Day 47: Bahai, Monarch, and Amslack

Day 47:  Tuesday July 22nd, 2014.
Wilmette (North Chicago), IL to Chicago, IL.  14.6 miles.

Up early, I was served a delicious omelet by Susan, made with fresh veggies from her garden.  Knowing that when I last used my tent at Blue Mound State Park, I packed it up wet from the morning dew, Susan allowed me to use her clothes lines to dry out my tent before heading into the city.

I said my goodbyes, thanking Susan and her family for their generous hospitality, and then made my way out of their neighborhood.  I was energized, knowing that I would see Victoria today, for the first time in a month, since Missoula, Montana.  Her train was scheduled to arrive around 4 pm, coming from Portland Oregon where she started two days prior, having traveled through many of the same towns that I rode through.  So, I had lots to do in preparation for her arrival, in addition to riding the short 14 more miles into the city.

Following my GPS, I rode through residential streets of Wilmette and Evanston.  Fancy homes gave way to neighborhood shops and restaurants around Northwestern University.

Susan prompted me that I would ride by the Bahai Temple, the only one in North America.  Not knowing what I was looking for, it was obvious when I came upon it.

I don't know anything about the religion, but the temple was very impressive with lots of ornate detail.

I stopped at a Coffee shop in Evanston for some caffeine and to catch up on some writing.  Sitting at the narrow bar against the window, I had a great view of life passing by on the street.

While here, I also wrote a note to Victoria in a card adorned with a monarch butterfly on the front that I found along the way.

I thought it was appropriate, as Victoria has a special connection with Monarchs. She has been raising them for over a year now, successfully providing the necessary environment in our back yard to allow them to carry out their life cycle from larvae to caterpillar to crysalis to butterfly.

We have watched closely the various stages of the process, including capturing video of a butterfly emerging from it's crysalis.  And, ever since I left the Pacific Ocean on this trans-America bike ride, I have encountered an occasional monarch crossing my path, in the Columbia River gorge, through the Rockies, over the Prairie grasslands, on the Plains, and alongside the Mississippi River.  I've thought of them as a reminder of Victoria, as if she had been alongside me all the way, and this card would be a perfect way to share that experience with her when she arrives.

My next stop would be a barber shop on Clark Street.  Along the way, I passed Wrigley Field.  The Padres are coming into town to play the Cubs tomorrow for a 3-game series.  I ordered some bleacher tickets for the Wednesday night game for myself, Victoria, and my nephew, Josh, who lives in Chicago.

Arriving at the barber shop, I leaned my bike on the window and entered to get a haircut and beard trim.  This was no "Man's Den", but it would have to do.  I asked the receptionist if it was ok to have my bike leaning on the window.  She replied, "Oh no honey - this is Chicago - you need to bring that inside."  I laughed inside, thanked her, and wheeled it in.  It was quite a sight to see it next to the chair where eventually a woman would be sitting as highlights were applied to her hair.

Clean-cut, I continued South on Clark Street, the bigger buildings of "The Loop" appearing in the distance, making my way to Division St.

At Division and Clark, I met my nephew Josh, an engineer, at his job site, the new Clark/Division subway stop.  I loitered in his office for a while as he finished up his workday.

Then, I rode a few blocks to his apartment.  He lives in a tall residential building near Lincoln Park, with a sensational view of Lake Michigan and the downtown skyline.  I took a tour of his place, including the rooftop lounge.

I locked up my bike at Josh's place, planning to store it for the next 13 days, while Victoria and I vacation in the area.  When Victoria returns to San Diego on August 5th, I will resume riding right where I left off, at Josh's apartment.

I proceeded by way of a cab to the Air-BnB rental that Victoria secured for the two of us to stay in while in Chicago for a few days.  Then, we plan to rent a car and travel around Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, relaxing and visiting relatives.

While she was scheduled to arrive at 4 pm, Amtrak takes a back seat to BNSF freight trains.  As a result of numerous delays, sometimes for hours while multiple trains passed by, her arrival was delayed by 8 hours.  I wanted to be at Union Station when her train pulled in, waiting to greet her with open arms.  When she informed me that she was arriving, I took the elevator downstairs, and began walking towards the station.

I hadn't even left the block I started out on when a few raindrops turned into a deluge, with sheets of rain streaming down from the sky.  I ducked under an overhang, then ran two storefronts over to a Dunkin' Donuts to take shelter.  The rain was coming down too fast to runoff and the streets began to fill with water.  In the few seconds it took me to get inside, my shoulders and head were sopping wet.

Lightning accompanied the storm, and was intense.  I pulled radar data up on my phone, and could see the big picutre of what was going on.  Arriving at the same time as Victoria, a line of intense thunderstorms moving slowly toward the Southeast had taken over the city.

I was stuck for the moment, and decided to run back to the apartment building to call a cab.  But, Victoria was ready to go, and hopped into a cab herself, headed to the apartment.  So, I waited for her in the lobby, my hair dripping, clothes soaked.

When her cab rolled up, I ran out to meet her, so happy that she had arrived to be with me.