Chicago

August 21~23

Chicago isn’t “Second City” to any place. This is one beautiful, livable, well-planned and cared for town. I may be a little prejudiced since I grew up in one of its suburbs; but I haven’t been here in 20 years and it is better than ever.

We only have one day and our main destination is Millennium Park (millenniumpark.org). It is glorious. Many cities should take note…..particularly our home town of Washington, DC. The National Mall, which is sorely in need of a makeover, would shine with some of the elements found here.

The focal point of the 24 acre park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. This outdoor concert venue is a triumph of architecture, sound and accessibility. I’m not a fan of Frank Gehry architecture; but this one really works for me. The 4,000 fixed seats and a lawn that can hold 7,000, seem all tied up in a big stainless steel bow. The overhead lattice work is a state-of-the-art sound system that distributes the sound evenly over the area, like an indoor venue. We heard a noon concert….the sound system works!

"Cloud Gate"  is the most fascinating outdoor sculpture I’ve ever seen. This highly polished stainless steel artwork is reminiscent of liquid mercury reflecting the skyline and clouds above. There’s not an angle that’s not completely fascinating….all 66 feet of length and 33 feet of height. You can also tell why locals call this piece “The Bean”.

There are gardens and ponds where people sit and cool their feet. The most astonishing water feature, though, is The Crown Fountain. Two 50 foot glass block towers, that sit on either end of a shallow reflecting pool, project images of a broad spectrum of Chicago residents. And with a nod to humor and gargoyles, the artist has inserted an outlet that spits water out of the photos mouths.

A walkway, that again utilizes stainless steel, carves an interesting path out of the park supposedly to Lake Michigan. It’s a wonderful structure, but the fact of the matter is you can’t really get to the Lake….just to Lake Shore Drive.


We are trying hard to get a Chicago “dog” for lunch…can’t find one anywhere. There’s a nice outdoor/indoor restaurant, very much like The Promenade Café at Rockefeller Center….this café also turns into an ice rink in the winter…..but we don’t want to take time to linger. There’s an International Festival of Chicago Sister Cities in the Park…..lots of vendors and food….find a good beef satay to share. We’re saving our appetites for dinner….,and this time I know the place well….Lou Malnati’s (loumalnatis.com) which, in my opinion, serves the best deep dish pizza in town.

Took a drive up “The Drive” The apartment buildings that line the street are handsome and have a stunning view of the Lake. There are beaches everywhere; we walk a bit. Drive Michigan Avenue; then State Street….sad to see the wonderful old flagship Marshall Field’s wearing a Macy’s sign.

I haven’t had a Malnati’s pizza in 20 years and I’ve built it up so much, Rick is also salivating at this point. Can’t wait…up to North Wells Street. Nowadays, I’m a real thin crust fan, but this decadent, thick, deep-dish pizza piled with tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, onions and peppers served in a cast-iron skillet is still extraordinary! Happy campers!

Staying in Joliet, about an hour out of the city, because it’s close to the highway we need to be on and we’d rather drive the car into town than Gigantor. The Empress Casino (empresscasino.com) has an RV Park that at first blush looks acceptable…..when we hook-up, much to our surprise, we find there are no sewer connections…very inconvenient to pick up stakes and drive to their dump station. Nevertheless, we play awhile at the Casino and come back with a bit more than we started with.

Elkhart, Indiana next. Why? This is where Gigantor was “born” and Rick is chomping at the bit to take a factory tour to see how these things are made.