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Published: March 20th 2011
CHICAGO
Day 1
So finally we are there, I have been bragging about Chicago to Dari for a long time, how great it is and how much she will love it. But I don't really have the right to speak any more because I haven't been there for a VERY long time, not really going in to details but the last time I was there my “little” brother was still smaller than I am 😊. So there we were, right smack in the middle of Chicago with the assignment “find La Salle Street Station and take the Joliet line to New Lenox”. Just 2 blocks from Amtrak Union station we ran in on the highest building of the US the Sears Tower ehh....The Willis tower (who the …. changes the name of a land mark) impressive but we decided not to look at anything yet but first to get to Cus Linda. After only getting lost twice some kind dude asked if he could help us (what do you mean, we look like tourists) he directed us in the right direction and moments later we were at La Salle Street Station and the Joliet line was waiting for us there also.
After one hour we got to New Lenox where Linda was already waiting for us I her “small” Toyota (sorry Linda to our standards it is really not small) together with daughter Maria. I (dari) have to say – I was a bit worried how it will be.... but everything was perfect 😊 They welcomed us as we were arriving home the kids made a poster to welcome us with our name (and a nick name that Joost got long long ago) Toast Master (sh.t they haven't forgotten it 😊). It was pretty much like coming home. THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!
After bringing each other up to speed about the current family affairs it had gotten late and after the long trip we could hardly keep our eyes open and descended to our basement where we before we went to sleep made the biggest mess possible 😊 finally a place to stall out our clothes!!!!
Day 2
After a good night sleep (even Joost didn't wake up in the middle of the night) we drew our plan and got into the car with Linda Because we were about the visit Joost his favorite museum Science and Industry. Totally forgotten how enormous
the place is we wondered all over the place seeing everything and nothing, you can literally spend 3 or 4 days in the place and still not have seen everything. Later we went to Navy Pier where we found some strange looking piece of art and where we were able to shoot some nice pics of the city! That night we cooked some pasta for them which even Anton liked (he went for seconds 😊).
Day 3
We were on our own and decided to explore the city by foot. That day I (Joost) was going to prove that Chicago is cooler than New York is. This was not an easy task. You see, Chicago does not have the flair of New York and the city is rather colour less. Here it is about the attitude of the city and the people that fill it and all the things you can do there, Chicago has to grow on you and that doesn't happen in one day.
Never the less I think I made it of to a good start. Walking through the city starting from La Salle Street all the way up to the Hancock building. In between
we checked out the busy shopping places and Nike town (not Nike stores in the US but towns) and experienced the Chicago way of life and visited the Water Tower the only remaining building after the great Chicago fire of 1871 (we know this because of our online dictionary Anthon Berenis😊)). At the Hancock building had the choice between going to the 94th floor observatory paying $20 for it or have a hot chocolate at the 95th floor for $7,5. Of course we choose the latter resulting in a beautiful (cheap) view of the city. On our way back we walked through we checked out The Bean, Buckingham fountain (you know the one from Married with children), passed the Art Institute museum towards the Field museum. I think I was getting Dari to like this nice little town 😊 ( yes he was..psst😊 ) Arriving at Field museum we couldn't get in any more but a little later we were able to sneak in to the Shedd Aquarium museum for free😊 and were able to stroll around the place for a good 45 minutes before we were kindly asked to leave the building.
All was going well regarding my mission
until I made Dari walk to the Adler Planetarium, because on our walk over there we figured out why they call Chicago the windy city, and it was freezing cold, even the fact that we found a statue of a famous Czech writer (Karel Havlicek Borovsky) along the way, could make thing better. I think I will need some help to convince her, I need a local and I need it fast.
