An end of summer trip to see whales and skyscrapers
Friday, August 29 – We left Cincinnati just a little after 5 pm on Friday evening to get a jump on our drive to Chicago, taking I-74 to Indianapolis and catching I-65 northbound via I-465 and I-70. Traffic was lighter than we’d anticipated for a holiday weekend. We stopped in Lebanon, Indiana, at the Comfort Inn and got carry out from Steak ‘n’ Shake because all the local restaurants were packed. Jim, Scott and Michelle went for a swim after dinner. The motel had a very nice lobby with a fireplace, curving stairway, and cathedral ceiling, but there was no jacuzzi. The motel was also right by the expressway and we were serenaded by the sounds of traffic all night.
Saturday, August 30 – After breakfast at the Comfort Inn, we headed up I-65 under sunny skies. As if on cue, the sun disappeared into a solid gray overcast when we reached I-80. I-94 took us into the city of Chicago. Our plan was to head north on I-94, find a hotel north of the city near the el, and take the train into town. At the last minute we decided to see Wrigley Field first so we took the Addison exit for the alledged three mile drive. We were beginning to doubt the signs when the stadium finally appeared on our left. We circled the stadium and had lunch at Wrigleyville, a hot dog stand where Scott had a Chicago chili dog and Lynne had a “well dressed” hot dog. (One of our neighbors who came from Chicago said the item people in the Windy City liked most was the “well dressed” hot dog.) We drove back to Wrigley Field, parked, and walked around to see what we could of the ballpark. Michelle liked the Cubs “Walk of Fame” on the sidewalk in front, particularly Harry Carey’s plate which said “Holy Cow!”. From Wrigley we headed down Clark Street into downtown.
After a few missed turns and some impromptu sightseeing, we made our way to the museum campus on Lakeshore Drive and parked by Meigs Field. Despite the lines we went to the John G. Shedd aquarium where the kids watched a diver feeding the fish in the coral reef tank. Their favorite moment was when the sea turtle bit the diver on his shoulder. Michelle made her sound she makes for cute furry animals when she saw some river otters and both kids glued themselves to the tank with the poisonous fish. The aquarium was crowded and while larger than the one at the Cincinnati Zoo, did not impress us all that much. The attached oceanarium was outstanding. We watched sea otters cavort in their re-created Pacific Northwest habitat before heading downstairs to watch the Pacific White-Sided Dolphins and Beluga Whales in their massive tanks. Michelle sponsors a dolphin through an adopt an animal program so she was in seventh heaven. Scott couldn’t get enough of the whales. We headed upstairs for a different look and watched the dolphins demonstrate some of their behaviors. One of the belugas poked its head above water and showed the crowd why they’re called the canaries of the sea. Lake Michigan blended into the steely sky on the horizon when we left the aquarium. The parks department had a small concession stand outside where Lynne found funnel cakes.
We left downtown via I-290 hoping to find a hotel in the suburbs. We had almost convinced ourselves we would have to drive to Rockford when we spotted a Holiday Inn in Itasca. Our room there was on the fifth floor overlooking the holidome. A hotel with elevators, a pool, games and a jungle gym – life certainly couldn’t have been any better for the kids. After a fancy dinner at Carrington’s Steak and Seafood, Lynne and Jim hit the jacuzzi while the kids tried out the pool and other amusements.
Sunday, August 31 – We ate breakfast in the Holiday Inn’s restaurant. Scott wanted to see the United Center (home of the Bulls) so we exited I-290 at Damen Street to drive past it. We continued into downtown, found a parking lot a block from the Sears Tower, and got in line to buy tickets for a trip to the Skydeck. We had sunny skies for a change and a good view of Chicago from 1400 feet. One structure that stood out from the other downtown edifaces was christened “the funky red building” by the kids and they were delighted to look down on it. Many photographs later, we rode the elevator back down. Michelle said the trip down made her sick. We walked over to see the Chicago River before heading back to the museum campus. This time we parked in the lot by Soldier Field and took a free Trolley to the Field Museum.
The museum was crowded but we managed to see the dinosaurs, stuffed animals, an Egyptian tomb, opals and gems, ice age fossils, and sea mammals. Lunch was the McDonald’s on the museum’s ground floor. We saw less than half the museum but were still pretty worn out when we caught the trolley and rode over to the Adler Planetarium where we saw the sky show “Life on Mars?” and looked briefly at a few of the exhibits in the museum there. After a final funnel cake, the trolley took us back to the parking lot. We left Chicago via I-90 through the smelly northeast corner of Indiana to I-65. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Rensselaer, Indiana, and ate dinner at the Arby’s next door.
Monday, September 1 – We ate breakfast at the hotel and headed back south. In West Lafayette we tried to visit the Tippecanoe Battlefield but Indiana’s wonderful road signs refused to point the way to it. We wasted all the time we would have spent visiting trying in vain to find it, gave up, and headed back to I-65. Lunch was at a Wendy’s in Greensburg with an uneventful return home on I-74.
Milestones on this trip: A trip to the top of the Sears Tower and a view of Wrigley Field, not to mention the “well dressed” hot dog.
States and provinces we visited: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.
Capital cities we saw: Indianapolis.
