My Kind of Town

Jean Baptiste DuSable, a man of French/African heritage was the first traper in 1779 to build a cabin in the area called "Chicago", which was an Indian word for "Onion" in reference to the onionlike grass that grew around the marshy land next to the great lake. Later, spinmakers changed the meaning to "Strong" referring to the multi-ethnic determination of the people who settled here, trying to elaborate on the interpretation.

What's wrong with "onion", huh ??

Chicago is a world renown center for the best variety and quality of food. Where would this world be without the important onion to flavor those dishes? Empty, I say !

(Chicagoan's have always been known to take a lemon and make lemonade...)

Proudly we profess to have the most beautiful lakefront, the best restaurants and museums, the most amazing architecture, performance art and festivals to celebrate throughout the year plus awesome shopping ! This is the BIG city with the small town attitude where people SMILE at you on the street !

So pull yourselves tall, proudly shake those onions in rebellion, and watch the world line up in adoration !

Quick Tips:

This journal addresses places you SHOULD NOT MISS during your visit to Chicago, and will be centered downtown. In upcoming journals, I will discuss "classic" Chicago restaurants,the "best assisted tours", and "places you shouldn't miss outside downtown." How about a "Shopping" journal? My ideas may intrigue you, since the Magnificent Mile ( Michigan Ave.) is mindless for fat cats with full wallets !

There is a City Pass Ticket that allows admission to 6 places for 30.50 per adult.It includes 4 museums, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Sears Tower Observation deck. Phone: 707-256-0490. Before you call them, check the dates of your visit, because I will always list the FREE days at each museum. As expected, FREE days will be more crowded.

THE LOOP-is the downtown area that is service by the elevated trains covering a rectangle area since 1893. (Also called the "L" by locals.) Rand McNally offers one of the best laminated maps called "City Flash" for downtown reference. Don't bother to ride the "L" downtown, you can usually walk faster ! But I will recommend a FREE tour to you in another journal.

Best Way To Get Around:

Subway/Elevated- most tourists will use the blue line that runs from O'Hare Airport to downtown, and the Redline that runs from Evanston/Skokie to Jackson Park. There are connected underground stations for easy access to both lines.Fares are 1.50 with a .30 transfer( good for 2 rides in a 2 hour period and can be used on trains or buses.) Get that Rand McNally Map !

I usually walk downtown( about 8 square blocks). If the weather's bad, I'll take a cab from the stands at the Northwesern train station.( Maximum cost-.00 for 3 passengers)

Don't drive downtown! First,parking begins around 15.00-.00/day. Most hotels charge this too! Second, downtown drivers are all schizophrenics off their medication ! Rush HOURS are: 6:00a.m.-9:00a.m. and 3:00p.m. until 6:30p.m. It is best to stay-put during those hours or take public transportation. Inbetween hours won't offer redemption if there's an accident or Chicago's favorite hobby---roadwork--is in progress.

(FREE ON WED.) The Field Museum is known around the world for their in-depth Dinosaur research. They have the biggest and most complete T. Rex ever found, but they also have the smallest Dino as well ( Located 2nd floor, east side after Sue's immense head that was too heavy to place on her body on the main floor.) Don't make the mistake of thinking Dino's are all that this museum holds !

1.) enter the lifesize tomb of a pharaoh on the main floor and wind your way through narrow passages before you enter the lower level and the 23 mummies who live here. Enter the marketplace of that time for fun activities, such as printing your own name in hieroglyphics.

2.) Maori House of the ancestors - located in the upper level of the Pacific Island collection. The Field museum began it's collections at a time of imperialistic abuses of other cultures which allowed them to put together an amazing amount of material but in a rather unethical way. This spiritual house was "bought" in exchange for glass bead necklaces. In the museum's honor, they went back to the Maori several years ago, and offered to return the house. The Maori's elders realized that the house has been used wisely in the purpose of education as well as celebrations of weddings and funerals that have been held in the museum. After serious reflection, they asked that the ancestors house remain to guide US in a better understanding of THEM. ( with the eyes of their ancestors watching, of course.)

