Purpose
Visit Grandma Joyce Plechaty
Wanatah, Indiana. This is the priority of the trip — every other stop is secondary and flexible.
The plan
Overview
Fly home from a work trip, load up the Escalade, drive out to Wanatah in one straight-through push, then base out of Joyce's house all week. Wednesday is a day trip up to Rolling Meadows for Great Grandma Ruth, puppies with Joan at the AC, and Amy & Carlos in the evening — then back to Wanatah so the girls sleep in their own beds. Thursday, Pam comes to Joyce's around noon to watch the girls while Andy drives to O'Hare solo for Sara. Friday we push straight from Wanatah to Kalahari for two nights and drive home Sunday.
On the drive
Andy, Rachel (5) & Evelyn (2)
Andy drives the whole trip, solo with the girls on the way out.
Joining midweek
Sara — Thursday, Aug 27
AA 1189 into Chicago O'Hare, landing 6:54 PM. Andy drives up solo to get her, then back to Joyce's for the night. No return flight needed. Track AA 1189
The vehicle
Cadillac Escalade IQ
About 500 miles on a full charge. Plan around 300 miles per charge — and in practice the girls need a pee break well before the battery needs anything.
The treat
Kalahari, Sandusky OH
Two nights, fixed — Friday and Saturday. The water park stop the girls missed on the way out.
Dates
Aug 21 – 30, 2026
Andy flies home Fri Aug 21. Depart Falls Church Sun Aug 23. Home Sunday, Aug 30 — fixed, so Sara's back for work and the nanny's first day Monday.
Live forecast — Open-Meteo
Weather along the way
Refreshes every time you load the page and caches the last successful check so it still shows offline. Late August in the Midwest can run hot and stormy — forecasts open up about 16 days out.
Wanatah, IN
Joyce's house · Aug 24–25
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Rolling Meadows, IL
Wednesday day trip · Aug 26
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Sandusky, OH
Kalahari · Aug 28–30
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August 21–31, 2026
Day by day
Priority is getting to Joyce — no fun stops on the way out. Everything after Wanatah is flexible and marked as such. Tap any Directions button to open turn-by-turn navigation from wherever you are, or copy the raw address to paste somewhere else.
21Aug
Friday, August 21 — Andy flies home
- 5:20 AMAA 6401 (operated by SkyWest as American Eagle) departs Medford (MFR).
- 7:49 AMArrives Phoenix (PHX).
- 8:38 AMAA 3191 departs Phoenix (PHX).
- 4:15 PMArrives Washington Reagan (DCA).
22Aug
Saturday, August 22 — Buffer day
- All dayUnpack, repack, and load the Escalade for tomorrow's departure.
23Aug
Sunday, August 23 — Falls Church to Wanatah, straight through
- Late afternoonDeparted Falls Church. Drove into the evening while the girls slept.
- ~245 miDinner and charge stop near Pittsburgh.
- OvernightSkipped the Cleveland hotel and drove straight through to Wanatah — the full ~640 miles in one push instead of splitting it over two days.
How it actually wentStraight through to Wanatah in one day. That bought an extra morning with Joyce and meant no hotel to book or check out of.
✦ Fun Fact
Sunday's drive passes Cleveland, home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — a glass pyramid designed by architect I.M. Pei right on the shore of Lake Erie. Cleveland is where DJ Alan Freed coined the term "rock and roll," which is part of why the museum landed here instead of Memphis or New York.24Aug
Monday, August 24 — First full day with Joyce
- All dayNo driving — already in Wanatah after Sunday’s straight-through push. A full day with Joyce instead of finishing a drive.
✦ Fun Fact
Wanatah is a LaPorte County town of just over 1,000 people. Local legend says the name comes from a Native American phrase meaning "knee deep in mud" — the town sat on marshland before it became rich farm country in the 1850s. It's also the hometown of MLB pitcher Sean Manaea.25Aug
Tuesday, August 25 — With Joyce
- All dayIn Wanatah with Joyce.
26Aug
Wednesday, August 26 — Rolling Meadows day trip
- 10:00 AMLeave Grandma Joyce's in Wanatah — 10344 S 1150 W, Wanatah, IN 46390. First stop is Portillo's. Directions to Portillo's
- ~11:30 AMLunch at Portillo's, 1900 Golf Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 — or whenever we roll in. Open from 10 AM, so no wait on the doors. Directions (847) 228-0777
- ~12:30 PMShort stretch and run-around — optional now that the big play session is set for after the puppies. If you want one anyway, Kimball Hill Park (3266 Kirchoff Rd) is on the same road as The Pearl, about a mile out, with restrooms. Easiest to skip if lunch runs long. Directions
- 1:00–1:30 PMAndy — onboarding call with a new client. Half an hour, solo with both girls. Best bet is taking it from the car in the park lot with snacks and a tablet going, rather than from the playground itself.
