I failed to mention that getting out of Minnesota was a bit of an issue. My flight from MSP to ORD on the day I was supposed to leave was delayed and then delayed and then delayed again. I ended up spending another night in Minnesota and leaving the next day. The next flight took me through DC where I grabbed a picture of the Washington Monument.
The park and ride where I had left my car was gracious enough to give me the extra night for free, so there was a plus side. The pet sitter I booked through Rover.com was also accommodating and adjusted her schedule, so she could stop in to see Arthur. And, well, another night in MN is never a bad thing.
On a sunny weekend in late August, I went on a boat cruise off the Erie Canal. I guess I never realized how long the canal is, but I saw part of it, heard the Erie Canal song, and saw some wildlife. I didn’t spend as much time in Rochester itself as I thought I would, but this was a nice overview. I sat my a nice couple for part of the trip, and they were very positive about the Rochester area and the sites we saw while on the cruise.
Arthur did ok in Irondequoit. He spent a lot of time under the covers and playing with his toys. He took very good care of me, especially after I wounded myself.
So, I burned myself on the stove when I was taking a pizza out of the oven and somehow bruised myself at some point. The burn is healing nicely, and the bruise disappeared quickly. 🍫🍫 YAY for another scar?
I was glad we were able to make this stop in the Rochester area. It was a nice-sized area, and the people I met were all very kind and approachable, but it didn’t feel like home.
Our next stop, for seven whole months, is Orchard Park, NY. Yes, the home of the Buffalo Bills. Yes, one of the snowiest places in the NE. I’m looking forward to calling a place home for that length of time and having a stable location for Arthur.
Back in the days of the pandemic, I had a great morning routine. I would wake up around 5:30, feed the cats, and then go for a two-mile walk around the small borough where I lived. It was energizing and relaxing at the same time. I would listen to podcasts or books on Audible and just enjoy being one of the only people out enjoying the fresh air.
Since I’ve been on this journey to find my forever home, it has been hard to get back to that groove, so I wanted to try to get it back now that the morning weather was getting cooler, and I was preparing to settle in to my time in New York. In Irondequoit, I started walking almost daily – either in the morning before work or after work. One of my first weekends, I decided that I would try to see more of the area by trying out different trails on the weekends.
My first trail was the Irondequoit Lakeside Trail that bordered Lake Ontario. I saw this handsome buck when I was trying to find a parking spot. The views of the lake were incredible, and I ended up turning around when I came upon an active crime scene, which turned out to be a fatal motorcycle accident.
Near Durand Lake, I stumbled across the White Lady‘s Castle ruins. There was a restaurant in this spot and never a castle, but the legend lives on. I walked up the stairs and around the site, but I didn’t see any ghosts – just a lot of graffiti and a nice view of the lake.
Another weekend took me to Corbett’s Glen Nature Park in nearby Brighton, NY. The trail wasn’t very long, but it was lovely. There were more inclines that I’m used to, but it was worth it for the variety of views and time in the trees. Unfortunately, there was a group running when I got there, and I learned my lesson. I should’ve gone earlier to avoid all the foot traffic.
I had also wanted to get to Corning, NY, to see the glass museum. Visiting had been on my list since my days in PA, so it was fun to make it happen while I was in Irondequoit.
To say there was a lot of glass is a gross understatement. When you first step into the Corning Museum of Glass, there are a few more modern glass displays, and for awhile, I thought that was it. I was so wrong. There were galleries upon galleries of glass. Glass from the beginning of glass, glass from other countries, functional glass, decorative glass, gigantic glass monoliths, wee glass intricacies, and just so much glass. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. So much glass.
I did catch a glass-blowing demo. It was neat to see the process live.
I walked across the bridge from the glass museum to the village of Corning and stopped in for lunch at Hand + Foot for a great BLT and more root beer. After lunch, I walked to The Rockwell Museum. It’s a small but might museum with some great exhibits, including this sculpture by Michael Naranjo. It was displayed in an exhibit highlighting art of the southwest U.S., and it reminded me of my time in New Mexico.
On the way back to Irondequoit, I also stopped by Watkins Glen State Park. I wanted to get some more steps in, but I had also heard that it was a beautiful park. Unfortunately, a lot of other people thought it would be a great day to visit, so the trail was very crowded. I’ll have to go back when it’s less busy to see more of the falls and trails.
Some random pictures of the glen and some strangers who just a couple of the many, many, many, many people who were at the park.
