I wonder: Is the road or train ride oft taken really less of a travel trip then a journey through less familiar surroundings?
Fold the newspaper. Buy a cup of coffee. Clamber aboard.
I’m about to head to downtown Chicago again surrounded by commuters if it is early morning and concert and theater goers if it is late afternoon.
Many commuter trains disgorge riders at the Ogilvie Transportation Center downtown Chicago where commuters hurry to work and visitors take time to see the sights
We all opt for a window seat if available. But how many of us really look out the window?
Heads bury in sports or business sections. Other travelers pull out their Blackberries, Smart Phones, iPads, lap tops. What good is the window seat except for shoulder support?
Once they reach downtown, commuters head to their offices with rapid strides or jostle for space on a bus. In the afternoon, show goers walk or hail a cab.
Did any of them know they passed a stunning art deco entryway or architecturally important building?
After returning from a publishing seminar on a recent windy (of course, it is Chicago) but sunny late afternoon, I was lucky enough to be sitting near a gaggle of youngsters and parents returning to Wisconsin after a day in Chicago.
“Wow.” “I loved Chicago.” “It’s so clean.” “I saw…..” And so the conversation went.
The comments continued as the commuter train whipped past warehouses, condos, cemeteries, parks, busy streets and churches in the city and changed to spacious yards, larger homes, shopping strips and more open areas in the suburbs.
“Did you see…? “Look.”
I put away the Sudoku and crossword puzzles and looked.
Yes, I love Chicago and its buildings, but am I really looking?
Office workers often hurry past the 1929 Art Deco Carbon and Carbide Building at 230 N. Michigan but visitors stop because the historic building now houses the Hard Rock Hotel
Sometimes, I walk instead of taking a bus from the train to the museums, meetings, shows and restaurants I cover. But rarely do I slow my pace to admire or snap an art deco doorway or sculpture just inside an office building.
Visitors don’t have that familiarity breeds blindness disease. They snap away with phones and serious camera equipment.
I also love the suburbs and taking scenic drives or visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. But when on a local train traveling through very familiar (I think) suburbs, my thoughts wander to grocery shopping, articles to do and event schedules.
Wait, was that a new sculpture in that suburb’s downtown? Hmm, I don’t think I knew that coffee shop was there, close to the train station. If I hadn’t heard that “look” earlier during the ride I would have missed seeing the sculpture and shop.
Driving around my area proves to be little better. The next day is for within-five miles errands. Armed with water bottle, I buckle up and start down the driveway.
A mild winter and early spring has encouraged early blooms and early construction. Both distract from quick errands.
The slower pace means more time to recall and look for what my granddaughter sees when she sits in the back seat peering out the window.
“Look. Archways,” she often says.
Yes, today I actually look for branches reaching over streets to form bowers.
“Weeee,” she says as we crest a street. Yes, I notice our neighborhood does have some rolling roads.
As I park the car at a frequented grocery, I sit and wonder: Is the road or train ride oft taken really less of a travel trip then a journey through less familiar surroundings?
Go back to Abraham Lincoln’s time for Spring vacation this year
Instead of heading to overcrowded beaches and boardwalks for Spring vacation, try something different this year – go back in time.
A young Abe sits outside his log cabin inside the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Ill.
While the United States is still commemorating the people, their arguments and their actions during the American Civil War of 1861 to1865, visit Springfield, Illinois where an excellent museum on Abraham Lincoln features his life and difficult presidency.
Or go visit Western Tennessee and Corinth, Mississippi where you can picture the confrontations that took place on the strategic battlefields that make up the Shiloh National Military Park.
Shiloh marks its 150th Civil War anniversary March 29 through April 8 with special events but is an interesting destination throughout the year.
A modern family of dad and daughter pose with the Lincolns at the Abraham Lincoln Museum
Plan to spend half a day or at least two hours to do everything.
The museum is across the street from the library and typically a destination for researchers. However, an “Illinois Answers the Call: The Boys in Blue” exhibit that includes the U.S. Colored Troop regiments and features the people, letters and music of the Illinois Civil War regiments are on exhibit.
