We won't be traveling to Minnesota for either Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, with the baby due in December. So we decided to go in October instead and see family and friends, and just returned to Maryland last weekend.
As we've done in years past around Christmas, we drove back. That way we'd have our own vehicle and we could bring our dog instead of boarding him. We didn't want to fly and attempt forcing our son to wear a mask either, which wouldn't work out. Making it even better, we planned around seeing friends in Wisconsin. Before leaving I was terrified of the long stretches of driving required with the fact our son gives very little warning before he badly needs to pee. But we were committed to making it happen and off we went.
It's a 16+ hour drive from Frederick, MD to the Twin Cities if you opt for the toll roads from Pennsylvania through Illinois. If you're ever planning on taking the turnpikes for any real distance I strongly advise getting an EZ-Pass transponder to put on your windshield. Each state on the system can provide you with one, offering different discounts on tolls but many coming with yearly or monthly fees. Since I never actually need one in Maryland, I got mine from Massachusetts which has no periodic charges. Using a transponder saves a ton of time over paying cash and/or driving through gates and paying them later online (looking at you Illinois). The EZ-Pass only lanes always move quicker than the cash ones and sometimes don't even make you stop.
Another big advantage of taking the turnpikes, on top of being the quickest and most direct route, are the existence of the 'Service Plazas' along the way. Without having to leave the road (at a toll booth) you can stop and have all your needs addressed. These typically have bathrooms, food/coffee, a gas station, a convenience store and dog walking areas, as well as lots of big rig parking spaces for the truckers. The states operate them with differing results. The ones in PA are nice but don't have any good food. Ohio's are older but very functional. Indiana's are all new, though half are just glorified 7-Elevens. Illinois chose to be unique, building them over the road and quite inaccurately calling each an 'Oasis.'
The route is shockingly easy navigation-wise. We start on I-70 West in MD until Breezewood, (a strange place in PA where the interstate forces traffic through a town) then take I-76 West. 76 becomes I-80 around Youngstown and I-90 around Toledo without ever taking an exit. When reaching Chicago it's usually best to route around downtown (I-294) before joining up with I-90 again, which becomes I-94 in Wisconsin. That takes you to Minneapolis.
Going west this year was particularly fun with autumn barely started in Maryland on departure. As the first day wore on, we got to see the season's duration while driving north and west before hitting a big thunderstorm in Indiana that resulted in winter conditions.
That first day, Friday, where the destination was South Bend nine hours away, needed something to break the monotony. Luckily for us, I learned Cuyahoga Valley National Park is right on the way through greater Cleveland, halfway to our days destination. It was a perfect place to stop, stretch our legs, and enjoy some beautiful scenery. It's also a park we hadn't been to yet and we have a growing interest in seeing as many as possible.
After arriving at Cuyahoga, we were pleasantly surprised there's no entry fee. It's a large park with interspersed ski resorts and several entry/exit points, so controlling traffic is likely impossible. And while pretty, I never would've guessed it was a National Park without otherwise knowing. A river valley with crisscrossing bike and hiking trails, cute streams and waterfalls, and an old railroad line doesn't compare to the majesty of Yosemite, the wonder of Yellowstone, or the wildness of Haleakala, not that many places do. In fact the idea is really unfair. We spent a couple hours just exploring Brandywine Falls, our son particularly enjoying all the acorns. For future note it seems the best way to get around is with bikes.
The rest of Friday was mostly uneventful (outside a time-consuming bathroom emergency near Toledo) and we stayed in Indiana. Saturday we got going early and immediately gained an hour after crossing into Central Time. After four hours on the road (and one successful use of the little potty in a hotel parking lot), we spent the day with friends in Madison and I stayed up way too late playing The Mind. Sunday around noon we left and made the remainder of the trip to Minnesota, my wife driving as I rested. What is supposed to only be another four hour trip took considerably longer after a snow-induced wreck on I-94 blocked traffic entirely, making us sit in one place for 30 minutes. But we made it. We were extremely happy with how well Jack did on the three day excursion, and we only had the one bathroom-related issue the first day. He was also not difficult otherwise, entertaining himself better than we could've hoped. All in all, the trip there went really great.
After a relaxing week (actually five days) in Minnesota, the return journey loomed. We were going to do it in two days this time, so back-to-back nearly full days on the road without anywhere interesting to stop. After the all too easy first leg I was pretty confident it'd go well, though I knew I was asking a lot of my pregnant wife and two year old son. Still, there was no reason to stretch it out longer and with this plan we'd have all day Sunday at home before the work week. Leaving Friday mid-morning we drove through Wisconsin, Illinois and most of Indiana, stopping in Howe. It's tough losing an hour at the very end of the day, but otherwise the day went almost flawlessly as we avoided major slowdowns around Chicago. It was disappointing that we needed a change of clothes like an hour before reaching the hotel, due to a long stretch where Jack had been sleeping, but it was nbd. Unfortunately, the next day was tougher. Everyone was over the long hours and short tempered. There were plenty of tears and emotion as we stopped at multiple emergency pull-offs (literally along the interstate) in Pennsylvania and still needed another change of clothes. In the end we arrived home in the late afternoon and the extra day at home Sunday was more than appreciated.
It was a good trip that was only tough on us at the very end. It was more than worth it to see family and friends before the end of the year. And now we dig in for the long haul at home. Six weeks to go!
(Wide eyes as I comprehend that.)
Comments