From May 1 to the 10th was non-stop for me. I arrived at my daughter and son-in-law’s place in Fargo on the 2nd and we promptly went out to dinner. Below is Gunner and Barney, their sweet and goofy Lab mixes doing one of the things they do best….sniffing. The other is sleeping. 
The next day we went driving around a couple of the neighborhoods affected by the Red River flooding. Most areas were still barricaded off and we couldn’t get close to the river itself but I could see all the sandbags still piled six feet high so close the homes. It was astonishing to see how close they were because the river had been almost to the top of the sandbags. It was amazing they held. A diversion is being planned by the city engineers in the near future.
On Tuesday we left for the 11 hour drive to Chicago. All in all, it wasn’t a bad drive except for the last two hours seemed to take forever as it was very late in the evening and I think we were getting a bit tired and crabby. Besides driving through North Dakota, we also passed through Minnesota and Wisconsin. I believe we were on Interstate 94. The drive was beautiful and I really loved Wisconsin with all the hills, farms, lakes and woodsy areas. Both pictures taken through the window of the moving car. I was pretty lucky with these. 
The first night in Chicago, we stayed in a hotel because my daughter there wasn’t expecting us till the next night and she hadn’t cleaned. Heaven forbid! We said we didn’t care and we’d help but she also said she had one more paper to finish. The hotel was great but I forget what it was already. I discovered some wood art in the lobby and was taking a couple pictures of the work when the artist, who had been observing me from the coffee shop, walked up to me and introduced himself. He said, jokingly, of course, that he normally charges for taking pictures, then laughed and told me about his work. Anywhere I go, I seem to find art, artists, or interesting things that other people might find mundane.
Staying at my daughter’s in Chicago was great. For the decent rent they are paying, she and her roommate have a great apartment with three bedrooms, plus a small office that could almost be another bedroom. They’ve thought of getting another roommate but they both decided they have too many shoes and clothes that fill up the other rooms. Haha. Some Tulips and a mural on one of our walks:
There are cafes, small boutiques and clubs all over and within walking distance. I hadn’t done so much walking in the last year as I did those few days in Chicago. Every place we went was ‘just around the corner’ they said. Ha! I also experienced the “L” as we took it to UIC for her to pick up her cap and gown. Below is a really cool window display in one of the boutiques. 
On another walk around the famous Wrigley Field, I captured two men working on putting up a large "Go Cubbies" sign on a building.
Thursday night was graduation night at UIC. What a grand and exciting occasion. My daughter was beaming. Her sister and I and my son-in-law were so proud. The photo below came out very strange, I guess because of all the different lighting, but I loved her expression. And it didn’t matter to me that her eyes were closed. 
Back in Fargo late Friday night, then a BBQ and a Mother’s Day gift of a manicure on Saturday, then Mother’s Day luncheon at Olive Garden on Sunday, and then back to Phoenix late Sunday night. There were other things in between all that I’ve mentioned but I’ve lost track. My daughter and her husband were great hosts to me in Fargo. I love them all so very much.
More photos of trip here.
thesnakeandiandthebutterfly 
Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I really enjoyed it.The store display looks like a wallpaper I ran across on some site last night or earlier today. It was a photostream by some guy and his picture was a person walking on a sandy beach with seagulls everywhere as in your picture. He said it was named #1 wallpaper for that week. Makes me wonder if they used the picture for inspiration to decorate the shop. Go here and see what you think.http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/386762837/How did you get that picture of your daughter? That kind of resembles some of your paintings.:happy:
Linda, my other daughter took that photo with either her cam phone or her digi cam. I really don't remember. I couldn't believe how weird the lights were and have no idea how it happened. I really think it has something to do with being in a large building. I've never had good luck with school type photos in gymnasiums or theatres and the one I took of her is dark and blurry.
Wonderful post and I enjoy your photos too.
Thank you Pabha….or may I call you Jimmy or Mr. Quek? So nice to have you visit. Loku: That glitch with the news seems to happen all the time. I'll miss a bunch, then have to try to catch up but sometimes there's so much that I just start with the newer posts. Thank you for the compliments. Because of the way my eyes are getting, I seem to do better with the outside photos. But even those are sometimes iffy. Also, I thought I'd resize them all yet they still are quite large. Yes, I sure loved those tulips. Wished I'd taken a few more.
