Chicago. The Windy City. The setting of "Chicago Fire", "The Fugitive", "The Blues Brothers", and the ultimate destination of our road trip.
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| A view of Chicago from Lake Michigan. |
We pulled into the Windy City and checked into our hotel. We dropped our bags and then we dropped down on our beds. It had been a long trip from Massachusetts to New York to Ohio and into the Land of Lincoln.
Wife and I couldn't wait to see what Chicago had in store for us. It's a city she had always wanted to visit. Our first experience was at a gas station. There was a little bit of sticker shock when we filled our gas tank. Gas prices are tough wherever you go, but we weren't expecting it to be this tough.
We were too tired to give the price at the pump too much thought, though. It was 9:00 and it had been another day on the road. The Boy wanted to see the pool and make sure it passed muster. While checking in, he and The Oppressed went to check things out. It looked alright. From there the boys and girls adjourned to our rooms. We had spent the day travelling and we would spend the next few days seeing what the land had in store for us.
Seeing What's Around Chicago
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| "The Bean" |
Our first stop was Target. We needed to replenish some supplies. The Target in Illinois seemed to be the same as what we had in Massachusetts. I wanted to walk all around and see if there was anything we could find in Illinois and not in Massachusetts and vice versa. The Oppressed didn't think it was that important to study and dragged me out of the store. Such an activity takes time away from swimming.
We went down to the pool. The Boy and The Oppressed had a good time in the water. Wife and I were glad they had fun, but we were really hoping to see a little more of what the city had to offer.
A stroll around Chi-Town showed us Cloud Gate, more commonly referred to as "The Bean". Wife and I like to check out art and it was nice to be able to see a local treasure without waiting in line for tickets. The Bean is one of the largest permanent outdoor works of art. It became a part of Millennium Park in 2004 and reflects the Chicago Skyline. It was nice to appreciate one of the local landmarks.
Bus Tour
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| Soldiers Field |
Walking is nice. I like to do it every chance I get. It's how I keep my figure. It's also nice to get a ride. This way, you can see more of the city faster. Our bus tour gave us a view of Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. The bus dropped us off at the Navy Pier, where we walked around and went on the
Centennial Wheel and got a nice view from 200 feet in the air. Wife and I shared a Chicago Hot Dog. What is that, you ask? Order one when you get to Chicago. You'll be glad you did.
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Our view from the top
of the Centennial Wheel. |
Back on the bus, we listened to the narrated tour of the city. We were told of the history, the sports teams, the movies that were filmed in Chicago. We were also able to take the bus to the Shedd Aquarium. More on this later.
Everyone had their own favorite part of the city. For Slugger, I think his favorite part was having dinner at the Michael Jordan Steakhouse. It was nice to sit down to a nice meal. Wife and I both like steak. I think Slugger liked the T-shirt he got that night even more. I also think he would have been fine if he just got the shirt and nothing else that night.
The Oppressed enjoyed The Shedd Aquarium. It gave her the chance to see more turtles, her absolute favorite thing in the world. Seeing all of the animals in the water made The Boy think about swimming and wondered when we would be back at the hotel so he could get another fix.
Food
I already mentioned the Chicago hot dog. This delicious mix of dog, peppers, mustard, and relish makes for a delightful lunch. The steaks were good, but you can't go to Chicago without having pizza, right?
Wife knew someone who lived in the Windy City. Her friend knew a good place for pizza. The family met her and sat down to what we had all been talking about since we first got into Chicago. Our first authentic Chicago pizza was phenomenal. Wife was happy to be able to catch up with her friend. I was happy to get pizza. All of the walking around we did took care of whatever guilt I had when I had that extra piece.
There was certainly plenty to see during our vacation. I was hoping to see some of the landmarks where scenes from "The Blues Brothers" were filmed. Unfortunately, I only got to see one "site". Elwood's apartment where the brothers stay after Jake gets out of jail. It isn't there any more. It's now a small park between two buildings. I was able to get away just long enough to get a picture to show to my father. There was a lot for us to see and do. As usual, we weren't able to see everything. We didn't even get to see Wrigley Field. I was ok with that, though. It gives us another reason to go back.
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| Elwood was here. |
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