3.) Lions of Tsavo- located main floor-Africa. Remember the movie "Ghost of the Darkness" ? Well, these two lions are the real maneatters featured in that movie. There was a hunter brought by the railroad to Africa to kill them, where they ended up as rugs for awhile. A recent examination has found the reason WHY they ate humans. It appears that these blokes had a bad case of gum disease, and human skin was easier to pull apart than...let's say...rhino skin.

4.) FREE tours offered by volunteers from the information desk at 11 and 2 during the week, and 11 and 1 on weekends.

(* parking garage fees of $7.75)

When I was a kid, this was my favorite place ! Real Airplanes hang from the ceiling as if they are divebombing you from a concrete sky. The full size coal mine takes you down the shaft in a miners elevator where you then ride the electric cars as if YOU are going to work ! The Space Center not only shows you spacecraft and tools, but lets you operate docking simulators or take your own mission on a virtual space ride... and there's more !

U505 GERMAN SUBMARINE WW11- captured on the high seas in 1944, this is the first enemy vessel to be taken at war since 1815. Can you imagine them towing this thing sloshing 2000 miles to port BEFORE moving it to Chicago ?(My Dad's company moved it just from the Lake to the Museum, and THAT was a pain in the neck!)Take a walk below deck to get a real DAS BOOT feel. It couldn't have been a nice experience for the sailors, but you will have a ball !!

COLLEEN MOORE'S DOLL HOUSE- Ms. Moore was an actress who commissioned set designers, jewelers, plumbers, and electricians to develop the world's most amazing doll house in 1926 that cost $ 500,000 (yep,back then!)

We are talking platinum chairs set with diamonds and emeralds in the palace dining area. Table services made out of gold, needlepoint tapestries small enough for Tinkerbell, marble bathtubs with gold dolphin faucets that work....and when the museum closes I am SURE that this place comes alive with a grand ball for the fairy princess !

I am a casual observer preferring my asteroid showers before 11 p.m. on warm nights ! ( wimp!)

My favorite place at the Adler is the Zeiss Sky show where you recline in the chairs so your vision is filled by scenes above you on the dome. The lights dim,and anticipation fills the room as voices hush.... and there you are...rising from Chicago at night and traveling with the hubble telescope through the MIlky way Galaxy in total comfort ! Zip past Venus without a single bout of nausea !

There are several exhibit rooms where there are hands-on displays when you are finished in the theaters.

I must comment on the unusual design of this building which was built in 1930.

* See pictures below

( * 1/2 discounts on Mon. and Tues., September through February.)

I think that the renovations done to this museum (that continue, by the way!) over the last 10 years are mind boggling ! The curved ceiling to floor glass wall behind the Baluga Whale tank is a visual delight that makes you ( and I am sure the whales too) feel as if the lake itself is part of this very room !

This museum has had it's share of demonstrators who don't believe these guys should be held in captive programs. I was impressed with the sensitivity of the program that is heartfelt for the animals and done with plenty of educational material to make us humans just want to be very sure that our oceans,lakes,rivers, and streams are protected and clean !

Behind these large tanks are the living tide pools where critters live in shallow water. Educational volunteers are on hand to help you learn about them too. Amazon Rising is a new display area that shows the intricate balance of life in the Amazon Delta between plants,animals,birds, and fish too.

Here's some interesting background for you :

The Shedd Aquarium for years had their own specially fitted railcar called the "Nautalus" that transported fish safely as well as ocean water! In this day and age, they are shipped more quickly by air, so the Nautalus has been retired somewhere...I think they should display her ! The Aquarium also has it's own collection and lab ship that is used on location for ocean study and transfer of specimens by the very active staff that go on diving research trips throughout the year. Good Job Guys and Gals !

