Field Trip

I started out with breakfast at Panera, stoking up with a breakfast sandwich because I didn't really know what I might find today, the guidebook said that food options were thin on the ground, considering I was heading for Museum Campus. Taking a break from the norm I turned south down Michigan Ave instead of north. My first port of call was the Field Museum. Chicago's museum of natural history. I bought the basic ticket because I knew I wouldn't be too long. I breezed through several rooms, Jade, and gem stones, Africa and the slave trade, south Pacific islands including Hawaii and Fiji and other Polynesian islands. But what I really wanted to see was Sue! The largest, most complete and best preserved skeleton of a T Rex. Afterwards the sunshine was calling me, and instead of a trip to the Shedd Aquarium, I decided to just chill out in the park by the lake in front of the museums. An hour and a half later, feeling better for my dose of vitamin D, I decided to take the water taxi back to Navy Pier, and make my way west and south back to Michigan Ave. I stopped in a Corner bakery to use the wifi again, and because it was around 4 o'clock and I'd missed lunch again. So soup and crisps and a chai latte to revive me, and I was ready to go wandering again. I thought about finding a sushi place to eat, and taking the rest out to eat in the park, but I got myself lost and confused for the first time since being here. It was really a case of indecision, and not being totally focussed on where I wanted to be exactly. But I stumbled across a supermarket with takeout sushi boxes, picked a drink, and found a box of just 2 cookies and took my food with purpose now and a sense of direction again to go back to Millennium Park, where I joined dozens of other people picnicking in the park in front of "The Bean". The day was nearly over and there was just time for a nightcap at the bar I'd had dinner in the first night. I took a seat in the same spot and ordered a (small 8oz) carafe of Rose wine, and sat to write up my day before heading back to bed. (tonight didn't exactly turn out how I expected it to, but more about that tomorrow. B) A note on service in America: I mentioned yesterday. American wait staff don't get very good wages, and rely heavily on tips, which is why it's expected that for reasonable service you tip 15% and up to 20% for good service. You should also tip the barman or waitress who brings you your drink about a dollar a drink. So yesterday at the top of the John Hancock Center in the cocktail bar. (have you remembered who he is yet?) I was expecting that the lady in the posh bar, who was very nice, might get a little more than a dollar. However, she came and told me she was going on her break, so could I pay my bill now please. So I did, and she asked if I needed any change. I'd paid with a $20, so of course I did, but I wasn't particularly impressed when she brought my change in notes and no coins. She'd kept the 60 cents small change. Meanwhile I left a tip, but she never returned to see, so I'd left before anyone came to clear my table. And the other staff were so slow at taking other people's orders that several groups left before they had ordered. Not looking good for their tips either.

