Chicago Stamina

Old Sep 20th, 2016, 07:41 AM
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Chicago Stamina

Three of us, age 65+, visited Chicago. I'll break my wordy trip report into several posts.

Chicago via Southwest was our choice for our annual friends’ getaway. J had visited once and I had made a few brief visits. We don’t travel as easily as we once did and now prefer to rent a condo or stay in a residence inn type of hotel. This time J located an Air B&B that was an easy walk to a subway station. Once plane tickets were secured, we began our “discussion” of what each wanted to see and do. It was J’s turn to plan the trip and my turn to complain. M goes along for the ride and is typically bewildered. Her family was worried about her safety in the big city although they routinely visit nearby Boston. We found Chicago much cleaner and friendlier than Boston.
J’s plan was to use public transportation from Midway to our Air B&B. Our five day visit seemed to make it worth buying a 7-day pass and, thanks to helpful CTA employees, it was explained that the pass was good on both bus and rail systems while the 3 day pass was only good on one (but I forget which one). This was a very smart idea since the pass provided us unlimited rides on the wrong buses and subways. I felt very sorry for the couple paying cash when they weren’t sure they were getting on the right bus. But, I also suggested they ask the driver since we usually found the drivers to be very helpful. One driver also lectured the passengers about allowing handicapped and elderly people to have priority seating. This meant we could sit at the front of the buses. It was fairly common for bus passengers to offer us their seats. This was not true on the subways which was ok since we were able to remain in an upright standing position while clinging to straps and poles.
J relied on her phone’s Google Maps to tell us how far we had to walk and which subway lines we needed to take. Most subway platforms had a scrolling screen to give time estimates on when a train was due but it was up to us to know on which side of the platform to stand. Each subway car also had a lighted display screen to announce times and stops as well as route maps.
Chicagoans were not only friendly but helpful and usually gave correct directions. It was not unusual for someone to ask if we needed help. When three women are standing on the sidewalk avidly discussing options and cursing a gps system, it was evident we needed help. I will be forever grateful to the bank security guard who rescued us from a bizarre and complicated list of subway transfers to explain we just needed to get on the right bus to go to Navy Pier. No transfers and very little walking was required.
It was essential to secure tickets for some of our activities before our arrival. A free Chicago City Greeter Tour requires a two week notice to give them time to secure a volunteer guide. Since we no longer have the stamina and desire for night life, we also like to read a book related to the area we are visiting. This year it was Devil in the White City based on the true story of a serial killer from NH and the construction of the Chicago World’s Fair.
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Old Sep 20th, 2016, 07:42 AM
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part 2
Thursday Arrival late morning: purchased CTA passes at Midway Airport and commenced our adventure on the Orange Line with a transfer to the Red Line. Initial obstacle was getting luggage through the turnstiles. Once again, helpful CTA employees untangled us and our luggage and suggested we use the wide handicapped door. From there on we were on our own to find escalators and elevators. M and I needed to conserve our strength while J who was back in shape after breaking her leg in 5 or 7 places while skiing in 2015, was off and walking quickly. Our Air B&B host arranged to meet us so we could leave off the luggage and return later after the cleaning crew was finished. Normal check in was in the afternoon. We were grateful for his flexibility, cleanliness of the 2 bedroom condo and helpful suggestions. Lunch was at a barbecue restaurant called Q where I would have been happy just to feast on the bread and butter pickles and thick cut potato chips that were placed on every table. Then a quick trip to Plum Market for some essentials, back to the condo then off to the Architecture Foundation’s River Cruise on the First Lady. A CAF docent narrates the cruise. A 5:30 pm trip had us returning to the dock as an almost full moon decorated the sky. The fascinating stories of each building and a brief account of Chicago’s history was a great introduction for us.
It was back to Plum Market for take-out. We were only a little hungry and knew that the variety of soups, salad bar and prepared meals would be a good idea. The condo kitchen was decently stocked for needs of 3 people. Except for coffee, tea, salt and pepper, we just needed to supply our own food.
Friday: J chose Tastebuds Tour: The Original 1893 Chicago World's Fair Food with an actress portraying Mrs. Bertha Palmer. At first, I was very disappointed in this choice because the list of foods we would try seemed very ordinary but after the outstanding portrayal of Mrs. Palmer and her knowledge of Chicago history, I give this tour 5 stars. The tour starts off with an ordinary hamburger and French fries in the private Cliff Dwellers Club with a wonderful view of Chicago’s Lakefront. There was plenty of food during the tour so I was unable to finish the small bowl of chili and “near beer” (root beer) we had at our last stop. We didn’t want to leave “Mrs. Palmer” and begged her to talk to us in her real voice at the end and tell us a little about herself.
