CHICAGO OCTOBER 2003 (competition win!)
Wednesday 22 October 2003
Got up at 5.35am and got ready for our pick up at 6.30am.
Arrived at airport and after checking in went upstairs to the departure gate.
We were 25 minutes late taking off but made up time on the flight. We were
served breakfast of orange juice, bacon, eggs, tomato, sausages and mushrooms
along with a roll with butter and jam and a cup of tea. We finally landed at
10.55am and made our way to Terminal 4, where we wandered round the duty free
shops until our flight was called. We were lucky enough to be upgraded on our
Chicago flight to World Traveller Plus so we’ve got a little more leg room and comfier seats. We didn’t
take off until 2.45pm (an hour and twenty five minutes late) but the pilot is
trying to make up some of that time. We had two free drinks and a lovely dinner
of braised beef or chicken curry with side salad and roll, then profiteroles
and tea or coffee with a Kit Kat. We both watched “Anger Management” on our
personal TV screens. Then another film called “A Perfect Murder”. We’ve also
had a couple of cartons of water. After a light meal of sandwiches, cake and
tea, we got ready to land. After a few problems filling in the customs and
immigration forms we finally landed at 4.30pm (10.30pm British time). Our
luggage came through very quickly and we got a taxi from the airport to our
hotel and checked in. The girl on reception gave us a beautiful room on the
19th floor overlooking Lake Michigan plus some breakfast vouchers.
We unpacked
and went for a walk to Navy Pier.
We found Joe’s Be Bop Café and enquired about
a meal tomorrow night. We had a quick bite to eat in a McDonald’s on Navy Pier
and then came back to the hotel. Went to bed exhausted at 9.30pm. (3.30am
British Time).
Thursday 23 October 2003
Woke up at 5.00am and had showers. Went down for breakfast
at 6.15am and had orange juice, bacon, sausages, eggs, skillet browns, toast
and jam and coffee. We then ventured out into town and bought a phone card to
phone the boys. We then walked along State Street and came across the Harold
Washington Library, which has free internet access. It was only built in 1991
and it has 9 floors of all different types of books, periodicals and
newspapers. After leaving there, we decided to go to the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange. We were escorted up to the trading floor gallery and what an amazing
sight it was. Traders and brokers shouting and waving their arms and hands
around selling and buying pork bellies, live cattle and futures. After that it
was time for lunch in “Subway”. A foot long steak and cheese roll between us
and tea. We then walked back to the hotel for a short rest before heading down
to Navy Pier. We walked along looking at all the boats and the Chicago skyline.
We ventured onto the Ferris Wheel and got a wonderful view from the top.
We
then wandered back to the hotel past the fountain and saw a bus with a device
on the front for carrying bicycles. Had our evening meal in the Rock’n’Roll
McDonald’s where there is lots of music memorabilia including statues of the
Beatles. Went back to our hotel exhausted again.
Friday 24 October 2003
Woke up early again and had breakfast in the McDonald’s just
round the corner from our hotel. We then went along to the Chicago Line Cruises
for our architectural riverboat cruise. It took 90 minutes to sail up the
Chicago River with a wonderful commentary from a very knowledgable lady who
spoke for the full 90 minutes about the history and architecture of all the
buildings that we passed. We had complimentary coffee and cakes to keep us
warm, whilst we watched the ever changing Chicago skyline.
We walked back to
our hotel via a convenience store and had coffee and biscuits in our room to
keep us going till our evening meal. We then took a trip up to the 94th floor
of the John Hancock Observatory. What a view! We took lots of photos and video
and then hired headphones for an audio guided tour of all the sights down
below.
It came on rain when we were leaving and we just made it back to the
hotel in time. After an hour the rain went off so we headed off for our evening
meal at Joe’s Be Bop Café. We had a lovely meal to the accompaniment of Skinny
Williams and his Jazz Band. I ordered a Brownie Sundae for dessert and it was
so big it could have fed a small third world country! It was delicious.
After
our meal we had a wander round the shops on Navy Pier before getting in a taxi
back to the hotel as it was pouring with rain.
Saturday 25 October 2003
After showers we had breakfast in the hotel and then
ventured out again. We walked along Michigan Avenue and came across the Chicago
Tribune Tower which has pieces of stone from all over the world built into it.
We found a piece of stone from Edinburgh Castle and also Flodden Field and
Beaumaris Castle in Wales.
We then went into Walgreens to buy postcards and
came out with free samples of toothpaste and a razor. We then walked all the
way down Michigan Avenue and across to State Street to the library again to log
on the the internet for half an hour. After a phone call to the boys and Gran
it was off to the Shedd Aquarium. We walked to it through Grant Park and
stopped at the Buckingham Fountain for photos.
We had to queue to get in but it
didn’t take long. We went to see the dolphin show first and then looked at all
the other exhibits including feeding time at the penguin enclosure.
We stayed
till it closed at 6.00pm and then walked back along the lake front to see
Buckingham Fountain lit up at night.
We walked up Michigan Avenue and had our
evening meal in Bennigan’s. An Irish/American grill and tavern. Jim had a steak
and I had smothered chicken followed by a dessert of white chocolate, vanilla
ice-cream on a bed of Chocolate Oreo biscuit with a tub of hot melted chocolate
to pour over the top – delicious. Went back to our hotel exhausted and had a
couple of cans and a game of Scrabble Cards.
Sunday 26 October 2003
Got up and had a quick breakfast in McDonald’s before going
to the shops. Visited the Hancock Observatory gift shop for souvenirs and also
Walgreens. Had a look round Bloomingdales – very expensive. Went into the Water
Tower Plaza for a look round and found a shop with free samples of coffee and
crackers and dips. Also a food court with 13 different cusines to choose from.
After that we went to find Newberry Library but it was closed on a Sunday. Next
we visited Gino’s for an authentic Chicago pizza. It looked very run down and
it is a tradition that you sign the wall to say that you’ve been there! Pizza
was good though. Visited a gift shop on the way home to buy a Chicago t-shirt,
then it was back to the hotel for a dip in the indoor pool, before relaxing in
our room with coffee and chocolate chip cookies. Then it was time to pack to go
home.
Monday 27 October 2003
Got up, had showers, and went down for our last breakfast in
the hotel. Then went along to the library to use the internet again. After checking out we were driven to the
airport in a Lincoln car with a very friendly driver. Had a seat until the
British Airways check-in desk opened. Checked in just after 2.00pm and then had
coffee and chocolate chip cookies in the food court. We then made our way
through to the departure gate to wait for our flight. We finally boarded and
took off at 5.40pm. We were served 2 drinks and then a meal of beef or chicken
with salad, green beans, sliced potatoes with melted cheese on top. Then we had
brownie fudge cake for dessert and tea or coffee. We watched a Harrison Ford
film called Hollywood Homicides and then tried to sleep (with no luck!) After a
while the lights were turned on again and breakfast was served – orange juice,
fresh fruit, a muffin and a yoghurt with tea or coffee. We came in to land
early and had to wait for about 15 minutes on the runway as another plane was
in our place. We finally disembarked and caught the bus to Terminal 1 for our
connecting flight to Edinburgh. We were 15 minutes late in taking off due to
the late arrival of the cabin crew! We arrived safely in Edinburgh at about
10.30am with no luggage to be seen. It hadn’t been transferred onto the
Edinburgh flight. It was eventually delivered to the house at about 4.45pm.