The first day of the 1,000 Mile Trek was fully immersed in Chicago life. Our morning start at the scenic Buckingham Fountain we were greeted by our three remaining Trekkers and their families who all drove from far away places like San Francisco, Cape Cod and Ithaca. We said our goodbyes to parents and rolled away along the Lakefront Trail for some “get-to-know-you games” at the edge of the Navy Pier overlooking Lake Michigan. We mapped out our day in the City and decided to visit the Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. A twenty-mile lakefront bike ride took us to and from the museum, where we took flight on a Boeing 727, stood in front of a 40-foot tornado and of course discovered the art and history of a bicycle. We were all pretty stunned by Chicago’s incredible bike trail system and dynamic scenery found along the greenway. After a delicious lunch stop at a noodle shop near the University of Chicago, we cooled off in one of the City’s many lake side beaches and played a version of 500 with the frisbee in the water, where the 6-ft tall boys had an unfair towering advantage over the rest of us. After more biking, hotel swimming and a trip to the grocery store, we landed at a pizza place for dinner and decided on our trip from Chicago to NYC we would taste test pizzas in both cities and settle the age old debate of who makes it best. Tomorrow we will load up the panniers and cover about 50 miles, crossing our first state line to camp at Indiana Dunes State Park. Here we go!