PREAMBLE: Hi Pam.. I'm getting a little frustrated and tired of Opera probs in Auto-news and one or two other glitches. I hadn't heard anything from you pages for a while now but as I was reading Allan's page I saw you there and came here to investigate. Seems I was not "subscribed" to updates from your blog and that somehow you have been taken off my Auto-news. That's weird becase I didn't do that. Sorry for being apparently 'absent' from here Pam, but as I wasn't being informed by Auto-news I thought you were taking a break from posting in the blog while you were away.COMMENT:Hokayy… let me cut to the chase. Your post here is brilliant. These photos just leap out of the page. Such colors. Such vivid images. I love them. I'm echoing Linda now when I say thanks for sharing your trip. I enjoyed it too. Those flowers you show here – oh my!.. aren't they just so pretty! I hope I can make photos like this. Brilliant! :happy:
Hi Pam, what a great trip you had. Love the photos. In a moving car, WOW, great shots. 🙂
I'm glad you have a great time traveling, Pam. I love the photo of the tulips. Hah, I like Gunner – the black dog in the first photo. He's such a handsome guy. 😀
stellar pictures Pam,it did feel like I was with you for 10 days! :pnow I think I need to plan the next trip :lol:thanks for sharing,I am delighted you had a great time!I agree with the girls,an extra room for shoes and clothes it is a must! :lol:welcome back Pam 🙂
Carol, thanks. Yes a moving car. I was surprised. I didn't take very many while the car was moving because I really didn't think they'd turn out. Lan, thank you. Yes, Gunner is quite handsome. They think he may be part Greyhound mixed with the lab because his legs are so long and skinny and he is the fastest of runners. Barney is more of a doofus. One night when I went to go to bed, he got up there before I did and put his head on my pillow! He refused to move, so my daughter and I had to roll him over.:lol: Then, of course, there was slobber on my pillow. Angeliki, thanks. I was quite exhausted from all the walking and exitement. I took a few short naps on Monday but have decided I really should include even more in my daily life. I already do but seriously not enough. I mean more walking….not naps. Hahaha!I could not believe how many clothes and shoes they had!
Allan, thank you. I like that photo too. It almost looks like a double exposure but I don't think you can get those on a digital camera… or can you? I have no idea.
I enjoyed your report as well. For some reason I very much like that unintentionally expressive last photo.
You can – with some digitals
Thank you Andy.
🙂
Welcome back and great post.
a most enjoyable peek into your trip. it's really exhilarating isn't it; getting out on the road and experiencing the sights and sounds of different places. chicago is my birth place. it's a great city. congratulations on raising a fine daughter. i can see that she is on fire and has a wonderful spirit. :happy:
Did you get to partake in the 11 hour driving duties? Or did your daughter and son-in-law give you a break?I was cracking up envisioning the scenario of y'all arriving in Chicago at your daughter's place … ":no: :no: :no: Y'all cannot stay here!! I haven't cleaned!" 😆 Excellent Pics, Pam! The ones from the moving car are better quality than most people's stationary Pics. Tulips … you took that one yourself? I was looking for a Tulips Pic just recently for a Blog Design. I could have probably used this one. Missed it by THAT much. 😀 I can't tell if the objects on that window display are birds, bats or F-22 Raptor Fighter Jets. Well, you said your daughter was beaming. Maybe that's what the camera captured. :up:
Interesting trip :up: How far is Fargo from Chicago? On of my friends was in Chicago about 15 years ago and he brought a lot of photos from a lake and downtown 🙂
Scott, thank you. Yes, Chicago is quite a city. Very fast paced with everyone on the go. My daughter loves it. When she gets back from her internship in Africa in a month, she'll work in Chicago for a year, then possibly move to New York where her best friend lives. Carlos, thanks. No, I didn't drive at all. Eric drove most of the way there, then Kathy took over when we began getting closer to Chicago. He didn't want to drive there at all. Those are hand made paper birds…origami birds. I loved it. Yup, I took the tulips. If you can imagine row houses, which are three story buildings, each story is a house or apartment. The front yards were all very tiny, maybe 3 ft x 6ft….some just concrete and some with little gardens like this one. Wish I'd taken more. Darko, thank you. I don't remember the mileage. Lake Michigan is probably the lake photos your friend had. I have a bunch of photos from trips in years past as my ex was born and raised there. We visited a lot.
Did you check out the photograph on the link I gave you Pam? Don't you think it looks very similar to the origami birds?
Yes, I did. Forgot to mention it. It looks alot like the origami birds! Would love to have something like that hanging from the eaves of my house. Will have to look for something made of metal to take the heat and sun here.
Darko, I just found out it's 624 mi from Fargo to Chicago. With no stopping, it takes 10 hrs. 10 min. but, of course, we stopped about three times.
624 mi = 1004 km :faint:
Ah, Chicago. I love it. Except for the fact that it always makes my eyes water due to smog. I really hate to say this, and please forgive me, but that one photo looks like Commencement in Hell. :pThanks for sharing your trip and the photos!(PS. Eat any pizza in Chi-town? Best in the world!)
I thought that was you waving to me on your trek through Minnesota! I just wondered why you didn't slow down and stop for coffee 🙂 Great post, Pam, so good to hear the wonderful parts of your trip. I like that tulip photo so much and the graduation picture of your daughter should become a painting, it's great. I like the construction workers, too. Glad to hear your enjoyment.
Ed, thanks. I thought the same thing with that photo but the look on her face was priceless. Yes, we had pizza a couple of times. Lasagne and chicken parmesan too.Jill, thank you. I really did wave to people a few times. Everyone waved back.
Ummm. Pizza. If you tell me you also went to a Sox game I'll be green with envy.
Nope, no games going on at the time we were there.
It does look like some of my paintings. Her sister took the photo with either or digi cam or her phone cam….not sure which one she had with her AND not sure what she did. Was probably an accident. All the photos inside this auditorium came out rather strange.
The odd photo your daughter took looks like one of your paintings, the style I mean -some of your better stuff.Ahem… some of the stuff I liked best that is.Maybe you 'hanced the camera for her?
🙂 "Minnesota nice," I suppose. 😀