R. Craig Collins > Web Page Design > Portfolio > Chicago, 2002

Chicago, Detroit, Windsor Canada; 2002 © R. Craig Collins, 2002/7

Friday, after going to the doctor and waiting for a prescription, we grabbed a bite to eat before we hit the road.

We left Waco about 6:00 pm, and arrived in Texarkana about 10:30 pm, and lugged our luggage up to our stinky little room, got cleaned up, and sacked out.

We had breakfast in the hotel, filled up with gas, and got back on the road about 8:30 am Saturday morning. It was foggy and drizzly all the way across Arkansas, and we stopped just shy of I-55, gassed up and ate at a southern restaurant/buffet called the Old Saw Mill in Forrest City.

As we got back in the car we noticed the odd snow flake, and headed north. We stopped for gas and grub in Mt. Vernon, Il, just as the snow really started blowing. The roads were not bad until Champaign when the snow was really drifting on the side of the road, and just about Kankakee, traffic slowed down to accommodate the conditions.

We arrived at a snowbound Chicago suburb hotel about 10:00 pm, and took pictures of the girls in front of the hotel in the blizzard, then another of them thawing out in front of the fireplace.
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Sunday morning we had breakfast in the hotel, then I spent a few minutes cleaning the snow off the car before we could head into downtown Chicago. (The low was –2°, coldest day here in 13 months) We past Midway airport, got on I-55, hopped over to Lakeshore Drive and drove along Lake Michigan, past Soldier field and the museum campus area to Chicago Ave, over to Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile) past the old water tower, and then we parked at the Hancock Center. (Amazing amount of security to park there, they even checked the trunk)
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At the observation level, 1020 feet up, on the 94th floor, we marveled at the skyscrapers dwarfed below, the lake, the city, and the snow. We ate below ground level at the Cheesecake factory, and it was just incredible. Great salad and baked potato soup, deep dish pizza, mashed potatoes, and turkey sandwiches around the table, followed by White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cheesecake. We wandered past the Water Tower, over to Marshall Fields, and then spend some time in American Girl Place, where Gracie had her picture taken, and put on an American Girl Magazine.

We then loaded up the car, and went to the Navy Pier. The Ferris wheel was closed, but we enjoyed the pavilion, the big boats at the deserted tour pier, the crystal garden (huge green house) and watched a few shows. We even took a Disney style virtual time tour before eating at Joe’s Be-Bop BBQ café and Jazz emporium. The food was okay, but the view of the deck, the live jazz, and the sense we were not ‘in Kansas’ anymore was more than enough to carry us. We headed back to the hotel, amazed at the snow under the lights, the Chicago skyline at night, and noting it was 6°. We fueled up, got some sundries to tide us over, and even let the girls play at a McDonald’s after dessert.

Monday morning, the temperature was -6°, but again the sky was clear. We ate breakfast, I cleared the car of ice, and off we went to the Field Museum.

Light traffic as it was a state holiday, so we arrived at the museum about 9:30 am, and took a COLD stroll from the parking area near Soldier field to the museum. We started with the basement and the special Chocolate exhibit, then went through the Egyptian tomb, and then the up to the first floor and the Native American exhibits. We ate lunch in the Corner Bakery, then finished the floor by seeing the T-Rex Sue, then the African exhibit and the Wilderness Walk, with a lot of models and preserved animals. We then went up stairs to the gem room, then past the Chinese exhibits, the Pacific spirits, Japanese Lacquers, and Tibetan display. We finished our tour with more of Sue, then the fossil lab, the Dinosaur and evolution exhibit, and finally the plants of the world exhibit. Click on image for larger version...

We headed back into the cold about 3:30, and made it to the Sears Building about 4:00. We have never been so cold as we were when crossing the street! We passed security, and up to a great but diminishing view, as the snow returned.
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After leaving parking at 5:00, we got turned around and wound up touring China town, Greek town, and then passed Grant Park before hitting the road home. Traffic was pretty rough, especially in the snow, but it was neat seeing the EL, and we made it back by 6:00.

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We freshened up, then looked for a pizza place but settled for a bakery with PIE. Upon our return, we packed up, getting ready for our last museum before heading out to Detroit.

Crisp but warmer morning greeted us as we checked out of the hotel, and headed to the Museum of Science and Industry, with their covered parking! Our great time started at 9:30 on the 1930’s Zephyr train, touring the petroleum planet and riding the ski machines, touring the circus, wandering a 1900’s main street, walking through the air wing, watching the Omni Max on Egypt, touring a coal mine, grabbing a pizza, touring the U 505, wandered around a farm, seeing baby chicks hatch, riding F-14s in a simulator, seeing mock ups and models of old and new ships, looking at race cars, looking at a fairy castle, seeing a sliced up body, walking through a human heart, and so many other things that there just isn't space here.

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We left Chicago about 2:30, passed through Gary, and in to Michigan. As usual, near dinner time in Battle Creek, the snow started up, and there was a lot of ice until past Ann Arbor. Wet snow blowing as we crossed through downtown Detroit, into the Tunnel and into Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and looked back at Detroit.

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We couldn’t find a non casino locale for snacks on the Riverside, so we headed back to the USA, amused the INS person with our story of driving from Texas just to visit Canada, and made it into Dearborn for dessert before checking into our hotel.

Checked out of hotel at 9:00, arrived Henry Ford Museum.

The Henry Ford Museum is about how industry has changed America, and we started with the household tools, from improvements in ironing to cooking and washing, and changes in furniture and doll houses!

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From there, we walked through steam power plants, around the evolution in communications, such as an Edison cylander recorder, and looked at one of the fore runners of computers, including the Hollerith Tabulating Machine, and some early computerized manufacturing pieces.

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We also so displays showing how the US has changed over the years, from the Rosa Park's bus, to schools, to houses.

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There was a hands on exhibit for the girls to 'manufacter' something...

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And there were historic airplanes, and of course, historic cars.



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Departed 2:45, dinner in Ft. Wayne, had car washed, arrived Indianapolis at 8:30 pm. We spent the day with Merri (the girl's cousin) and her son Kyle, and then we had dinner with Merri's husband Scott and her brother Kelly.

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We also visited the girl's Great Aunt Peggy and Uncle Ray in Oklahoma City, and celebrated Diane's Disco themed birthday just a few days after, with her Aunt Dianne and her Uncle Clay.

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