AYCJ Chicago entries -- now with photos!

Photos have been added to a few of my early All You Can Jet Chicago Days, way back when, let's see, around September 8 and 9, so take a look back at those days if you wish. And here's one more

Photo: Fountain in Chicago

They look a bit small to me, so if they're too small to view, just leave me a comment, I'll try to fix that. (Hey, it's all a learning process...) And I hope to add some NYC photos soon. It all takes time.... more than perhaps I had imagined when I came up with this idea... But that's okay, it's been fun, although I'm only half-way through, aren't I? ...

30 days of JetBlue Travel - Day 5 - the 'burbs

Day 5 of my All You Can Jet Travel adventure.

After sleeping in longer that I planned to, (needed it) spent some time in Chicago's northern suburbs, finding a place with WiFi, and figuring out why my MacBook doesn't always want to get its email. It's not very interesting, but when you're writing from the road, you are at the mercy of the technology. I have a hard enough time keeping up with it, and when it doesn't work quite right, it can be frustrating!

Other than computer issues, it was a nice relaxing day, ending with a fabulous Italian dinner.

We went to Washington Gardens, in the northern suburb of Highwood, IL. My two Aunts and I shared a few dishes, all delicious. Veal Fontina (with green pepper, garlic, oil, tomato, fontina cheese), Rigatoni Amatriciana (spinach, pancetta, cannellini beans, tomato sauce) for our main courses. And we split an appetizer that I forgot to mention as an all time, old time Chicago favorite: Shrimp De Jonghe. I spelled it right, it's not dijon and has no mustard anywhere near it. It's basically shrimp, butter, garlic and breadcrumbs and it's amazing. Shrimp and garlic are always a good combo. This is a great dish, and I don't think I've ever found it outside of Chicago, where it was invented.

Chicago's ever-changing sky has been fun to watch. Oh good, blue sky! Uh-oh, clouds are rolling in. Wait, no, it's blue again! Oh look, clouds... And this all in one afternoon! There have been some pretty clouds though. I'll be posting pictures of clouds and other things soon.

AYCJ Pass Travel - Day 4 - Chicago

Today, Friday, September 10, on the 4th day of my 30 day All You Can Jet Adventure, from the northern suburbs of Chicago, we headed south to the great Museum of Science and Industry, then west, for Italian beef!

Photo: Johnnies for Italian Beef, Elmwood Park, IL

The Museum of Science and Industry is in a building that was built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It's a museum where you can play with stuff -- press buttons, turn cranks, make things happen. As a kid, this was always a fun museum, and it's amazing that it's still really good. We spent most of our time in the Storms exhibit. We made tornadoes and vortexes (there's a difference... but right now, I couldn't tell you what it is), caused an avalanche, watched lightning, waves, a tsunami, all sorts of stormy subjects.

We toured the Pioneer Zephyr, a passenger train from 1934 and saw exhibits about the human body (I tried to find which muscle in my shoulder I had likely sprained/strained/torn), computers, transportation, the environment. We didn't have time to see it all, but I ran around at the end of the day to take a look around at everything. For anyone who has been there before, the Whispering Gallery is still there, and the baby chicks are still hatching in their incubator. We missed the "Science Theater Show" called "Poop Happens" and well, maybe that's just as well.

Then we headed out west to the Oak Park area for the best Chicago treat ever -- an Italian Beef sandwich. For people not from Chicago, no, it's not a french dip, and no, it's not a Philly cheese steak. It's different. It's better. We went to Johnnies, a popular little spot. Italian Beef with sweet peppers, dipped in the juices, so the Italian bread is good and soggy with the deliciously seasoned beef juices. French fries. Homemade (at Johnnies) Italian Lemon Ice. Delish.

Another good day with lots of walking. So, even with all the beef and pizza, I should be losing weight..... right?

JetBlue AYCJ Pass - Day 3 - in Chicago

Photos: The Art Institute, and clouds over Lake Michigan

Day 3 of my 30-day JetBlue Adventure. Thursday, September 9, in Chicago.

Check-out time was at noon, so I decided to catch up on some sleep and sleep in! hurray! Because this hotel room was like an apartment, with a full kitchen, and a coffeemaker with coffee, I took the opportunity to save on some restaurant meals, and had picked up some essentials for breakfast.

The local 24-hour Walgreens seemed to have many travelers inside, picking up essential grocery items for their hotel rooms. I had some cereal in a ziplock bag (it was just going to go stale at home, and if I finish it, maybe my luggage will get slightly lighter!) With some yogurt and milk, breakfast is set! Check my email on the hotel's wireless system, and start packing up to move on to the next stop.

Does anyone else walk around their hotel multiple times, checking for stray personal belongings that are trying to stay behind? Everything out of the bedroom? check. Everything out of the bathroom? check. Wait, let me look one more time.