What to expect downtown Springfield
Lincoln gave his "house divided" speech at Springfield's Old Capitol
The town is a mix of the Old State Capitol and historic buildings and the newer, in-use State Capitol Building with its governing and lobbying spinoffs and restaurants. If time allows, visit both beginning with the Old Capitol.
Lincoln gave his “House Divided” speech here and tried cases before the Illinois Supreme Court. An original flag carried by the 95th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War is on display next to the Adjutant General’s office.
If up to walking, there is a reasonably priced 90-minute, 10 block evening tour beginning from Lincoln’s law office at 6th and Adams, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For information call 217-502-8687.
Be sure to stop at the Lincoln home (1844-1861) and its Visitor’s Center operated by National Park Service Rangers.
Go over to the Capitol Building where the legislature meets. A mix of baroque and classic, the Capitol has an impressive rotunda and is worth a tour.
New Salem visitors learn about life in Lincoln's time from a costumed volunteer
What is nearby
Drive about 20 minutes north to historic New Salem, a recreated village with costumed interpreters that looks like it did when Lincoln worked there.
Where to stay:
The Inn at 835 is an early 1900’s former apartment house on the National Register of Historic Places.Newer by half a century and retro is The State House Inn.
Both places have complimentary breakfasts and that scarce commodity: parking. They are within walking distance of most attractions.
On the edge of town is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, a conference-style facility that features a pool, sauna and WiFi coffee shop.
Travelers who like the old Route 66 will find that Springfield is on the “Mother Road” and has some landmarks. See Shea’s Gas Station, 2075 Peoria Road and Cozy Dog Drive In, 2935 S. Sixth Street.
A monument to Army of the Mississippi General Albert Sidney Johnston who was the highest ranked officer on either side killed during the Civil War is at Shiloh
A year after the Fort Sumter attack, Union forces beat the Confederacy at Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862.
The Union victory was a decisive battle on the Civil War’s Western Theater because of its river placement and location near Corinth, Miss. Which had an important rail junction.
Grant needed Corinth before he could move on Vicksburg and control the Mississippi Valley. Confederate General P.T.G. Beauregard was on record saying: “If defeated here we lose the Mississippi Valley and probably our cause.”
What to expect
Shiloh National Military Park is about 3,996 acres with marked and preserved strategic land forms and monuments to both sides. Its battle sites are in Hardin County, Tenn. and in Corinth, Miss. The main section is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh south of Savannah, Tenn. Iron plaques mark both sides’ advance and retreat positions. The rest is about 23 miles southwest of Shiloh in Corinth, Miss.
Take the 12.7 mile auto tour or a guided tour. You will learn that the Battle of Shiloh is also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing named for “Pitts” Tucker, a saloon owner and that Shiloh is named for the Shiloh Church on the battlefield.
A US park ranger shows and tells visitors the importance of Pittsburg Landing and the strategies attempted during the Shiloh battles
If you go during the 2012 Sesquicentennial celebration, time the visit to see two reenactments by more than 6,000 re-enacters using more than 100 cannons, March 29-31.
Organized by The Armies of Tennessee and the Blue-Gray Alliance, the event features The Armies of Tennessee march to Shiloh from Mississippi and The Blue-Gray Alliance transport of soldiers to the battle by rail and river.
If in the area April 4-5, go to nearby Pickwick Landing State Park at Pickwick Dam, Tenn. for “Invasions by Rail and River: The Battle of Shiloh” The Story of Shiloh: Fiery Trial will premier at 7 p.m. April 4. A forum with historians will be held there at 9 a.m. April 5. In addition there will be an exhibit of Civil War artifacts from the Battle of Shiloh.
Or go to Shiloh for ranger led hikes at specific strategic sites 150 years after their particular confrontations, April 6-8. Also be on hand for the “Grand Illumination,” April 7 from dusk to 10 p.m. when luminaries are placed around the battlefield representing the 23,746 killed, wounded or missing at Shiloh. For more special event information visit Shiloh 150.