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Tall Buildings Day

I wasn't quite sure what to do today, but Nik's tips on what to do in Chicago inspired my game plan. I started off with breakfast in Panera, and a call home on the free wifi.( Gotta love America, everywhere you go there's free wifi.) I planned my route to get to the Willis Tower, you all know it as the Sears Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Went through the security check, got my ticket, went up in the elevator (66 seconds to the top) took some pictures. Almost stepped out on the "Ledge", but not quite. Took some good pictures of the ground though! Headed back down through the gift shop to buy a couple of postcards, and outside to find some lunch and a post office for some stamps. Harder task than it seems to get some international stamps. On the way I found I was near the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and the Money Museum. Remembering a similar exhibition in Philadelphia, I went in search. The best thing about this was that it was free, and it was really interesting. Picked up a bag of shredded money, free as a souvenir. There was also an exhibit to take your picture with a pile of dollars. Printed out, and free. Brilliant, as of course I'm travelling alone, it's really difficult to get yourself in photos with no one to help. I've managed a few, but mostly with the aid of the front camera on my iPhone of course! Still needing fuel and stamps, after asking directions a few times, I found both. I found my way back to Michigan Avenue, and headed north again, taking a leisurely pace, (taking in the cultural Center, thanks Nik) but looking for a coffee shop, after all that chasing around for stamps, in the hottest part of the day, I needed another stop. Took advantage of the wifi and decided I could manage another one of Nik's top tips for Chicago; at the end of Michigan Avenue is the John Hancock Center. (There's a prize for anyone who can tell me what he's most famous for, and what his name is slang for, particularly in Washington DC- Americans disqualified!) So down into the basement to find the lift to take me to the 96th floor and the cocktail bar with an amazing view of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Now here's a few strange points about this trip to America, and about Chicago. Firstly crossing the street can be a bit of an ordeal, Chicagoans don't seem to be able to do it unaided. By the Park there are traffic control people on every corner, telling the traffic when to go, and also the pedestrians. Despite that there's the Walk / Don't Walk signs to help too, but when you think about how American driving works, this is understandable, as when the pedestrians have their cue to go, it's also ok for the drivers in the opposite direction, who have a red light, to turn right, across the walking pedestrians. So it's wise to have your wits about you when crossing the street here. Now there's just one more touristy thing I have to do while I'm here, being so far north I'm about as close as I'm going to get without being totally out of my way for the Hard Rock Cafe ( not the hotel as I discovered the other day) so I set out to find it. The food was good as always, the service excellent also. (note about service in America tomorrow) I ate and drank, and shopped ( bought a t shirt in the sale, it had to be done) and left feeling satisfied I've done just about all the touristy things you could imagine. I set out in to the fading light again, going south towards my hostel. My sense of direction serves me well, and once I've looked at the map in the coffee shop and planned my route, I do pretty well at finding my way. One final word, I'm sure you must be finding all this pretty boring, I just keep writing more and more! But, I can't stop taking photographs of all the amazing buildings!! Every time I turn a corner, I see another amazing view, same buildings from a different angle, all incredible. Seriously, I didn't think it was possible to be more overawed by architecture than in New York, but Chicago takes it, and as the legend here has it, we have Mrs. O Leary's cow to thank for that!

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From high brow to low brow - Art in many forms

It's been another long day out in the sunshine. I started out earlier today, and was a little too early for the Art Institute opening, so I headed for a coffee shop for a coffee, to kill some time while the queue went down when they opened at 10.30. I decided I'd have to be selective about which exhibitions I saw because the museum was so huge. I saw the Impressionists, Monet, Van Gogh etc, an exhibition on Kimonos, the ancient art of course, Greek and Roman and Egyptian, and the pre 19th Century European. It's a big sprawling building and I was starting to need a sit down and a drink, there's only so much art you can take in in one go before the brain starts to hurt. I headed outside for a brief meander through Taste of Chicago, a festival that's going on at the moment, I didn't stay long, it was baking hot in the midday sun,but I plan on going back, so more about that another time. I walked back up Michigan Ave, I'm getting to know that street pretty well, but it's sort of the backbone to downtown, the life and soul as it were. I stopped off at one of the small malls along the Ave to kill a bit more time before heading in to a coffee shop called Corner Bakery. I'd spotted earlier they had free wifi, so I made a pitstop for a chai latte and to call home. Skype on my iPhone (-again it's amazing, local price calls to call home and tell them I'm ok and having fun.) Afterwards I wasn't quite sure what to do before dinner, but I decided I had enough time to check out Navy Pier, I wasn't too far away. Although I'd heard it was good, I really didn't know what to expect. When I got there, it's a big indoor complex with souvenir shops, restaurants, take away places. And a Garret's popcorn place that didn't have a queue a mile long, so I took advantage to try Chicago's most famous popcorn, although I only chose the caramel version, I chickened out of the traditional Chicago mix - caramel and cheese! Popcorn in hand I headed out for a meander along Navy Pier, and found some amazing views looking back across the lake to all the skyscrapers that I'd seen along Michigan Ave and at Millennium Park. (pics when I get back I promise!) The sun was still shining, baking down and I realised I'm starting to catch a suntan, I might actually look like i've had a holiday by the time I get back. It's certainly a world away from life at home, and a change is as good as a rest. Philosophy over, it was time to take care of functions, and the heat was starting to take it's toll, although I seem to have done nothing but stop at cafe's for a coffee, I realised I'd had no lunch, not much for breakfast and it was going on for 7 at night. Too long. So the first place I came to: Irish bar again. Different one this time, but I learned my lesson from last night, and only ordered a starter, and a nice long refreshing cocktail, and they kept topping up my glass of water, which I felt was much needed after my day in the sunshine. An hour or so later, refreshed, rehydrated I'm starting to feel like it's almost time to head back and plan tomorrow's adventure.

