Click on this for photo link:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janeprivate/my_photos
On the first night, Katie and I arrived at the hotel around 9:30, and were awed when we walked in the door. The huge atrium was sort of dark, with a live band and a female singer doing a soul-wrenching rendition of "Midnight Train to Georgia" that knocked our socks off. There were huge balloons/balls of purple, pink and magenta suspended from the ceiling, twinkling lights everywhere, and people at the many tables laughing and having a good time. But there was no registration desk in sight! While we stood there like the country bumpkins we are, another traveller, pulling his luggage, bypassed us and so, since he seemed to know what he was doing, we followed him. Up the escalator we went and before long, got checked into a very comfortable room with a wonderful view. In the morning, as we looked out the window at 15 stories high, Katie and I watched the people trying to cross the busy steet below us, dodging cars, buses and taxis, on their way to work. We thought it was kind of like playing Frogger, lol, and hoped there would be no Splats!
During our stay, we enjoyed the hustle and bustle and shopped the many, many shops of the Magnificent Mile three times, visited the Loop twice, the Field Museum, Navy Pier, Sear's Tower, the Art Museum, and lots of nice restaurants. I noticed the fashions the women were wearing - very pointy heels and lots of black clothes. The weather was cold, and we had to bundle up with scarves and gloves, (I looked like a bag lady!) and no pointy heels here, thank you! But the people everywhere were so friendly, and we enjoyed it all. It snowed like crazy the day we came home, and it made me very nostalgic because when I was there with my mom in 1966, it was snowing like crazy then, too. I'd like to think mom was smiling down on us.
One of the best things that happened was that we got to meet JacobsMommy, a mod here at 3FCs. She is such a sweetheart, and has a wonderful sense of humor! I felt as though I'd known her forever, she was just that easy to talk with. Meeting a cyber friend makes it all so real! I really appreciated her taking the time to come to the city just to meet me!
If you ever get to Chicago, you just have to ride the 150 foot high ferris wheel at Navy Pier. We did, and as we ascended, I said to Katie, "WHAT were we THINKING!!!" (see my Kevin-in-Home-Alone photo, lol) I truly wanted to kiss the ground when we were earthbound again!
The most fun of all was spending time with my daughter and experiencing all the everything with her. She is truly a delight, and I hope she'll remember this trip all her life, like I did the trip with my mom.
Anyway..... there it is! Our little trip to Chicago!