One more post about the Rochester area next time! Then, we’re on to Buffalo.
I’m in New York – not that part of New York though. NYC is great, and it’s beautiful in its own way, but ol’ Ms Haps isn’t really city gal anymore, so I’m spending a lot of my time in northern NY. To start, I had some time to kill before I moved to the Buffalo area, so I decided to spend some time in Rochester – more specifically Irondequoit. I found this great AirBnB garage apartment for late July through early September. It was really nice to be in a residential neighborhood again and not in an apartment complex.
I decided not to unpack everything from the car. I had purposefully packed the fall/winter clothes in separate bins from the summer/spring and left those in the back of the car. I tried not to unpack too much either since we were there for about five weeks.
Arthur settled in pretty quickly, but he didn’t have a lot of windows to look out.
He had a good time playing with the fishing pole / feather and looking out the window when he wasn’t hiding under the covers for his daily naps.
One of my first adventures in Rochester was visiting the Susan B Anthony historical home. When I stayed in Syracuse last August, I had visited Seneca Falls and the Women’s Rights National Park, and I guess I missed that Susan B Anthony lived for many decades in Rochester.
The tour was good, and it was interesting to learn more about the Women’s movement, about her arrest, and her questionable stances on some issues, particularly on race and abortion. You can Google it, but in a nutshell, her efforts for white women overshadowed other important debates at the time.
In August, I attended a book club at Laughing Gull Chocolates. They choose books with a food-based theme, and in August, the book was Be Ready When Luck Happens by Ina Garten. I was able to get through about half of the book before the meeting, and it was a lively discussion with a lot of women from different walks of life in the Rochester area. It was good to get out and meet the people and have a chat about a book written by one of my favorite Food Network chefs – the Barefoot Contessa. While she did have some luck in her life, she also had a lot of opportunities. In the end, it was one of those situations where she saw it as “luck”, and the rest of us saw it as privilege with some struggles.
I also was able to plan a last minute trip to Minnesota in August as well. It’s such a great time to visit, and I was able to see my parents, spend time with friends, and go to the Great MN Get Together – the MN State Fair.
(L to R) Traffic in rural MN. One of the five beautiful lakes in my hometown. Hot tomatoes. Not pictured: the blackberry ice cream from the Dairy Freeze.
When I’m home, I always visit my grandparents at their cemeteries. I was so fortunate to have three grandparents for a lot of my life in my hometown. My dad’s mom passed away only 4 years ago at 99, and my mom’s parents were with us until 2010. Visiting them reminds me of their love and our time together and how much they poured into me, my brother, and my cousins. One of the many reasons I love returning to MN.
It’s been over a decade since I’ve been back in MN for the state fair. These are the most iconic parts of the fair for me – the map of all there is to see, the 4-H building that I was fortunate enough to compete in, and the water tower on Snelling that announces the fair all year long.
Everyone has their favorite foods at the fair, and these are mine. (L to R) A root beer float from the 1919 Root Beer stand – a MN favorite. Sweet Martha’s Cookies from the OG stand near the 4-H building (yes, I bought a bucket). The roast corn on the cob, dipped in butter and salted and peppered. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do something dumb; I left my wallet at that stand this year. But it also wouldn’t be MN, if someone didn’t turn it in. The gal who grabbed it for me also gave me a hug – so Minnesota. 🍫🍫
(L to R) MN apples! Arts & Crafts! Tractors! When I was growing up, we had a 60, so it was great to see that model on display.
There was an evergreen competition in the Horticulture building, and this is my other favorite landmark on the fairgrounds. I got there around 7AM when the gates opened, and I was done by 11:30. It was the perfect morning.
More from NY next time – Corning, injuries, and back to a familiar routine.
When I was in Muskegon, I found this great screen print. I bought the tank top version since it was so hot that day. One thing that caught my eye was that every one of my finalist cities in on or near one of the Great Lakes. The water has always had a pull on me. Maybe it was growing up in a city with five lakes, or maybe it is just how powerful water is? There’s just something about it that draws me in; I have the utmost respect for it.
I think I say it every time I leave one location for another, but it’s hard to believe that it was already time to leave Michigan. There were a few errands that I needed to run on my last day, and I wanted to be sure I had enough time to load the car and get everything settled. In the evening, my friend, her husband, and I went out for dinner at The Green Well. We had a lovely time and barely talked about work (a minor miracle!). Then we walked down to Furniture City Creamery for dessert where we all enjoyed some very good ice cream. I had mine in this adorable kid-sized cake cup, and it was the perfect night cap and toast to Grand Rapids.
