Day 21: Illinois to Minnesota via Wisconsin

Sunday, April 26

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After gathering our things and checking out, we headed to Shahtaj’s house. Her mother, Zahid’s Khadija mumani, is staying with her. Shahtaj and Zahid’s uncle Aslam were also babysitting her granddaughter Kayla. We spent a short time with them, including a “snack” of biryani and tea. While we were there, it started to rain heavily, so we excused ourselves to get on the road as soon as possible, so we wouldn’t be rushed. On the way out of town, we stopped for groceries and some frozen custard at Culver’s—Zahid’s cousin Henna had recommended it and we were not disappointed. Some day we’ll have frozen custard in Sacramento  ::sigh::

We were only a little tempted to stay in Chicago and try to get tickets to the Bulls / Celtics game that was scheduled to start at 1 pm. But we had to be in Minneapolis that night, so we passed on that opportunity and headed out of town. Some day we’ll have playoff basketball in Sacramento  ::sigh::

We headed “west” on I-90 (which really goes in a north or northwest direction at that point) toward Wisconsin. The drive through Wisconsin was pretty but we basically breezed through the state (despite the twin attractants of friends and a Lands’ End inlet store) in order to make good time to Minneapolis.

Minnesota

Once we reached Minnesota, Sandy was in her element, having lived there for over a year. We made good time into the Twin Cities, and then followed the directions we’d received from Zahid’s aunt Srilata and uncle Akbar, who live just west of Minneapolis.

We hadn’t visited them before, but as we neared their house, we realized what a gem it was. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t better photographers, because the photos we took don’t do this place credit. It’s an arts-and-crafts style place, designed by a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, adjacent to a large lake. Inside, it’s a beautiful mix of classic design and modern fixtures, which Aks and Sri have tied together by an eclectic design style.

Soon after we got there, Aks gave us a tour of the wine cellar. Almost all of his wines are French or Italian, and he picked a few of them (a Pinot, a Châteauneuf du Pape, and a Sauterne dessert wine) for us to sample with dinner. Dinner was a mix of gourmet foods including soup, a seafood pasta salad, and skewers of lamb. After dinner, Aks gave us a more complete tour of the house while Sri went to work on a photo montage for their son Sage’s 30th birthday. After the tour, we helped put together the montage and set it to music—Happy Birthday by the Beatles, and Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder. Very creative selections, don’t you think?

Aks and Sri have a sauna by the guest room, in the basement, and we wrapped up the evening by sitting in there for a short while before showering and going to bed.