My oldest niece and her husband live in downtown Chicago; they love it - they are young. I have always loved Chicago, such a diversity of activites, very cosmopolitan....but exhausting! I had a few things on my list to see (or see again, since I've made this trip many times) but mostly I appreciate being invited to spend a few days with my niece and her husband...and their two Great Danes:-)
After renting a car and driving from Muncie (I miss my motorcycle), and getting behind every semi truck and farm implement that was on the road that day, I arrived in the Windy City early afternoon. We immediately hopped on the train which runs directly underneath their floor to ceiling windows in the new condo, to downtown. Everyone is busy in Chicago, head bent to the task of getting from here to there. I don't think I want to be in that big of a hurry all my life, especially after the accident I had on the bike. Some things just don't seem that important any more, especially how fast I can get there. Traveling by plane, train, and car is just different than two wheels. It is soooooo true that 'Four wheels moves the body, two wheels move the soul.' Different.
I always have to visit the beginning of Route 66 in downtown Chicago, just across Michigan Avenue from the Art Institute...I wonder how many people pass that each day and are totally unaware of the significance of the sign, or even notice the sign?? When I pointed it out to my niece, she somewhat disappointingly said, 'That's it??" I guess she thought it would look like the entrance to a theme park or something. Of course I had to educate both she and my nephew in law on the whole Route 66 thing and why people like me wax nostalgic for a time when travel was at a much more leisurely pace. Ironic that the sign persists in the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago (and admid the hustle and bustle of L.A. on the other end).
From there we walked to the Lake, enjoyed the view, and took in Buckingham Fountain. The view of the skyline is wonderful from this vantage point as well. The heat index is about a 100 degrees today and its a good thing this is the Windy City because that wind is keeping the city from being an out and out inferno. We truck on up to Buddy Guy's place a few blocks up from the Lake. Unfortunately it's closed, but I soak up the significance anyway and proceed to explain to the kids WHY Buddy Guy is worthy of the pilgrimage. The Chicago Blues sound man, nothing like it, and the history is so rich.....if you are a blues fan.
Wiping sweat from our brow, we truck on over to Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, a very historic diner off the original Route 66. Unfortunately it was closed as well...damn. So, onward....we pass the beautiful Lyric Opera House, decide to hop the subway where it was no doubt cooler, and move on down the road quicker ....always a down and out musician playing in the subway...this old black cat was strumming a guitar, I dropped a five in his basket and snapped a few photos. We headed across the river and back toward the lake to see Millenium Park...I needed to see the 'Silver Bean.' Amazing sculpture; it affords you a warped and waving view of the skyline from many different angles. After tromping around the Windy City all afternoon, we were hot , sweaty, and hungry...hopped the train and headed back to the condo where we refreshed and walked to the neighborhood pub for burgers....yum. I slept like the dead that night.
Day two in Chicago: I educated the kids on why I needed to head out to the suburb of Oak Park to tour Frank Lloyd Wright's home/studio and we opted to drive since the train didn't really stop there. First stop was Hemingway's boyhood home; since sold to private investors who are restoring it to it's original single family grandeur. I love to see houses, buildings, etc., that have a literary/historical significance. My niece was so good natured, she would would stop the car each time I yelled, 'look, there it is,' and I would jump out and snap photos!!
We did the tour of FLW home/studio; amazing, I am in awe of this mans work and the home is indescribely beautiful. Oak Park is a gorgeous suburb with several FLW homes in the area. We had a wonderful pasta lunch at Mancini's topped off with to-die-for cupcakes from Crumb Co.. Aunt Debi rested for the afternoon while the kids took one of their Great Danes to the dog beach.....One more day in the Windy City with the kids then I hop the train to travel to the Cleveland area.
"Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have titles until much later." In the last few months I've been asked from several readers and followers, 'How do you plan your trips?' I also see the question asked numerous times (like over and over and over and over...) on the various biker-related groups on social media. Penny Tours I confess: I'm not much of a planner! I ride in the spirit of the intrepid Bessie Stringfield, a pioneer of the sport of motorcycling who in 1930 became the first black woman to ride solo across the U.S.. Bessie was notorious for her 'Penny Tours.' She would toss a penny in the air and wherever it landed on her map of the U.S.....that is the direction she would travel. And yes; I've done the Penny Tour many times. Just a few weeks ago in Indiana; I had a 'free' day between events and tossed the penny on the map of Indiana. It landed in the northern part of the state near the
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