There were two options for us to get to our next destination – Irondequoit, NY (just to the east of Rochester). We could go through Canada, or we could go through Ohio. Ohio had its appeal since we wouldn’t have to cross the borders, but the trip would be about an hour longer. Right now, border crossing as a naturalized American citizen is unsettling at best. Believe it or not, I don’t have a prison record or a speeding ticket to my name, but I can’t help feeling a certain way about “testing” my documents at the border. Did I mention that I hate driving through Ohio?
So, we went through Canada, and it was lovely. Crossing into Canada took longer than it took to get back into the US. There was quite the line. We stopped at one roadside rest area on the way for a break. The roads were perfect, and Arthur barely complained. I did make an effort to make sure he didn’t over-eat before left. He found a comfy spot under the passenger seat, and we made it to Irondequoit in around 7 hours. When entering the US again, the border guard did have some very good questions for me, but I passed the test with flying colors, and we were back in the US without any issues.
Just a Little More Michigan
Michigan brought the return of my famous tater tot hotdish, some delightful banana bread, and lots of local fruit – the strawberries and cherries were my favorite.
Just a couple more works of “art” from Michigan – the beautiful marble gallery wall at the Muskegon Art Museum, this lovely dress I found at the grocery store, Meijer, on clearance, and Arthur admiring the light art that my coffee cup made on the wall one morning.
Overall, Michigan was fantastic. I liked Grand Rapids more than I thought I would and felt quite at home there. If you forced me to rank them now, Michigan has the edge over Chicagoland.
Until Next Time…
I typically only write after I’ve been somewhere and not while I’m there. With my upcoming 8-month stay in New York, it’s going to be hard to keep that up unless I become grossly behind on the blog. So, I’ve decided to write while in place, but the details may become more vague to preserve some anonymity. Thank you, as always, for reading along with us. More adventures to come!
Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that it was a whole year ago that I had been to Michigan and spent time in Holland and outside of Grand Rapids in Jenison. This time around was so different. With the freedom to travel by car, every day activities like going to a movie or to the grocery store were just easier. It’s one of the things I’ve had to adjust to outside of the RV. In Grand Rapids, unlike Evanston, I was able to establish a routine, which felt like a step back to getting normal.
I read a few books, I did some meal planning with an actual oven and full-sized refrigerator, and I did more baking – one of my favorite things. I made banana bread and chocolate chip cookies and monster cookies. Thankfully, I had friends to share them with, but I ate my fair share. I also went to the same hairstylist twice. I found Studio 3 Salon because it was open on Sunday, and I found a wonderful stylist who really listened to what I needed and was able to deliver.
These might seem like small things, but it all feels like really big – like I’m returning to a “normal” life. I am forever grateful for my time on the road and all the adventures, but there’s a part of me – a very big part of me – that is yearning for a place to call my own and, well, my own furniture. 😂
Muskegon
I did get a chance to drive out to Muskegon a few times when I was in Grand Rapids. On my first trip, I had intended to go to the Muskegon Museum, but I failed to read the tiny print, and it was the only Saturday (other than holidays) that it is closed during the year. 🍫 So, I went and bought a purse instead.
My second trip out to Muskegon involved a tour of the area with a work friend who spent the day taking me around the area and showing me all the fabulous beaches and places to eat. To start, we had delicious hand-press lemonades and cookies at The Gooleyguk Cafe.
On the way around Lake Michigan, we stopped at cantilevered, replica of the historic Fort Dearborn – The Block House – in the State Park. It sits high on a hill and is a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.
We visited a lighthouse that was built in 1875 – White River Light Station & Museum. We didn’t take the tour, but we did enjoy its channel and the lake views.
We stopped at a great shop in Whitehall, Colby’s Hokey Pokey, as well as the town’s General Store, which had souvenirs and so much beautiful fabric. We had lunch at Colby’s Cafe and Brew in Whitehall and shared a really great strawberry lemonade cupcake. On the way back through Muskegon, we stopped at the pop-up shops in the downtown area. One of the spots we stopped was Jeremy Church‘s photography, and he gave us both a free print and signed them. We had a great day!
On my third trip to Muskegon, I was finally able to tour the Muskegon Art Museum. Now, I will bore you with some of the art that I loved while I was there.
