24 Hours in Chicago on a Gorgeous Spring Day
For once, I thought I would write about a trip before the calendar flips on my travel month . . . so here is the tale of my 24-hour Sunday trip to Chicago!*
The trip began with a quick trip to my office (at 5:00 a.m.) so that I could request a postponement of my Monday jury service. (Feels strange--I am not usually up at this hour on weekdays, much less on a Sunday morning!) One can postpone jury service online, but in my haste to escape the office on Friday night immediately after finishing my deposition, I forgot to bring the notice home with me, and one needs the notice to postpone. So I ran up, logged in and requested the postponement on the County web site, due to out of town travel. Mission accomplished!
Off to the airport for my 6:45 a.m. flight. No need to check baggage--I learned that all it takes is a 24-hour trip to help me confine my packing to carryon luggage. Pondered purchasing some Starbucks, but convinced myself I would sleep on the plane. Too excited to sleep, I read for a bit, worked on writing about my Arizona trip for a bit and thought about what I wanted to do in Chicago for a bit.
Arrived at Midway, felt too lazy and sleepy to tackle the CTA train into the city. Caught a taxi ride; the radio was blaring what sounded like a loud and heated Arabic talk show program when I settled in while the driver placed my bag in the trunk. I arrived at the hotel and was not surprised to find that they were full and that I would not be able to check in early. So this is all you can see of the hotel for now:
I trotted over to the nearby Starbucks and settled in for coffee, a bagel and the Sunday paper. I felt the vibration of the passing L train through the wooden floorboards under my feet. There was also good eavesdropping to be had, in the form of a group of three men and a woman who seemed to be golf partners, but I couldn't be sure; there was no other clear connection among them. By the time I was finished, I decided I did not want to lug my laptop bag on my wanderings for the day, so I returned to the hotel, checked it with my other bag, and walked just around the corner (how handy!) to the L stop at Clark and Division.
Took the train south, and took some pics along the way. This one is of the guy and girl who were startlingly identical to Cher and her gay shopping boyfriend in the movie Clueless:
I loved listening to them! When I switched trains, a guy was providing soothing musical stylings on the platform. I have a clearer photo of him, but liked this one best:
One connection and a pleasant and vigorous 1-mile walk later, I was at the Maxwell Street Market at Canal and Roosevelt (just south of downtown Chicago, sandwiched between some construction sites and the University of Illinois--Chicago campus). Here is a sculpture on the UIC campus:
I was not alone--people came out in droves for the cheap shopping and beautiful weather. The place was lighter on antiques than I had hoped, but full of culture and atmosphere, as these photos show:
It was a multicultural place:
With interesting things for purchase:
Balloons for the kids:
And music for all:
Plenty of food:
Bruce Lee was there:
And an altar:
And a cow:
And "Smath":
I followed the crowds to the end of the street:
There I saw this cool band:
and this cool crowd:
Considered sitting on this couch, but didn't:
I reluctantly tore myself away because I was getting hungry and had my heart set on Gino's East Pizza for a late lunch. I sat down for a brief rest, finding a nice perch on a railroad tie flowerbed border. I saw these Navy men approaching and briefly felt a swell of patriotism:
Then I realized that they were probably headed to the market in their snappy uniforms to recruit young Hispanic men to fight in the Shrub's War Based On A Lie. This made me mad and sad and I saw them completely differently as they departed:
On the way back to the train, I took these photos:
The Halsted L platform was full of interesting things, like these guys exchanging directions:
and this sign:
and the least private urinal ever, fully in view from the L platform:
I emerged at the Brown Line's Chicago stop and it was familiar to me. This time, the paper shop I love was actually open, and I popped in for a quick but longing look at their wares:
Just a few blocks away, Gino's East was refreshingly uncrowded and it didn't take long to be seated and get a nice glass of wine:
Here is the view from my table:
(You will note that a Gino's hallmark is their willingness to let customers write all over the place.) This is probably one of my favorite seats I have had in the place, which is not the "original" Gino's, but a tourist-sized one that replaced that shabby, dark and cave-like environment several years ago. You'll see in the photo about a large photograph of the original Gino's. Gino's has some interesting memorabilia as well:
There was an odd exchange with my waiter, in which I asked if he was surprised to see me, thinking that he had a startled look when he rounded the corner to my booth. He replied, "No, I knew you were here. I just didn't expect you to be so happy," to which I responded, "I can tone it down if you like" (jokingly). I'm not sure he got the joke. On another note, as I waited for my pizza, I wondered if there was some super-secret back room, because lots of grunge-hip dressed people were led past my table, seemingly into the netherlands of the restaurant.
