Epic Odyssey: The Grandest Journey: Chicago to Omaha

We woke up in the Hotel Indigo on Chicago's Gold Coast ready for more action, with visions of the Chocolate Shake still in our heads from the Wiener's Circle the night before. We began the day with an obligatory drive up Clark Street all the way to Lawrence Avenue. Turning left, we were pleased to see the Crafty Beaver Home Center was still hanging in there.

Our breakfast at the Golden Nugget Restaurant was a great way to begin our day. We drove past our old house at 1615 Olive Avenue, the old Winnemac apartment and Asia on Argyle, before heading downtown to check out one of the most iconic sculptures in the world, the Bean.

Mary Beth waited in the van while the kids and I ran through Millennium Park, dodging tourists just like us and enjoying the mind-altering optics of the Bean. Returning back to the van, we settled in for the seven-hour drive to Omaha.

Just outside Brooklyn, Iowa, about 66 miles east of DesMoines, I was driving. I noticed a motorist in my rear-view
mirror who was swerving from side to side across the lanes of traffic. Realizing this driver was impaired, and seeking to distance ourselves from him, I changed lanes and accelerated around a semi-truck. The driver followed me, still driving dangerously. As traffic slowed to one lane and the speed reduced from 70 to 55, we entered a construction zone. We all felt a jolt from the rear, and realized we'd been hit by the driver behind us. We were all okay, unharmed. Looking into my mirror, I saw the driver wave at me as if to say, "I'm sorry about that."

I wasn't inclined to stop, as we were driving 55 miles per hour. I looked up again and realized the front bumper of the car behind us was hanging off precariously ready to drop. I turned to Mary Beth and said, "I better pull over."

Corey was a friendly drunk, 25 years-old, with bits of chewing tobacco in the crevices of his teeth. He assured me that he had insurance, which we would need after inspecting the rear of our van and noticing that the bottom of the liftgate had been dented and crushed forward by his car's front bumper. I called 911 and reported our location.

Two hours later, after Corey's arrest and removal from the side of the road by the Iowa State Police, we were back on the road to Omaha. We arrived at 8:15, greeted by Jen, Lyla, Clay and their dog Oliver. I had let Jen know we'd be late, and we were happy to finish the second leg of our journey with no incident. We were happy to get the "accident thing" out of the way so we could enjoy the rest of our trip.

Jen and Clay's new house is absolutely beautiful and very comfortable. MB and I slept in the attic bedroom, complete with a European-style sink and water closet that is reminiscent of a B&B. The kids all slept on cots in their big basement. Zack and Chris had fun playing basketball in the backyard and appreciated Clay's "mad hops" and keen dunking skills.

The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse await us today.