Monday: Driving

We got on the road around 9am from Mauston and made a good, fast run through Chicago. Before we got there, we stopped at an Oasis and got one of those iPass doohickeys, so we didn't have to stop at all the toll booths. While there, I got my picture next to Herbie the car. We drove through Chicago and into Indiana before stopping in the city of LaPorte for lunch.. Our first choice was a place called The Warehouse, but once we got there, it looked like little more than a dive bar (not to mention it was closed). We went with a little hole-in-the-wall called King Gyros, and to say it was "lacking in atmosphere" is an understatement. The food was decent, but nothing to get really excited about.

From LaPorte we charged through to Cleveland, where we got rooms at the Crowne Plaza in Independence at about $70 off the usual rate. We ate at the Melt Bar and Grilled on recommendation from the hotel staff, and found an excellent little hipster-like sandwich place with the largest melted sandwiches I've seen. I had "The Dude Abides" (apparently a reference to The Big Lebowski, I wouldn't know, haven't seen it), a sandwich made out of homemade meatballs, fried mozzarella sticks, maranara sauce, and provolone and romano cheese. Dad had "The Godfather", with was basically a lasagna sandwich, and Molly had a sandwich made of pizza rolls. They also had some very good steak fries, some of the best.

We're going to the Rock and Roll Museum today, then we'll drive to Binghampton to stay before going to Cooperstown tomorrow.

Current Trivia Score:
John - 26
Wendy - 19
Cal - 15

(Molly is the card-reader)

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

King Gyros
LaPorte, IN

Food - 12
Atmosphere - 4
Price - 12
Service - 7

TOTAL - 37 (Awful)

Melt Bar & Grilled
Independence, OH

Food - 15
Atmosphere - 13
Price - 16
Service - 13

TOTAL - 67 (Very Good)

Me at the Belvidere Oasis in Illinois with Herbie!

Waiting at the Melt Bar & Grilled in Cleveland.

The Dude Abides sandwich at Melt Bar & Grilled.