The big mistake on Friday was doing J’s Bucket List #1 which was to stand on the glass bottom platform on the Willis Building Sky Deck before the food tour. The ticket was $22 with an additional large sum of money spent for a professional photograph of the three of us against the Chicago sky line. Of course, I looked down and hollered a lot but mostly because it takes a long time to go through the lines and we did not have enough time to enjoy the views. The photographer will also graciously take a picture with your camera as well as the several that will be waiting for you at the exit. We almost considered getting more than one photo but a different background had been photoshopped on some of the photos. We were only interested in proof that we had braved this tourist trap. We arrived a bit early for the food tour but that gave us a chance to enjoy a quiet drink and chat with the tour agency owner before the others arrived.
A ride on the huge Ferris wheel (Centennial Wheel) at Navy Pier was also on J’s Bucket List. It’s a good thing we were saving money on meals because the ride was $15. The view was tremendous but the walk through the long building was essentially all food courts and gift shops with a high noise level due to the number of families. Needless to say, we were stuffed from the food tour and opted to visit Plum Market again for snacks to have back at the condo although the market also has tables and a wine bar.
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Old Sep 20th, 2016, 08:44 AM
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part 3
Saturday: Breakfast was at the corner place advertising their famous hash browns. Two of us opted for sweet potato which seemed more like a casserole and one opted for traditional white potato flavored with rosemary.
We had a fairly easy subway ride to the City Cultural Center where we met our Chicago City Greeter. This 2-4 hour tour is completely free since guides are volunteers. This was my second tour so I attempted to choose a neighborhood (Lincoln Park) and subject that all three of us would enjoy. Christine is a long time Chicago resident, very well educated and knowledgeable. She had agreed to be our guide because we graduated from high school the year after she did. Christine was possibly more physically fit than even J but respected M’s and my lower stamina level. We sat down to discuss what we wanted to see and somehow my friends decided they wanted to see the Lincoln Park Zoo (free) instead of the Chicago History Museum (not free). Christine also gave us a short and fascinating tour of the City Cultural Center which started out as a library. The Tiffany dome is exquisite as were the mosaics and everything about the building. We also happened to be there on the one Saturday each month when civil weddings are performed. Some wedding guests were in beautiful ethnic costumes.
We walked down Michigan Avenue and a short ways into a neighborhood of small mansions. Our greeter pointed out that tall apartment buildings are no longer permitted to replace the historic homes. Then we continued on through a park and into the zoo. Although I do not like zoos and chose to rest while the others walked the zoo, I enjoyed seeing the beautiful landscaping. We should have brought bottled water with us due to the heat and sun but it was available to purchase. Next was the Lincoln Park Conservatory, a Victorian Era glass house, built in late nineteenth century. It contains four rooms displaying exotic plants from around the world. Since our Greeter is also a volunteer during the winter at the conservatory, she was able to tell us many details about the plants. Next we visited Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool which was a shady retreat with many limestone rocks arranged for decoration and seating. Too soon our tour ended and we were given directions on how to find the subway. This didn’t mean that the three of us proceeded quietly and confidently but it really was easy to find. Had we been smarter in planning, we could have spent more time exploring this area.
Our Greeter was also kind enough to get recommendations for a tapas restaurant we could easily find for supper. We had time for M and I to return to the condo for a rest while J visited the Art Institute by herself. Before being bashed for missing this beautiful museum, let me explain that I had already visited on a different trip and thoroughly enjoyed the Impressionist art donated by the real Mrs. Bertha Palmer.
Although usually I am good with directions, I was never sure about where our condo was in relation to the subway stop. It seems we used different exits and were never sure how to find our way back to street level and end up in the same place each time. The exits are marked and elevators are available but it remained a mystery. Sometimes we were within a block of the condo and sometimes another block and a corner away. J trusted that without her gps and guidance, M and I would be able to find Café Iberica by ourselves. It was easy peasy with my iPad and googlemaps until the bus had to make a detour due to a construction project. There were a few others on the bus and one person knew exactly where the restaurant was, pointed to the sign and the bus driver pulled over to let us out even though it was not an official bus stop.
The Café Iberica had a splendid selection of tapas and Spanish dishes. It was good to be there early (5:30) since we did not have reservations and it was a Saturday night. Despite sharing a pitcher of sangria, we were able to find the condo again.
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Old Sep 20th, 2016, 12:55 PM
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Lovely trip report! I'm enjoying reading it.

