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 “To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter.”

Euripides

 As mentioned last week in part 1 – what follows is a continuing account of a dad and daughter road trip taken a few years ago with my youngest daughter Marigrace (MG).  Our adventure started when we decided to drive from Texas to Chicago to see a ball game. 
 Our Friday night game at Wrigley Field was thrilling (Cubs beat the dastardly Giants 5-4).  The next day our game time was 1:30 p.m., which gave us time to enjoy Chicago style stuffed pizza for lunch (Giordano’s – 1040 W. Belmont Ave. – best pizza on planet Earth!).  Our afternoon game was terrific.  Wrigley Field was as glorious as ever.  And the Cubs spanked the Giants 5-1.  Great game!  Be advised, if you ever visit Wrigley, parking is scarce, so come prepared to pay.  Located in the Lakeview Community of North Chicago, Wrigley Field has no parking lot.  Fans must park on the street, in small private lots, or behind private homes. 
 Reluctant to leave Chicago without taking in a few more sights, the next day we headed towards Lake Michigan for a visit to the Field Museum.  This is well worth seeing (amazing exhibits everywhere you turn) but cost to get in is obscene. 
 Next door is the Shedd Aquarium.  If you like fish, this is a winner.  We ended our afternoon visit by enjoying a hotdog on the shore of Lake Michigan.  Cold, with a little rain, but this was a nice way to end our time in Chicago.
 Next, we drove west through the afternoon to visit family in Newton, Iowa (my wife’s grandmother grew up on a farm in Newton).  There we met “Cousin George,” his wife and sister, and several other family members for the first time.  Iowa was beautiful, with rolling farmland (they grow mostly corn and soybeans) as far as you could see.  The highlight of this stop, other than meeting family that we had never met before, was a visit to the old family farm, and specifically, a visit to the old family barn (over 130 years old and still standing strong).  The old rope swing that Gramma Mac (or Dorothy Dodge, as she was known then), MG’s great grandmother, played on is still there. 
 We also visited the local cemetery, where Joel Dodge (MG’s great-great grandfather) was buried, along with his three wives.  Note – he was not a bigamist.  He only liked being married, so when his first wife died, he married again.  Then when his second wife died, he married a third time.  Just want you to know the truth.  Joel Dodge was a Civil War veteran (fighting on the side of the North).  He was an artilleryman, and was wounded in action at Corinth, Mississippi in 1862.  He lost two fingers on one hand and carried a Minie ball in his knee (some family members say his hip) for most of his life, until it was cut out on the kitchen table of his farmhouse some years later.
 I must say that the whole Dodge family seemed like a pretty tough, and entertaining bunch, especially MG’s great grandmother Dorothy.  Her descendants are still talking about her exploits, as if they happened only yesterday.  Like the time Dorothy (or Todd as she was called by her college friends – a name she acquired because of her skill performing the “Toddle Dance” – a big thing on college campuses in the 1920s) and her friend Biggie showed up for a visit to the Iowa farm late one night.  Someone noticed a single light weaving down the road towards their farmhouse.  Upon closer investigation, they realized it was Dorothy and Biggie in their battered Model T.  Their headlights were not working, so Dorothy drove while Biggie straddled the hood shining a flashlight on the road and calling out directions.  Upon their arrival, the girls made themselves at home downstairs, and Dorothy proceeded to pound out tunes on the family piano.  This roused all remaining family members from bed, including her father, who proceeded to give her a good disciplinary dunking in the water trough outside.  My favorite “Aunt Dorothy” story was the one about her firm interactions with the local school bully.  This little guy, backed by his larger sister, was in the habit of tormenting all of the other children at school, except Dorothy.  At every opportunity, Dorothy would give him a good thrashing, which he wholeheartedly deserved, and she wholeheartedly enjoyed.  
 With a box of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the road, we left Iowa and headed south, stopping in Hannibal, Missouri to visit the Mark Twain Memorial and boyhood home.  This is also worth seeing. 
 Soon we continued on towards home, enjoying Memorial Day in Arkansas (that is another story) before arriving back in Texas.  
I have wonderful memories of our time on the road.  Being with my daughter made this one of the best trips of my life.  I wish we could do it again…      

© 2024 Jody Dyer
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