Summer trip 2023 -- Back to WI

My parents wanted to have a big family get-together while we were all in the same area, so the big mission of the day was to be in Milwaukee by 4:30. Ohio and Indiana passed by uneventfully, and skies were clear going through Chicago. We were running a bit early, so we stopped for a little while at Illinois Beach State Park so the kids could skip rocks into Lake Michigan. Illinois beaches are ... not like Hawaii beaches.

Rocks at the shore mean you need reef shoes to even go into the water. Tides and waves are minuscule. The whole idea of "going to the beach" is appealing for only about three months of the year, and even then the water's too cold.

Two good things, though: you never have to worry about crowds, and there are plenty of stones for skipping. While Chicago was clear while we were driving through, there was a massive squall once we crossed the state border. In Milwaukee, we ate at Lucky Ginger – the place my brother used to work – and celebrated my kids’ birthdays, as well as those of my niece and nephew.

That evening, we stayed the night at my sister's, and the next day I had the second half of my initial MS treatment.