- 2:00 PMGrandma Ruth (101) at The Pearl of Rolling Meadows — 4225 Kirchoff Rd. We go to her, not the other way around. A full hour is fine; she's up for it. Directions (847) 397-2400
- 3:30 PMPuppies with Grandma Joan at Second City Canine Rescue — 570 N Smith St, Palatine, about 10 minutes from Rolling Meadows. Joan confirmed by text that 3:30 works, ahead of the 4 PM public opening. Directions
- ~4:45–6:15 PMCommunity Center Park — 3705 Pheasant Dr, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. New park behind the Rolling Meadows Community Center, across Salt Creek from the pool and ice rink (per Grandpa). 11.6 acres: renovated preschool playground, Ninja Warrior challenge course, mini golf, in-ground ladder toss and baggo, picnic shelters. One playground is reserved until 1:30 PM on school days — a non-issue at this hour. Perfect burn-off between the puppies and dinner. Directions
- 6:30 PMDinner with Amy & Carlos in Rolling Meadows — Amy is off work around 6:30. Girls play with their kids. Restaurant — fill in
- ~8:30 PMHead back to Grandma Joyce's, 10344 S 1150 W, Wanatah, IN 46390 — girls likely asleep in the car. Charge the Escalade on her wall charger overnight. Directions to Joyce's
Shape of the dayRoughly 170 miles of driving plus five stops. Three hard pins: the 1:00 PM client call, 2:00 PM with Ruth, and 3:30 at the AC. Everything else absorbs slack — drop the 12:30 stretch first, then trim Community Center Park. Don't shorten Ruth.
✦ Fun Fact
Rolling Meadows was built almost from scratch after World War II by developer Kimball Hill, who put up roughly 2,000 look-alike ranch houses on former farmland starting in 1953. The residents incorporated as their own city in 1955 — so the town is younger than Great Grandma Ruth. The playground stop is named for him: Kimball Hill Park.27Aug
Thursday, August 27 — Free day in Wanatah, Sara arrives
- MorningNothing scheduled — recovery day at Joyce's after Wednesday's round trip.
- ~12:00 PMPam comes over to Grandma Joyce's in Wanatah to watch the girls with Joyce for the afternoon and evening.
- No later than 4:30 PM CTAndy departs 10344 S 1150 W, Wanatah, IN 46390 solo for O'Hare. ~70–75 miles, ~1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 45 min depending on traffic — no car seats to wrangle. Leaving at 4:30 puts you at Terminal 3 around 6:00, comfortably ahead of a 6:54 landing. Directions to ORD Terminal 3
- 5:23 PM ETAA 1189 departs Washington Reagan (DCA) for Chicago O'Hare — Boeing 737-800, about 1 hr 38 min in the air. Track AA 1189 FlightStats
- 6:54 PM CTSara arrives O'Hare (ORD) — American flies into Terminal 3. Andy picks her up at baggage-claim curbside. Check the tracker before leaving Wanatah; a delay here is the one thing that moves the whole evening.
- ~8:30 PMAndy and Sara drive back to 10344 S 1150 W, Wanatah, IN 46390. Overnight at Joyce's — charge the Escalade fully so no stop is needed tomorrow. Directions to Joyce's
Why it's built this waySplitting Wednesday's visits from Thursday's airport run keeps the girls out of a late-night terminal pickup and gets them a full night's sleep two nights running.
✦ Fun Fact
O'Hare's airport code ORD has nothing to do with the name — it's left over from Orchard Field, the wartime Douglas aircraft plant that stood on the site. The airport was renamed in 1949 for Edward “Butch” O'Hare, a Chicago-raised Navy pilot and Medal of Honor recipient, but the old three-letter code stuck.28Aug
Friday, August 28 — Straight to Kalahari
- Early morningGoodbyes with Joyce in Wanatah — this is the last morning of the visit.
- Before 10 AM CTLeave Wanatah. Earlier is better — the 10 AM CT cutoff is the hard one. Ruth was visited Wednesday, so there is no stop to make on the way out. Directions to Kalahari
- ~4 hrsDrive straight to Sandusky, ~245–255 miles on the Indiana and Ohio Turnpikes. No charging stop needed on a full charge from Joyce's; one pee/snack break for the girls.
- ~3–4 PM ETArrive Kalahari — we lose an hour crossing into Eastern time. Check-in is 4:00 PM; bring the card used to book. Rest of the afternoon and evening for the water park.
