Bike The Drive

One morning a year, Chicago closes Lake Shore Drive to vehicular traffic to allow full access to bikers from 6-10am -- this year it was on Sunday morning of Labor Day weekend, and we decided to participate. Scott's father-in-law, George, and Steve and Shay did it too...

Fifth Third Bank was the primary sponsor...

Our entry tickets

https://bikethedrive.org/

Sunrise as George was driving us down to Chicago (**so** grateful that George arranged to get parking at Moody Bible Institute and drove us and our bikes down!).

Outside the Moody parking garage, ready to head over to Lakeshore Drive

We found an entrance to Lakeshore Drive, and got on heading north, thinking that Steve and Shay were up near Fullerton, but... it turned out that they were in Grant Park...

So, we got off Lakeshore at the next exit and got back on heading south.

Action picture of George with the sunrise behind!

Carl is good at taking pictures while he is riding -- George and I were in front...

... then I was in front...

We stopped over the Chicago River so I could take a picture of what-used-to-be "1 IBM Plaza" (it is the shorter dark building next to the really shiny Trump Tower) -- now The Langham Hotel is located at that address -- I think there may still be some IBM offices there too, but I don't know.

Selfie with the Trump Tower and former IBM building behind us.

We met up with Steve and Shay at Grant Park.

Steve modeling his brand-new Bike The Drive teeshirt

Continuing south on Lakeshore Drive from Grant Park

We decided to turn around before getting to the Museum of Science and Industry - this was our turn-around point.

This is a throwback picture - of Carl when he did Bike The Drive in 2012 -- in front of the Museum of Science and Industry.

Shay and Steve at the point where we turned around.

Heading back north -- Steve, Shay, Patti, and George across in front of Carl

It was a beautiful morning - bright blue skies -- Steve, Shay, Patti, George.

Selfie with Navy Pier in the background

Navy Pier

We continued north...

Heading toward Fullerton Beach

It doesn't look like there were a lot of bikers with us...

... we think that the crowd was a bit smaller than they may normally have. It is usually on Memorial Day Weekend, and it was cancelled last year due to COVID. George said that they have had as many as 50,000 riders, but he got his ticket pretty late and his number was in the 8000s, so we're thinking 10-12,000 participated this year.

After we got off of Lakeshore Drive, we were heading to a breakfast place and I saw this man with his dog in a backpack and having a cape on!

You may not be able to see the street sign, but it points to Larrabee St to the left --- Carl's Mom's maiden name was Larrabee. We had passed this way on our way back from the air show a couple of weeks before (https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2021/08/blue-angels-chicago-lakefront.html).

It turned out that the man who had his dog in the backpack with the cape went to the same breakfast spot that we did! So I got a slightly better picture as they were walking away.

Outside of the donut shop where we got our post-ride breakfast treat!

It was in an alley -- and there was a telephone truck parked at the entrance evidently trying to figure out a fix to one of the myriad of wires above the alley.

There was no outdoor eating area at the donut shop, so we found a bench outside a bank where we could sit and chat.

I found this sign on the door of the bank to be ironic -- no hats, no hoods, no sunglasses -- but masks are required! (There was a separate sign for the mask requirement... I didn't take a picture of that.)

We went separate ways after our breakfast break -- Shay and Steve back to their apartment and we headed back to Moody... It was so nice to get to spend some time with Steve and Shay!

On our way back to Moody, we crossed Larrabee St again!

Our Bike The Drive route (the red line) from my FitBit tracker.

We rode about 20 miles -- the elapsed time was about 2 hours 15 minutes; I think that does not include times we were stopped -- in total, I think we were out and about for 3 hours+. We enjoyed the day, and our participation (paying for the tickets to participate) contributed to the group that helps to promote bike paths and bike lanes in Chicago.

Friday and fall plans

I had mentioned a few days ago (https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2021/08/back-to-illinois.html) that I needed a root canal and was hoping it would get completed during this last week while we were in the Elgin area. The endodontist saw me on Tuesday, based on my symptoms concurred with my dentist that a root canal was needed, and scheduled it for Friday. It all went well -- never comfortable, but the task got done. He said when he got into the tooth that there was a lot of infection in there so that was what was causing me pain. My left side of my mouth was numb for a lot of the day, but by evening, that had all worn off, and I was not having much pain. The endodontist called me on Saturday morning, and I was pleased to tell him that I was able to rinse my teeth with relatively cool water on Friday night without setting off the sensitivity on that side of my mouth -- it has been *years* since that has been the case. I am so grateful!