Pickwick Inn near Shiloh is a well placed state park resort for visiting the battlefield and relaxing on vacation
What to expect at Corinth
See the interpretive center movie and ask about auto and walking tours to see homes used by the generals and the Civil War fortifications and Corinth Battlefield. (http://corinth.net/)
Take in a show, a museum, an interesting tour, some shopping and admire the sculptures in Millennium Park. They are all downtown Chicago.
Chicago is a perfect spring break destination whether living out of town or in the city.
Chicago's skyline is picture perfect from the Museum Campus
Take in a show, a museum, an interesting tour, some shopping and admire the sculptures in Millennium Park. They are all downtown Chicago.
Shows
Jersey Boys returns to the Bank of America theatre April 5 Fela will be at the Oriental Theatre March 27-April 8
Museums
The Museum Campus, sticking out into Lake Michigan from Lake Shore Drive between 12th and 14th Streets, is among the best places to snap photos of the city’s skyline. But be sure to save time for at least one of its museums: The Field, Shedd Aquarium or Adler Planetarium.
They reward visitors with fascinating exhibits year round. However, they are gearing up for Spring vacationers with either new exhibits or extended hours to see all their special exhibits.
At the Adler, Undiscovered Worlds, a show about finding real planets and stars beyond the Earth’s solar system, opens early March in time for Spring vacation.
Because the Shedd, situated between the Adler and the Field, draws crowds during school holidays, the museum has extended hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 26-March 30 and April 1-April 6. Longer hours mean fitting in Jellies, Wild Reef and an Oceanarium show.
Families visiting Chicago often head to the Field to see dinosaurs. But Spring break time means also fitting in two temporary exhibits that just opened: Opening the Vaults: Mummies and Genghis Khan.
Tours
Trolley tours are fine for getting around because you get background info from tour guides. However, if looking for something special consider an architectural Chicago River boat cruise and a movie site tour.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation boat tours typically do not start until the end of April. But you should be able to book a cruise on Wendella and Chicago Tours.
The Wendella cruises start at the base of the Wrigley Building below the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Chicago Tour cruises start at Navy Pier.
The Chicago Film Tour is a fun way to see parts of Chicago you might not get to such as Wrigley Field in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. The tours start and end on Clark Street between Ontario and Ohio, a perfect spot for people who love Portillo’s Chicago Dogs and their Italian beef.
Shopping
Out-of-towners enjoy browsing the shops along North Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Lincoln Park. Visit Magnificent Mile the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association’s website to pick out some specific shopping and dining destinations.
Whatever other places you choose, you should stop in Garrett’s Popcorn Store in the 600 block of Michigan Ave. If shopping at Macy’s at State and Randolph (Marshall Field’s former flagship store) follow the nose across the street to Garrett’s next to the Oriental Theatre.
Speaking of food (similar to chocolate, in Chicago popcorn is considered a food), families coming to town typically want to try a pizza parlor. Everyone has a favorite so arguments abound. but two places that make many lists for the good deep dish stuff that Chicago is known for are Gino’s East and Lou Malnati’s.
Millennium Park
Bordering Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street, Millennium Park draws thousand of tourists who want to see “Cloud Gate,” better known as “The Bean.” They also check out the Frank Gehry sculpture top to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Crown Fountains which spit water late spring and summer.
Visitors flock to Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean, in Millennium Park
Insider Tips
If staying in town for a few days, it may pay to obtain a CityPASS. You will be paying about half what you would to individually visit the Shedd, Field, Skydeck at Willis Tower (formerly Sears), the Adler or Art Institute of Chicago and either the Museum of Science and Industry or the John Hancock Observatory. In addition, the pass means not having to stand in line to purchase tickets.
If tired when walking the “Mag Mile” take a bus back south on Michigan Avenue. Most buses you see go downtown. You can also catch a bus on State Street south to the Museum Campus. Bus drivers do not have change so have some singles and quarters handy.
You don’t have to leave town without trying Garrett’s because the company has stands at the Metra trains’ Ogilvie Center and O’Hare Airport.
It is about enjoying the seascape of Lake Michigan and creatures of the sea at the Shedd Aquarium.
Penguins, dolphins and jelly fish make the Shedd Aquarium a top Chicago attraction
However, Chicago is best enjoyed when you know how to get around the town.
