DAY 4
Minneapolis, MT > Bloomington, MT > Milwaukee, WI > Chicago, IL
We did some exploring early in the morning and happened to stumble upon the Sculpture Park. They had some pretty neat pieces. Then we went to the Mall of America. Freakin' huge. Every store you can think of is probably in there. I mean, there's an actual theme park in the middle of the mall. Of course that meant we had to go on some roller coasters! Then we made our way to Milwaukee and stopped at Pier Wisconsin. It was absolutely gorgeous and my first time seeing a Great Lake. We finally made it to Chicago late at night and picked up some deep dish pizza and beer to take back to our motel. Always a winning combo.
DAY 5
Chicago, IL > Indianapolis, IN > Columbus, OH
It was a scorching hot day and we had lots to see in Chicago. This was one city I was most excited for. We went to Millennium Park to look at Cloud Gate and cool off at Crown Fountain. It was definitely one of coolest parks I've been too. Then we went to Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) and took the elevator all the way to the top. They have a glass box that juts out the side of the building so that when standing on it you can see all of Chicago beneath you. Pretty neat and terrifying. Then it it was off to Indianapolis to check out Purdue University and eat dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. Alex just came back from Morocco so he was an expert on the cuisine. At this point, I think I was pretty much in love with the Midwest. Who would have thought?
DAY 6
Columbus, OH > Pittsburgh, PA > West Virginia > Washington D.C. > Baltimore, MD
In the morning we checked out Ohio State University. Gorgeous campus and I definitely geeked out inside their library. Then we drove to Pittsburgh and ate at the famous Primanti Bros. Their sandwiches are bomb and I definitely understand the hype now. Then it was off to our final destination - Maryland! We made it to Washington D.C. just before dusk. The last time I was in D.C. I missed out on going to see all the monuments, so I was really excited to go to National Park. Wow, it was better than expected. Everything was on such a grand scale. Is it cliche to say that my American pride was overwhelming at that moment? Probably. I was sad that the Reflection Pool was being renovated so we weren't able to see it. Guess I need to visit again!
DAY 7, 8, 9
Baltimore, MD and Virginia
We finally made it to Batilmore! For our first day we helped Alex move into his dorm. After a full morning of lifting boxes and rearranging furniture, we took some time to explore Baltimore. For lunch, we found a nice restaurant that overlooked the harbor. I ate crab cakes for the first time and I am now a fan! Then we went to the National Aquarium and let me tell you, it blows the Waikiki Aquarium out of the water. It also seemed like a mini zoo because they didn't only have marine animals. I got to see an actual sloth! Afterwards we took Aly to the airport and our threesome became a duo. :(
The next day Alex and I did some more exploring downtown and went to the National Museum of Science. In the afternoon we drove back into Washington D.C. to my Aunt Frances' and Uncle Ted's apartment. They drove us to Virginia to eat at their favorite Chinese restaurant. Even though I hardly ever see them, they are probably one of my favorite relatives. They are the nicest people ever and always have fun stories to tell.
For my last day in Baltimore, we at lunch by the harbor again and then watched Horrible Bosses. One of Alex's roommates also moved in so later we all went to Bar Street for a couple of drinks. Their college drinking street beats The Ave for sure. I'm a bit jealous.
