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 over two days, spend the first half of the week with Joyce, swing up to Chicago midweek to collect Sara, then work east and finish with a night or two at a water park before heading home.
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
Flies into Chicago O'Hare after work, then drives home with the family. No return flight needed.
The vehicle
Cadillac Escalade IQ
Charge every 250–300 miles in summer with AC and a full load. Charge stops double as meal and stretch breaks.
The treat
Kalahari, Sandusky OH
One night for sure, maybe two — the water park stop the girls missed on the way out.
Dates
Aug 21 – 31, 2026
Andy flies home Fri Aug 21. Depart Falls Church Sun Aug 23. Home by Aug 30 or 31, depending on Kalahari.
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.
Near Cleveland, OH
Sun Aug 23 overnight stop
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Wanatah, IN
Joyce's house · Aug 24–26
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Chicago, IL
Sara arrives · Aug 27
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Sandusky, OH
Kalahari · Aug 29–30
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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.
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 — Depart Falls Church
- Late afternoonDepart Falls Church. Drive into the evening while the girls sleep.
- ~245 miDinner and charge stop near Pittsburgh.
- ~11:00 PMStop for the night near Cleveland, roughly 350–370 miles in.
No fun stopsGetting to Joyce is the priority on the way out — this leg is about miles, not sightseeing.
24Aug
Monday, August 24 — Arrive Wanatah
- 4.5–5 hrsFinish the drive to Wanatah, ~270–290 miles, with a charge and lunch stop near Toledo.
- Afternoon/eveningArrive Wanatah. First day with Joyce.
25Aug
Tuesday, August 25 — With Joyce
- All dayIn Wanatah with Joyce.
26Aug
Wednesday, August 26 — With Joyce
- All dayIn Wanatah with Joyce.
27Aug
Thursday, August 27 — Toward Chicago, Sara arrives
- UndecidedSomething simple in Chicago, like a kid-friendly museum.
- ~5:30 PMSara's flight departs DCA for O'Hare.
- Early eveningSara arrives O'Hare. Overnight in the Chicago area near the airport.
28Aug
Friday, August 28 — Working east
- MorningPossible visit with Great Grandma near Chicago — to be confirmed.
- OvernightNear Elkhart, Indiana.
29Aug
Saturday, August 29 — Kalahari
- AfternoonDrive to Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Check in by the afternoon for pool time.
- TonightStay Saturday night for sure — maybe Sunday night too.
30Aug
Sunday, August 30 — Park day or drive home
- If one nightDrive home to Falls Church today.
- If two nightsSpend a full day at the park.
31Aug
Monday, August 31 — Home (if two nights at Kalahari)
- All dayDrive home to Falls Church — ~385 miles, 6 hrs 45 min, with one charge stop near Pittsburgh.
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 | American · Washington Reagan (DCA) → Chicago O'Hare (ORD) Departs ~5:30 PM after work — no return flight, drives home with family |
Not booked |
Cadillac Escalade IQ
Driving and charging plan
About 6'4" tall. Plan to charge every 250–300 miles in summer with the AC running and a full load, rather than counting on full rated 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 ↔ Chicago / O'Hare
3
Chicago → Elkhart
4
Elkhart → Kalahari
5
Return: Wanatah → Sandusky If direct
6
Sandusky → Falls Church
Where we're sleeping
Lodging by night
| Night | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Aug 23 | Hotel near Cleveland, OH — prefer one with a charger on site or next to a fast charger | Not booked |
| Mon–Wed, Aug 24–26 | Joyce's house, Wanatah, IN | Confirmed |
| Thu, Aug 27 | Hotel in the Chicago area, near O'Hare | Not booked |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Hotel near Elkhart, IN | Not booked |
| Sat Aug 29 (and possibly Sun Aug 30) | Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, OH | Not booked |
The big treat
Kalahari stop
Kalahari Resort — Sandusky, Ohio
At least one night, maybe two. This is the one big treat for the girls on the trip, since we skipped a water park on the way out.
One nightHome Sunday, August 30.
Two nightsFull park day Sunday, home Monday, August 31.
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
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.
0 / 0 packed
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.
~
Sunday vs. Monday departure from Falls Church.
Leaning Sunday
!
Thursday plan — pick a kid-friendly museum or activity in Chicago.
Undecided
?
Friday plan — confirm the Great Grandma visit near Chicago.
Pending
!
Kalahari one night or two — sets the home date, the 30th or the 31st.
Undecided
Who to call
Key contacts and links
Grandma Joyce Plechaty
Wanatah, Indiana
Contact info — fill in
Contact info — fill in
Kalahari Resort
Sandusky, Ohio
kalahariresorts.com
kalahariresorts.com
Andy
Contact info — fill in
Sara
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
Overnight
Wanatah, IN
Grandma Joyce
Chicago / O'Hare
Sara arrives
Elkhart, IN
Overnight
Sandusky, OH
Kalahari
Falls Church, VA
Home
Priority stop
Fun stop
Waypoint