Chicago, Cloud Gate, Hamilton, Baseball and Stuff Mart

Cloud Gate

We have returned to the land of big and plenty. I forgot how big everything and everyone is in the USA. 

Our hotel room is bigger than our total square footage of our house. It also had a jacuzzi in the room. I could walk through the room without asking Kirk to move. Heaven! Then the breakfast, OMG! Eggs, sausages, bacon, waffles, yogurt, bagels, Krispy Cremes, muffins, coffee, juices, cereal,  bananas and apples. The endless breakfast bar, all you could eat. Yes, I could not resist the waffles, they were fresh, you made them right there. I would make one to share with Kirk and before I could stop him he was making another one. More food than any person should eat in one sitting. Thank god we only stayed a week or we would of ended up being big and plenty. 

                              Gus would be in pig heaven. 

The roads are just as congested as the UK but twice as big and more construction if you can believe that.  But Chicago is always in transition and construction when it comes to roads. 

I have not driven a car in so long that it was strange to have to get in the car to go anywhere and no where was close.  Could not walk to pub or coffee house. 

We had a wonder evening with Petra and family. So great to see them and Naperville. What a cute town they live in. 

We hit all the highlights.  Went to Windy City baseball game. It was 2 dollar Tuesday, what a deal. I even got to go out on third base and play Hi Lo where I won $20. Could not have been more fun. And best of all, got a picture with Boomer the mascot.

Downtown Chicago still amazes me. I love walking under Cloud Gate and then walking on water at the water towers. Had lunch at Paneras , finally a place that sells salads with not beets in them. Then sure as shootin’ the rain came down in buckets. Just to remind us of home sweet home, England. 

The Chicago Institute of Art was overwhelming as usual. We saw the Chagall stain glass window very different from the Chagall in the church at Zurich. This one told the story of the USA.

My favourite as usual was a Monet waves breaking on the beach. 

Monet

                                               Mary Cassat

                                                          

We took an audio tour of Hamilton era art in the American section. My favourite was a bronzed freed slave. Very moving. 

Then just by accident I was browsing the theatre tickets and found Hamilton tickets for under $100 a piece. Could not believe my luck. It was at the CIVI Theater in downtown Chicago. Our lucky day. What a moving show. Need to read the book now and watch it about 5 more times to catch all the nuances. Absolutely loved it. 

Did successfully get my drivers licences in Indiana and surprised all my old dear friends at Purdue. Was so fun to drop in on them, that was a shocker. 

                                             I even got to visit my piano.

We went on a tour of the Grosse Point Light house. I could not believe it was on this side of Lake Michigan because I thought that Grosse Ppint was near Detroit. Which it is. We had to go see this to make sure I was not loosing my mind.  And sure enough right beside Northwestern University was the lighthouse. Very stately and majestic. 

Now I remember one of the reasons we moved. Getting anywhere from anywhere is a freeway nightmare of a drive. Especially in a big city. I do not miss that. 

Since this occurred over Mothers Day the kids got me a Spa day. Facial, massage and foot wrap, could not of been nicer. 

We managed to go to one more baseball game at the Boomers, but it was rained out cold and windy. 

We finished the trip at a Stuff Mart. Was amazing to walk into one of these and even if it was a superstore I knew where everything was. Picked up those rare items I can not find in the UK. Knee sox, nail polishing 4 grain stick, docker /pants/trousers and fathead sunglasses for Kirk.  (Pants - that word gets me in more trouble than not in the UK, it means underwear, they always get a good laugh out of that. I once wrote an email to send out about everyone needing to wear pants in the clean room, as we were having some women visit, you could imagine the flack I got on that one!)

I found the Chicos and the Apple stores seemed to crop up on nearly every corner. It was dangerous because everywhere I would go there was another Chicos store, to much fun was had. I got all my essentials I can never find in the UK and we headed back home to the doggies in the UK. 

Heading back across the pond. Cheers !