Midwest Part Uno - Chicago & road trip
Bonnie and I just got back from a vacation, to Chicago for a weekend, then off to visit friends and family in metro Detroit. Part one deals with Chicago :
Arrived late on Friday (12:30 AM), and finally found where to pick up the Wyndham shuttle - 2 15-minute checkpoints passed (despite the assurances from the desk jockey on the phone), more hotel guests congregated for the wait. Finally arrived and got over to the lobby. Um, sorry, no non-smoking rooms available. Bonnie did her best to get one, but we settled for the room - and realized how spoiled you get in Cali sometimes. She went back to negotiate and they found a non-smoking available. We had to wait for them to prep, so we chatted with the clerk who was now friendly and helpful with tourism tips. Eventually settled into the room ~3:30 AM.
SATURDAY JULY 22 : Got the shuttle out to the airport ~9:30, picked up a 2-day transit pass (any train/bus only $9!), and off to the heart of the city. Famous Lou Mitchell's for breakfast (donut at the beginning, ice cream at the end); an hour wait to get to the deck of the Sears Tower; the bus over to Field Museum for the main reason for our trip - the King Tutankhamun exhibit! More on that later. A quick scamper thru the rest of the museum in the 15 minutes before closing, then a walk thru the new Millennium Park (the bean, the bridge, the fountain). Then an attempt to make the closing ceremonies of the Gay Games (it was at 3, we got to Wrigley Field at 7), and further north to check out the Green Mill Jazz club (great ambience, but I was feeling wretched, it was $20 for the show, and SRO). So we hopped back on the train, and after a digression on my part to switch from the RED line to the BLUE, we were back to the Rosemont stop, and grabbed a cab back to the hotel (got some martinis and ate too much pizza).
SUNDAY JULY 23 : We scuttled an idea to leave superearly and return to the Field. Went on the architecture boat tour - very informative and entertaining, now I know why it's called Second City! We made it to the Museum of Surgical Science, the beach (the waves of Lake Michigan crashing on a concrete slab), and off to the Wicker Park summerfest, a 6-block avenue blocked off with food, vendors, and a stage at either end. Had a bit of a disagreement - I was wanting to rush through and check out a couple stores in the area - Quimby's Books, and Reckless Records, Bonnie wanted to sit and enjoy the summer neighborhood ambience. We worked it out, and made it to Reckless after all, as the sun went down (I struck up a conversation with a guy wearing a KFJC TShirt - his band, Plastic Crimewave Sound, had trekked from Chicago to the Bay Area to perform on the show and do a minitour. I got one of their discs at Reckless, neat noisy soundscape stuff but rather un-outstanding. Found out Second City comedy show was sold out, but we went over to Nomi restaurant (nice 7th floor terrace), on the recommendation of Mayor Daly's press secretary herself! Perks being with a journalist are great! Then over to Exit Chicago club, to see what their Voivod CD release party was all about, plus it's my favorite 3-story punk-rock dive bars in Chicago (though only the first floor was open on a Sunday night). Got a giveaway copy of 'Negatron', and some fliers, which I forgot to pocket when we left. Headed over to the bus stop, to the Blue line to the Rosemont stop, a cab back to the hotel, and we were in for the night.
MONDAY July 24 : Caught the shuttle to the airport, picked up the rental car (a couple companies we called wouldn't let us return at Detroit Metro!). Then on the road, heading for Detroit! Got out of Illinois, thru Indiana, into Michigan - stopped at the Welcome Center. I was surprised at the amount of promotional materials! So much to do - canoeing, festivals, crafts, ag tours. We got what we were looking for - a wine country map, and Cereal City USA. (I had neglected to print out maps before we left). Stopped at Round Barn in Union Pier (had a large assortment of fruit wines and demi secs, and a very interesting cherry wine), then there was a stretch of em in Paw Paw - St. Julian's (MI's biggest), Warners (specialty in sparkling), and Black Star (which was closed). Pretty good wine overall, most don't distribute, though. After that, got over to Battle Creek - host of the grave of Sojourner Truth, and home of Kellogg's, and Cereal City USA (not actually part of Kellogg's). Silly fun, we got through on the last 'tour' of the fake factory, so they were anxious to boot us out. Missed meeting up with my friend Derek in Grand Rapids, but called him on the road to Lansing. We got into town ~6, we were able to get into the CommArts building, so I showed Bonnie around where I had most of my college classes! A drive around campus (including a stop at the Dairy Store for ice cream!, and people watching the early frosh); a cruise along Grand River and Albert Ave (very different than last I saw, but not as deserted as I was lead to think); then around 8 PM onto the I-96 for the Detroit burbs!