Sadly, it takes 45 minutes for one's deep dish pizza to be prepared, but it is well worth the wait and it makes one appreciate the meal all the more:
After this delightful gourmet experience, I headed back to my hotel, where I wanted to check in, get settled and take a nap before the Cubs' night game. I was pleasantly surprised by the cuteness of my room, which was so notable that it made up for the smallness of the place (which was to be expected, given its super-reasonable price):
Before long, I was in dreamland, dreaming of a Cubs sweep of the Cardinals:
Excited about the game, I awoke just over an hour later, took the short walk to the L and joined the throngs on the Red Line train headed to Wrigley. Thanks to daylight savings time, there was still lots of sun to be had and Wrigley was looking quite beautiful after her winter bleacher makeover:
Here are some fans peering through the new "knothole" view of the park from the sidewalk (I took this on the way in):
The players were still warming up, literally, because it was a chilly night even before the sun set:
This guy's throw to the plate in the pre-game festivities was hilariously bad, but his reaction was hiliariously funny:
Rex Grossman, the not-so-punky Chicago Cubs QB, overthrew to the plate, lest he be called a girly-man:
The lights wait to spring into action in this first night game of the season (the earliest a night game has ever been played in the season during the Cubs' short tenure as a team playing under the lights of night baseball):
This would be the debut of Sean Marshall, the Cubs' rookie pitcher:
I feel somewhat proprietary about Sean, having seen him pitch a game during the Cubs' spring training. Here is his first big league pitch!
If you are a Cubs fan, you know that the game was a thing of beauty as well--here are the box score, a story about the game (titled, "Bye Bye Birdies") and the Bleed Cubbie Blue take on it, if you are interested in knowing more! And here are my photos of a few key moments in the game:
Jacque Jones breaks his mini-hitting slump (the season is young, after all) and hits a 3-run homer to put the Cubs in the lead:
Michael Barrett is welcomed at home plate after hitting a game-winning grand slam that put the Cubs in the lead for good in the 8th inning:
The chill night air could not dampen the spirits of these fans:
Or of these, who would not leave!
This is what we were all waiting for--a Cubs win, and a sweep of the Cards!
Yes, it is true: the game ended in not only a Cubs win, but also a sweep of the Cardinals, the first one in five years! Some post-win photos:
(This is a guy who caught a foul ball while walking along the concourse behind my seat--he was holding a beer at the time.)
Michael Barrett, basking in the glow of his second-ever grand slam, gives an interview:
There was much jubilation and, rather than wait in a boring and interminable L train line, I waited for the line to subside while taking in the post-game scene. The scene included fabulous drumming and some drunken dancing and singing by happy Cubs fans:
I like to call him "Captain Underpants."
* Please forgive the widely varying size of the photos in this post. I am not sure what happened, as I treated them all the same after downloading them. I think I have screwed up the various settings on my camera through some recent experimentation--will get that fixed! :)
The trip began with a quick trip to my office (at 5:00 a.m.) so that I could request a postponement of my Monday jury service. (Feels strange--I am not usually up at this hour on weekdays, much less on a Sunday morning!) One can postpone jury service online, but in my haste to escape the office on Friday night immediately after finishing my deposition, I forgot to bring the notice home with me, and one needs the notice to postpone. So I ran up, logged in and requested the postponement on the County web site, due to out of town travel. Mission accomplished!
Off to the airport for my 6:45 a.m. flight. No need to check baggage--I learned that all it takes is a 24-hour trip to help me confine my packing to carryon luggage. Pondered purchasing some Starbucks, but convinced myself I would sleep on the plane. Too excited to sleep, I read for a bit, worked on writing about my Arizona trip for a bit and thought about what I wanted to do in Chicago for a bit.
Arrived at Midway, felt too lazy and sleepy to tackle the CTA train into the city. Caught a taxi ride; the radio was blaring what sounded like a loud and heated Arabic talk show program when I settled in while the driver placed my bag in the trunk. I arrived at the hotel and was not surprised to find that they were full and that I would not be able to check in early. So this is all you can see of the hotel for now:
I trotted over to the nearby Starbucks and settled in for coffee, a bagel and the Sunday paper. I felt the vibration of the passing L train through the wooden floorboards under my feet. There was also good eavesdropping to be had, in the form of a group of three men and a woman who seemed to be golf partners, but I couldn't be sure; there was no other clear connection among them. By the time I was finished, I decided I did not want to lug my laptop bag on my wanderings for the day, so I returned to the hotel, checked it with my other bag, and walked just around the corner (how handy!) to the L stop at Clark and Division.