✦ Fun Fact
Kalahari Resorts started in Wisconsin Dells in 2000, dreamed up by Todd and Shari Nelson after a family trip to Africa. That's why the lobby and slides are African-animal themed — the "Rippling Rhino" and "Wild Wildebeest" among them — and why Kalahari built the country's first indoor uphill water coaster, the Master Blaster.29Aug
Saturday, August 29 — Full day at Kalahari
- All dayFull day at the water park. No driving.
✦ Fun Fact
Sandusky is also home to Cedar Point, the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" — it opened in 1870, making it the second-oldest amusement park in North America. Its first roller coaster, built in 1892, topped out at a blistering 10 mph.30Aug
Sunday, August 30 — Drive home
- 11:00 AM ETCheck-out is 11:00 AM sharp — so the last morning swim has to be an early one, with bags in the car before you hit the water. Grab lunch to-go or eat at the first stop.
- ~7 hrs drivingDrive home, 413 miles — routed, not estimated. Figure ~6h45–7h30 of wheel time; the old 6h15 figure was optimistic. Add a stop near Pittsburgh and one short pee break: ~8 to 8h30 door to door, or closer to 7h45 if you top up at Kalahari on Saturday and only need bathroom stops.
- ~7:15–8:00 PM ETArrive home, Falls Church. Checking out at 11:00 and rolling by 11:15 puts you in around 7:15 — every 15 minutes late leaving Kalahari lands 15 minutes later here. Bedtime on time still works, which matters with school starting, meet-the-teacher, and the rest of the week.
Why 11:00 AM is the whole ballgame413 miles plus a charge stop is an eight-hour day. Check out at 11:00 and you are home ~7:15–8:00 PM. Linger to 1:00 PM and you are pulling in after 9:30 with two wiped-out kids and a school week starting. The last swim has to be an early one with the bags already loaded.
✦ Fun Fact
Pittsburgh has more bridges than any city on Earth — 446 of them, more than triple the number in Venice, Italy. The oldest steel bridge in the country, the Smithfield Street Bridge, still stands downtown near where you'll stop.Who's going
Travelers
Driving the whole trip
Andy
Solo with the girls on the way out.
Age 5
Rachel
Along for the whole trip.
Age 2
Evelyn
Along for the whole trip.
Joining Thursday, Aug 27
Sara
Flies into Chicago O'Hare after work, then drives home with the family — no return flight needed.
Booking status
Flights
| Traveler & date | Route | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Andy — Fri, Aug 21 | AA 6401 → AA 3191 · Medford (MFR) → Phoenix (PHX) → Washington Reagan (DCA) Departs 5:20 AM, arrives PHX 7:49 AM, departs PHX 8:38 AM, arrives DCA 4:15 PM |
Confirmed |
| Sara — Thu, Aug 27 | AA 1189 · Washington Reagan (DCA) → Chicago O'Hare (ORD) Departs 5:23 PM EDT, arrives ORD 6:54 PM CDT · Boeing 737-800 · Terminal 3 · no return flight, drives home with family Track AA 1189 FlightStats |
Confirmed |
Cadillac Escalade IQ
Driving and charging plan
About 6'4" tall. Roughly 500 miles on a full charge. Plan around 300 miles per charge in summer with the AC running and a full load, which leaves real margin rather than cutting it fine. With a 2- and 5-year-old aboard, bladder range is the binding constraint, not battery range — charge stops double as meal, bathroom, and stretch breaks for the girls.
Charging approach
Charge in the 20–80% window rather than waiting for near-empty or topping off to 100% — it's meaningfully faster. The Escalade IQ's native NACS port opens up both the Tesla Supercharger network and GM's Ultium Charge 360 partners (EVgo, Electrify America, ChargePoint), so load the Tesla app and PlugShare before you lose signal on the road. At every planned stop, note a backup station 10–15 minutes further down the route in case a stall is down or occupied.
1
Falls Church → Wanatah Main outbound leg
2
Wanatah → Illinois Two day trips, no hotel
3
Wanatah → Kalahari Direct, no Elkhart stop
4
Sandusky → Falls Church
Where we're sleeping
Lodging by night
| Night | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mon–Thu, Aug 24–27 | Grandma Joyce's, 10344 S 1150 W, Wanatah, IN 46390 — four nights, no Illinois hotel needed Directions | Confirmed |
| Fri–Sat, Aug 28–29 | Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, OH — two nights, Double Queen, 2 adults + 2 children Check-in 4:00 PM Fri · check-out 11:00 AM Sun 7000 Kalahari Dr, Sandusky, OH 44870 | Confirmed |
The big treat
Kalahari stop
Kalahari Resort — Sandusky, Ohio
7000 Kalahari Dr, Sandusky, OH 44870 Directions
Booked. Two nights, Friday and Saturday — Double Queen room for 2 adults and 2 children. This is the one big treat for the girls on the trip, since we skipped a water park on the way out.
