Birthday Boy

Many thanks to all of you who sent birthday wishes! As it is still my birthday at the moment in Chicago time zone I thought a birthday post was appropriate. Not only have we had a few interesting days here but on my birthday we also received a free hotel room upgrade to a panoramic view corner room on the 25th (top) floor and having completely stuffed ourselves at a famous pizza restaurant we received an extra fattening chocolate dessert free of charge. The people here in Chicago are so friendly and the city is huge and bustling with life and things to see.

On the way here we spent a couple of days in St. Louis which has quite a remarkable monument called the Gateway Arch. The national park there has a great exhibit revolving around history of the city and in particular the building of the arch, well worth a visit if you find yourself there.

Kansas City has a lovely little area south of the city called Country Club Plaza, it’s clearly the posh end of town with shops, parks and restaurants scattered along the banks of Brush Creek.

It was nice to return the car rental after 3 weeks, we could not have done the trip to Yellowstone and up Route 66 without it but having now driven 5,000 miles over here I can categorically state that the Americans are some of the most dangerous drivers I have had to contend with. They are extremely polite on the road but will insist on driving 3 metres behind the car in front whilst doing 75 mph on the interstate. Combine that with their bizarre laws that allow overtaking on both sides and turning right through red lights and I am happy to have handed the keys back.

We have a few more days in Chicago before heading up to Niagara Falls for a fun packed and very wet itinerary with a visit to Toronto planned.