COUNTRY LADY TO THE BIG CITY

Me, myself and I went to the big city of Chicago.  I do enjoy heading there by Amtrak from Quincy which is an hour from here and then a little over a four hour ride by train to Chicago.  So you put some time in to go just for a day, but I have done that many a time just to enjoy a few things plus the ride and head home.

This time I decided to take a three day vacation in this wonderful city.  I went by myself again, as I enjoy doing that more then with a group like I have done sometimes for a day trip.  Anyway, I got off the train and took a taxi to Hard Rock Hotel on N. Michigan, amongst the Magnificent Mile.  

My hotel room was on the 21 floor and was wonderful.  I had three large windows to view the buildings, especially pretty with all the night lights.  I was right by the Chicago river so very pretty and sparkly at night also.  I must say I took lots of photos and enjoyed just leaving the drapes open and going to sleep looking out at the lights.  This is very different from the country person I am.  I like it dark and only the lights of the moon and stars.

My first day I headed to the Art Institute as I wanted to see the great exhibit of Vincent van Gogh, with paintings from other museums on lone, some from Paris, which I had seen last fall.  They had a bedroom exhibit, with the three paintings of his bedroom, and even a bedroom set up to scale so you could walk and imagine how he lived and painted also as often he was painting from the spare room with the chimney in which was right by his room.  This was all in the yellow house in Arles, FRANCE (southern).  They had some special Monet also so took so much in.

After this I headed for a cold windy walk, about 1.5 miles to the Adler's Planetarium.  I was able to take in the sights and also the last showing of the night sky.  It was so enjoyable and educational.  It is all done digitally with computer now, no big machine turning in the middle of the room like years ago.  You can tell I have not visited a planetarium for years.

I headed to catch a taxi to the hotel and ate in the hotel's American cafe that evening.  The food was wonderful and service great, and it was a bit pricey.  However, it was vacation and only me, so I splurged for great steak.

My next day was to tour the wonderful Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park.  I enjoyed this tour so much more then I thought I would.  It was beautiful, educational, well done, and small groups in each tour.  I had to travel by taxi, my choice, as I did not trust I would get to where I was to be at 10:00 for the tour if I went by metro or bus.  I am not "that" big city savey.

After I finished the tour and buying out the gift shop, I headed by taxi back to Chicago city, and to North State to a wonderful Barnes and Nobles.  I ate there and then spent time looking and purchasing a few things.  I do enjoy field trips to bookstores where ever I travel.  

It was then back to the hotel to rest a bit and then get dressed up, wearing an outfit I had purchased in Paris by a locally known designer with three small shops in the Paris area.  I took another taxi to Hard Rock Cafe, and it was  a grand treat for this old hippie and liker of some of the rock and roll famous people.  I was excited to see things from the Beatles, and also Steve Tyler.

The food was wonderful, having a sampler platter and some soda.

The  next day I was scheduled for a shoreline tour by boat, but the weather was very cold, 30 and raining and the boat had an open upper deck and lower deck was open at window areas (no window glass in them), so I called and asked if they were going, as the water was also choppy.  They called a bit later and cancelled so I will be reimbursed for my ticket purchased online.

This left me to go walking, dressing in layers and heading out to go many blocks down Magnificient Mile to shop and then back on the other side, and going around some blocks also.  All this before heading to the station and going home, leaving at about 6:00 p.m. to get back about 10:30.

Roy picked me up, remarking my large suitcase was much heavier.  Little did he know how much I purchased.  I also took lots of photos and had such a wonderful time in just a simple three day trip by train to a state next door to mine.  

I do encourage all that can get out and see some of our great country to do so.  Time goes fast, please note that there are simple things that can bring you great joy.  You do not have to go far and you do not have to spend lots of funds.  You can camp, go for a day trip, stay in a more reasonable hotel, eat bag lunch.  I have traveled all sorts of ways.  This trip I did splurge on myself as I just felt a need to do so.  Next trip, maybe to see the fall colors in my home state of Wisconsin, I will take a cooler and drive the 10 hours and then stay in a Days Inn during the week days when it is about $45.00 a night.  Sounds good to me.  Seeing those northern fall leaves is so much brighter then the ones in Missouri, not that ours are not nice.....just like the hills and mountains of Wisconsin with so many different colors.

Get out and explore.