Here are five tips to doing Chicago like a travel pro:
If flying in to O’Hare International Airport, you can take the subway system downtown. The Chicago Transit Authority, popularly called the CTA, has a station downstairs of O’Hare’s baggage claim area. Its Blue Line will take you from O’Hare to Randolph Street near theaters and hotels. Visit CTA and go to Trip Planner. The Trip Planner extimates travel time at about 45 minutes but driving the Kennedy Highway from the airport can take an hour when backed up and then driving into the downtown area from the highway can take a good 15 minutes more.
Chicago is also known for its architecture. The Marina Towers on the left and Trump Tower, far right, are on the north side of the Chicago River just west of Michigan Avenue
If taking an Amtrak train to Chicago’s Union Station, you have a choice of buses to take from Union Station’s cross streets to the city’s main shopping areas and attractions. Go to CTA Trip Planner for options.
Chicago is as much a destination for suburbanites and residents of nearby towns as it is for visitors. But public transportation is still a good choice to avoid traffic congestion and highly taxed parking garages. Visit Metra for stations and times and visit the CTA Trip Planner for bus options from the Ogilvie Transportation Center or Union Station.
The Picasso sculpture at Daley Plaza is a Chicago landmark but the city also has sculptures by well-known artists throughout the downtown including Joan Miro's Chicago across from the plaza and Claes Oldenburg's Batcolumn just west of the Metra station
Chicago is a CityPASS town. The pass saves big bucks and time when trying to fit in more than one attraction. It allows entry to the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium or Art Institute, the SkyDeck at Willis Tower (formerly Sears) and the Museum of Science and Industry or the John Hancock Observatory. The pass typically means not having to stand in line to for tickets.
World class museums are certainly a draw but there also are events, neighborhoods, public sculpture, parks and many more sights and activities so check out the city’s official visitor site: Explore Chicago to see what is happening when you plan to come to town. The site also lists hotel packages. Now wishing you world class fun.
Instead of trying to lose weight and feel better after the holidays arm yourself with expert advice and a wellness plan at a destination spa
Thanksgiving is just the beginning of our annual holiday binge days
Of course the holidays practically shove yummy temptations in your face so what is a fun, food and party-loving person to do to not gain what feels like 100 pounds between Thanksgiving and January 2?
Well, aside from either feeling deprived when out or staying home, there are ways to curb the appetite such as eat a favorite raw fruit or protein snack before heading out the door.
However, another choice is to move your annual January SOS trips to fitness centers up a month or two to November or December.
But instead of merely thinking local work-out place, take it to the next level. Seek out a spa that does more than massages and facials. You need one that also has a nutritionist on staff and trainers or work-out gurus whom you can consult.
No Junk Food? Will I survive? A couple of days later the answer was a resounding yes!
You may have a good place near you. But you have a better chance of listening and following nutrition and workout advice when away from home and away from familiar temptations and distractions
Here are three spas with very different atmospheres. Each of them is worth traveling to any time of year but they all take nutrition and individually tailored workouts, seriously.
The most casual of the three spas, even likened to an away camp, is The Heartland, about 90 minutes south of Chicago in Gilman, Ill.
Leave the designer clothes at home when coming here. You don’t even have to worry about bringing fresh workout clothes. Shorts, Ts, baggy sweats (top and bottom) are handed out upon arrival and replaced when left outside the room’s door after wearing.
A highly lauded destination spa since the mid1980’s, Heartland covers a range of healthy body and mind issues from lifestyle discussions and fitness classes to body assessments and diet consultations.
Inspiring messages accompanied healthy snacks.
Situated on a former dairy farm, the spa is small so guests tend to get to know each other, particularly because they gather in the small dining room at the same time. Healthy snacks were always available in an inspiration-filled hallway.
Everyone gets the same meal unless there is a dietary restriction. However during a recent visit, lunch was a delicious Italian roasted chicken breast on top of roasted vegetables topped with golden melted mozzarella. Dinner was tomato lentil soup, a yummy grilled chili salmon with sweet pepper salsa, garlic mashed potatoes, delicate asparagus and a three berry crepe for desert.