Day 4
Help had arrived in the form of Linda's Boy friend Mike. Having arrived from Arizona the other night he and Linda were going to take it on a tour through the city and it couldn't have started better for Dari because we were going to do so in Mike's big Cadillac Escalade pick-up truck. Dari loves big cars and this one is BIG😊) We started out at the Chicago White Sox stadium (Cellular Field)
where we first tried to sneak on to the field just Mike got in to a few meters of doing so when we were discovered and got escorted out of the place. Our second try was a more frontal approach and just walked up to the main entrance where Mike
just asked if we could take some pictures of the inside of the stadium. It seemed we asked the right man (the general manager) who had a good day and took us on to the pitch where we spend a good 30 minutes VERY COOL!!! After eating a Maxwell Street Polish Sausage sandwich© (and they are goooood!) we tried to pull of the same stunt at Wrigley Field home of the Chicago Cubs, but after faking to wreck a fence for a nice picture some security guy threatened to get us arrested. After that asking him if he would show us the field seemed useless, but it made a good story😊 Finally we paid a visit to the Chicago Bulls and Black Hawk stadium who share the place but it was closed 😞
Being done with the stadiums we drove down town to the Sears tower ehh... Willis tower where we went up to the 104th floor for a breathtaking view of the city and where you are able to see 4 states on a clear day. They installed new glass platforms on which you can stand. With nothing but a sheet of glass between you and a 450
meter drop, it makes for a great set up for some very cool pictures. It scared the living day light out of Dari, but even being so scared she stepped out on the glass also (My little hero😊) We finished the day with a Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza at Gino's. This is the side of Chicago I got to like many years ago and now hopefully Dari will tell you now that Chicago is a cool town 😊 This was a very cool day!!!!!!! Thx Mike and Linda!!!!!!!
Dari: Let me say that up in the Willis tower I was scared like never before I think but have to agree with Joost, that was amazing day and big thank to Mike and Linda!
The Next day I got to see the rest of the family. Cus Marvin and Dave picked us up at Linda's place and drove us out to aunt Angien where we gossiped about the family (nothing but good things of course) and where I had the chance to brag about my sisters and brother which of course came naturally! After lunch Brian stopped by with his girlfriend, we talked like we spoke yesterday. It is
funny that even though you don't see each other for a long time it feels naturally. I am really sorry we don't get to spend more time together!! Brain and his girlfriend brought us back to Linda and after promising Brain that I would call him when I will be drunk we said our goodbyes.
Later that night Linda, Mike, Ruth, Pat, Dari and I went out for dinner and some drinks. Before we went to the restaurant we went for an Irish car bomb (a shot) in a pub and Mike got Dari to steal a poster for him 😊 After a great diner and just enough drinks not to forget the evening we went home and we all slept well!
Day 5 St. Patrick's day
Every year in Chicago where a lot of Irish people live there is a big St. Patrick's day parade to celebrate this day, they also die the Chicago river green with some biological stuff (they say) . Now I am sure that most people there have no longer any idea of what this day is about so for all of you guys http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day . Dari was really sick that day so
she stayed in bed what later seemed like the right decision because it was so cold that day and The Windy City gave true to its name but the parade was still cool. On our way home we got our selves some giant Burritos (boy we got to get these things in Europe) and headed home to report to Dari.
Day 6 – Departures
Before we set of to continue our journey we met up with Larry (Marvin's second son) for breakfast on our way to the train station. We are really sorry that we didn't get to spend more time with them all but we'll be back and now we'll try to be back before my “little” brother turns grey.
After such cool days spent in Chicago with great people around us it was difficult having to leave this place. It started to feel like home in the first place of course because of Linda, Mike, Anton and Maria. We can only hope that we can repay them the same hospitality when they will ever come to visit Europe. Thanks for everything guys!!!
Now the big question remains....... is Chicago cooler than New York? I was already
convinced but did I convince Dari also?.....
Dari: Yes honey, you DID! Chicago is cooler and more interesting city than New York 😊))
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Jason Redrup
non-member comment
Chicago
It is nice to read the latest update of your trip. It sounds like you had a great time and enjoyed meeting your family again (Moni says 'Hi' by the way..). I like the pics but some of them did not load properly.... maybe it is just our laptop.