7/23/2015
La Porte, Indiana provided Crystal and me with a weekend of sheer relaxation. We were shown the local nightlife by friends old and new. A night of dancing was followed by a fundraiser and a day with kids. Our event was like a weekend barbeque on a lake. It helped that Trace’s parents owned a beautiful lake house with a docking area. I was surprised at the attention the kids gave me considering I had to compete with the water for attention. But they were all very attentive and interested.
The highlight of the weekend was staying at the romantic couples’ getaway spot. I rested my legs on the huge bed and stared at floating swans. Every so often, while we relaxed, a little red light would appear next to the door. It signaled little goodies that had been placed in the door butler. We made smores and we read books in bed. Any time my muscles felt a little sore I jumped into the hot tub in the middle of the room, threw in some scented bath salts, and fired up the jets. I was pampered back to health. The time passed too quickly because before I knew it, we were saying good bye to paradise.
Next stop was Chesterton; home of the famous Indiana dunes. Trace accompanied me for the first few miles. It was a great send off. We chatted during that run. I felt rejuvenated by the fun and relaxing weekend. It was just unfortunate that we couldn’t stay longer. To survive the coming winter months we had to stick close to the schedule.
I ran for miles on the back roads of Indiana. I found it interesting that they had parking lots by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The day was kind and the degrees dropped a few points. The small decrease was enough to provide a comfy run to Chesterton. The cloud cover was a welcome addition to the day. At the end of the day we received word from the Spring House Inn. They were pleased to host us for the evening. The rustic lodge was a nice landing spot for the day. Our view was of woodsy forest and it felt like we were away from civilization. Everything helped to ease me back into my running routine.
Slumber lasted until noon. I woke up to a message from Trace. Apparently Laura had arranged a night’s lodging in Hammond. Just a couple miles into my day Crystal found me on my trail and asked me to have lunch. Despite having little appetite I fueled my body. I ate light and we hit the trail together. The Dunes – Prarie trail provided a beautiful route with red and black raspberries growing everywhere. Parks sprouted from the trail every couple of miles and plenty of cyclists whizzed past us.
I had to break off the trail close to Gary, Indiana. During that stretch, the property prices were dirt cheap. One sign offered a house for under five grand. In that area running the sidewalks was similar to trail running. The cement was busted into stones and at some areas grass grew as high as my knees. I ran against traffic for a bit but, whenever traffic came at me, I had to jump back into the urban jungle. I As I approached Hammond, I discovered sidewalks once again. I ran to the Comfort Inn and enjoyed a hot bath.
My run into Chicago was a return to a real city. I think the last big city we were in was Manhattan. The scent of country slowly disappeared with each step. Busy people doing busy work were everywhere leading into the city. People drove with electronic devices in their hands with little regard for life forms on the street. I was probably as expendable as the smashed squirrels I had encountered on the side of the road. I had to be extra careful. It was interesting to watch the behavior change as the landscape changed. Space became scarce and homes started to look bunched together. Yards were groomed with the help of lawn mowers that were pushed and not driven.
I was happy to return to a cosmopolitan city. I stopped in Chinatown. Crystal weaved our giant beast through the maze of cars and construction to get to me. I had to reward her for her perseverance. Since she and I hadn’t had Hong Kong style food since Los Angeles we would dine there. Despite my declining financial position, I treated Crystal to her favorite Chinese dishes. We salivated as we watched families share huge selections of multicolored food. We were happy for the treat. The portions at the restaurant were so huge we had left overs that filled two pagoda boxes. It was a long day with a few more long days looming. We decided to rest and grab a red box. It had become a decompression ritual for us. 
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