On the second day of our roadtrip across the country, Mom and I traversed Indiana, Illinois, and part of Iowa (all the best 'I' states). Most of it was very flat, and it was VERY hot and humid outside, but we actually made some pretty cool side trips and found some hidden midwestern gems.
After leaving Toledo, we continued to head west. We felt it was kind of a shame to drive so close to Lake Michigan and not actually see any of it from the highway, so we detoured to Indiana Dunes State Park to have a picnic lunch on the beach. Yes, beaches NOT on the ocean - seagulls and everything! Who knew? This was also a way to avoid crappy road food, instead opting for soynut butter sandwiches, apples, and Sunchips. After lunch, I officially stuck my feet in Lake Michigan and we continued on our way.
We also felt like it was kind of a shame to pass so close to Chicago and not even see the skyline, so we did a quick loop through the city which turned into a trafficky mess. It was cool to see Chicago, though, however briefly. It is definitely a place I would like to come back and actually visit in the future. 
We got as far as Iowa City, where we decided to post up for the night, and it ended up being such a great surprise! For two people who had never been to Iowa before and had no idea what to expect, we were quite impressed when we arrived in this cute college town on the Iowa River. It was still hot as hell, but we really enjoyed walking along the river and through the Downtown area. We had dinner at Masala Indian Vegetarian Cuisine, which you can probably guess from the name, specializes in vegetarian and vegan dishes. The food was delicious and inexpensive - they even had organic wines for under $5 per glass! Way to go, Iowa!
Lesson(s) Learned: College towns offer lots of dining options for vegetarians; fewer hotel options if it happens to be freshman orientation.
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