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Rainbow Flag Day

This morning I slept a little too late. Too late because the cleaner arrived to clean the room before I was quite ready to leave, so I ran out in a bit of a hurry, walked down the street the same way I did last night, heading for Millennium Park. I got there much quicker than I had before because I had seen it before and wasn't stopping to take pictures all the time. I reached the edge of the loop and carried on up the road, over the river to North Michigan Avenue or as it's more commonly known as "The Magnificent Mile" - a mile of shops! So I set out with a shopping aim in mind, and I managed to find along the mile all my favourite American shops; Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch, and a few more besides. My reason for shopping today was simple, I knew a few of the shops had semi annual sales which were finishing today, so always with a bargain in mind, I decided to get the shopping done first, and having a feel for the area, the distances compared to what it looked like on the map, I would be able to figure out where I wanted to go next and what sights I wanted to see. This worked out like a good plan, before I knew it, laden down with shopping I reached the end of the mile, and found the beach! Not quite what I was expecting, but it was full of people playing volley ball, or beach ball, full of families with young children, and this is where I started noticing the people carrying their Rainbow flags. I had a short walk along the beach, and decided that it was time to head back towards the hotel before I got too far away. Heading back down North Michigan Avenue on the opposite side, I found a few more shops, including a few British ones. British fashion seems to be becoming quite big over here. In the up market mall I found LK Bennett and Karen Millen. Outside along the street, and just opened on Wednesday was a brand new All Saints shop, and every one was staring at it, not just the tourists. (It looks just like it does back home of course, all that industrial ironwork on the shop front, and every one was staring at it - I didn't go in.) My plan to end my touristy day, was to get my evening meal at the Hard Rock Cafe, which I assumed was somewhere near the Hard Rock Hotel, but when I asked in the shop, the girl told me it was a mile north, literally where I'd just been! So not tonight for Hard Rock, tonight I'd have to find sustenance elsewhere. So tired and hungry, I headed for a Starbucks just off Michigan Ave. One of my favourite Starbucks drinks, that they don't do back home: Caramel Apple Spice. It's just too weird for us Brits. Hot apple juice with cream on top a drizzled with caramel sauce. So American, but far too weird for England, delicious all the same. So whilst drinking this, I took a quick glance at my guide book, which began to make a little sense now I have a feel for the area, I found places I recognised from sight, and I figured out where I was going to eat. Listed in the guide book is usually a good start, so I headed for the nearest place I found on the map. With the aid of the free wifi in Starbucks and the map function on my iPhone (yes I know, I couldn't live without it) I headed for a slightly Irish bar. Well let's call it worldly anyway. I ordered sausages that came with crispy potatoes, and carrots as a side. And it was so huge of course, I could hardly do it justice, and I think the lady thought I didn't enjoy it, especially when I didn't want to take the rest with me. But I didn't think I'd manage to keep it and then reheat it and eat it in the Youth Hostel. Tired, but not wanting to return to the Youth Hostel too early or too late, I decided to stick with what I know, and paid my bill and headed for the bar to sit a while and finish writing this post. We'll call this place worldly because they do have all the spirits you could imagine, whiskey, scotch, vodka, gin etc. But here was my first shock, the price of a scotch, something normal back home like a Glenmorangie for example: $50 and more!! And I asked how it works, she told me that's the price of a 2 oz pour! Needless to say, I'm not drinking scotch tonight. Night is nearly closing in, it's almost time for bed.

