Mon.-Thurs. 25th-28th
From a sunny, crisp MO,
This has been a full four days. The tour bus pulled out of Laclede at 6:15 on Monday morning. We picked up three people in Macon and another one person in Hannibal - then on to Springfield, ILL.
We had two and one/half hours for the Lincoln Museum and we only hit the surface of what could be seen there. It is fantastic and a MUST for anyone who travels through the area. The bus took us to see the Lincoln tomb, but we did not see the house - so we will be going back.
We arrived at our motel in Oakbrook Terrace about 5:00. After unloading and doing some quick unpacking, we headed to a buffet a few blocks away. It was a good buffet, but not exceptional - probably we were too tired to really appreciate it anyway. I was in bed by 8:30 and did not awaken until 6:00 the next a.m. - had not slept well on Sunday night and was totally exhausted.
We left the motel about 8:30 to 9:00 on Wednesday. First we went to the Field Museum and we had tickets for the King Tut exhibit - a fantastic experience - and then had about an hour to roam the museum and have lunch - of course we didn't make a dent in the museum.
We met a tour guide about 1:00 and we had a driving tour of Chicago. She was an excellent guide in that she was very proud of her home town and knew a lot of history, but by the time we returned to the downtown area, she kept giving wrong driving directions to our bus driver who had to have an elevated blood pressure by then for all the driving in the downtown area.
We did the Lakeshore Drive, Wrigleyville, Gold Coast, saw many, many parks and monuments, and ended up about 4:00 at the base of the Sears Tower where we had tickets to go to the top. Thank goodness the wind was not gusting as we didn't feel any swaying on top, and the view was excellent.
From here we went to Tommy Gunn's Garage for a meal and entertainment - vauldville style of the prohibition era. Of course they used people from the audience (thank goodness not me) and the evening was over too soon - and we got back to the motel about 10:00.
On Wednesday, we had the option to first shop on the Magnificient Mile, but we opted to go on to the Navy Pier to spend some time outside. This is a very developed and lengthy pier and it took us a long time to reach the end. We had an appetizer of calamari - along with a Corona Light for lunch - probably the best prepared calamari we have ever had.
We then were driven to a location where we took a boat ride - first on the Chicago River and then inside the barriers on Lake Michigan. The guide was very articulate and pronounciated his words very clearly. He did a lot of explaining about the drawbridges and the architecture. The bridges are interesting in that one weekend day or maybe two days during the latter part of October, the bridges are opened so that the masted boats that are moored on Lake Michigan (there are thousands) can be brought inland to dry dock for the winter. That would be quite a sight, but I guess driving is a nightmare then.
Where we got on the tour boat is very close to where the Trump building is going up so we were able to see the stages of development. I'm thinking that maybe close to 20 floors are now in progress with it going up to somewhere in the 90s.
When we met the north and south Chicago River - we went south - the smell of chocolate was overwhelming and I assumed that someone on the deck was devouring marvelous chocolate chip cookies, but it turned out there is a chocolate factory on the north branch and sometimes the aroma drifts from that factory - it was almost overwhelming and so delightful - but frustrating as I had no chocolate with me.
The Chicago River used to empty into Lake Michigan, but many years ago it was reversed and it now evenutally gets to the Missisippi River. That in itself is a fascinating story.
We were so impressed on how clean the downtown area was and they were in process of changing the many flower containers from a summer display to thousands of crysanthiums (I know spelling is wrong). I guess in the winter they do holly and other winter greenery - anyway the containers are changed with the seasons. We didn't notice trash along the sidewalks or gutters and spotted only one person that appeared to be homeless - am not sure where the others must be hiding out.
We left downtown Chicago about 2:30 and made a stop heading south for gas and a pitstop - then on to Springfield for supper, stopped at Hannibal to leave a person, left three at Macon, and arrived back in Laclede at 10:50 - ETA had been 10:45. The weather was great for us and other than the boat trip a jacket had not been needed.
I had breakfast with the ladies this a.m., we finished unpacking, picked up the girls at 11:00, went to A Piece of Cake for a sandwich, dozed this afternoon, and am now ready to fix a taco salad for supper.
I have a few more items to go through that I picked up at various shops, but other than that the laundry is caught up and we are ready for Friday.
Jim did walk this a.m. and the girls and I will join him on Friday a.m. I had planned on walking this afternoon, but seem to be quite stiff - so will take it easy.
Jim will join the second breafast group in the morning and I have a quick doctor's appointment in the morning. Tomorrow is Homecoming for our high school so I am not sure if we will take in the parade, but we do have tickets for the chili supper - then will go on to the football game.