Fri, Aug 28Check-in 4:00 PM. Arrive mid-afternoon after the straight-through drive from Wanatah. Evening at the pool.
Sat, Aug 29Full day at the park, no driving.
Sun, Aug 30Check-out 11:00 AM, then straight home to Falls Church.
Bring to check-inThe card used to book is required at check-in — don't leave it at home. Kalahari is 100% cashless: cards, Apple/Google Pay, or tap your RFID wristband. Each guest gets a $200 pre-authorized charging wristband at check-in; anything unused is refunded within 10 business days, so expect a hold on the card for a while after you're home.
Arrival timingFriday's drive puts you in around 3–4 PM ET against a 4:00 PM check-in, so the room should be ready about when you land. If it isn't, the waterpark generally opens to arriving guests before rooms do — change in the car and start the day early. The 3-day cancellation window has passed, so the stay is locked in either way.
Confirmed with Joyce
Charging at Joyce's house
Good news — Joyce checked both items and we're clear to charge and park inside.
✓
Charger still on the wall — confirmed still installed, powered, with the breaker on.
Confirmed
✓
Garage door clearance — confirmed the Escalade will fit.
Confirmed
Optional: save ~30 minutes on SundaySunday is 413 miles — inside the ~500-mile full-charge range, so it is a one-charge day either way. But you reach Kalahari on Friday already ~250 miles down from Wanatah, so leaving Sunday on that battery means one real charge stop near Pittsburgh (~40 min). Top up Saturday — at Kalahari or a fast charger nearby — and Sunday needs no charging stop at all; you would still pull over for the girls, but a 15-minute pee break instead of a 40-minute charge. Worth about half an hour on a day where arrival time matters.
Backup plan, just in casePublic charging in Valparaiso, about 20 minutes away, if the home charger ever has an issue. Mostly slower Level 2 with only a couple of true fast chargers — treat it as a single top-up rather than a daily routine.
Saved on this device
Packing checklist
Check things off as you pack — your progress is saved locally in this browser and survives a refresh.
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Kids
Charging
Documents
General
Needs a decision
Open decisions and status
Nothing here is hidden — half the point of this site is tracking what's still open.
✓
Outbound — went Sunday, Aug 23, straight through to Wanatah rather than stopping near Cleveland. No hotel needed.
Done
✓
Wednesday works for everyone — Carlos, Amy and Joan all confirmed Wednesday, Aug 26.
Confirmed
✓
Puppies with Joan at the AC — Second City Canine Rescue, Palatine. Joan is there 3–8 PM Wednesday and says stop by 3:30–4:00.
Confirmed
✓
3:30 PM at the AC — Joan confirmed by text that 3:30 works, even though the building doesn't open to the public until 4.
Confirmed
✓
Pam watching the girls Thursday — over to Joyce's around noon so Andy can do the O'Hare run solo.
Confirmed
✓
Great Grandma Ruth — The Pearl of Rolling Meadows — 4225 Kirchoff Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. Wednesday early afternoon, a full hour. Call ahead to check visiting hours before building the day around it.
Confirmed
?
Amy & Carlos dinner spot — tonight, 6:30 PM in Rolling Meadows once Amy's off work. Only thing on the day still unnamed.
Pending
?
Demi & Trevor — not happening this trip; confirmed today it isn't going to work out. Next visit.
Not this trip
Who to call
Key contacts and links
Grandma Joyce Plechaty
Kalahari Resort
Andy
Contact info — fill in
Sara
Contact info — fill in
The Pearl of Rolling Meadows
Pam
Watching the girls Thursday afternoon at Joyce's
Contact info — fill in
Contact info — fill in
Trip notes
Notion trip page — link to add
Optional — offline friendly
Route
Main stops in order. A static diagram rather than an interactive map, so it still works with no signal on the road.
Falls Church, VA
Home
Pittsburgh
Dinner & charge
Cleveland
Drove past — no overnight
Wanatah, IN
Grandma Joyce
Rolling Meadows / O'Hare
Wed & Thu day trips, out and back to Wanatah
Wanatah, IN
Base all week
Sandusky, OH
Kalahari
Falls Church, VA
Home
Priority stop
Fun stop
Waypoint