and, we’re off!

Today marks the first day of our road trip and so far there has been no blood or tears.  The drive up was relatively uneventful.  We stopped in Shelbyville, IN for gas and to stretch our legs.  There was a really intense poster by the bathroom about how meth tears lives apart; really makes you want to put down some roots when that’s the first thing you see in a town.  Not long after, I fell asleep in the car, waking up for a few moments to see some windmills, then back to sleep before we made it to Fair Oaks Dairy Farm.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before our arrival, but I think it was along the lines of a quaint farm ran by an old couple with a nice view of a pasture.  This idea was completely incorrect.  What we found when we arrived was something closer to The Cracker Barrel, but with more specific souvenirs.  We were greeted by a cow, above which was a sign for Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure (I’d say that is a bit generous for a place that doesn’t even sell soda), underneath which was a sign that read, “A Dairy Good Time For The Family.”  That part was also debatable.  While I really enjoyed the samples and cow paraphernalia, I did not enjoy the twenty or so children who all got very angry once they finished eating their dairy treats.

For those who did not have to suffer the wrath of a cranky 5-year-old, however, the farm did offer a dairy good time. We shared the classic grilled cheese (one cheddar, one swiss) and a scoop of the mint chocolate chip (HEAVEN in a waffle cone) and went off to explore.  The grilled cheese was pretty good, although not the best I’ve ever had (who only offers one cheese choice per ‘wich??) and the free samples were reason enough to stop (cheddar cheese curd, I love you).  We opted out of the wrist band, which as far as I can tell would have not only gotten us admission to the birthing barn (don’t worry, we’ll be able to see lots of that at the Minnesota State Fair–we will also write about it in great detail), other buildings involving milk and the attraction I can only describe as a bounce house minus the safety walls surrounded by gravel, the Dairy Air (HA!  I really like puns).  Instead, we walked around and enjoyed the garden that was rather beautiful but also pretty saturated from the season’s rain.  The guy in charge of the garden allowed me to pilfer some tomatoes (let’s face it, I probably would have anyway, but it felt better to have permission) and showed us some photos of the garden in full bloom.  This place is definitely worth a stop if you’re passing through, but don’t expect a quaint operation offering scrumptious meals made with love.

We then headed to our final destination of the day: Chicago.  I drove (woo hoo), which is the first time I think I’ve driven outside of Florida, and we made it safely to Brookfield, a suburb of Chi Town.  We settled in Kyle’s (Joellen’s high school friend’s) house and relaxed before heading out to dinner.  We landed in La Grange at a great little Mediterranean place, Grapevine Mediterranean Cafe where we ordered way too much food before heading back home to crash on the couch (which is what I will be doing in about thirty five seconds).  Overall, a wonderful first day, and I can’t wait to explore Chicago tomorrow!

❤ Amy