There is so much out there to explore.
My interests in sports, local history and journalism have taken me on several adventures throughout the Midwest, and sometimes beyond that. Maybe one day I hope to expand my horizons to explore much more that North America has to offer. I get out whenever I can, typically during work vacations.
I consider my road trips interesting. You may not have the same interests, however, but I have come to know several people who have similar interests. I share my road trip photos to Facebook, and road trip updates from the road itself to both Facebook and Twitter. Since Instagram only allows 10 photos per post, I sometimes do a #CodysRoadTripTop10 group of photos from my travels.
Below are links to my road trip photos, plus a little information on the trip. Click on each link to see the album. I am having trouble posting preview pictures on this website for some reason, so you’ll need to click on each link. You do not need to have a Facebook account to see the pictures.
To view captions of pictures in each album, I suggest clicking on the first picture in the album, and then “flipping through” using the arrow buttons on the screen.
Indiana Hoops Part #1: Hall, Hoosiers and a hard lesson – Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, 2021
This was part of a much larger road trip that unfortunately was aborted less than a day into it. However, I did get to see a lot of neat things: Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Indiana Hoops Hall of Fame, and the gym where the movie “Hoosiers” was shot at. Also included are posts of a side trip that I took on the previous Saturday to East Chicago and the Orland Park card show.
#MiniRoadTrip week: Oct. 17-23, 2021
This week saw four different road trips on a week that I took off from work for vacation. The week was highlighted by a road trip that I took with my Grandpa Denny.
Oct. 17: Sports Cards and More Show, Orland Park – a trip to a baseball card show and what I came home with.
Oct. 21: Up and Down the Mississippi with Grandpa – Toolsboro, Burlington, Ft. Madison, Belmont, Keokuk, Nauvoo, Dallas City, Oquawka, etc.
Oct. 22: A Cut Through Bureau County – Highlighted with stops in Princeton and Hennepin, a couple of towns with a little family history. My Great-Grandma Jane lived in, and is buried in, Princeton; and my Great-Uncle Eddie owned a tavern in Hennepin.
Oct. 23: Cross One Off the Bucket List – Duchon Field on the campus of Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn hosted an important West Suburban Silver Conference game with Hinsdale Central. Plus pics in Wheaton, West Chicago, Addison and elsewhere in Glen Ellyn.
Iowa Over-and-Back and Family History, April 4-10, 2021
This was a multi-day, multi-state road trip that took me across Iowa on the Lincoln Highway from Clinton to Missouri Valley, through my Grandma Kay’s birthplace in eastern Nebraska, a visit to my Great-Great-Grandma Schisler’s grave in South Dakota, and back across Iowa along Old U.S. 20 (not that 4-lane road) from Sioux City to Dubuque.
Because 2020 was such a bad year, I wanted to get out of it as soon as possible. How? I made sure I made it to 2021 before most of my friends.
Follow The Yellow Brick Road, April 2020
Definitely one of my most interesting trips ever! Until the end, I thought it was one of my most BORING ever, but it all made sense when I reached Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
Duluth, Lake Superior and more, April 2020
The COVID-19 virus was just starting, but I wouldn’t let it take away this vacation that I had planned for a while. Drove up through western Wisconsin and also went along the Minnesota coastline toward the Canadian border (the border was closed due to the pandemic). It was my first time seeing Lake Superior, and I had a pair of amazing burgers along the way!
Along Northwest Illinois’s Great River Road, April 6, 2020
This was a little warm-up trip before the “big one” to Duluth. There are parts of northwest Illinois that don’t get seen because it’s off of the signed Great River Road. Here’s a trip down that path, plus a few familiar places nowhere near the River.
Video brief: Chicago at Shutdown, March 21, 2020
You’ve never seen Chicago like this on a Saturday evening, and likely never will. I “took a risk,” according to some members of my family, to capture video of what downtown Chicago was like just hours after a mandatory Stay-at-Home order was issued for the City.
In and Around the Wapsi, March 2020
This was just one of those trips that I didn’t know what I was going to see along the way. It was a direction that I had never gone on. Highlights include Maquoketa, Wapsipinicon State Park, and some Grant Wood places of interest.
Stop at the Laundromat and More, March 2020
This trip into the Chicago suburbs includes a stop at the historic Naper Settlement, IKEA in Bolingbrook (my first IKEA trip), some Chicago night scenery; and, while I had laundry to do, a stop at the World’s Largest Laundromat in Berwyn.
