Sabbatical Journal: 19. Heading Quickly Home

Saturday 1 August. We leave DuBois around 9 a.m. after having to go back for Cathy's watch and Mara's earrings. We pass the day driving through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan (for lunch, accidentally), and Illinois. We stop at Notre Dame for a walk around the campus and arrive in Chicago at about six o'clock. Our total mileage for the day is about 520, most of it on the turnpikes in Ohio and Indiana. Gas Mileage in VW 17-20 mpg.

The immenseness of America is immediately apparent, as well as the choices of things in the stores.

Sunday 2 August. Noon mass at Paulist Center, then to Field Museum in rain (sprinkles), and after that to Shedd Aquarium. Boat ride. Swimming at hotel.

Monday 3 August. Sears Tower, lunch, Art Institute, Water Tower Place, visit Patty (Hilary's friend) at Neiman Marcus.

* * * * *

Tuesday 4 August. 7:40 a.m. C.D.T. Palmer House, Chicago.

The architecture in Chicago is lovely. All the buildings seem different, individual, unlike New York, where the Avenues, with their tall buildings on each side, really do seem like canyons. The lakefront area here is very pretty. The weather yesterday was cool in the afternoon, the New York Times said it is 15° below normal here. Showers yesterday while we visited Patty.

Newspapers here remind me of San Francisco, more provincial than the New York or Los Angeles papers.

Our hotel rooms are huge with two bathrooms. Everyone says, "You're welcome." It sounds funny. The American accents do not sound unusual. Everything seems normal here again. I didn't miss a lot of it, but it all comes back so easy, not foreign at all. What a checkerboarded mix of humanity in New York and Chicago!

New York is noisy. In London I can still recall being able to hear the birds. I'm sure the level of noise in New York is far greater than London. Then too, there's the pace: all the lights on the Avenues turn at the same time, placing a premium on speed, a race down the Avenue. Chicago is quieter, not as crowded, not as noisy.

* * * * *

States In:

1. Nevada

2.         Arizona
3.         New Mexico (Santa Fe)
4.         Texas (Tyler)
5.         Louisiana
6.         Mississippi (Vicksburg)
7.         Alabama
8.         Florida (Panama City Beach, Kissimee)
9.         Georgia (St. Simons Island)
10.       South Carolina (Charleston)
11.       North Carolina (Morehead City, Nags Head)
12.       Virginia (Chincoteague)
13.       Maryland
14.       Delaware
15.       Pennsylvania (Gettysburg)
16.       New Jersey
17.       New York (New York)

States Out:

New York (New York)

New Jersey
Pennsylvania (DuBois)

18. Ohio

19.       Michigan
20.       Indiana
21.       Illinois (Chicago)
22.       Wisconsin (LaCrosse)