Calories and fat content are listed on the side. Meals and snacks each day are vegetarian with an add-on of chicken or fish totaling 1400 calories for women and 1500 for men. Activities here are mostly in the spa’s facilities with a few hikes along the farm roads.
About 35 minutes from downtown Austin, Texas, Lake Austin Spa Resort was named the Number One Destination Spa in the United States in Conde Nast Traveler’s poll in 2010 and 2011.
Dress is whatever guests want to wear. Activities are on the resort’s 19 acre property but with additional choices along the lake and on the lake.
Meals are nutritious and offer several options that often include burgers, salmon, pork loin and sea scallops. Diners can eat alone or at a communal table. Calories and fat grams are listed but choices are up to the guests.
Nutritionist Terry Shaw will work with guests to design meal plans and holiday eating approaches to take home.
Desert, mountains, accommodations and philosophy make MiravaL a retreat
Spread across a desert landscape outside Tuscon, Ariz., Miraval is the SpaFinder Magazine Crystal Award winner for 2011. The spa ranked fourth in Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2011 World’s Best List.
However, it is Miraval’s understanding of healthy eating, the right workout program and mind-body connections that makes the spa a popular destination.
The spa reflects the philosophy of Integrative Health and Healing Director Dr. Andrew Weil.
Dinner is sit-down but lunch is an attractive buffet with calorie and carbs listed. Guests can also have lunch with a registered dietician.
The spa’s desert location and meditation areas give Miraval a retreat atmosphere. Guests are comfortable wandering the grounds in robes or workout clothes.
A little fall travel homework now saves trip stress later on
The signs are there, teasing the Northern US and Midwestern states with nippy air and barely tinged maple and aspen leaves. It’s time to plan a fall color getaway.
Fall comes in all colors along the forested back roads of Door County in northern Wisconsin
But before you pencil in your destination there are a few tips to consider so that fall color fever does not have to be treated with two aspirins a day.
1. Even though weekends may be easier on your work schedule, it won’t be easier on your drive or stay at popular fall destinations.
Do try to go during the week or you will find yourself in bumper to bumper traffic along normally scenic roads, staying at less desirable locations and grabbing “to-go” from a drive-in instead of relaxing at a good local restaurant.
2. Once you have determined where you want to go, take a look at that area’s Convention and Visitors Bureau websites for accommodation listings.
An overlook at Peninsula Park in Door County reveals warm tangerines, ambers and shimmering golds
It is OK to call the CVB for suggestions and recommendations. They want visitors to be happy. They may even have a list of places in your price range and that meet your needs that are booked and those with vacancies.
3. Accommodations in popular color destinations are often filled months, sometimes a year, ahead so book as early as possible. Also, broaden your options to include Bed & Breakfasts, condominium rentals and suite hotels.
Remember that a place that may sound pricey but includes breakfast could end up cheaper than somewhere without breakfast. Also a condominium with kitchen facilities may also save on meal costs.
4. Choose an area that has more to do than drive around looking for the best snapshot to post on Facebook or go into the family album. Areas rich in fall color often have additional attractions such as wineries, harvest festivals and art galleries.
Visitors go to Southern Illinois for its wine trail and find out the Shawnee Forest is in the best kept color secret category except to people who live there
Knowing more about an area than its reputation for color may help deciding when and where to go.
5. Whether you have a destination in mind or not, you will have a better idea on when peak color comes if you check a state’s website. States want you to come so they have color watch and color information.
Knowing ahead that color comes the last week in September in one state or area of a state and mid-October in another state or area, will help you schedule your trip.
Here are some Midwestern scenic and color websites sites to check (other states have similar sites):
Follow the red border roads on the Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City because they lead to wineries, cute towns, great overlooks and more fall color
Board a Tall Ship and sail on a schooner or watch an America’s Cup style race and see amazing Cirque aerial acts at Navy Pier
Imagine boarding a square rig warship like the one Commander Oliver Hazard Perry sailed when winning the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.
Board Pride of Baltimore II seen here when it arrives at Navy Pier in Chicago
Or, picture seeing exciting jockeying for position among boats from five countries in Match Races.