Video brief: Illinois’ version of the Four Corners, Feb. 9, 2019
There’s the Four Corners National Monument in the southwestern United States, but Illinois has a “four corners” of its own with four different counties. I take “a spin” around the counties in this weird video.
Christmas time in the North Shore Suburbs, Dec. 2018 (plus Video of a popular Christmas stop in Winnetka)
I spent a week at “my suburban home” in Prospect Heights and spent it cruising along the north shore suburbs. This includes stops in Wheeling, Fort Sheridan, Winnetka, Golf, and a high school basketball between Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South. (Cody’s note: At about this point and earlier, I wasn’t taking all that great of photos along my journeys, so this one looks a little blotchier than usual).
Lake Michigan Sunrise, Nov. 3, 2018
I had seen the sunset at Lake Michigan once before, but not the sunrise until this trip. This trip was coupled with a high school football game I had to cover with Sterling at Chicago Brooks and its blue turf. Oh, and I found time to get a glimpse of the Michael Jackson boyhood home in Gary.
Mississippi River Trip, June 2018
This big trip along the Mississippi River along the Illinois side from Gulfport to Cairo, and along Missouri from the other side of Cairo to St. Louis took 4 days. I way WAY TOO MANY places, and this this album is over 300 pictures of history. Stops include Calhoun County, Cahokia, Chester, Prairie du Rocher, Cairo, Lambert’s Cafe in Sikeston, Ste. Genevieve, and a special place in Belgique, Missouri that tugged to my heart a little more than usual.
Stained Glass Amazement, May 2018
This was another road trip that coupled with a sports assignment. I visited the mausoleum at Resurrection Cemetery in suburban Justice, which is home to the world’s largest panels of stained glass art. Also visited the site of the world’s first nuclear waste dump near Burr Ridge. (The sports assignment was a girls track sectional at Benedictine University in Lisle.)
The “Wild, Wild West”… of the Illinois-Wisconsin State Line, May 2018
I went with my grandparents on this road trip to Shullsburg, New Diggings and Council Hill Station – three places along the Illinois-Wisconsin state line that are between a lot hills and have a taste of the Wild West culture to it. This also includes a stop at one of my favorite scenic locations along the Galena River west of Council Hill.
Another Jo Daviess Trek, April 2018
I love the scenery of Jo Daviess County! There’s more to see within its borders other than just Galena. Includes stops in Schapville, Council Hill, Sinsinawa, and Mennominee.
Sunset on Lake Michigan, June 2017
One of the things missing from living in Illinois is seeing a sunset over a body of water. The closest place I could do this was in Michigan City, Indiana, where I took a chair, sunk my foot in the sandy beach and even went in the water for a little bit (and I NEVER go in the water!). Also stopped at the famous Redamak’s burger restaurant in New Buffalo, Michigan.
Madison and Along The Way Mini Trip, April 2017
Madison was my first out-of-state road trip experience, taken with my family when I was 4 years old. However, it wasn’t meant to be a road trip. There’s a personal story behind that trip detailed in one of the pictures. Also shot along the way are sights in Monroe, New Glarus and Paoli.
The history of Abraham Lincoln in Illinois cannot be complete with a stop in the ONLY town in America named for the 16th President BEFORE he became president. The Lincoln Heritage Museum on the campus of Lincoln College (in Lincoln) is a must-visit if you also decide to see the Lincoln sights in Springfield. Also included is a view of Peoria from Fond du Lac Drive in East Peoria.
Along the Stagecoach Trail, May 2016
A journey across the historic Stagecoach Trail in my car from east to west. Stops in Warren, Nora, Apple River, Scales Mound and Menominee. I also came upon the Vinegar Hill Mine north of Galena, but didn’t realize until I got there that the mine had been closed for good to tourists.
Illinois High School Glory Days Trip: Metro East – July 2015
My most recent IHSGD-specific road trip took place here (I haven’t been on a dedicated trip since due to much of past Illinois high school history already being researched up to this point). Did plenty of research and captured pictures of high schools that are no longer around anymore. Stops include Worden, Alton, Edwardsville, Granite City, and Madison/Venice.
Tekamah and Council Bluffs, May 2015
My first time in Nebraska took me to my Grandma Kay’s birthplace in Tekamah. This trip came not too long after my Uncle Sam passed away, and he was from here as well. Lots of family history explained here. Also a stop in Council Bluffs and a very brief time in Omaha.
So I had this weird idea about time travel. Is it possible to stand in two different YEARS at one time? Yes it is! I went to the Indiana-Michigan border to experience this unique feeling. Before and after this standing and jumping, I celebrated the New Year TWICE at bars in Michigan and Indiana. (I would attempt to revisit this experience in 2020/2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic denied me of that option.)