We plan to leave the Elgin area on Tuesday on our way to the family farm in Virginia -- it could be a 3 day trip, but we'll be taking about 6 weeks, because, well, because we can!

This is the rough plan:

We are looking forward to seeing friends and family along the way - if you are along the way and up for a visit, let us know! We may be able to detour and see you!

After we leave Virginia, our rough plan is:

Again... if you are along the way and up for a visit, let us know! We may be able to detour and see you!

Our plans are always cast in gelatin (not concrete) and likely to change, but... those are the current plans!

Lunch with Mom

On Thursday, we took Carl's Mom, Verna, out for lunch to Olive Garden. We had hoped to be able to visit her room, but the facility is on lockdown and no one can visit in Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing, but, we were allowed to take her out.

Carl was showing his Mom some pictures from our Tuesday night gathering(https://journeyinamazinggrace.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-crowd-of-cousins.html) ...

She got to see her sister, Zola (whom she thinks will be turning 99 in January instead of 100, but, according to Verna, Zola has always been secretive about her age, so... who knows?!?!)

"Smile at Patti, she is taking a picture..."

That's a nice picture!

We wanted to be able to see her, to do a couple of things for her. We had a box of pictures that we had collected from her apartment and I had scanned in that we wanted to return and place in her closet (we gave to the nurse who brought her down to the place where we collected her to take her out and asked her to put them in the closet since we could not go up). Carl wanted to put Aunt Zola's phone number into Verna's phone. I wanted to show her a few pieces of jewelry that we had found in her apartment and placed in a safety deposit box so I could label them and others would know what she had shared about the pieces. We got all of those things done -- some of the jewelry she knew immediately, but much of it she would say, "That looks familiar, but I don't really remember."

It was good to get to spend some time with her before we leave this area (plan is to leave on Tuesday and we won't be back, probably, until September 2022). 

Picking up packages

Sister-by-love Regina had asked if we could pick up an order for her at a Chicago suburb -- we were so glad she asked and that we could do something for her... so we went to the company on Wednesday...

Signs identifying the customer pickup area

Looking through the glass doors into the inventory area.

The worker brought the order out to the Jee-Rage...

... and helped us put the boxes into the back...

He encouraged me to check the order as he loaded...

... checking the list...

Yep! That looks like all of it!

We got to visit a Chicago suburb that I had not been to before -- and able to get all the items loaded and ready to take to Virginia (well, they'll arrive in a few weeks! Thankfully, Regina is not in a hurry for the items!).

A Crowd of Cousins

We had a crowd of cousins come over on Tuesday evening... our plan was to be outside and enjoy a campfire, but... it was rainy so we moved the gathering inside...

Carl's Mom's sister, Aunt Zola -- who will be 100(!) in January, 2022 -- talking with Gil

Joan and Gloria (and Aunt Zola)

Glenn (Wesley) talking with Ron and Sylvia

Glenn (Wesley) talking with Ron and Sylvia

Patti serving desserts

Carl, Gloria, Joan

Aunt Zola and Gil

Sharing a picture book with Aunt Zola

Sylvia and Ron's daughter, Janae, also dropped by with her husband and daughter and son...

Gloria with Janae's son, Gloria's nephew

We had a total of 13 people in the rig!! It was nice to meet and be with family!

A visit to the Fisher Nuts store

Tuesday is Senior Citizen discount day at the Fisher Nuts Factory Store (we actually didn't know that when we decided to go, but it was a nice bonus!).

Heading in...

Lots of goodies...

Lots and lots of goodies...

What can we find?

Decisions, decisions!

Our "haul" -- yum!

When Carl had gone to the store a couple of weeks ago, he had gotten Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Honey-Roasted Peanuts. We went hoping to get more of those, but, alas, they were only available there for a short time. Bummer! But we got a lot of other nice things!