Adventures with Liz

"Windy-ana" and the Windy City

Road trip day one: Solon, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois.

I reluctantly left my warm bed and the safety of home at 8:00 a.m. this morning. After picking up Danny and a quick coffee stop, we began our long journey. The drive was relatively easy, although incredibly windy, especially in Indiana. I'm adjusting to the new car (LOVE the sunroof!), and Persephone provided adequate company. I think her favorite part was seeing all the cows... there are a LOT of cows between Solon and Chicago!

We are staying with Danny's friends in the city. After dropping off our belongings, Danny and I set off into the city to do some exploring. I have always loved trains, ever since I was little, but I haven't been on one since living near New York City, so riding the El for the first time was probably one of the highlights of my day. I just love the rumbling sound, the swaying motion, the bustle of the stops, and all the different types of people one encounters throughout the ride.

We started in an independent record store called Reckless Records in an eclectic little area across downtown. We then jumped back on the El to try to see the lake, but ended up wandering around downtown for awhile instead. We ended up in Millennium Park, where two very extravagant weddings were taking place, making people watching even more exciting. We continued from there on our way to the water, and en route we passed through Grant Park as well. Grant Park fits the classic definition of park much better than Millennium Park. Millennium Park is nice in it's own right, sleek and shiny and full of modern artistic pieces. But Grant Park is real, with cracking sidewalks and open grass full of kids playing frisbee or touch football. The whole area smelled like pear blossoms, as the sidewalks were lined with gnarled old pear trees. Who'd have thought that in the middle of a busy city you would be able to smell nothing but pear trees? Anyway, we made it all the way to the giant fountain, and then wandered back to Millennium Park to rest our by now aching feet.

After a few more adventures on the El, the evening ended with dinner with our hosts at Ed Debevec's, which was quite the experience. Let's just say if you enjoy rudeness and your servers dancing on the counter, it's the place for you. A long day ended with a walk back in the pouring rain and one final ride on the El. Danny is hardcore and went to see a show; I, however, am still getting over being sick and have two weeks of this madness ahead of me, so I decided it was better not to burn the candle at both ends just yet.

I still don't feel like I'm really doing this yet. Right now, it feels like I just decided to take a trip to Chicago. I have done a lot of good thinking though, considering the short amount of time I've been gone. So all in all, I'm satisfied with my start.

posted by Liz @ 11:55 PM