Lee Ann
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Old Sep 20th, 2016, 03:12 PM
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Thanks, Lee Ann. Last part:
Sunday: J insisted that breakfast would have to be at Ann Sather’s which turned out to be only 1700 steps and several subway stops away. Breakfast entrees came with a choice of two sides and everyone usually orders the famous cinnamon buns (2) plus a second choice which for me was a fresh fruit cup. We had plenty of time to take the subway, then a wrong bus, and then an almost right bus to the Field Museum. If we had taken the correct bus, we would have been deposited only a short walk to the museum instead of a long walk from Michigan Avenue, up a street, across a street, thru a park and an underpass and then a very long walk to the East Entrance which was also a handicapped entrance. Maybe going up the wide expanse of steps would have been shorter and easier. We also had to find enough shade so we could use our smart phones to do our Southwest check-in exactly 24 hours before our Monday flight. We still ended up with B 30-something boarding positions. We had also used J’s smart phone to pre-purchase tickets to the Field Museum, a 3D movie about African Animals, the China exhibit and Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit. The Warriors were on M’s Bucket List and this Chicago trip was her only chance to see them since a trip to China was not possible. It was a free museum day for IL residents so we expected crowds. Since the special exhibits were not crowded, we could really visit at any time but if it had been crowded we would have had to be at the Warriors exhibit at 1pm. This may sound simple but we thought the Warriors were in the China exhibit. We became separated so M and I ended up outside the exit door without J. Finding J required going back through the exhibit against the rules and then trying to re-enter but tickets are only good for one visit. Fortunately, the guard was sympathetic to our plight and let us re-enter to find J so we could all find the Terra Cotta Warriors together. Although there were only 8 or 9 larger than life-size statues, we were still impressed with the exhibit and the 1974 discovery of more than two thousand statues that guarded an ancient emperor’s burial site.
Although we had the time we did not have the energy to visit all of the Field Museum. We seemed to be averaging 13,000 steps per day although J did 21,000 when she visited the Art Institute without us. We could not leave Chicago without a real Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Our Air B&B host had recommended Lou Malnati’s so J used her smart phone to find a convenient location. Surprisingly, all three of us wanted the same pizza so we shared a medium which was plenty after also sharing an order of calamari. I was reluctant to order calamari but the dipping sauce was more of a cocktail sauce containing horseradish than the marinara sauce I was expecting. We also made a final trip to Plum Market for dessert and something for breakfast at the condo.
It was decided we would leave at 8am to take the subway back to Midway. Due to an accident, the red line was extremely crowded. After not being able to get on about six trains, we opted to order an Uber to get to the airport. This was my first experience with Uber and I found the young driver to be pleasant, talkative and able to get us to the airport on time. But I was worried for a while.
Usually, I am anti-gps but J’s phone was an essential tool for navigating the city, finding restaurants and pre-purchasing tickets. The Uber fee of approximately $44 was automatically deducted from her Paypal account. Our Air B&B host also texted J a few times to make sure we were doing okay. He had promised to be unobtrusive but we welcomed his brief communications. It was a great trip and I’m glad we were able to do 5 days/4 nights. There is so much to see and do in Chicago and mid-September was good timing for perfect weather.
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Old Sep 20th, 2016, 08:10 PM
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Glad you had a good trip to one of favorite places. We lived tnere in tne 90s and have returned frequently.
A note on Uber. We have used them extensively, Chicago, Boston, NYC. It is usually their second job and we find the drivers to be very reliable and interesting people. In Chicago we had a school principal on Christmas break. Their "real" jobs run from students to golf course starters to that Principal. One in NYC just mailed my lost glasses back to me. Unbelievable. We prefer Uber to taxis.
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Old Sep 21st, 2016, 02:47 AM
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Such a terrific report!

