The Windy City

My brother Gerry and I recently took a trip to  Chicago. The main purpose of the trip was to see two Pearl Jam shows at Wrigley Field. It takes about five hours to drive there. I hadn't been to Chicago for years so was excited for this trip.

We arrived early afternoon but couldn't check into our hotel right away. We drove around getting familiar with the area and stopped at Manny's for lunch. Open since 1942, this deli has the most amazing food. They are known for their corned beef/pastrami sandwiches and they are loaded with meat. The prices are reasonable and they also have a bakery and serve liquor.

After lunch, we checked into the hotel and got ready to make our way to Wrigley. We walked through Chinatown to catch the L train. As we got closer to Wrigley, the train filled with Pearl Jam fans, evident by their concert shirts. When we exited at Addison station, there were crowds of people hanging around before the show.

We had some time to kill so went to the Irish Oak to have a couple drinks.
The decor was all wooden and the menu had classic Irish fare. The music was great and the bar was packed with Pearl Jam fans. It had been 25 years to the day that I saw Pearl Jam in Toronto with Blues Traveler, Soundgarden and Neil Young. I last saw them in 2014 in Detroit and was looking forward to the show.

The setlist was epic with 32 songs and 2 encores. They played for just under 3 hours. It was a beautiful night and with 40,000 fans screaming and lighting up their cell phones, it felt magical.
It turned a bit bizarre when Dennis Rodman brought out Eddie Vedder's ukulele and promptly brought up North Korea. They did a number of cover songs, paying tribute to Chris Cornell, Tom Petty and David Bowie. Steve Gleason also made a guest appearance and it was nice to see his smile as he enjoyed the music.

The next morning, we got up early for a 90 minute architecture boat tour on the Chicago River. The weather was perfect and the guide was both extremely informative and entertaining.
















The architecture was astounding and we got to see many of the famous buildings as we made our way under the numerous bridges. We also learned that Chicago didn't earn it's moniker Windy City from weather conditions. Our guide informed us that the name actually originated as an insult to the politicians, the "windbags" with inflated egos that only cared about profit. The boat tour was a great way to see some of the sights of Chicago. We even got discounted tickets on Groupon!



There was a matinee of Hamilton that afternoon at the CIBC theatre. The tickets were pricey but I heard such great reviews and really wanted to see it. The theatre itself was a bit disappointing as our seats had an obstructed view of the stage. However, once Act I began, I was enthralled with the show as they sang and rapped the story of America's Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton. I'm not much of an American history buff, but the play was so interesting and entertaining. We loved it!



Afterwards we were starving so headed to Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, home of the Chicago deep dish.

My brother ordered the Malnati Chicago classic, a deep dish with Lou's sausage, cheese and tomatoes.

I prefer my pie with a thin crust and kept it simple with garlic, basil and mushrooms. It was the best pizza I've had in ages!





Monday was raining but we didn't let that stop us. My brother wanted to try Portillo's for lunch as he heard great reviews of their beef and sausage sandwich. We then made our way to the Magnificent Mile district, to 875 Michigan Ave, formally known as the John Hancock Center.

This architectural icon, is a 100 story, 1,128 foot skyscraper. It's home to a number of restaurants, shops and condominiums. We purchased tickets to 360º Chicago as well as the TILT. We took the elevator to the 94th floor, in what has to be the fastest elevator (I believe that's what was announced as we ascended in about 38 seconds). The observatory is 1,030 feet above street level. You can see 4 states and across many miles from that height.














The TILT faces the south side of the building and has 8 individual bays that tilt outward from the top at 10-30 degrees. It provides a great view of Chicago and Lake Michigan. My only complaint was it didn't last long enough!

