09 September 2017

"Trip Diary, via Facebook"- total solar eclipse trip 2017 posting, part 4

August 16, 2017 10:03pm
Finally checked in to the Hampton Inn, in Deer Park, IL after 8 hours drive from Erie, PA! I had to stop once for 40 min because my left hip was so pinched from sitting. I am so thankful that I booked 2 nights here. I have to remember that all of my clocks are 1 hour behind my time. We're in another time zone! Wow! I had forgotten all about that. Got a beer at the BP. Stuck my hand in the pool- it's HEATED! I got 2 hours 'till it closes for the night. I got a good mind to go get in....
the view from our room at the Hampton Inn in Deer park, IL, with our rental car in the lot
August 17, 2017 10:52am
Deer Park, IL... Woke up 3x with a night sweat (!) through the night. Thank goodness I brought extra pajamas! I'm like a wet noodle today... But there is a huge clan of Canada Geese in the field by the parking lot, so all is well. They give a good breakfast spread here. I have to force feed myself in the morning, so I'm not in trouble later in the day. Today is about reconnecting with a friend who lives 12 minutes away, and just getting acclimated... I have some pics and vids to post. I'm not quite awake yet...   You All.

August 17, 2017 11:55am
So excited to just have talked with an awesome sounding woman named Christine who has volunteered to be our very own personal Chicago tour guide tomorrow! Thanks to the Chicago Greeters. What a great talk we had, laughed a lot. Chimayo and I picked Chinatown for our tour. BUT, she says she has really flexible time, and being one who loves her city, will take us to other funky off the beaten path neighborhoods! I said we're unschoolers and live outside the box- she's digging it! OK, I'm awake, now. CHICAGO! Are you ready for me?! LOL!

August 17, 2017 7:03pm
You'll never guess what my son said has finally gotten him "into this tourist thing"... The home crafted BLEU CHEESE that we bought at the Barrington Farmer's Market! Well, f*ck! Whatever it takes. Now he's in a good mood. I ought to go back and buy all the rest! We got a week to go! LOL!
kohlrabi sprouts, beautiful peaches and layered brie from the Barrington, IL farmer's market- dinner today, with the olive tortilla chips we bought at the Tops grocery store in Western NY


August 18, 2017 12:38am
THANK YOU's, so far: Rita, for finding cover for my 2 days this week. Amy Raffe for letting me hitch with her to Beacon to get my car rental (and driving me all the way to the car rental place). Tove, for being such a sweet soul and going to my apartment to look out for my plants. Saugerties Animal Hospital for dealing with all of my neurosis about boarding my cats (I must have more separation anxiety than the cats do!). And to Dear, Dear Radka for opening her home to me and my son to stay at her place- while she goes off on her own eclipse adventure with a friend(!) this weekend. I have so much love in my heart for all of you... MORE to come
August 19, 2017 1:53am
FREE Chicago Greeter tour today. Our Guide, Christine walked us all around the Millenium Park area. I am glad that I followed my intuition and did not buy the Chicago Water taxi tickets beforehand, because she had 2 tickets for us (!), courtesy of the City. So, I got my boat ride to Chinatown anyway, *gratis*. Son and I were both exhausted after 2 hours. It's not the walking. It's the intensity of the sun and the pavement and the lack of shade that neither of us do well with.... BUT, we learned SO much about history and architecture. The Chicago Cultural Center is a beautiful historic building with the world's largest Tiffany dome.
She dropped us off via water taxi in Chinatown. THAT was both of our most desired destination. We both LOVE Chinatown. 'Had a nice late lunch at a Vietnamese/Thai place called "The Noodle". I had my first, and maybe only, official "Chicago Dog" (Chicago style hot dog) at the Cloud Gate (aka "the bean") earlier, so after our late lunch I was way too full to even consider the bobble tea. But I bought some wonderful teas in a shop in the new Chinatown, where I was the only non-Chinese person shopping.... We are going to stay here in the suburbs tomorrow after we check out of the Hampton Inn (I extended our stay one more night) and forego another trip into the city. We need to get some deep rest because the whole focus of this adventure is upon us- getting up before the birds sing to take the 6 hour drove down south to partake in the Total Solar Eclipse. Laundry tomorrow in the guest laundry in the hotel while we have our free breakfast. Then we pack out and head to my friend's house.... The adventure continues. These posts will help me put our scrap album together, later.  To You All.
too hot in the city for me, but great to see and experience new things- and always good to be near the water
August 19, 2017 5:53pm

We are SO Blessed to be in the beautiful home of my friend, Radka for today and tomorrow. I just had an excellent grocery shop at Jewel Osco grocery store. This grocery store had SO many foods that I have NEVER, ever seen before in my LIFE! I wish I could have this store near to me! We have 2 days to tank us on some real, good, nourishing foods before we get back on the road early early Monday morning. My Guides have instructed me to "Stay Focused", "stay clear on [my] priorities", "listen deeply" and to "Meditate". Well, this is a wonderful space to accomplish all of that. My son even fell asleep on the couch just before I went to shop. THANK YOU, Sister. Thank You. Thank You. (oops, I'm tearing up...)
at my friend's apartment- my son makes friends with the couch!- I set up my office right away-
our flowers from the farmer's market, our new traveling companions for the rest of the trip

August 19, 2017 6:43pm

So, the brakes on this rental car started squeaking the other day! I just called the 800 # for Enterprise. Tomorrow morning, fresh and shiny, I am going to the Enterprise office in Palatine, IL (thank God/dess they're open on Sunday) and get a new car. At the speeds that we need to do on the highways, no effing way me and my kid are going out in a squeaky brake rental car. I'm going to remove the rest of our stuff and get ready...

