travelers to stretch their legs. Today, it hosts thousands of visitors eager to see the world’s largest wind chime, rocking chair, and mailbox, among other unique attractions. What started with the 48-foot-tall wind chime in 2011 has grown to become an entire collection of Guinness World Records sights.
Giant taco built in 2021 by JalCraft in Mexico. Taco is 16 ft long and weighs about 3,500 pounds.
This little piggy weighs in at 450 pounds.
From there we drove to St. Louis as John had plans to meet his daughter and family for a hockey game at 4:30.
We checked in at 3 PM, thanks to gaining an hour. John decided not to go to hockey as his grandson wasn't playing but might on Wednesday so he changed it.
We simply changed our plans and headed out in the gorgeous weather to sightsee.
The Gateway Arch National Park, formerly named Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, is a downtown St. Louis oasis. Amid the beautifully forested surroundings found within one of the few urban national parks west of the Mississippi River.
In 1948, a nationwide design competition determined what shape the Memorial would take, and in 1963, construction began on architect Eero Saarinen’s design for a stainless steel arch. Completed in 1965, the Gateway Arch stands as a symbol of national identity and an iconic example of mid-century modern design.
Can you see me???
John, proving it is shorts weather!
Then we decided to find the Ballpark Village.
Ballpark Village is the premiere dining and entertainment district in the region. Located in the heart of St. Louis' central business district adjacent to Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village is the first-ever, sports-anchored, multi-phased/mixed-use development.
There were more of these statues.
This was thirsty work!
"Olly olly oxen free" is a catchphrase or truce term used in children's games such as hide and seek, capture the flag, and kick the can to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game or that the position of the sides in a game has changed (as in which side is on the field or which side is at bat or "up" in baseball or kickball); alternatively, that the game is entirely over.
The origin of the phrase is unknown. The Dictionary of American Regional English says the phrase may be derived from all ye, all ye outs in free, all the outs in free, or possibly ”calling all the outs in free”; in other words, all who are out may come in without penalty. Others speculate the phrase may be a corruption of a hypothetical and ungrammatical German phrase alle, alle, auch sind frei (all, all, also are free).
The Hilton Pennywell, gorgeous hotel, however valet parking is $48 a day!! Yikes! But I did book one night on points, we got upgraded and got 2 $30 vouchers to spend in the hotel. As well, at dinner, the server was new and couldn't get the cork out of the bottle so she gave us a more expensive wine with a screw top!!!
It used to be a bank.
Wednesday we headed out around 9 AM and grabbed breakfast next door at Pickle's. Sausage biscuit.
St. Louis Union Station captures the essence of history, fun and entertainment that St. Louis offers, with the added bonus of being able to stay in the hotel right on site! Ascend 200’ in the St. Louis Wheel where guests enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the historic train shed – once the busiest train station in the world - and the iconic St. Louis skyline in the comfort of climate-controlled gondolas.
We walked back to the Ballpark Village for lunch. We were going to Katie's for gluten free pizza and pasta but we didn't like the menu or the restaurant atmosphere.
We settled on Condado, Mexican, and it was perfect.
Check back on Monday for more of the murals.
2 tacos each with chips and two dips.
We wandered around the stadium and then headed back to the hotel as John was being picked up at 4:30 for hockey game.
Our new plan is to get on the road and then stop for breakfast between 10 and 11, then we don't have to stop for lunch when everywhere is busy and we miss the breakfast crowd.
Sullivan MO.
Redmon's
Big selection of popcorn toppings.
After all those storm warnings we got into Tulsa and it was 27C/81F and steamy. We found a Whole Foods and picked up dinner.
We left the hotel in cold conditions at 8:15. The temperature fluttered in low digits the rest of the day.
We took a wrong exit after Oklahoma City but found a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We then crossed into Texas. We did some interesting stops which are in the link just above.
The hotel address didn't identify east or west for the Hilton Garden Inn in Amarillo so the GPS took us to the wrong address which we soon figured out and got on the right track.
Dinner was in the hotel. An interesting side note regarding restaurants, all Cracker Barrels and hotels we've eaten give you your cutlery in paper packets. I'm guessing this started with the pandemic.
This week's drive Mar 11- Mar 15 Toronto to Amarillo TX
On another note, I received a Facebook DM asking:
Good Morning and I hope I'm not bothering you! I'm a school teacher in Texas and I happened to see your pictures from Terezin. Would you be willing to allow us to use your picture of the wall of children's names? We're doing a play about the Children of Terezin and I would like to project this picture on the wall behind the set.
Sure, go ahead! Send me a photo if you can!
COOKING
Saturday I made corned beef, mashed potatoes and cabbage
Sunday ordered Swiss Chalet chicken
Monday Fort Wayne Wyndham jalapeno poppers/popcorn shrimp/pulled pork
Tuesday St. Louis Hilton roast chicken/burger
Wednesday St. Louis Hilton charcuterie board / PJ Chang's
Thursday Tulsa crackers and cheese
Friday Amarillo Hilton burgers (delicious)
WATCHING
We really enjoyed
The Stroll 2023 - the history of New York's Meatpacking District told from the point of view of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. They recount the violence, policing, and gentrification that lead to a movement for transgender rights.
READING
Finished Strange Sally Diamond and really enjoyed it.
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