(L to R) Bow of Ulysses by Richard Hunt (the picture doesn’t do its form justice); The Road Through the Common by Jose Weiss; there was a whole room of glass art that was all unique and lovely to wander through.
(L to R) I didn’t grab a close-up of the title card for this one, but it’s so striking I had to include it; Nassau Beach by Leon Cabo; Tea Cup by Lee Price.
The primary reason for my visit to the Muskegon Art Museum was to see the Julia Child exhibit. There were many artifacts from her life, and I enjoyed taking a peek at those items. I didn’t appreciate how it was organized – more like things were put to fit a space instead of any kind of order. Nonetheless, it was worth it to spend some time amongst her things and her history.
For lunch, I asked the person running the gift shop for a recommendation for a great burger place. She recommended Hamburger Mikey’s, which was a short walk from the museum. It was a really delicious burger and French fries. I enjoyed the burger and fries on the pier at Heritage Landing. And, even though it was Bike Time in Muskegon, the pier was fairly empty other than seagulls and a few fishermen.
I really enjoyed spending time in Muskegon and would go back for another burger in a heartbeat.
I will also make time to check out their beautiful Hackley Library. This is the Shakespeare garden outside of the library.
In mid-June, we had some rain, and it was that kind of rain when the world just feels fresh after – not the kind of rain where it feels like a sauna. On one of those rainy days, I had the chance to drive to see a couple more Frank Lloyd Wright houses northwest of Detroit.
The first tour was at the Affleck House in Bloomfield Hills. There were a lot of unique features to this property that I enjoyed.
Under one of the cantilevers there was this shaded lounge area that had a small stream running through it. The bathroom and office area featured these unique windows to aid with the cross breeze and added to the aesthetic. The living room and dining room featured this beautiful planked ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows/doors. The natural light was stunning even on that overcast day.
One of my favorite parts of the FLW houses are the locations. They are almost always set in treed and lush properties – so naturally part of the landscape.
The Smith House was associated with the Cranbrook in Bloomfield Township. I had no idea how big the campus was, and I missed an opportunity to tour the Cranbrook House, but I did have a chance to wander around the Art Museum on the campus before the Smith house tour. I’m on the fence, in general, about midcentury modern design. The museum featured work done at the Cranbrook in support of that design style with different furniture and textiles and art pieces. The Eames exhibit was very interesting. I had lunch in their downstairs cafe and walked around some of the gardens as well.
The Smiths were art enthusiasts and had art in their home and on the property, which backed up to a small pond. Because of all the personal effects still in the home, it felt more “lived in” than some of the other FLW houses I’ve toured.
The Smiths also re-appropriated some of the spaces as well, which probably had FLW rolling in his grave, but a house only works when it fits what its dwellers need, so I could appreciate the changes they made to make it work for them. Isn’t that office just so great? Proving that a small room can be a functional retreat for work and rest.
I really do love the windows that utilize the mitered glass to create an invisible corner for a better view of the outdoors. Like Thoreau wrote: “We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features….” Another beautiful property that I am grateful to have gotten to explore.
When you tour more than one FLW home in the same day, you often run into the same people. This time, I met a couple from Ohio and a young man at the Affleck House and then again at the Smith House. It was fun to compare notes with them about the different houses and about my travel plans. I wish I had more time and energy to spend, but I was ready to head back home after the Smith tour.
Back in Grand Rapids, Arthur had extra time for cuddles and cuteness and helped me most days at work from his perch.
After all our Chicagoland adventures, it was time to depart for our next stop, Grand Rapids, MI. My original plan had been to stay in Ann Arbor, but the universe had other plans for me and Arthur. I booked multiple AirBnBs in Michigan – two in Ann Arbor, one north of Ann Arbor on Whitmore Lake, and another in Grand Rapids. All of them, for one reason or no reason, cancelled. 🍫 A big part of all the travel is learning that plans aren’t permanent, and change can be for the better.
We ended up booking a studio apartment in Grand Rapids off of Michigan Street. My friend who lives in Grand Rapids drove by before I booked to make sure it was in a safe neighborhood, and the hosts were very communicative and fully understood my need for central A/C in June and July.
Unlike the Evanston apartment, this place had a full kitchen. The closet picture is basically all the clothes that I have with me on this journey – about half as much as I was able to bring in the RV. The bed was cozy, but I did end up buying a set of sheets because I need cotton sheets – microfiber is not my jam. If you look closely at the picture on the right, there’s a lump in the middle of the bed. That’s Arthur. His midday nap includes putting himself to bed under the covers.