Add in a chance to watch amazing Cirque acrobatics on a 1.5 mile pier that once housed World War I regiments and World War II troops from several countries.
The events happen the second weekend in August at Chicago’s Navy Pier, a historic site that is also home to popular restaurants, a large Ferris wheel and other entertainment venues.
Six tall ships from as far as Baltimore, Erie and Newport Beach and as close as South Haven and Chicago are sailing to Navy Pier for Taste of Tall Ships Aug. 11-14, 2011.
Board or sail out onto Lake Michigan on a Tall Ship the second weekend of August
Two of them – Perry’s Flagship Niagara and the topsail schooner Pride of Baltimore II, will be available for boarding.
Friends Good Will, a square topsail sloop with a South Haven, Mich. port and Lynx, a square topsail schooner from Newport Beach, Calif., plus Chicago-based gaff schooners Windy and Red Witch will take passengers out onto Lake Michigan.
Boarding prices are $9 adults, $6 children. A combo ticket of boarding and three Navy Pier rides are $16 adults and $13 children. Boarding hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 11-13 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 14.
Sail away prices and times vary according to ship and length of sail. Sail-away tickets are also available on “Windy” in combination with boarding “Flagship Niagara” or “Pride of Baltimore II.” More ticket information
At the east end of Navy Pier bleachers will be set up for free viewing of the Chicago Grade 2 Match Race. The competition is America’s Cup style racing to give 10 internationally ranked sailing teams match race practice. Qualifying rounds are Aug. 12 followed by semi-finals Aug. 13 and finals on Aug. 14.
Cirque Shanghai Extreme is at the Pier’s Pepsi® Skyline Stage® now until Sept. 5 . Go to the show to see trapeze artists, aerial acts, motorcycle daredevils and Kung Fu sword fight displays.
More than a mile of attractions has made Navy Pier a top visitor destination in Chicago and Illinois
Navy Pier was part of famed city planner Daniel Burnham’s 1909 “Master Plan of Chicago.” The 1.5 mile pier was built from 1914 to 1916. Originally called the Municipal Pier, it was renamed Navy Pier in 1927 in tribute to World War I Navy personnel. World War II military pilots trained at the pier as did sailors and technicians. After the war, the University of Illinois had a branch at the pier until 1965. However, the Pier was also designed to include entertainment venues.
Today, visitors can go to a Shakespearean theater, dine at famed Harry Caray’s or Billy Goat Tavern and browse a free stained glass window museum.
Navy Pier is at Lake Michigan at the east end of both Illinois Street and Grand Avenue. Parking is available however CTA buses do go there from the Ogilvie Transportation Center (Metra) and Union Station.
Chicago Film Tour falls in the best kept secret category
Stand on the sidewalk at Wacker Drive at the Chicago River west of Michigan Avenue. It looks fine, now. But mid-summer 2010 the area was a battle zone.
Wacker Drive looked like a battle zone during the filming of Transformers 3. Photo shot for Hotel 71 by Jim Kennedy
Wacker Drive, backed by the Wrigley Building, Marina City and the Tribune Tower, was a prime filming location for Paramount Pictures’ Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Released mid-summer 2011, the film stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Josh Duhamel. Guests of Hotel 71 which borders the other side of the river had front window seats of the action.
Below where you are standing is lower Wacker Drive – scene of Batman’s race to rescue a high level Gotham official. Chicago was Gotham in the Dark Knight released in 2008. Bruce Wayne’s bedroom was shot in Hotel 71.
Indeed, downtown Chicago is rife with Dark Knight movie locations. The city was also used in the 2005 release of Batman Begins.
A car flies out of Marina Towers' parking garage (left) in The Hunter and Trump Tower (far right) is in Dark Knight
Transformers 3, Dark Knight and Batman Begins are only a few of the many movies and TV segments filmed in Chicago.
Avid movie buffs might track down all the sites of their favorite Chicago locations such as The Blues Brothers or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
However, there is a not widely known way to get the info and go by many of the sites. Arguably in the category of best kept secrets is Chicago Film Tour owned by movie buff John Brinkman.