The Seneca Hotel and Suites was a good find. I had a one-bedroom apartment for a couple days, right next to the Hancock building on Chicago's north side. I found a Travelzoo deal of $109/night, which for a hotel in a big city, is a pretty good deal. I took advantage of the kitchen to save money on food, and save it for those days when I won't have a kitchen, or when I'm out with friends. They have a gym (which I never got around to using) and a nice rooftop deck (which I did enjoy). And when I checked out, they let me leave my luggage with them for the couple of hours I walked around, waiting to be picked up.

After yesterday's clear, blue sky, the morning started out clear, but the blue sky narrowed to a small strip of blue, which slowly moved out over the lake, pushed off by gray clouds. It was still nice to walk around the lovely Chicago lakefront though. It's not the ocean, but someone once told me they were surprised by the size of Lake Michigan. When they heard "lake" they assumed you'd be able to see the shore on the other side of the lake. But in Chicago, you cannot see across to Michigan. It may as well be an ocean (without the surfing).

Now I'm trying to figure out if you're on a lake shore, how far can you see across the water, to the horizon? How far away is the horizon? And how many miles is it, across the lake to Michigan from Chicago?

My Aunts Mary and Maureen picked me and my luggage up at the hotel, and we drove to the Art Institute. When I grew up in the suburbs, I spent some weekends with Mary and Maureen, in Chicago. We would go downtown to the department stores, or to the Art Institute. Their father (my grandfather) was an artist, a painter, so I had an early introduction to art. They also helped me develop my love for Chicago, and for cities in general -- So much to see and do, so much activity.

The Art Institute was wonderful, as always, and their new modern wing is beautiful.

We headed up to the northern suburbs, my next sleeping location, but stopped and picked up a pizza first. (Chicago pizza!) The first difference I find between Chicago and New York pizzas -- New York: pepperoni. Chicago: sausage. It was delicious.

Another busy day has left me tired again. Will I ever catch up on my sleep? Especially while I stay up late to write this blog? If I miss a day of writing, will the whole thing fall apart? Will I ever post any of the pictures I'm taking along the way?

JetBlue AYCJ - Day 2 - Windy City

Wednesday, September 8, Day 2 of my 30-day adventure, in Chicago

Photos: Millennium Park Bandshell, "the Bean" sculpture, and the view of the John Hancock Building, from my hotel roof deck.

A beautiful day in a fabulous city with wonderful friends. Decades ago, Mary Beth, Bonnie and I spent a couple years together as friends at Wheaton Central High School. Years have passed when we didn't see each other at all. And yet we can spend a whole day together with no plan, and have a great time. Walk, sit and talk, walk, stop and eat, walk, talk, laugh, talk, walk some more, drink, laugh, talk. That was our day.

What is it about old friends, that you've known since you were younger? Maybe it's that we all really know each other's history, because we went through it together. We know each other's parents and siblings, the houses where we grew up, hanging out together in high school. You will never have that with anyone you meet as an adult. So there's a common bond. An uncommon common bond.

We met at Millennium Park, just east of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Today was a beautiful day, bright blue sky, a few fluffy clouds, slightly chilly in the morning, perfect temp later. Walked around the fabulous shiny silver bean sculpture, where I, like everybody else, took many pictures of cool reflections. Walked around the amazing Frank Gehry-designed bandshell, more photos. We walked to the Aqua Building, because I had seen a documentary about its design and building. More pictures. I'm a bit of an architecture fan I guess. I love when something is well-conceived and beautifully-built. And we later enjoyed the water fountain with the faces. I don't know what it's officially called, but anyone who has been there knows what it is.

We walked around the beautiful lakefront. We ate lunch outdoors, which in my view is mandatory on a beautiful day. And there may have been a margarita or two in there somewhere.

We walked down State Street, to Carson Pirie Scott, a department store where I worked for 6 months, right out of high school. I was the receptionist in their advertising department, back when individual local department stores had their own advertising departments. I thought I was so cool, at 18, commuting on the Northwestern Train in from the suburbs to the big city each day.

The Carson's building, which was built in 1899 (I just looked it up) is empty, like the bones of a dead carcass stripped bare. It was sad. Looking in the windows of the Main Floor where the women's accessories, purses and cosmetics had been, there were just concrete floors and the old pillars. I know things change, nothing stays the same, but this made me sad, maybe because I had some brief history there. And down the street, Marshall Fields is now Macy's. Every store is now Macy's. Is this really progress for us consumers... Okay, sorry, enough of sounding old and cranky. I'm just tired. (and maybe a little old and cranky...)

Mary Beth headed home, and Bonnie and I walked to my hotel, where we sat on the roof deck on the 17th Floor with a bottle of wine, relaxed and enjoyed the end of the beautiful day. And Bonnie did all this walking with one foot in a foot brace/cast/shoe device thingy (that may not be the official name for it). She tore the muscle in the arch of her foot. I may not have that exactly right either, but when she described it, all I remember thinking was... "OUCH". Between her foot and my shoulder, we were quite a pair. But what we lack in physical prowess, we make up for in determination.

Walking around on a beautiful day, in the city where I was born, and that I've always loved. Enjoying a rare entire day, catching up with old friends that I don't get to see often enough. That was a great day.