The transition from IL to MI for Arthur was rough. We hit a little traffic leaving Evanston, but when we reached Lake Shore Driver, Arthur’s breakfast re-appeared three times…. 🍫🍫 After that, he settled down by my feet. I know, not ideal, but he rarely cried for the next three hours after he got comfy and resigned himself to the trip. I did make a few notes for our next drive, which will be about 7.5 hours – unlike this trip that was only 3.5 hours. I did not set him up for success on this one – we left too late in the day, and he was a bit traumatized by how I ended up getting him into the car. He did settle in, and because this place was smaller than the last, I felt more comfortable having him roam on his own.
I had a couple of days to myself, and then we had a small work meeting. My friends came over, got to meet Arthur, and worked with me for a few days. It wasn’t all work though. We did have a chance to get to the zoo and went out to eat a couple times.
We were able to see the annual lantern festival at the John Ball Zoo while they were there, and another co-worker joined us for dinner at New Holland Brewery and walking around the zoo. It stays light pretty late in June in Michigan, and my bedtime is early, so we avoided the bugs and really enjoyed seeing the lights glow more as we walked out. If you know Michigan, you probably know Meijer; they “powered” the displays and were my preferred grocery store when I was in Michigan; I even bought a dress there.
We also celebrated National Donut Day with Farmhaus Farms donuts, had dinner at Mr. Burger, and spent time on one of the many MI lakes. I also had a chance to do some baking again – gluten-free blueberry muffins, and gluten-free “crack” brownies. I’m definitely a fan of gluten, but I can bake without when needs must. It was a great first week in Grand Rapids.
I also ran over to Ann Arbor after work on Friday to catch Sarah Millican on her Late Bloomer tour. She was an absolute delight. The Michigan Theater was packed, and everyone seemed to be there to laugh, which always makes comedy shows so much better. I did a very “old lady” thing and left at intermission. Why would I leave when I was having a great time? Three Reasons: People / traffic / a long drive back to where I was staying near Lansing. I had a seat relatively close to the stage, and I found a great parking spot in the parking ramp, but it was 9PM by the time we reached intermission, and I just didn’t want to deal with the people / traffic / drive after 10PM. If the line to the bathroom was any indicator, it would’ve probably been midnight before my head hit the pillow.
Arthur settled in pretty easily in Grand Rapids and really enjoyed meeting my friends from work and getting all the pets and treats from them.
Next post: Two more Frank Lloyd Wright houses outside of Detroit!
When my friend told me that the greater Chicago area was called “Chicagoland”, I said, ‘What? Like it’s an amusement park?’ She just laughed, but little did I know that I would be in for a ride. And by ride, I mean a lot of time in the car to get anywhere. Alas, this is one of my struggles with a large city – the time it takes to get anywhere. Only 11 miles away? Yeah, that translates to 40 minutes in the car.
A couple of my drives took me to the Northbrook Library where they have this maker’s space where you can 3D print, embroider, sew, etch, and do all sorts of crafts. They even have crafty librarians available to assist with your project. I also went to 9Round in Glenview a couple of times where I punched and kicked stuff to my heart’s content. It’s a circuit-based training, and it was ok. I’m not great with my exercise being coordinated, but I did love the speed bag once I got the rhythm down.
When I took a trip downtown, I went on an architectural river tour where floated and heard about the different buildings on the waterfront and enjoyed a sunset. I also had a chance to walk around and visit some stores, including a unique Apple Store on Michigan Avenue. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and there were a lot of people out enjoying it.
Another joy of being in a city is street parking. 🍫🍫 Our new ride met with Sergio, and whatever he was driving when he scratched up my car. How do I know that it was Sergio? He left a note with his number, which was really kind, but what would’ve been kinder is if he would’ve answered when I called and texted him. Sigh.
Just a little scratching…. 😩
Did I like Chicagoland? Yes and no. Yes, I liked the buzz of being in a city again and being able to get to everything even if it took longer than what I hoped. I liked the neighborhoods with unique restaurants and people. There’s always something going on somewhere and so much to see and do. Honestly, being so burnout from travel, I think we maybe managed about 5% of what is possible. I just don’t think the busyness of the city life might not be for me anymore.
We were off to Michigan in late May for more adventure time.
