Chi-town
When I think of Chicago, I think of unions, possibly mafia, even The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Not really pleasant things one would look for in a tourist destination, but nonetheless, I found myself vacationing there for a week. I'd never been, and lots of people have told me what a great city it is, so I figured what the heck...and after five days, I determined that I need to go back and see the rest of it. :)
I met up with Dan (the young man I got set up with in April) at the airport and we headed down to Lincoln Park where we stayed in a great boutique hotel. It was in the middle of a neighborhood, with local restaurants, bars, and an eL train stop within walking distance. Lincoln Park is a great area to stay in because it is so close to Wrigley Field, the boardwalk along Lake Michigan, and some fabo restaurants.
Our first adventure was out to the Art Institute of Chicago which houses some incredible American paintings (such as American Gothic)as well as a nice variety of European masterworks (like A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, by Seurat). We spent most of the day here, and when we finally went down to pick some souvenir postcards before we left, we ran across several famous works that we missed! I could happily go back and spend some more time there. After the museum, we went to the Second City Comedy Theater. The alumni list of this comedy group includes John Candy, Bill Murray, Mike Myer, and Tina Fey...to list just a few. So our expectations were set pretty high, which is usually dangerous, but we laughed so hard in the first 15 minutes that we decided no matter what they did after that, it was worth it. My belly hurt the next day from laughing so much. The show was well over two hours!
Our next day was devoted to attending a Cubs game. We went to an afternoon game at Wrigley against the SF Giants and sat in the bleachers. Dan is a huge baseball fan and was told that the best place to see a Cubs game is in the bleachers, and we definitely were not disappointed. They call the folks out there bleacher bums, maybe because they are drunk and rowdy, or possibly because they arrive early to get prime spots in the open seating (and to start drinking). :) The people around us were almost as entertaining as the game. We saw the Cubbies get a home run with a fly ball into the stands and win the game. It was great fun, and the whole area around the stadium was dedicated to a massive party after the game. Cubs fans are serious baseball fanatics. With such a cool field in the middle of a neighborhood, I can see the appeal.
On our last full day we went up in the Sears tower and then over to Shedd Aquarium. The Sears tower afforded some fab views of the city as well as a nice historical commentary. The inside circle of the observation deck was completely covered with historical facts about Chicago that you could peruse as you walked to the next window overlooking the city. While the Sears tower is no longer the tallest in the world, they are quick to tell you that they still have the tallest antenna in the world. ha. The Shedd aquarium is touted as one of the best in the nation, and it definitely lived up to expectations. I spent three good hours feeling like a little kid, saying, "Look at that! Wow, see that?! Dan look!" He was a good sport. :) I think my favorites were the sea dragons (like seahorses only they look like plants) and the sea turtle. Dan liked the otters.
The other thing we did in Chicago was eat, and this city has quite a bit to offer in the culinary department. We did the musts like deep dish pizza and ballpark hot dogs, but we also ate some killer tapas, pasta, ceviche, and masa tarts. mmm. I love eating. So when I go back to Chicago, I want to see the Science museum, the Frank Lloyd Wright neighborhood, the rest of the art institute, and go to Millenium Park and check out the Frank Gehry designed pavilion there. Who knew Chicago would be so great that I'd want to go back?!
I met up with Dan (the young man I got set up with in April) at the airport and we headed down to Lincoln Park where we stayed in a great boutique hotel. It was in the middle of a neighborhood, with local restaurants, bars, and an eL train stop within walking distance. Lincoln Park is a great area to stay in because it is so close to Wrigley Field, the boardwalk along Lake Michigan, and some fabo restaurants.
Our first adventure was out to the Art Institute of Chicago which houses some incredible American paintings (such as American Gothic)as well as a nice variety of European masterworks (like A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, by Seurat). We spent most of the day here, and when we finally went down to pick some souvenir postcards before we left, we ran across several famous works that we missed! I could happily go back and spend some more time there. After the museum, we went to the Second City Comedy Theater. The alumni list of this comedy group includes John Candy, Bill Murray, Mike Myer, and Tina Fey...to list just a few. So our expectations were set pretty high, which is usually dangerous, but we laughed so hard in the first 15 minutes that we decided no matter what they did after that, it was worth it. My belly hurt the next day from laughing so much. The show was well over two hours!
Our next day was devoted to attending a Cubs game. We went to an afternoon game at Wrigley against the SF Giants and sat in the bleachers. Dan is a huge baseball fan and was told that the best place to see a Cubs game is in the bleachers, and we definitely were not disappointed. They call the folks out there bleacher bums, maybe because they are drunk and rowdy, or possibly because they arrive early to get prime spots in the open seating (and to start drinking). :) The people around us were almost as entertaining as the game. We saw the Cubbies get a home run with a fly ball into the stands and win the game. It was great fun, and the whole area around the stadium was dedicated to a massive party after the game. Cubs fans are serious baseball fanatics. With such a cool field in the middle of a neighborhood, I can see the appeal.
On our last full day we went up in the Sears tower and then over to Shedd Aquarium. The Sears tower afforded some fab views of the city as well as a nice historical commentary. The inside circle of the observation deck was completely covered with historical facts about Chicago that you could peruse as you walked to the next window overlooking the city. While the Sears tower is no longer the tallest in the world, they are quick to tell you that they still have the tallest antenna in the world. ha. The Shedd aquarium is touted as one of the best in the nation, and it definitely lived up to expectations. I spent three good hours feeling like a little kid, saying, "Look at that! Wow, see that?! Dan look!" He was a good sport. :) I think my favorites were the sea dragons (like seahorses only they look like plants) and the sea turtle. Dan liked the otters.
The other thing we did in Chicago was eat, and this city has quite a bit to offer in the culinary department. We did the musts like deep dish pizza and ballpark hot dogs, but we also ate some killer tapas, pasta, ceviche, and masa tarts. mmm. I love eating. So when I go back to Chicago, I want to see the Science museum, the Frank Lloyd Wright neighborhood, the rest of the art institute, and go to Millenium Park and check out the Frank Gehry designed pavilion there. Who knew Chicago would be so great that I'd want to go back?!
posted by Claire | 5:42 AM
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