Built in 1893 to highlight the Columbian Exposition, this classic building not only houses a collection of 300,000 pieces of art, but it contains the world known art school training the Michaelangelos of the future.

I must confess to you that I run around visiting my favorite pieces each and every time....as if they are long lost loves of my life !

Begin in the European collection and take extra moments to gaze at Renoir's "Acrobats of the Circus" and anything from Paris.....Monet, Seurat (A Sunday on la Grande Jatte), Degas,Gauguin (in his island stage), Caillebotte (Paris Street;Rainy day).

By now my husband is restless, so he will leave and go to the collection of armour and weapons, while I head to the American Collection !

Of course, Anything by Mary Cassett-take your pick, it's all wonderful ! check out Winslow HOmers "Croquette Scene" For a quirky fix I run over to the Remington area. Most known for his bronze work, this guy really tried it all ! I find it so bizarre that he did most of the oil paintings here in black,white, and greys immitating photography !

In the meantime, my husband has probably viewed the photography collection which is another of his favorites since photography is his hobby.

We meet upstairs for lunch (unless it is an exceptional day to sit in the outdoor enclosed patio). The Restaurant on the Park serves lunch MOnday through Saturday from 11-2:30 and has a grand time showing you how edible food can be presented as an art form ( and be yummy too !) Featuring linen tablecloths and uniformed waiters as a set-up for the sensual pleasures to come hot or cold to your table. I don't care what you order; you'll love it ! Slip into total gluttonous abandon by ordering dessert....if you can make a choice among the generous selection.

After lunch, take in the special exhibits (currently : Bonnard, Vuillard,Denis and Roussel--1890-1930) Audio tapes are a good way to add to your enjoyment here.

Wander the ancient collections from 3000 B.C. in many cultures with the remaining hours of the day. Whatever you do....don't miss the gift shop ! It is the most amazing place for notecards, journals, art books, jewelry......members receive 20 % savings !

Navy Pier was one of two piers that were planned to extend into Lake Michigan over one mile. The other one was scraped, but the existing one opened for shipping business in 1916.When my mom was little, her grandmother would bring her to the pier to ride the merry-go-round and the ferris wheel (1930's) but when I was little, the pier was a deserted old place lined with fishermen on any given day. Ritchie Daley has turned that whole thing around and made the pier THE "IN" PLACE to be!
First came the 150 ft. ferris wheel and the merry-go-round and then came the tour boats featuring lunch, dinner, and sunset cruises. Then special events came such as the CHICAGO SPRING FLOWER AND GARDENING SHOW--right in the nick of time for those entering depression from such a long winter! In summer, the tall sailing ships make an appearance. There is always something to do at the pier these days and on summer nights don't forget the 10 p.m. free fireworks show !

A little boy runs in the dark towards the cemetery with a wall of flames 15 ft. high chasing him as hot embers fall on his head and exposed arms. He trips...falls...and scrambles to collect his drawings flying away in the windstorm created by the inferno. This fire has a demonic voice of a thousand trains pulling out of the station with a crackle of bullwhips from hell behind it ! He knows that he may die tonight, but he will do so WITH HIS DRAWINGS so important now because he has no other possessions left.

* Memories of my Great-Grandfather- Oct8-10 1871----

It is 1893, and the Columbian Exposition has opened after a year of preparation. Louis Sullivan, who becomes one of the greatest architects of the era IS NOT HAPPY about the classical theme of the fair, and states "These buildings will haunt us."

Only the Museum of Science and Industry survives to this day, and it had to be gutted and rebuilt!

The leading American landscape Architect, Frederick Olmsted, unknowingly provides a design that will lead to generations of lakefront preservation and protection for the public to use as parkland giving such joy to so many people ! ---

* two of my Great-Grandparents provided labor and supplies to this project---

Upton Sinclair publishes his novel THE JUNGLE in 1906 about the carnage at the Chicago Stockyards which has been in mass production since 1865. The odor of animal feces and the sweet coppery smell of blood permeates everything. There are men from many countries working here...all immigrants...who don't know the language of the land and often fight with other cultures in some misguided thought of self-importance over others. ( Race riots erupt in 1919) Michael Donnelly and Mary McDowell ( the angel of the stockyards) work hard for the protection and rights of employees in a slow uphill battle with management. In the meantime, 1200 hogs an hour are on the killing floors each hour of the day as men wade to their knees in the blood that freezes on them in red icicles in the winter air.....

