Every great road trip starts with a journey, and today ours began long before we turned the key. We traded the mountains of Western North Carolina for the skyscrapers of Chicago, flying from Asheville to Midway and heading to the birthplace of Route 66. After landing, we skipped the rental car and rode the CTA Orange Line to downtown, watching Chicago's skyline emerge as we approached the Loop. Our home for the night was the historic Palmer House Hilton, a Chicago landmark an