Fabric of America: Tremonte’s Barber Shop in Wauconda, Illinois
My parents are retired and/or semi-retired, but they seem like they're almost as busy as when they both had full-time jobs. Living in an "active adult" community is hard work! It reminds me of the chaos and excitement of going away to college, but forty years later.
When we visited them, it was like they were never around, and we were the ones with all the free time! Ha.
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Fabric of America: Milkshakes and Chit-Chat in Richmond, Illinois
"Where do you want to go?"
"I don't care. Let's go north. No, wait. North-northwest. No, wait. North-north-northwest. Straight, right, straight, left, right, diagonal this way, straight."
"Sounds good."
"Cool."
That's how it began. And that's how most of our road trips begin. We pick a direction and just...go. We try to stay off the main roads and see where things take us. And that's how...
Fabric of America: Sweetness in Woodstock, Illinois
What do you know about Woodstock, Illinois? If you're not from the surrounding area, I'd imagine you might have heard of it as the location where one of the greatest comedies of all time was filmed: Groundhog Day. That's how most people know the town, anyway.
(If this is the point where you go, "What's Groundhog Day," you should read this post, share it with everyone you know and love, and...
Decorah, Iowa
When we visit family in Illinois, we often like to take at least one little weekend road trip with my sister and brother-in-law, and occasionally, our niece joins us. During this particular visit, we all chose to hit up the small college town of Decorah, Iowa.
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New Glarus, Wisconsin
Beer time! If you're a beer lover, you've probably heard of New Glarus, Wisconsin. It's the home of New Glarus Brewing Co., well-known for its delicious brews and the fact that it doesn't distribute out of state. People come from all over just to stock up and take back to wherever they came from. It's kind of a big deal.
That's why we went! But, we also went because New Glarus is known for its...
Route 66: A Drive Through California and Arizona
But of course, the legendary Route 66. Built in 1926, it's an icon of America. Countless songs have been written about it, countless shows and books have featured it. Stretching for nearly 2,500 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, the highway is now more about lore and legend than anything else. People drive it because of the stories or the history.
In recent years, it's sort of become even...
Fabric of America: Mississippi River Distilling Co. in LeClaire, Iowa
In case you didn't already know, we have intimate experience with and a great love for the distilled spirit.
When we stopped in the Quad Cities (on the Iowa-Illinois border) for a few days at the beginning of our "Fabric of America" tour, we got to spend some time with my Uncle Clark. Clark's a guy you listen to, as evidenced by this photo.
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Fabric of America Tour Supporter: Shawnimals
We're happy to announce the fine folks at Shawnimals as a "Fabric of America" support sponsor! Shawn, Jen, and the Shawnimals crew will be supporting us as we explore the intricacies of America for our upcoming 6,000-mile road trip.
In case you haven’t read about our tour: You can read about it here, read about sponsorships here, and support our project yourself right here.
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