US Road Trip 2026 - Update Five
Last night I decided to add an extra stop to the journey, checking into the Courtyard by Marriott Lafayette (Indiana) at around 1:10am, roughly two hours from North Aurora.
Today I completed the final two-hour drive into North Aurora, but not before travelling along the Ronald Reagan Tollway. Now, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of that. Ronald Reagan was famously a supporter of lower taxes, yet they named a toll road after him. You have to admit that's pretty amusing.
Once I arrived, I finally met up with my friend whom I've known for 13 years. After a short drive to Aurora Train Station, we headed straight into downtown Chicago via Union Station.
Our first major stop was Willis Tower, the tallest building in Chicago. The views from the top were absolutely outstanding and gave an incredible perspective of the city.
From there we visited the Shedd Aquarium, which was genuinely breathtaking. The exhibits were fantastic and it's definitely one of those places that lives up to the hype.
We then took a Toto ride around the city, which was great fun and a brilliant way to see more of Chicago. After that, we visited Millennium Park, a place I've wanted to see ever since playing Watch Dogs on Xbox years ago. Seeing it in person was one of those moments where a place you've only ever seen on a screen suddenly becomes real.
After a full day exploring, we caught the train back.
All in all, it was a truly unique and fantastic experience. Chicago absolutely delivered.
Tomorrow it's back on the road again, this time heading south to Missouri. Around a nine-hour drive, give or take.