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Post Wedding and arriving in Chicago

This morning I got up and packed. I ate breakfast, and checked out of the hotel. We went to the community centre in the complex where Missy and Matt have their apartment. They brought bagels and coffee and Kringle and fruit and cookies for breakfast, and lots of their family and friends turned up again to see them open all their presents and cards. Then we tidied up and carried the stuff across to their apartment where we said goodbyes. It was time for the newly weds to leave for their (1st) honeymoon. Matt's parents kindly dropped me off back at the Amtrak station by the airport, where I got on a train back to Chicago. It's such a short ride from Milwaukee to Chicago, it's only an hour and a half, I napped on the train and before I knew it arrived back at Union Station. I'd read the map and worked out where I was going. Arrived at the Youth Hostel and checked in, found my bunk and headed back out to explore. Heading north on Michigan Avenue I came to first Millennium Park, touched "The Bean", and then Grant Park where I happened to be in time to catch a classical music concert in the Jay Pritzker Pavillion, which is seating underneath the most amazing sculpture. ( pictures will follow when I get home, but I'm writing this as a Note on my IPhone and uploading when I reach wifi, the picture upload doesn't work out well on the app I use to upload to my blog, so pics later) The weather is grey and overcast, but still warm enough to enjoy sitting outside, it's dry at least, and I'm sitting listening to some lovely contemporary latin American classical music, underneath some of the most iconic skyline in the world and it's beautiful!

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Wedding Day

I woke up early and had breakfast, which has been great each morning. Help yourself to 3 different hot items, omelet or scrambled egg, bacon or sausage, fried potato chunks, spicy and tasty. Sliced fruit, yogurts, cereals, hot oatmeal (porridge you Brits), make your own waffle, toast, choice of coffees, juices and sodas. Yes you know I like breakfast, I like food. At 9 we headed out to the spa where Missy had booked her wedding party in to have their hair and makeup done. The girls were lovely, and it was a really relaxed atmosphere. Then we moved across the road to the church, where there was a room for the girls to get dressed and hang out. When it was nearly time, I went to get my seat in the church. The service was a lovely traditional service. After the service they took photos and then we went to the reception. It was in a community centre, which was far posher than it sounds. The food was lovely, the DJ was good, and I learned the traditions that Americans have about weddings. Like ours of course, but they make a bigger deal out of them. The hotel provided a shuttle service from the reception back to the hotel, so I took the 11 o clock shuttle back to the hotel, and climbed into bed tired but satisfied, having fulfilled my purpose for this trip and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Missy and Matt's wedding.

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Returning to Milwaukee

So the next adventures include a wedding and some sightseeing in the Windy City and a return to Brew City. So here goes...

You all remember my room mate from Alverno, Missy. (If you don't, jump back to the beginning of this blog) Anyway, she's getting married, and I headed back to Milwaukee for the wedding. I flew from Newcastle with BA to catch my flight from Heathrow to Chicago, all my flights were on time, I cleared immigration pretty quick and went to catch the light rail to downtown Chicago, to Union Station to get the Amtrak to Milwaukee airport, where Missy picked me up.
We checked me in to my hotel, and then went to Missy and Matt's apartment where their families were getting to know each other better and cooking dinner. They were all very friendly and welcoming, and kept me awake until late enough to combat the jetlag. Missy has a schedule of events planned to keep every body busy and to get them prepared for the day, so Thursday began very relaxed with breakfast, and then grilling out at the hotel with all of their families. Later the girls all went to get manicures and pedicures and to chill out. At tea time the bridal party went for their rehearsal at the church and their rehearsal dinner. I went for dinner with some of Matt's friendly relatives, and then back to the hotel to meet some more people and drink more wine. I left about midnight to get some sleep and be refreshed for the next day. Next post: Wedding Day

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