Zipped to… Chicago

This past month my friends and I decided to drive to Chicago from Philadelphia. My friend had to be picked up from Maryland, so we picked her up on our way. We knew this would be a long drive under our belt, but we were confident it would be fun as we were going to have snacks, play games, and get to visit (well, kind of) a few states we've never been to. Our road trip was around 850 miles, and our GPS told us we'd reach in 13 hours. We started our journey at 4:30 AM, but due to some detours and pit stops, we didn't arrive until 7:30 PM, taking us 16 hours (there's a one hour time difference!). Let's say the drive was boring. To give you more of an idea of how boring, we were on the same highway for 700 miles. Luckily there were three of us to switch off driving, and it was an easy ride. While we were in Chicago, we made sure to stop by the infamous bean, which is supposed to represent a drop of mercury (Hg), yes, the element. Sadly due to COVID, we couldn't touch or walk through it, but it was still pretty cool. We also rode the L, which was the most incredible train ride I've gone on. We were able to zip through the city while making it to our destination. Make sure to take it once if you visit. I also got the first-hand experience of why they say Chicago is windy. I understood the city was flat but didn't think it would affect the weather THAT much. I don't think I have a single picture from that trip with my hair staying still, so make sure you dress appropriately. My favorite place I ate was this Spanish place called Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. We ordered tapas, and I still think about them. Make sure you stop here. Honestly, I can't say we did that much more because of COVID restrictions. I will most definitely be coming back because I found this city to be a lot cleaner and friendlier than other cities I've been to. I loved all the greenery and water while still having a town full of shopping, eating, and sightseeing.