Milwaukee and a Moment with the Bronze Fonz, May 2014
Another trip taken with my grandparents to Milwaukee (we had gone on one many years ago). This time, I’m old enough to drink and know of a popular 70s TV show called Happy Days. This trip actually was my birthday dinner to a secret place in the city. Shhh!
Golden Birthday Trip, April 28, 2014
I turned 28 on April 28, 2014, so it was my Golden Birthday. I did what I wanted to do at the time, and that was to take a sightseeing trip to Chicago. My friend at the time and I were big into NBC’s Chicago Fire TV show, and I visited places from that show. Also trekked through wealthy Kenilworth, and snuck onto a private beach in Winnetka to document my trip in the sand.
Potosi, Wyalusing, and a forgettable camping adventure; May 2013
The “missing leg” of my Mississippi River trip from a couple of years prior. It was the start of camping season, and I hadn’t been camping since I was 8. I’ve grown quite a bit since then, and the experience was nothing like that of when I was a child. I can’t deal with the hard ground. Oh, and it was a downpour of rain! However, I made stops at the Potosi Brewery and Wyalusing State Park. There’s a hole in the trail that I barely squeezed past (I was much lighter then!)
Mississippi River Trip: Clinton to Lake Itasca and back, May 2011
In this multi-state, multi-day trip, I took so many photos that I had to create THREE albums for this. Highlighted stops include Red Wing, Minneapolis/St. Paul, St. Cloud, Lake Itasca, Trempealeau, LaCrosse and Prairie du Chien.
Part 1: Iowa and the Twin Cities
Part 2: Minnesota, Twin Cities and Lake Itasca
Part 3: Wisconsin side
Cooperstown and Canton, April 2010
As of 2021, this is the largest SOLO road trip that I’ve been on. First time being in both Pennsylvania and New York State. Visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York – on a Tuesday morning! What makes visiting on a Tuesday morning special? I was the first person at the Hall that day, and I had the WHOLE MUSEUM TO MYSELF throughout much of my visit! When it’s quiet like that, it’s an unforgettable experience because you can soak up the history without any distraction. Also visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio; however, my camera’s battery ran down during my stay and I didn’t get a lot of pics of it. Also visited the Lucy and Desi Museum in Jamestown, New York – a place that I simply stumbled upon while driving.
Week with My Grandparents in Tucson, April 2009
As of 2021, this is my farthest vacation away from home, AND the only vacation I’ve been on via airplane. My grandparents spent the winters in Tucson for about a decade, and each year would invite a grandchild over to spend a week with them. We toured all things Tucson and had a lot of fun! Also took in a White Sox spring training game!
This has two albums: PART ONE — PART TWO
My grandparents and I trekked the entire length of Historic Route 66 in a couple of legs: One was from Chicago to Odell, and the next from Odell to the Chain of Rocks Bridge in Granite City. This album is of the second leg of that journey. At that time, we were taking film pictures; and I don’t know where our pictures of the first leg went. Stops along this particular journey include Atlanta, Litchfield and Williamsville.
My Family (Me, Mom, Dad and my brothers) took a road trip to Detroit, where we visited several places and the historic Motown Studios, which was a lot of fun. Not sure if the museum does this now, but we could play on the same piano in the main studio that played the tunes from several Motown classics. We also went to Windsor, Ontario, which is across the river from Detroit. (As of 2021, this is my only trip out of the United States).
Chicago Art Institute, April 2006
This was a college class field trip for my Intro to Art class. On this trip, we were to find a particular piece of art and write a paper about it in order to get one letter grade better than our end-of-semester grade. I chose some painting of a stick of Wrigley’s Spearmint gum. I found this piece early in our trip, and still had half of the day left. So I walked away from the museum and explored downtown Chicago for a bit until the time we were to depart back to Sauk Valley Community College. The same class also had a field trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum, where I didn’t take any pics, but had a squid lunch with my professor at a place in downtown Milwaukee. That trip also boosted my letter grade up one. I finished with a C after two trips, so I really flunked this class.
The professor of this class was in his final year teaching at Sauk before announcing that he was leaving the country for either Africa or China, he wasn’t sure at the time. Eventually he went to Egypt and came back to Texas a few years later. When he told the class this, he sent us off with a statement that has a profound meaning in my life: “Have some culture in your life.”
If you made it this far in my road trip journeys, wow!
Cody’s Road Trips 