I am lost in admiration!
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Old Sep 21st, 2016, 11:15 AM
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Sounds like a wonderful time. I have a trip to Chicago planned for December with a friend and this has gotten me even more excited.
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Old Sep 21st, 2016, 11:17 AM
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Sounds like a great trip! How did you like Devil in the White City? I read it while in Chicago when I was there in 2008. Great book.
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Old Sep 21st, 2016, 01:50 PM
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Thanks, Ackislander. I appreciate the praise from you, a Fodorite I admire for good advice.

Gardendiva, definitely check out the Chicago City Greeter website to see what kind of free tour you might like.

tchoiniere, two of us liked the book very much but M put it down, bored by all the construction details which I found fascinating. Of course, with a husband in construction and educated as a civil engineer, I hear all about construction details all the time. We read the book for our local OLLI book group. One person found a 3D virtual tour on youtube which was a fascinating look at the fairgrounds. Another person discovered she owned a book of photos from the fair. Somebody in her family had gone and this was probably purchased as a souvenier. The three of us are from NH so the serial killer probably lived not far from us way back when. I've signed up for an OLLI class about the murders in the book. It will be led by a retired English teacher who loves to do classes on different murders. I'd like to see the movie about Mrs. Palmer and her husband and/or read a book about her. I still haven't been to the Science and Industries Museum so maybe I'll have to go back.
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Old Sep 21st, 2016, 05:15 PM
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It's fun to walk around the Chicago World Fair's midway. University of Chicago.is there.
My grandparents traveled to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair from NYC by train on their honeymoon so I have an extra interest in it. I loved the book.
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Old Sep 21st, 2016, 06:57 PM
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Thank you dfrostnh for this very enjoyable trip report. Was just in Chicago briefly (my 5th visit) in July and went up the Willis Tower (or as I learned it, the Sears Tower) for the first time to the glass ledge. Not really a bucket list thing for me, but I ended up being so glad I went as the views from so high of the city with the gorgeous turquoise blue of Lake Michigan as backdrop were I thought quite breathtaking. Best wishes--Daniel
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Old Sep 22nd, 2016, 12:17 PM
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Great trip report. As a local who works across the street from the Willis Tower (and it will always be Sears Tower to us ), its nice seeing a different perspective.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2016, 02:19 PM
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I will put the Greeter on my list. I think that is one of the things that I have not done in Chicago. We are going for the Christmas Market.
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Old Sep 25th, 2016, 11:17 AM
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I found your trip report dfrost and am I ever glad I did. You write very well and give good details.

I'm suggesting that World's Fair tour to my friends. As I've mentioned to you, it's amazing what you don't know about "your own backyard." We're always looking for things to do in Chicago (not that it's a problem). I'm glad you got some Lou Malnati's deep dish. That stuff is to die for.

gardendiva, there is nothing like December in Chicago. I love the Criskindlmarket and have a few of the little boots that the warm mulled wine comes in. It is so crowded on weekends, it's better to go during the week. Brrrr, it can be cold too but I have never let it deter me. Chicago is truly a great city. Of course there are parts of the city to avoid but that's any big city.
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Old Sep 25th, 2016, 01:14 PM
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Agreed, fine trip report.

Love the Field Museum, a huge place and excellent of its type. Also greatly enjoyed the Art Insitute, a world class art museum. And the Cultural Center is an underrated gem. My experience at the Willis Tower a few years ago was better than yours, fortunately -- there weren't a lot of people there when I went about dinner time.

Lou Malnati's is an excellent place for deep dish pizza. Other places I can vouch for that do this dish well are Gino's East and Giordano's (the latter doing a variant called stuffed pizza). Reportedly the original Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due are also top-notch, but couldn't manage them as well on my Chicago trip a few years ago.
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Old Sep 25th, 2016, 03:02 PM
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Nice report, dfrostnh! Thanks for including so many details. Chicago is one of our fave US cities!
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