Took the train south, and took some pics along the way. This one is of the guy and girl who were startlingly identical to Cher and her gay shopping boyfriend in the movie Clueless:
I loved listening to them! When I switched trains, a guy was providing soothing musical stylings on the platform. I have a clearer photo of him, but liked this one best:
One connection and a pleasant and vigorous 1-mile walk later, I was at the Maxwell Street Market at Canal and Roosevelt (just south of downtown Chicago, sandwiched between some construction sites and the University of Illinois--Chicago campus). Here is a sculpture on the UIC campus:
I was not alone--people came out in droves for the cheap shopping and beautiful weather. The place was lighter on antiques than I had hoped, but full of culture and atmosphere, as these photos show:
It was a multicultural place:
With interesting things for purchase:
Balloons for the kids:
And music for all:
Plenty of food:
Bruce Lee was there:
And an altar:
And a cow:
And "Smath":
I followed the crowds to the end of the street:
There I saw this cool band:
and this cool crowd:
Considered sitting on this couch, but didn't:
I reluctantly tore myself away because I was getting hungry and had my heart set on Gino's East Pizza for a late lunch. I sat down for a brief rest, finding a nice perch on a railroad tie flowerbed border. I saw these Navy men approaching and briefly felt a swell of patriotism:
Then I realized that they were probably headed to the market in their snappy uniforms to recruit young Hispanic men to fight in the Shrub's War Based On A Lie. This made me mad and sad and I saw them completely differently as they departed:
On the way back to the train, I took these photos:
The Halsted L platform was full of interesting things, like these guys exchanging directions:
and this sign:
and the least private urinal ever, fully in view from the L platform:
I emerged at the Brown Line's Chicago stop and it was familiar to me. This time, the paper shop I love was actually open, and I popped in for a quick but longing look at their wares:
Just a few blocks away, Gino's East was refreshingly uncrowded and it didn't take long to be seated and get a nice glass of wine:
Here is the view from my table:
(You will note that a Gino's hallmark is their willingness to let customers write all over the place.) This is probably one of my favorite seats I have had in the place, which is not the "original" Gino's, but a tourist-sized one that replaced that shabby, dark and cave-like environment several years ago. You'll see in the photo about a large photograph of the original Gino's. Gino's has some interesting memorabilia as well:
There was an odd exchange with my waiter, in which I asked if he was surprised to see me, thinking that he had a startled look when he rounded the corner to my booth. He replied, "No, I knew you were here. I just didn't expect you to be so happy," to which I responded, "I can tone it down if you like" (jokingly). I'm not sure he got the joke. On another note, as I waited for my pizza, I wondered if there was some super-secret back room, because lots of grunge-hip dressed people were led past my table, seemingly into the netherlands of the restaurant.
Sadly, it takes 45 minutes for one's deep dish pizza to be prepared, but it is well worth the wait and it makes one appreciate the meal all the more:
After this delightful gourmet experience, I headed back to my hotel, where I wanted to check in, get settled and take a nap before the Cubs' night game. I was pleasantly surprised by the cuteness of my room, which was so notable that it made up for the smallness of the place (which was to be expected, given its super-reasonable price):
Before long, I was in dreamland, dreaming of a Cubs sweep of the Cardinals:
Excited about the game, I awoke just over an hour later, took the short walk to the L and joined the throngs on the Red Line train headed to Wrigley. Thanks to daylight savings time, there was still lots of sun to be had and Wrigley was looking quite beautiful after her winter bleacher makeover:
Here are some fans peering through the new "knothole" view of the park from the sidewalk (I took this on the way in):
The players were still warming up, literally, because it was a chilly night even before the sun set:
This guy's throw to the plate in the pre-game festivities was hilariously bad, but his reaction was hiliariously funny:
Rex Grossman, the not-so-punky Chicago Cubs QB, overthrew to the plate, lest he be called a girly-man:
The lights wait to spring into action in this first night game of the season (the earliest a night game has ever been played in the season during the Cubs' short tenure as a team playing under the lights of night baseball):
This would be the debut of Sean Marshall, the Cubs' rookie pitcher:
I feel somewhat proprietary about Sean, having seen him pitch a game during the Cubs' spring training. Here is his first big league pitch!
If you are a Cubs fan, you know that the game was a thing of beauty as well--here are the box score, a story about the game (titled, "Bye Bye Birdies") and the Bleed Cubbie Blue take on it, if you are interested in knowing more! And here are my photos of a few key moments in the game:
Jacque Jones breaks his mini-hitting slump (the season is young, after all) and hits a 3-run homer to put the Cubs in the lead:
Michael Barrett is welcomed at home plate after hitting a game-winning grand slam that put the Cubs in the lead for good in the 8th inning:
The chill night air could not dampen the spirits of these fans:
Or of these, who would not leave!
This is what we were all waiting for--a Cubs win, and a sweep of the Cards!
Yes, it is true: the game ended in not only a Cubs win, but also a sweep of the Cardinals, the first one in five years! Some post-win photos:
(This is a guy who caught a foul ball while walking along the concourse behind my seat--he was holding a beer at the time.)
Michael Barrett, basking in the glow of his second-ever grand slam, gives an interview:
There was much jubilation and, rather than wait in a boring and interminable L train line, I waited for the line to subside while taking in the post-game scene. The scene included fabulous drumming and some drunken dancing and singing by happy Cubs fans:
I like to call him "Captain Underpants."
* Please forgive the widely varying size of the photos in this post. I am not sure what happened, as I treated them all the same after downloading them. I think I have screwed up the various settings on my camera through some recent experimentation--will get that fixed! :)
posted by Lisa at 8:09 AM
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