I did make some time to be a tourist in Chicagoland. I was able to schedule tours at two of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oak Park, including his home and studio.
It really was like a “full circle” kind of moment when I was on the tour of his home. Even though he didn’t live there long, you can feel how the origin of the person and the design aesthetic began. There were some more traditional styles mixed with what would become his signature style.
Some interior pictures of the woodwork and a mural in a bedroom.
His office was my favorite part of that tour.
In late May, I had a chance to tour the Robie House as well. The lighting and the glass art were beautiful in this home.
Based on what I’ve learned about Frank Lloyd Wright over the dozen or so houses I’ve toured, I don’t think he’d be my first pick for an architect. I admire his work, love the art glass, and can truly appreciate his style, but living in the FLW house would be a nightmare – leaky roofs, dark spaces, and uncomfortable, built-in furnishings.
On a particularly adventurous day, I drove into the city proper for some museum time and a boat tour on the river.
I saw some pretty famous art the Art Institute of Chicago and also saw some art that I really liked.
The Chagall stained glass windows were incredible, and I was surprised and delighted to see a Monet winter scene and an O’Keefe that was not set in the southwest.
There was so much to see, but I think I did get to every wing of the institute and would highly recommend it if you have a few hours in Chicago.
I also saw the “bean” from a distance when I was walking to the Art Institute.
I thought I could fit all of the tourist stuff in one post, but alas, I am tired, so one more about Chicagoland, and then we’ll be off to Michigan.
Leaving Estella behind in Minnesota was bittersweet. Despite the expensive visits for servicing, our RV was a stalwart companion. She traveled many miles and kept us safe around every turn, our own little nomadic family. But every day that passed, I found myself increasingly looking forward to settling down somewhere and finding our Unicorn City. So, we said goodbye for now, and I look forward to when we can travel again.
The SUV (not yet named) has considerably less space than the RV for storage, so I had to be really thoughtful about what we could bring. In the end, I wish we could’ve brought more. There are some groups dedicated to people who “car camp”, and I admire them and, at the same time, have no idea how they do it.
My first step was figuring out how to bring Arthur and his paraphernalia. His cat stand had to come along as well as his poop box, food, and toys. I also needed my work gear, basic supplies for the bathroom and kitchen, clothes for all climates, and shoes. All the places that I lined up for the next year were furnished, which helps a lot. I ended up buying clear plastic storage bins for all of it, so this is what I ended up packing:
Suitcase: This is always packed for a trip to FL or TX. To me, it’s always hot in both of those locations, so most of my “summer” clothes are in there.
Tote Bag: I packed a lot of my smaller work things like pens, cords, mouse, Remarkable, laptop, iPad, personal laptop, laptop stand, etc.
Backpack: This is where all the bigger work stuff ended up: keyboard, monitor, headphones, speaker, etc.
Medium Storage Bins: (1) bathroom stuff, (2) Arthur’s cat crap, (3) bigger kitchen things
Small Storage Bins: (1) more bathroom stuff and jewelry, (2) top-drawer things, (3) workout apparel, (4) smaller kitchen things
Pillow and Blanket
Duffle Bag: This was just for some of my shoes, a sad small amount of footwear.
Small safe for valuables, and as I type this, and I can’t remember where I put the key….
In the end, it is a real life game of Tetris, and we had space to make it all work and still see out of all the windows.
Arthur did great on the trip. The first half hour was a good amount of yowling since this was a brand new travel space for him, but then he settled in to his hideout in the cat tree and was just fine until we reached Evanston. We stopped for donuts at Thorton’s, my favorite gas station donuts. They don’t have them at every station, but the one in Roscoe, IL, is marked as a favorite location in my maps just for the donuts.
Our furnished rental was a garden-level apartment in Evanston was just off Ashbury Avenue.
The walking space bathroom alone was larger than the RV, and the bedroom was very spacious. So, I did end up keeping Arthur confined to those two spaces when we were there. It was an adjustment for both of us.
The kitchen was pretty basic, but it was still a step up in space and convenience versus the RV. I borrowed a Crockpot from a friend while I was there, and that meant a very delicious pot roast slow-cooked over a bed of carrots and potatoes. 😍
I did venture out while I was in Chicago, so more on that next time.
And finally, Arthur in one of his favorite perches in Evanston. He was eye-level with all of our bunny and squirrel neighbors.
The Adventures of Ms Haps & Arthur 