WE'VE RETURNED

One week on the road: * in Lawrence to visit Astrokitty and eat at Rudy's Pizzeria * in Iowa for a brief stay at one nasty hotel (and then relocating to a more respectable establishment) * in Madison to visit Scott and Mandy, eat at The Old Fashioned, visit the Children's Museum, hang out at Memorial Union Terrace on the University of Wisconsin campus--listening to a bluegrass band, and then dine at the famed Great Dane * in Marshfield to visit April's family, attend Nicole and Andrew's wedding (at the reception Kennedy danced for hours), and enjoy a cook-out at the Wenzel house * in way-north Wisconsin to visit April's grandmother and search for chipmunks * in Iowa (again) to stay at Adventureland Inn for swimming fun and a good night's rest * in Lawrence (again) to eat lunch at Free State Brewing Company * in Oklahoma at Smokey Pokey BBQ for a quick stop and jumping jacks

And now we're home. It was a great time with family, and I also enjoyed the drive. The wide plains were able to clear my head after a chaotic month. It was a whole lot of nothing, and there's a definite beauty to the uncluttered expanse.

photo by April (via Instagram)