This man dreams of being on the sea again with the cold fresh wind in his face ! Instead he wraps the scarf tighter around his mouth so he won't choke on the coal dust while he carries a tripe ( tongue) home for Christmas dinner because he can't afford the beef roast my Great-Grandmother wanted for the special celebration.----

In 1919 the Chicago White Sox became the "Black Sox" as the players threw the playoff game- reportedly for $100,000. An investigation ends up not resolving anything, but dishonor, to the "city with the big shoulders". One thing is certain and that is Comisky is a louse! He promises his players one thing and then doesn't deliver. He is a self-serving man who lives high on the backs of others.People begin to question what THEY would have done if Comisky had "shafted" them???---

* My Great-Grandfather,Grandfather,Uncles, and Aunts continue to walk to the park to cheer their team.----

Al Capone takes over the Chicago "Business" from 1925-1930. It's believed that he had an income of $ 100 million per year! We all know the killer stories...like the Saint Valentine's day Massacre on Clark St. in Bugs Moran's Garage. When I was little(before the garage was torn down) I found the bullet holes that shattered the wall as well as the men. It was said this place was haunted, and I do believe this to be true. What you don't know is how much my Great-Grandmother adored "Big Al". Grandma told me that Al only collected protection money from the rich people who could afford to pay. He was a beloved Robin Hood who corrected injustice, fed and clothed the needy, kept the "Thugs" away from the innocent, and even paid for the education of youngsters who showed promise in the neighborhood.

She would say in broken English with a french accent "Dese mon iz a SAINT !" Yeah...well..."the Saint" died of syphilis and/or a stroke in 1931 and is buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery-1400 S. Wolf Rd., Hillside ( section 35 behind a bush) with his parents and about 20 other mobster friends.----

My Grandmother was 17 years old when the stockmarket crashed in 1929. Not that it mattered much to her, since she lived in the northside "Old Town" neighborhood( just West of Clark at North ave.) where she still had to walk down the street to the well and carry water home for cooking and bathing. She loved to dance the Charleston and go to the risque Vaudevile theaters located on South State Street. Her mother never knew. Her mother also never knew that she and my Grandfather would travel to the southside to visit the " Jass" clubs where King Oliver and the young Louie Armstrong were mixing and creating a new exciting sound. "Negroe's" weren't even allowed downtown at that time, so liberal music lovers would travel to the "black" clubs. -----

My Father-in-Law was also a teenager of the streets being friends with the gangsters, smoking cigarettes, amd making tough daily decisions. He took the road to the Police Academy instead of becoming a crook, but it could easily have been the other way around. To this day he respects some on the wrong side and is a tough critic of some judges. He'll tell you "there are honorable men on both sides of the law." This political and personal philosophy is nothing new to Chicagoan's !

The human spirit should have been stamped out many times over as our immigrant ancestors lived in deplorable conditions and slowly inched their way to a better future with a belief that THIS PLACE....THIS CITY was the key to success. This is a story about people who made choices, not always popular, but always with a good story to be told and legends that were formed. The reign of the Daley family is beyond legend in the "city that works".

Ritchie learned the secret of success from his father :

Determination and stubborness, Hardwork and Honor, Dedication and Committment, Responsibility and accountability to community,family, and GOD with a Yearning and great adaptation to change with a slick political 2-step dance that Clinton would admire ( Hillary was raised in Chicago's North Suburbs !) These are ideals forged in blood and fire to emblazon Chicago's very soul as she never stands stagnant and is forever gorwing bigger and better !