Be safe.
B.
This has been a full four days. The tour bus pulled out of Laclede at 6:15 on Monday morning. We picked up three people in Macon and another one person in Hannibal - then on to Springfield, ILL.
We had two and one/half hours for the Lincoln Museum and we only hit the surface of what could be seen there. It is fantastic and a MUST for anyone who travels through the area. The bus took us to see the Lincoln tomb, but we did not see the house - so we will be going back.
We arrived at our motel in Oakbrook Terrace about 5:00. After unloading and doing some quick unpacking, we headed to a buffet a few blocks away. It was a good buffet, but not exceptional - probably we were too tired to really appreciate it anyway. I was in bed by 8:30 and did not awaken until 6:00 the next a.m. - had not slept well on Sunday night and was totally exhausted.
We left the motel about 8:30 to 9:00 on Wednesday. First we went to the Field Museum and we had tickets for the King Tut exhibit - a fantastic experience - and then had about an hour to roam the museum and have lunch - of course we didn't make a dent in the museum.
We met a tour guide about 1:00 and we had a driving tour of Chicago. She was an excellent guide in that she was very proud of her home town and knew a lot of history, but by the time we returned to the downtown area, she kept giving wrong driving directions to our bus driver who had to have an elevated blood pressure by then for all the driving in the downtown area.
We did the Lakeshore Drive, Wrigleyville, Gold Coast, saw many, many parks and monuments, and ended up about 4:00 at the base of the Sears Tower where we had tickets to go to the top. Thank goodness the wind was not gusting as we didn't feel any swaying on top, and the view was excellent.
From here we went to Tommy Gunn's Garage for a meal and entertainment - vauldville style of the prohibition era. Of course they used people from the audience (thank goodness not me) and the evening was over too soon - and we got back to the motel about 10:00.
On Wednesday, we had the option to first shop on the Magnificient Mile, but we opted to go on to the Navy Pier to spend some time outside. This is a very developed and lengthy pier and it took us a long time to reach the end. We had an appetizer of calamari - along with a Corona Light for lunch - probably the best prepared calamari we have ever had.
We then were driven to a location where we took a boat ride - first on the Chicago River and then inside the barriers on Lake Michigan. The guide was very articulate and pronounciated his words very clearly. He did a lot of explaining about the drawbridges and the architecture. The bridges are interesting in that one weekend day or maybe two days during the latter part of October, the bridges are opened so that the masted boats that are moored on Lake Michigan (there are thousands) can be brought inland to dry dock for the winter. That would be quite a sight, but I guess driving is a nightmare then.
Where we got on the tour boat is very close to where the Trump building is going up so we were able to see the stages of development. I'm thinking that maybe close to 20 floors are now in progress with it going up to somewhere in the 90s.
When we met the north and south Chicago River - we went south - the smell of chocolate was overwhelming and I assumed that someone on the deck was devouring marvelous chocolate chip cookies, but it turned out there is a chocolate factory on the north branch and sometimes the aroma drifts from that factory - it was almost overwhelming and so delightful - but frustrating as I had no chocolate with me.
The Chicago River used to empty into Lake Michigan, but many years ago it was reversed and it now evenutally gets to the Missisippi River. That in itself is a fascinating story.
We were so impressed on how clean the downtown area was and they were in process of changing the many flower containers from a summer display to thousands of crysanthiums (I know spelling is wrong). I guess in the winter they do holly and other winter greenery - anyway the containers are changed with the seasons. We didn't notice trash along the sidewalks or gutters and spotted only one person that appeared to be homeless - am not sure where the others must be hiding out.
We left downtown Chicago about 2:30 and made a stop heading south for gas and a pitstop - then on to Springfield for supper, stopped at Hannibal to leave a person, left three at Macon, and arrived back in Laclede at 10:50 - ETA had been 10:45. The weather was great for us and other than the boat trip a jacket had not been needed.
I had breakfast with the ladies this a.m., we finished unpacking, picked up the girls at 11:00, went to A Piece of Cake for a sandwich, dozed this afternoon, and am now ready to fix a taco salad for supper.
I have a few more items to go through that I picked up at various shops, but other than that the laundry is caught up and we are ready for Friday.
Jim did walk this a.m. and the girls and I will join him on Friday a.m. I had planned on walking this afternoon, but seem to be quite stiff - so will take it easy.
Jim will join the second breafast group in the morning and I have a quick doctor's appointment in the morning. Tomorrow is Homecoming for our high school so I am not sure if we will take in the parade, but we do have tickets for the chili supper - then will go on to the football game.
Be safe.
B.
posted by News from Chilli | 2:32 PM
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