Well, after the great responses to my last blog, the biblical edition, I am now returning to the present for the rest of the entries. I think it would be hard to sustain it. Heck, even God could only keep it going for 5 books.
We are now in Chicago, but leaving for St
. Louis tomorrow. It's been a tumultuous 3 days here, and it was go-go-go all day long. Those of you who have been here know just how much there is to experience in this amazing city. You could spend weeks touring here, with so many outstanding museums, cultural events, interesting neighborhoods, wonderful parks, and just so many opportunities to enjoy yourself.
We started our trip here with a memorable experience. The annual Taste of Chicago, the largest Taste in the US, was on. It was held in a very large park downtown, and the crowds were fierce in number and even fiercer in their consumption of the foods offered by dozens and dozens of vendors offering lots of options, much of it in bread with contents fried, covered in cheese or barbecue sauces. For a few dollars a dish, you could sample a cornucopia of tastes, grazing all day.. That’s what people were doing, and when in Rome.... You got the sense that they weren’t just trying new places, but enjoying venerated hometown traditions
. Deep dish pizza was just the tip of the iceberg, It’s no coincidence that you see some very very large people around. Usually, this made me feel good—I was slimmer than they were! The food in Chicago even inspired us to write a limerick:
Said a retired pair from Toronto:
"When going to visit Chicago
Go with good appetites,
For its many delights,
Which you’re bound to try cause you’ll want to."
Besides the eating at the Taste, there was lots of entertainment going on, capped by a fantastic evening concert by The Chieftains. If you’re not aware of them, check them out on Youtube. We then went to a free orchestral concert in popular Millennium park downtown, It featured music by Sondheim, from his many Broadway plays. It was a great musical welcome to the city.
For the next two days, we visited a folk festival in the Lincoln Park area, now a very trendy arty neighborhood
. It was full of people who had never left the 60s, not to mention a plethora of Gen Xers with their bestrollered kiddies (Gen Zers, perhaps?). There was a cool vibe in the air, fueled by the festival and mainly by the music. We also took time to explore some of Chicago's notable areas. We walked the Riverwalk on the Chicago River, which overlooks the Chicago skyline, and it's eclectic architectural wonders. Rounding out our visit, we saw a performance of Kinky Boots, had some great meals, visited other touristy sites, like the Miracle Mile, which offers top retailers of the world, outstanding hotels, and is the site of the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) which, at 108 stories, used to be the tallest building in the world.
Despite all travel guides’ advice to go with public transit, we opted to drive around because theoretically, we felt we could save time and effort. However, the traffic and the exorbitant parking rates definitely put a damper on our plans. Try $21 for the first 0-30 min. A sliding scale made it $41 for 12 hours. Parking outside the downtown core was easy and free, so that ameliorated the sticker shock we had experienced at the parking rates. Traffic jams are notorious in the Chicago areas, and we experienced a few beauties of our own. We eventually got used to the fact that we’d have to crawl our way into or out of the downtown core.
Oh, one last thing. The Windy City was hot and humid, and decidedly unwindy when we were there. That didn't deter us from having a great time. Onward to St. Louis.
A PLACE FOR ALL TASTES
Monday, July 13, 2015
Chicago, Illinois, United States
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Comments

2025-02-07
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The Sunnies
2015-07-17
Well, there are certainly no dull and boring moments in your travels! Sounds as if you've taken in all of the Chicago sights and thoroughly enjoyed your time there! Your descriptions make me want to go to Chicago and experience these things first hand!
Have a safe trip to St. Louis ..... Looking forward to your next blog entry!
Hope Springman
2015-07-17
Chicago is one of my favourite cities - so glad you enjoyed it! And Kinky Boots to boot - another amazing experience (just saw it last night and loved it!). The Donald might have better luck on the political front if he shortened his name to Rump - definitely more fun and truthful! Wishing you safe travels to St. Louis!
cissie.retired
2015-07-17
I love Chicago, and I'm so glad you had a great time there as well. You hit the city at a great time with the Taste Festival, music concert and the Kinky Boots. BUT oh those traffic jams in Chicago!!! You were brave to drive and pay that exorbitant amount for parking!!! Wow!
Safe drive to St. Louis. I look forward to reading about this place...haven't been there.