Chicago really is the Windy City!

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Today it's Friday 4th April and we've all woken up fine with no sign of jet lag after a good nine hours sleep, it seems the delay helped a bit as we had more nap time yesterday. After skipping dinner last night we're nice and hungry for our first American breakfast which is going to be at Lou Mitchell's the famous diner at the start of Route 66. Hoping to take some photos although listening to the weather outside is awful! Howling winds and lots of rain, although being from Britain we're used to it! Today's plan is to visit willis tower, the famous bean, see the lake and a general wander round before the basketball game tonight which we've got tickets for.
Today has been mostly spent on foot walking around Chicago. We've visited the bean which is ace and I think the best bit of art I've seen although I have to admit I'm not really an 'arty' person. We went to Lou Mitchell's and had pancakes, maple syrup and coffee. Inside it was nice and we got the feeling it was how it used to be just modernised a little with a few Route 66 signs on the walls. We also went to the start point of the official Route 66 and took some pics. The sign is there in the middle of the city, oblivious to most passers by although when we got there there was a guy taking some pics and who it turns out was staying in our hotel so. Maybe we'll see him later on, on the 'mother road'. We decided to skip willis tower in the end as the top was clouded in fog for most of the day. We then decided to head back earlyish to the hotel to sort our bags out ready for the trip and then head out for a few beers on the way to the basketball. We managed to get talking to a middle aged man with an accent we recognised and it turned out he was from Newport, South Wales. We managed to translate to the barman what he was trying to say as the poor bloke (who it turns out is from France) couldn't understand what he was saying. He was asking for some free hot water as he had his own tea bag bless him - you can take the man out of Wales but you can't take the welsh out of the man it seems. It also turned out he is doing Route 66 on a bus, leaving in a couple of days so maybe we'll see him at some point too, something tells me it isn't going to be as quiet answers thought on the trip. It's Chicago bulls versus Milwaukee bucks at the basketball so should be good and another experience to remember. We've also taken a trip to Walgreens to get some. Important supplies for the start of the trip which seems to namely m&m's, crisps and pop so we're. All set!

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