August 20, 2017 12:43pm (update cover photo)
My friend has this beautiful table. I set up my office immediately upon arrival. Thank you, Dear, Dear R. I love being here in the Holy Silence of your home. I You.
August 20, 2017 12:50pm

This morning I woke up early as usual- today with a heart-pounding exhaustion. Thank goodness my cell phone had the accurate time on it. I went down the road and switched out the car. Now, we're "from Indiana". I think I like that better than the Florida plates. The brakes are good. I want to see some more around here, but I am just so exhausted. This is such a beautifully quiet neighborhood. I never expected that. It seems to be a good thing to -to see if I can just lie down... and maybe even sleep some more. The sleep has not been good on this trip, but that is par for the course of travelling, I think. WE ARE DOWN TO THE NITTY-GRITTY, now. We must leave here by 4am to get down south to get in position for the eclipse. I have 6 waters frozen for our cooler bags, and our foods. 'May shop later for food incidentals. Too early to tell. Pack up the car tonight.... Whew. Exhausted. More later.
August 20, 2017 3:19pm (post on Facebook wall of this page, earth~ Spirit Medicine)
Dear friends, I am on a very intense road trip with my son to be at the center line of the Total Solar Eclipse. I have so much to share with you all. I will need ample recovery time once we return to our apartment in the woods to process and write. For now I would say to you all, if at all possible, to quiet and center yourself and clear your mind and heart. Envision the life and world that you want to be in. What do you want to do with the precious gift of this life. My Gramie, Carrie, always said, "Where there's Life, there's Hope." But it is your Faith that makes it so. 💖 Rev. Ursula Carrie

August 21, 2017 5:53pm

What an adventure we had in the traffic jam on 57, getting off and where we found our eclipse spot. I took video. It was pretty exciting! I think I've caught the fever! I may just become an official "Eclipse Chaser"... I WANT MORE! 3 hours of sleep last night (9pm-midnight, then not so good until 2:30am)
We're at a nasty hotel in Paducah, KY. Too bad it had decent enough reviews when I booked!
We agreed, we're sleeping in our clothes- on top of the covers. I got a HUGE bag o
f diotomaceous earth at home- g-d forbid we get the creepy crawlies! Grrrr... I already wrote my scathing review on Trip Advisor. I'm going to pray it out, try to get some sleep and get the F out of here at the crack of dawn.
On the flip side, my son and I are having a good time, been seeing and experiencing SO many new things. I have made some decisions about how I want to go forward in my life.... That is a whole 'nother narrative

August 22, 2017 10:36am

We're leaving this black mold infested hotel room in Paducah, KY. I have a lot of consumer advocate work ahead of me in regards to this. We're starting the 6+ hour drive to the nextt place to rest in Cahrleston, WV. Homeward Bound... I have more photos, still from Chinatown on Friday and a movie to put together of our Eclipse Chasing morning adventure.

August 22, 2017 8:55pm (update profile pic)
EIGHT HOURS haul today, all the way through Kentucky into Charleston, WV! At the Country Inn and Suites. 8-22-2017

August 23, 2017 8:37pm

Right now 8:15pm, Wednesday, August 23, 2017. At the Quality Inn in State College, PA. One more sleep stop, then super early in the morning, we take the 5+ hour drive to Saugerties, NY, pick up our awesome cats at the vet where they were boarding (we miss them so much), then to our apartment in Bearsville... Then, there are many things we both need to do... There are Changes to be made...
P.S.- These FLOWERS have been travelling with us, in this orange juice bottle since LAST Thursday! LOL! We buckle them up in the back seat, give them fresh cuts and fresh water, and bring them in to every place where we lay our heads... Aren't the Lisianthus just opening up so beautifully? And the Dahlias are holding up, too! I tell You, "Have flowers, Will Travel"! snarf!)



August 23, 2017 8:22pm
MY NEW KICKS! Fuck YEAH! I had been looking for these canvas shoes online for months now, and they were so expensive- $80-100+( and those were the "knock-offs), and I couldn't find them in black! THANK YOU, "Shoe Show" in Charleston, WV. We only went to that plaza before we checked out of the Country Inn because I wanted to take my son the "WV Beef Jerky Outlet" (freakin' awesome store, too! I got the ONLY picture of my son SMILING on this trip there! LOL! LOL! And the manager of the jerky place, Cynthia was COOL beans!). I got these babies for 30 bucks! WTF! Somebody really wants me to have a good time! LOVE these shoes, they feel awesome!
[ friend said: Woooo hoooo nothing better than new shoes]
[I reply: The shoes that I had been wearing for the whole trip had been hurting my feet so much!  These were Heaven Sent! That's why I was so happy! Comfort, finally. ]
August 23, 2017 9:04pm
When we get back- I have sooooo many reviews to write on Trip Advisor! And a yard sale to prepare w/ my son, and 4 doctor check ups to go to in the next 2 weeks (I'm finally preparing to have that endoscopy!), and car to return, and homeschool paperwork to prepare and send, school curriculum to organize, and bills to square off, and... and... and... etc. etc. AND, the rest of these photos, video- and the MOVIE that I am going to put together of the Eclipse Chase Monday morning 8/21!
(stay tuned )
BUT, I am so focused on staying Present and Being with this last night of travel, sharing this moment in this nice hotel with my son (while washing my clothes for work Friday in the guest laundry room here)... And there is the unfolding and processing of ALL that we have experienced in these past almost 9 days- THAT, for sure will take a while. This has been a life-changing experience, and no one can tell how this will shape our future... I feel SO much Love, as Always for each and every one that we have met on this Journey... wow. wow.




Read my Trip Advisor reviews from this trip.
I'm { sacredearth2017 }



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