We spent quite a bit of the summer parked in Kokomo, and realized Chicago wasn’t all that far away.

On a bit of a lark, we made hotel reservations up there….partly because there were no convenient places to park the coach near downtown for several nights, partly because it would cost as much in diesel fuel to drive the coach as a modest hotel, and partly because we wanted the adventure….

Oh, and check this out: we were driving a new Lil Taxi!

We found that quiet & smooth Caddy was just a smidge tight in nearly every important dimension….and we spend much too much time in our car to put up with cramped quarters. So we swallowed hard, visited the Honda dealer near Kokomo, bit our lips, and signed the papers for this van.

Which required buying a trailer to carry it, because it can’t be towed flat behind the Big Taxi. Life is complicated, but now all our daily needs would be met in full…and in comfort!

And in Chicago!

We spent two days driving around downtown and walking along the waterfront….what a great place!

From probably a half-mile away, the Grant Park fountain stood tall against the backdrop of downtown. Off-shore, a specialized tour boat added drama to the view.

The city has worked hard to preserve pedestrian access to a great deal of the shoreline, and we enjoyed much of it.

Clearly there are many dedicated boat owners, because the marinas were large and full.