THE MEDICAL TOUR - Chicago and home

Chicago Wednesday 2 April 1997 warm and sunny

We were up bright and early this morning although we both had stiff necks from the pillows and poor old Rab had a bit of bursitis in one leg, presumably from sitting in what is not the most comfortable of cars for so long.

But after we had hobbled into Denny's for an excellent US breakfast, we felt much better. It really is good value there and excellent tucker. The drive across the Illinois prairies was pretty boring and Rab soon dropped off to sleep. There was a surprising lack of talk back radio and although there was a fair bit of country music there is a limit to how much of that you can listen to!

We crossed and joined Route 66  a couple more times and there were some pretty farm houses but that was about it. We made good time and got here just before 1.00 pm. Thanks to an excellent map we picked up from the AAA we found the hotel with no trouble. It is a pleasant enough spot - no great shakes, but comfortable and seems to be in an interesting part of town.

We decided to go for a spin this afternoon along the Shore Boulevard, which is just a couple of blocks down the road. The entire lake shore for many miles each side of the city has been reserved for the free use of citizens. There are lovely parks and beaches with walking and cycling paths and there were a few people out today because it was so warm. We al,so drove through town and it looks a very handsome place. Good looking buildings and very clean.

We made our way down to the Navy Pier, which was originally a pleasure pier at the turn of the century but then became a freight terminal and naval training base. With the decline in sea and rail freight it has now reverted to its original use. There is a huge ferris wheel (+- 150 feet) which we rode on and we also took a boat ride out on the lake. It gave us a good. View of the city skyline, which is very striking. It got quite chilly while we were out there in the breeze but it was mild back on the shore. We grabbed a bite to eat down there and sat at one of the outdoor tables watching the sun set - and what a sight that was too - magnificent colors and cloud formations.

We had planned on driving up the shore to see the city lights but the traffic was much heavier than we had expected it to be, so we just headed back to the hotel. A pretty good day, all in all. Tomorrow weather permitting we want to go up the Sears Tower and have a look around the town.

Chicago Thursday 3 April 1997 – Sunny and chilly

 We were awake quite early and had a pleasant breakfast here in the hotel – continental of course, which in this case meant cornflakes, bagels and doughnuts with fruit juice and coffee. We caught a bus into the city and walked quite a way on a sunny but chilly day, popping into the odd shop and admiring the buildings. The pavements (or sidewalks in USspeak) were wide, the city is clean and we remarked how much nicer it was as a city than New York or San Francisco.

We stopped off for lunch at a downtown diner where I had a very good liver and bacon, before pushing on to the Sears Tower, the second highest building in the world – and still the one with the highest  viewing platform. Unfortunately the weather was not quite as good as yesterday and visibility was down to about five miles but it was still pretty spectacular. After the Sears Tower, we caught a bus back to the hotel and after a bit of a rest we had an excellent meal at a local Italian Restaurant – Cuccina Bella – which seemed to have a good reputation in Chicago. All in all, a pretty good day in a lovely city.

Half an hour out of Heathrow – Tuesday 8 April 1997

Not much of a great note to complete the trip.

The last day (Friday last week) in Chicago we just spent packing and reading/watching TV until noon when we had to check out. We went for a short drive along the Foreshore Drive for one last look at Chicago and a bite to eat at a sandwich shop. We met up with a couple and their miniature schnauzer which got Rab a bit dewy eyed thinking of her boy at home. Then we were off to the airport,  fortunately with plenty of time to spare because, firstly there was an enormous jam on the freeway and, secondly, the car hire company Alamo had premises miles away from the airport which was very poorly signposted. But all ended up OK and the flight was uneventful, apart from the appalling cabin service which saw the hostie getting only one out of three for my choice of food.

 Later: I am now writing this some 2 ½ hours after I started. I have had three good slugs of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, a couple of  glasses of good red Cape wine and a nice meal and have watching a couple of hours of amusing videos. I am waiting for another selection of comedies to start, so I may as well end this now, in case I do not get another chance by saying it was, as ever, a great trip and I hope it won’t be the last.