“It is wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago”
The ELG and Gerry all come to look for America Tour.
This was a stateside vacation that is the stuff that dreams are made of. We took a train from Flagstaff to Chicago in a first class sleeper car.
The countryside was gorgeous and we really enjoyed the dining car. The trip took 36 hours and made several stops in New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Ohio.
We both had been to Chicago many times on business but really never had the opportunity to get “a taste of Chicago.” We made the most out of our five days, staying in a lovely Boutique Hotel -The Willows in Wrigleyville.
We had incredible seats for a game at the legendary 100 year old Wrigley Field and could practically reach out and touch the Cardinals manager, Mike Matheny in the dugout.
The Art Institute of Chicago is the second largest museum in the country and and houses a treasure trove from around the world. The collection of impressionist and post impressionist paintings is second only to those in France. The Public art downtown is extraordinary, particularly in Millennium Park.
There are over 200 theaters in Chicago and we caught a great comedy, a Broadway hit….Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Goodman Theatre. The play was hilarious!
We took an Architecture Cruise on the river and felt Chicago’s steely power while looking up, while cloud-poking towers glided by. Excellent!! We had drinks at the top of the 100 story Hancock Building-too cool!
At the White Sox game we got ripped off by a scalper that used a bait and switch scam and stupid us ended up with $7 dollar tickets that we paid $60 for. The seats were at the very top of the stadium, Gerry’s nose started to bleed, however ELG saved the day and we ended up sitting in some really good seats and enjoyed the game.
The eats were global and out of this world. Of course we had to have Chicago Pizza and enjoyed an evening with Chicago friends Susan and Jim.
Souvenirs at Hard Rock, and then on to Cleveland.
Cleveland was a really pleasant surprise. The city is under stated. The last time I was there was in the early 70s and the Cuyahoga River was on fire. Cleveland has been totally cleaned up and is really a great destination. The people were so warm and friendly and so very proud of their city. The Indians, Browns and Cavaliers regularly sell out.
We stayed at a historic B & B called the Brownstone Inn. It was beautiful and nicely located. The Innkeeper Robin, provided us with an ongoing interesting overview of Cleveland’s history.
I have been waiting since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened in 1986 to go. The experience was beyond description. It is so well done. We stayed for almost six hours and I had tears in my eyes for half the time.
This is a treasure, not to be missed in your lifetime.
We caught an Indians game that had one dollar hot dogs and two dollar beers. Awesome!!
Other activities included a really interesting river cruise on the Cuyahoga River, dining in outside cafes, hitting the Hard Rock, and spending more quality time at the exquisite Cleveland Museum of Art.
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