I really need to stay in Chicago longer rather than cram so much into a few hours! Whew!
Lori, Shelly, & I had a B L A S T in Chicago!! We left Lori’s Friday morning about 10:30. We got back home at 6:20 Saturday night. We did all this in 32 hours:
First we drove 1 1/2 hrs to the train station.
The ride was fine until we sat for an extra 20 mins partway to Chicago while the local police came and took someone off the train. It made me sad to see the little girl with the disruptive one crying at the train station. 😦
We considered waiting for a bus but walked to Miller’s Pub for a late lunch. Our bus drove off as we walked out the door of the train station. 
After lunch we walked around the corner to Blick’s. Yeah for me – their Christmas sale just started. I’m pleased as punch with my new paints & inks! 🙂 They offered to mail me my gift with purchase which hadn’t arrived to them yet – 3 Golden fluids and a DVD.
We walked back 1 block and got the bus to take us to the hotel. (And jogged part of that since the bus we needed was beside us at one point! Thankfully the bus got a red light!) An interesting way to introduce L & S to public transportation! 🙂
Soon we arrived at our hotel, The Blackstone Renaissance.
Our room was beautiful!
The bathroom was HUGE!
(You needed me in the picture for scale. 🙂 ) I thought I should have bought a pack of markers at Blick’s. The wallpaper really needed coloring!! LOL!
It was time to head out for supper (no, we weren’t hungry yet) so I took L & S on their first subway ride. We did get seats even tho it was nearing 5 p.m. It was very crowded tho! We got off at the right spot and after a few minutes we figured out where the restaurant was where we had reservations.
But K had just gotten on her subway to meet us, so we walked 1 1/2 blocks to a fun store, Marbles. Super ideas for gifts so I took a few notes. 🙂 We headed back to our restaurant as K arrived there too.
What a treat to have supper with my Miss K!!!
She then rode back to our hotel with us. 🙂 It was great to have a few more hours together.
Near 9 p.m. I walked her downstairs to get a bus to take her back home. Her bus would come across the street so I stayed on my side, she waited in the bus cubby, and we talked via the phone across the street! 🙂 She got the next bus, we waved, and I headed back inside but was met with a locked door! Around the corner, the other door was still open. heehee!
{The hello’s are so much fun, too bad we have to have goodbye’s too.}
In the morning we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Not too pricey neither too warm or plentiful. The decor was fun to see!
Our table with breakfast. Loved the plates and the little bits of butter the girls got. The waitress was sure I’d miss the bread so I didn’t worry about letting her bring me the potato thing. I had a taste. Cold.
The view out the window was of Grant Park –
The hotel lobby carpet was intriguing….
I’m looking for a new profile picture on Facebook… not this one.
I’m going to try this one but need to play with the cropping first. Find me there!!
Another hotel guest offered to take our picture! 🙂
We packed up and headed out for our shopping day! A stroll along Michigan Avenue and Grant Park was easy on this beautiful fall day. Three weeks ago when we talked about this trip, I envisioned I’d be wearing my leggings & a winter coat. Not even a jacket was needed!!
Hotel –
The blue sky was fit for a postcard!
The seasonal plantings at The Art Institute are always unique and lovely!
Guess how I got this view? 🙂
Next was a subway ride to some shopping we wanted to do. CB 2 – loved that place!! Crate & Barrel – we continued on, hoping for super deals at the outlet. Crate & Barrel Outlet – good! I didn’t get much seeing that my “bag” for the weekend was FULL & heavy to pull (backpack on wheels) and my body was getting tired from all the walking.
Beside the outlet was a Trader Joe’s. In the door and on the first floor was an Aldi store. We took the elevator to the 2nd floor which listed Trader Joe’s. The doors opened to a parking garage! So we peeked around the corner and there along the side of the parking garage was Trader Joe’s! ha! We each got a bit of something and I was happy to find sugar-free mayo there! 🙂
By this time, our arms were full and our feet sore so we headed to our connection to the train station. We walked to the brown line – the El.
On our way to Chicago, I said to the others, “I’m scared of heights.”
I heard in reply, “Me, too.”
And
“Me, too.”
Yikes!! So here we go!
We walked about 2 small blocks to the station. A darling walk and so much like K’s neighborhood. So after another game of figuring out how to put our pass in the slot, we headed up two flights of open steps. I was carrying my very heavy backpack and had to take a break part way up the steps.
At the top, I realized I didn’t know which direction side I was on! And I lose my sense of direction going through the queue and around the steps. Hmmm…
There was a crowd that looked nice waiting but to get to them, I’d have to walk the platform over the street. No, thanks! So I turned and there was a man sitting on a bench nearer to us. I excused myself and asked him if this was the Loop direction. ” No. 😦 Down the steps and up the other side!” *sigh*
I think at this point my traveling companions were ready to push me over the side!! However, once we were downstairs sure enough the other side was marked for the Loop. AND we decided to use the elevator to go up. Not a great elevator but easier than steps again.
I could have just freaked at this platform but soon here came our train. As I saw it was stopping farther down than I was standing, I turned and saw L & S were waaaaayyyyy down the platform and nearing a door! I had to RUN to catch them and get on the train in time AND I was over the street. UGH!
We got on and it wasn’t full at all so we had room to sit and to unload our arms a bit. NONE of us liked this ride so high but Lori was being the bravest and preferred this over the subway rides.
It was so good to get back on land again. We walked a block and found Jimmy John’s for lunch. We sat there an hour (we never run out of conversation!) and enjoyed the rest & the use of the facilities.
Just 2 blocks had us back at the train station for our ride to the car. After we got to the car, we stopped for drinks (soft!) & the bathrooms at a gas station. Later as we passed an accident that had JUST happened, I was thankful we had delayed our trip home with a stop for pop.
I got to my house by 6:20 Saturday night. What a blast! How tired we all were! 🙂
Thank you Lori for sharing your hotel room with us!! 🙂
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and sew on... 