Should have, would have, could have....but didn't post right away about my Chicago trip. Everyday was an adventure....
Day 1 - Easter Sunday: departed on time. Should have know when I had to walk outside to get on the plane that it was a little itty bitty prop plane. bumpy ride indeed. Then on the connecting flight I got to sit next to two teenagers which was fine until we hit a storm with lightening all around us and so much turbulence that the girl next to me was barfing. She filled up two barf bags and was begging her mom to get her a tissue. Her mom just stared at her and blinked and told her she couldn't get up because the seat belt light was on. Poor girl was embarrassed and covered in vomit and I was trapped next to the window with no way out. The moral is to always travel with tissues....ALWAYS. Then comes the baggage claim nightmare. They couldn't pull our bags because of the lightening so we waited another 45 minute to get soaking wet suitcases. Apparently they started and then fled indoors leaving the bags outdoors. Posted all over the airport are signs warning that it is illegal to solicit transportation in the airport and to use only authorized transportation at posted locations. As soon as we step out Some Creepy Cabbie tries to get us in his cab---the cab line (designated spot for authorized providers) was at least four blocks down. We ignored him and hoofed it to the cab line. I, not being a big city girl, short changed the cabbie on his tip, he was dumbfounded and kept moving the bills around in his chubby fingers I guess waiting for more to appear. Thankfully, the bell hop grabbed our bags out of the trunk before he drove off with them in a huff. I didn't tip the bell hop either. We had booked at a hoity toity hotel in Chicago called the Palmer House. Lesson learned: historic means old...it had cool built ins, but smelled musty and the floors were NOT level. And the staff is not, I repeat NOT courteous at this luxury establishment. It's Easter Night and we haven't eaten. We ran all over a block or so...McDonald's, Subway all closed. We ended up back at the Lockwood with overpriced cheeseburgers cooked by a world renowned chef. There's only so many ways to cook a cheeseburger and Five Guys has that nailed.
Day 2 - Class is good. No problemo. It's only about 8 blocks or so from the hotel. We manage to hide our shell shocked expressions at all the beggars on the street. It's a beautiful day. So beautiful that some guys asked us to come sit on the roof---we turned them down of course. Lunch was Halsted Deli. After class we hit State Street which used to be the shopping mecca and buy some umbrellas for the rainy week ahead. Later we found Chicago souvenir umbrellas at one of the many Walgreens in the area, but couldn't find them the first day. We got back to the room by 5 ish ready to use the fitness facility BUT it closes at 5 AND is $10 a day. So we do laps on the presidential suite where a thug hotel employee with a thick mobster like accent tells us the pools is closed. We keep walking trying to avoid any staff at all and finally that becomes too difficult so we escape into the elevator to hide in our rooms.
Day 3 - After a disappointing continental breakfast we stop at the front desk to talk to staff about our gym experience and are told they can do nothing to accommodate us even after we tell them we are thinking of moving hotels. Smugly we are told that if we move to another location we will have to pay a fee and blah blah blah. On the way to class we stop past the Majestic Hampton Inn and the manager calls the Palmer House and gets all fees waived and hooks us up with rooms. So we run back to Palmer House and pack our stuff up as fast as we can and check out and drop our stuff off with the valet at Hampton Inn. Problem solved...free Internet, free fitness, and brand new renovated rooms. We were about 15 minutes late to class and sweaty frazzled. At lunch we ran back to Hampton Inn to get our bags out of hock with the valet but our rooms weren't quite ready....I can't even remember where we ate. Jimmy Johns I think. Not feeling so good--all achy and getting a sore throat. I don't even take advantage of the fitness stuff and lay in bed the rest of the evening. The best part of this hotel change is the warm gooey chocolate chip cookies in the lounge every night and the biggest complimentary breakfast I've ever seen with bacon, ham, egg and waffles and more.
Day 4 - We hit Quiznos for soup and a sammy. I'm trying to load up on the liquids to ward off this ucky cold coming on. Drank hot tea all through class. It is rainy out so on the way home from class we decide to stop off and eat. We stop in at the Italian Village - which touts itself to be the oldest family owned restaurant in Chicago that has been frequented by Capone and his boys. Apparently I made an impression on the old Italians guy who kept rubbing my back and at one point asked if I was a dancer or gymnast because I have a lovely athletic build. I had a lovely dinner of Cannelloni in spite of the complimentary back rub.
Day 5 - We finally get local recommends on the top spots to get pizza and hot dogs in Chicago from the locals in class. We hit this place called Roma's for lunch. I had a huge gyro and Charlotte had what I thought was the best pizza ever (until Friday when we finally get deep dish). Some employee gave us free muffins to try and seemed offended when we bought cookies instead. Then he tells us our muffin halves are not equal and Charlotte got the bigger half and was worried we would fight over it. Wierdo. We walked to Buckingham Fountain which should have been 3 blocks from our hotel but ended up being 13 because we kept getting turned around. I have no sense of direction, I can read a map and kind of tell by the street signs that we are off track. And the walk home ended up being 27 blocks, but we managed to find the pizza place that was recommended and the Sears tower which has been renamed the Willis tower.
Day 6 - We arrive at class and the building is roped off with Police Do Not Enter tape. Apparently a construction ladder broke out a window from the inside--I told my boss they banned us from class though. We had to snake down a dark alley to find an alternative entrance. Now I'm feeling almost like a big city kid. This is our last day and we wear ourselves out trying to squeeze every touristy thing in before our flight on Sat. For lunch we eat at the pizza place we located the night before. Giordano's for deep dish pizza. Oh my goodness, I thought I died and went to heaven. Somehow the water glass ended up in my bag---I Don't know how that happened---so I have a great souvenir. This place even ships precooked pizza on dry ice anywhere nationwide. Tempting. Put this on your bucket list. Must have authentic Chicago deep dish pizza before you die. We head back to class fat and happy. After class we walked 23 blocks to the Oprah studio and the Oprah store. It's not in the nicest area of town. We got a cab back to drop off all the souvenir and then took a cab to the best hot dog place ever. Portillo's is the bomb. The first bite brought back memories of the five and dime mom took us to for hot dogs and cream soda. After that we hit Hard Rock cafe for more souvenirs and then started walking the Magnificent Mile. We only did the bottom third--but with limited suitcase space we couldn't really shop anyway. I had a coupon for a free sample of popcorn at Garrets so we stood in line for over 30 minutes for that freebie. It was literally three kernels of popcorn just like the coupon pictured. wow. I bought four bags of medium bags $23 worth of the best popcorn ever. two cheese and two Carmel. It was another 27 blocks home because when we came out of Garrets we walked the wrong way...Big suprise. I was limping by the time we hit the room.
The pigeons are fat. The people are rude but the food is good.
WIS, WWA | kombucha girl
2 days ago