From there, we jumped back on the L train to head to Wrigley for the second Pearl Jam show. We had general admission tickets this time so had to wait in line (which was blocks away from the stadium). It moved pretty quickly and once inside, we nabbed a great spot not too far from the stage.                                                 

It had been raining off and on all day and a storm was in the forecast. Minutes before the show was due to start, the crew came out to cover everything with tarps and lower the speakers. When the lightening started, the announcement came that the show was to be delayed and everyone had to clear the field. Thousands of people were herded inside where they were crammed together to await the go ahead to return to their seats.

After a 90 minute delay, the band took the stage and played for as long as they could. When you play an outdoor show in the Summer, you run the risk of tempting Mother Nature. When the band played here in 2013, they faced a rain delay then too. Even though this band hasn't released an album in five years, they have incredibly loyal fans and thousands were captivated by frontman Eddie Vedder as he talked about his love of the game, the Cubs, and many of the influences like Joe Maddon and Theo Epstein. While I enjoyed seeing the band outdoors at Wrigley, I think next time I'll stick to an indoor venue.

The next day we were headed home but decided to make one last stop for pizza. It'll be a while before I get pizza that good again. Thank you Chicago for a great vacation and to my brother Gerry for the great company. Next trip booked is in October with my sister Jennie to Antigua...stay tuned!

~MT
                                                                                                                                                                        

Summer Vacation

My friend Cheryl pointed out that I haven't posted for a while. I figured it's because I haven't really done much traveling. During the Summer, I tend to stay close to home and enjoy the pool and backyard.  I was off work for 12 days and decided to enjoy a staycation (yes, it's a real thing).

stay·ca·tion

ˌstāˈkāSHn/

noun

informal

1. a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

For the past twelve days, it's been nice to enjoy the pool, hang with my dog, read five books, catch up on HBO's Sharp Objects (it's really good), practice my ukulele and relax. As much as I enjoy traveling, it's sometimes nice to not be on the go, and just chill at home.

My sisters and nephews went on a road trip so my Cockapoo Kirby and I got to "dog-sit" their Bullmastiff, Lucy. Luckily, they get along well, despite the difference in size. Lucy is gentle unless food is involved. Then she'll knock Kirby (and anyone) out of her way.







When they returned home, my sister Bobbie and I took a day trip to Stratford, Ontario. It's located in Southwest Ontario along the Avon River and home to great shops, fine dining, and most importantly, the theatre.



My friend Paula and I try to visit Stratford once a year to see a Shakespearean play. Having studied a play each year in high school, and then two semesters at university, I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to Shakespeare. My sister wanted to see two plays, a matinee and evening show.

The first play we saw was Julius Caesar. I studied this in grade 9 and it all came flooding back to me. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."

Our seats were in the balcony but there really isn't a bad seat at the Festival Theatre. I've watched a number of plays here and am always amazed how they can transform a small, plain stage into what they need to.

This is the stage right after Brutus and others killed Caesar. "Et tu, Brute?"


After enjoying dinner in the downtown core, we returned to the Festival Theatre to see To Kill A Mockingbird. My sister studied this novel in school (grade 8!) and my book club read Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee when it was released in 2015. It was published as a sequel to Mockingbird, the only novel Lee ever published.

Our seats were better for this play and I was enthralled as we watched Scout, Jem, Dill and Atticus perform. I was amazed that the actor who played Brutus in Julius Caesar also played Atticus in Mockingbird! I can't believe that he did both plays in one day and performed two very different roles so well.

The stage was transformed from the Finch's house for half the play, and into a court room for the other half. Even though Mockingbird is based on an event that occurred near Lee's home in 1936, the story is still very relevant today. I think children should read this book as it teaches empathy, and what it means to walk in someone else's shoes.

Stratford is always a great day trip. Hopefully Paula and I can go before the season is done, as The Tempest is also playing.

As my vacation comes to a close, I feel sad that I have to return to work. My Grandmother always told me that "it's not a vacation if it doesn't end". I loved everything about my staycation and feel completely relaxed.  Hope you are all enjoying your Summer and that you got to enjoy either a vacation or staycation.

~MT