Good morning again from Itasca, IL.
Posted by
CovingtonCat
Sep 4 '11, 04:18
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Millenium Park was fun. We went there first because the Art Institute doesn't open until 10:30 (what an odd time to open something). Early is good for the park because there are fewer people, even though they're mostly tourists. The Crown Fountain was pretty cool, especially the mist blowing off it. It was hot again yesterday morning. But everyone was smiling around the fountain, from little kids just splashing around to big kids (read: adults) just splashing around. There was yoga on the Great Lawn. "Everyone push your butts up high and walk your hands back as far as you can." Imagine hundreds of people all doing that at once. The Cloud Gate was very cool. Everyone was having fun with it. One big giant fun house mirror. If you go, go early. I can't imagine what it's like later in the day. The plaza around it is big but only so many people can fit underneath it.
After cooling off at the Starbucks across the street, stood in line for the Art Institute. Spent a couple hours wandering around. Highlights were Marc Chagall's America Windows, the Thorne Miniature rooms, and the exhibit in the new wing of photos of faraway space. They were all just black images hanging on a wall! The plaque said they were unsuitable for scientific study (because they didn't actually show any stars?). But somehow they made their way into the modern art wing of a major museum. Something about getting people to talk about what art is. Well, I didn't talk. I laughed. Out loud. I don't understand modern art, I guess. So much of it looks like something a kindergartner or a chimpanzee put together. But some critic somewhere loves it so it gets sold for enormous amounts of money. Nice gig if you can get it.
Had lunch at the Eleven City Diner. My friend found this on line when he searched for delis that served open-faced Rubens. Apparently, this is the only way Rubens are supposed to be served and every place he's been to outside of NYC is doing it wrong. Got lucky and found a parking space in front. I had the Woody Allen - a triple decker with one big heap of corned beef and another heap of pastrami. Also got a side of latkes. Yum! Chicagoans, take note. If you haven't been here you probably should go. It's on the 1100 block of S Wabash.
It was raining when we got out of the deli so that blew our plans for the zoo. Instead we drove around for a while. I went over to the S Prairie District (since we were so close). One of my favorite old houses is over there and I go by to say Hi whenever I'm in town. I can't believe how much the area has changed in the last 15 years. It used to a vast wasteland with a few remnants of Victorian-era buildings. Now it's all high-rises and townhouses.
Took the scenic route back to the hotel. Meaning, I-90 was a parking lot. Drove my GPS crazy since I kept ignoring her increasingly demanding instructions to turn right to get on the interstate. I used the map to find streets going in the same direction. Finally, she just gave up and mapped a route not on I-90. But she tried to get even as we got close to the hotel. I made a turn on a road I knew. Her map had text telling me to turn left in .5 miles. I knew that was wrong because the hotel was about 2 miles down this road. She even tried to tell me to make the turn, but seemed to be fighting her programming. Turn-pause-left-pause-in .5-longer pause-miles-pause-on-silence. Then she reverted to normal. The turn she wanted me to make was into an industrial area. I think she wanted me dead at that moment.
Dinner was supposed to at a Triple D place but I didn't feel like driving back into the city. Instead found a Chicago-style pizza place in nearby Schaumburg - Lou Malnati's. Highly recommended by the woman at the hotel desk. Got there around 7:30 (which, for me was really 8:30 - really late for dinner for me). There was a line out the door and waiting time of 45 mins to an hour. Got back in the car and went to a Mexican place nearby. Again, a line. People really eat late here! Found another pizza place but it was just take-out. Went back to little strip mall that had a couple food places. Ate at Pita House, a Middle Eastern place. You order at the counter, then pick up your food to take to a table. I had shawarma for the first time. And Mama Ganoush (made with zucchini). Also had falafel and kababs. Very yummy!
Today is the architectural boat tour, then the Polish Festival (put off from yesterday due to chance of rain), the Chicago History museum, then Second City. And a stop at a bakery to get babka.
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