Arrived late on Friday (12:30 AM), and finally found where to pick up the Wyndham shuttle - 2 15-minute checkpoints passed (despite the assurances from the desk jockey on the phone), more hotel guests congregated for the wait. Finally arrived and got over to the lobby. Um, sorry, no non-smoking rooms available. Bonnie did her best to get one, but we settled for the room - and realized how spoiled you get in Cali sometimes. She went back to negotiate and they found a non-smoking available. We had to wait for them to prep, so we chatted with the clerk who was now friendly and helpful with tourism tips. Eventually settled into the room ~3:30 AM.
SATURDAY JULY 22 : Got the shuttle out to the airport ~9:30, picked up a 2-day transit pass (any train/bus only $9!), and off to the heart of the city. Famous Lou Mitchell's for breakfast (donut at the beginning, ice cream at the end); an hour wait to get to the deck of the Sears Tower; the bus over to Field Museum for the main reason for our trip - the King Tutankhamun exhibit! More on that later. A quick scamper thru the rest of the museum in the 15 minutes before closing, then a walk thru the new Millennium Park (the bean, the bridge, the fountain). Then an attempt to make the closing ceremonies of the Gay Games (it was at 3, we got to Wrigley Field at 7), and further north to check out the Green Mill Jazz club (great ambience, but I was feeling wretched, it was $20 for the show, and SRO). So we hopped back on the train, and after a digression on my part to switch from the RED line to the BLUE, we were back to the Rosemont stop, and grabbed a cab back to the hotel (got some martinis and ate too much pizza).
SUNDAY JULY 23 : We scuttled an idea to leave superearly and return to the Field. Went on the architecture boat tour - very informative and entertaining, now I know why it's called Second City! We made it to the Museum of Surgical Science, the beach (the waves of Lake Michigan crashing on a concrete slab), and off to the Wicker Park summerfest, a 6-block avenue blocked off with food, vendors, and a stage at either end. Had a bit of a disagreement - I was wanting to rush through and check out a couple stores in the area - Quimby's Books, and Reckless Records, Bonnie wanted to sit and enjoy the summer neighborhood ambience. We worked it out, and made it to Reckless after all, as the sun went down (I struck up a conversation with a guy wearing a KFJC TShirt - his band, Plastic Crimewave Sound, had trekked from Chicago to the Bay Area to perform on the show and do a minitour. I got one of their discs at Reckless, neat noisy soundscape stuff but rather un-outstanding. Found out Second City comedy show was sold out, but we went over to Nomi restaurant (nice 7th floor terrace), on the recommendation of Mayor Daly's press secretary herself! Perks being with a journalist are great! Then over to Exit Chicago club, to see what their Voivod CD release party was all about, plus it's my favorite 3-story punk-rock dive bars in Chicago (though only the first floor was open on a Sunday night). Got a giveaway copy of 'Negatron', and some fliers, which I forgot to pocket when we left. Headed over to the bus stop, to the Blue line to the Rosemont stop, a cab back to the hotel, and we were in for the night.
MONDAY July 24 : Caught the shuttle to the airport, picked up the rental car (a couple companies we called wouldn't let us return at Detroit Metro!). Then on the road, heading for Detroit! Got out of Illinois, thru Indiana, into Michigan - stopped at the Welcome Center. I was surprised at the amount of promotional materials! So much to do - canoeing, festivals, crafts, ag tours. We got what we were looking for - a wine country map, and Cereal City USA. (I had neglected to print out maps before we left). Stopped at Round Barn in Union Pier (had a large assortment of fruit wines and demi secs, and a very interesting cherry wine), then there was a stretch of em in Paw Paw - St. Julian's (MI's biggest), Warners (specialty in sparkling), and Black Star (which was closed). Pretty good wine overall, most don't distribute, though. After that, got over to Battle Creek - host of the grave of Sojourner Truth, and home of Kellogg's, and Cereal City USA (not actually part of Kellogg's). Silly fun, we got through on the last 'tour' of the fake factory, so they were anxious to boot us out. Missed meeting up with my friend Derek in Grand Rapids, but called him on the road to Lansing. We got into town ~6, we were able to get into the CommArts building, so I showed Bonnie around where I had most of my college classes! A drive around campus (including a stop at the Dairy Store for ice cream!, and people watching the early frosh); a cruise along Grand River and Albert Ave (very different than last I saw, but not as deserted as I was lead to think); then around 8 PM onto the I-96 for the Detroit burbs!
posted by pegasusgiraffe at 5:46 PM
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