Sunday, June 22 – The Adventure Begins!

Hey hey! I know it’s been a hot minute since I last posted—life got a little wild. But guess what? Our big adventure kicked off on time this past Sunday. ON. TIME. That might not sound like much, but if you know me, you know I usually roll out a solid 30 to 60 minutes later than planned. So yeah, I’m low-key impressed with myself. I even outsmarted my own procrastination by setting our departure time 30 minutes earlier than necessary. And guess what? It worked. We hit the road early. Who even am I?

First stop: Peoria, for a quick tire rotation (thanks, Costco—you’re the real MVP for those free rotations). And because we were ahead of schedule (again—who am I??), we got to swing by one of my absolute favorite bakeries: Ardor. If you’re ever cruising through Peoria, do yourself a favor and stop there. Their baguette is chef’s kiss, and the coffee? Smooth, rich, and just what I needed to feel like a functioning human again.

Post-carb-and-caffeine bliss, we fueled up—both the car and ourselves—and rolled on toward Eau Claire. I had grand plans to stretch our legs with a hike at Starved Rock, but it was way too hot for Kenobi (my furry co-adventurer). So, next time, Starved Rock.

Let’s talk about Wisconsin Dells traffic for a sec. Road work + summer crowd = peak frustration. But we made it through, only a little behind schedule. Not bad considering the chaos.

Our home for the night? A very quirky Motel 6 in mid-renovation. Our room had some… character. Picture this: a bold orange handprint on the wall by the door (art? ghost? who’s to say), a shiny new sink next to wallpaper desperately trying to escape the wall, freshly painted bathroom, and exactly a quarter roll of toilet paper. Just enough to make you feel daring. Still, I was so wiped I crashed instantly.

We were up bright and early the next morning—walked the dog, grabbed a bite at Panera, packed up the car, and hit the road again, full of caffeine, snacks, and dreams.

The adventure has officially begun—and I can’t wait to see what comes next!