Bright Lights, Big City by the Lake

[GoM]

Tommorrow, I leave for Toronto. Friday morning, I take off for...dun dun dun DUNNN....CHICAGO. (font just used - Impact. for greating impact)

Me and my dad are heading down to the Windy City for a long weekend of some of the usuals, some of the not-so-muches. I'm sure we'll be doing some touristy stuff, in particular of Frank Lloyd Wright's everlasting influences. Maybe a harbour boat tour. Second City is an almost-certainty. A visit to Wrigley Field is in order. There will be one highlight, so far as me and my dad are concerned, and that's his early birthday present to me - tickets to the Cowboys-Bears game at Soldier Field on Sunday night.

However, there will be one other highlight so far as this trip is concerned.

I finally get to meet Corry/she finally gets to meet the indescribable, undefinable, strangely-ineligable-to-drink me. Looks like Saturday's going to be our day for the mini-TPF meetup. Should be a blast.

So I'm out until next Tuesday. Have a good weekend all!

 

[Corry]

OMG! I'M GONNA MEET STU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Antarctican]

Photos will be required to record this historic event. Unless I'm outbid for 'em.

 

[GoM]

I dunno, they might be pretty racy....are you 18+?

 

[Corry]

Yeah, the meetup is clothing optional. Hope the City of Chicago doesn't mind.

 

[Corry]

OMFG! I'M MEETING STU!!!

 

[Corry]

24 hours and 45 minutes til I meet Stu!!!!! I think he should be in Chicago by now! OMG! STU'S IN MY COUNTRY! OMG! STU'S IN MY STATE!!!! OMG! I'M MEETING STU!!!!

:stun:


:greenpbl:

 

[mentos_007]

hehehehehehe have a great time! :-D and remember that we wanna see pictures! all of them!

 

[Corry]

As soon as I take the dog out and get one or two more small things done to get ready...I'm OUT DA DOOR and headin to Chicago to see Stu! WOOT!

 

[Corry]

Just got home, after 18 hours away from my home. I'm TIRED! (and uh...I sorta have to be back up in 4 hours, so this post is going to be short)

I had an amazing time today....Stu is even more of a riot in person than he is online. We walked our butts off, goofed around, took a picture or two and just generally had fun. I'm sore as hell, too. Although, it woulda been worse had Stu not been sweet enough to carry my tripod ALL DAY.

Oh, the weather was perfect, too! Beautiful blue skies, not boiling hot, and not freezing. (it got to around 75 or so, I believe)

Anyway....that's all I'm typing for now. I need sleep, and I need it now.

 

[JDS]

Too bad the Bears lost..I was hoping they'd pick one up last night. I like the Cowboys pretty well too, though. Well, except for TO, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Sounds like a good time was had.

 

[GoM]

Yeah, it was a great time.

I can't post any pics yet as Im on my mom's laptop and I won't have access to mine until I'm back in London tommorrow, but it was a great trip.

Friday, we landed at O'Hare at around 7 local time. First guy I talked to was when I was waiing in line to buy a metro pass, and he was from Chattanooga, TN. Naturally, the first American I encounter has a thick-as-mud accent. From there, we checked into the hotel, dropped off our bags, and then ventured up to Wrigley Field. There was a game on that day at 1, and we got there around 11:30, and everyone said I'd have no chance at getting in to take some shots. I said bugger that, and a guy at the bleachers let me in to take some shots....seeing the ivy is indescrible.

From that, went back to the hotel and had a nap while my dad did a bit of research/wandering around to locate what was nearby. Friday night we went out to enjoy the nightlife, though I'm not 21 till November so my options were significantly (and unusually) limited. Nonetheless, we found a nice little blues bar and stopped off at an Italian place ont he way home.

Saturday, we woke up and gorged ourselves on an all-you-can-eat buffet for breakfast. From that, it was off to the Bean to meet Corry. Hell of a day, that was. Dad left us in fairly short order as he had some other stuff he wanted to do that day (Art Institute) that we neccessarily didn't want to, so we wandered around the lakefront, took some skyline shots (at high noon, so they won't exactly be spectacular, but hopefully the pano worked out well). From there, we headed to a camera store to see if they had any 40D's in to play with; they didn't (though I'm sure a local strip club would have). Anyway, Cor and I headed up to Ed something's for lunch, where the waiter drew my foreign-ness to everyone's attention. Had a kick-ass shake before we left and wandered off to explore downtown some more. We ended up at a Chinese place Corry recommended for dinner...Chinese isn't my thing, but the chicken chow mein wasn't too bad. Only the difference between the US and Canada is the portion size, so I was never able to actually finish a meal the whole trip; the sizes are just too damn big! Anyway, Saturday was puncutated with a visit to the Steppenwolf theatre for a performance of Arthur Miller's the Crucible. In a word, unbelievable.

Sunday was devoted mostly to the Bears game. During the day, I took my dad out to lunch at a place with a Beatles cover band for his birthday present, and then we spent the day lounging around, watching football, enjoying the air-conditioned hotel bar before eventually meandering our way down to Soldier Field. Sure, we lost, but it was still a spectacle in and of itself. The atmosphere was completely different to the Bills-Bears game I went to in Buffalo 4-5 years ago; it almost felt like a college game.

Today, we ventured out to Oak Park (believe that's the name) to check out some Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. Suffice to say he's over-rated, but it gave us something to do before we had to eventually pack up and head back to O'Hare.

So it was a good weekend. Not too busy, not too lean, with the right amount of events, wanderings, but all done at a relatively easy pace. Which satisfied my goal of exploring a new city, and my dad's goal of a mini-vacation.

Can't wait to show you guys the shots soon