From Wrigley Field on the north side to Chinatown on the south with several places in between, Chicago Film Tour does a two-hour loop that passes locations used in more than 80 movies filmed in the city.
A buyout left Brinkman ready for a career move a few years ago. “I remembered a Sound of Music tour I took with my father in Austria. I loved it,” he said.
Wrigley Field is the back drop of Ferris Bueler's Day Off and other films shot in Chicago
But instead of concentrating on one movie made in Chicago, Brinkman thought visitors and residents would enjoy seeing and hearing about all the movies with Chicago sights except a full tour could easily take a day.
“I had to narrow it down. I drove around the city and mapped out a route,” he said.
Brinkman does do private tours and some all day tours that include lunch. For his regular two-hour public tours, he has knowledgeable guides. All tours include film clips and interesting tidbits that might not be known except by movie aficionados and critics.
The name "Essanay," a film studio that used Charlie Chaplin, can still be seen on Argyle in Chicago
On a recent trip, the bus turned down Argyle, a narrow residential street in the Uptown neighborhood where it paused in front of St. Augustine College.
“Essanay” was emblazoned over a doorway. It is an amalgamation of Spoor and Anderson for George K. Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson.
The building and back lot stretching from 1333 to 1345 had housed Essanay Film Manufacturing Company whose most famous star was Charlie Chaplin. The silent movie legend had filmed “His New Job” in Chicago with Ben Turpin for Essanay.
After the tour HollywoodChicago.com movie critic Patrick McDonald, the guide for that day’s bus tour, said he enjoyed sharing movie knowledge with riders and introducing them to places they might not know.
“You can see where Essanay Studios was. It’s living history. Imagine rolling up to the place where the Great Chaplin walked through and did a film,” McDonald said. (Chaplin filmed “His New Job” in Chicago with Ben Turpin.)
Today, the Biograph houses live theater but movies and television remember it as a move theater where the FBI tracked down bank robber John Dillinger
Chicago Film Tour Details: Tickets $30 a person. Pick-up is Clark Street in front of the Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonalds between Ohio and Ontario Streets. Because the bus only seats 36 people and most trips are sold out, reservations are highly recommended.
(All photos by Jodie Jacobs except Terminator 3 location shot)
Second in series on Spring vacation destinations is Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Warm weather welcomed visitors to Chicago even though the calendar said it was only the second weekend in April.
Couples were downing salads and sandwiches on the Park Grill patio at the edge of Millennium Park.
Visitors head up the paths in Millennium Park to see its Frank Gehry sculptured roof of the Pritztker Pavilion and Cloud Gate. Photo by Jodie Jacobs
Youngsters were dashing up the park’s steps for a closer look at Cloud Gate, known as The Bean and the wild Frank Gehry sculptural roof of the Pritzker Pavilion
About 20 miles north, visitors kept pouring into the Chicago Botanic Garden by bike, SUV and on foot.
Spring had finally come to Chicago.
April and May are fine times to make Chicago a vacation destination. Paths along Lake
Michigan are not yet crammed with beach-goers. The Magnificent Mile of North Michigan Avenue isn’t jammed with shoppers and lookers. The theater and symphony seasons are still in full swing. Museums don’t have lines out the door.
Spring has come to Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Photo by Jodie Jacobs
And about a half hour drive north, colorful blossoms line the Chicago Botanic Garden entrance, paths and surprise visitors around every corner.
As a convention city, Chicago is blessed with more than 100,000 hotel rooms so finding one that meets budget, style and location specifications is usually easy.
Hotels with special stay and play packages usually list their current deals at
Parking in Chicago is pricy so look for a package that includes parking.
A recent check of hotel deals listed W Chicago Lakeshore which is convenient to Navy Pier, the Amalfi Hotel which is convenient to North Michigan Avenue shopping and the Hyatt Regency which is near Millennium Park.
What to do:
Check the Chicago Symphony Orchestra schedule. Symphony Center is across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.
There is always something special to see at the Art Institute of Chicago. Photo by Jodie Jacobs
See “Kings, Queens and Courtiers: Art in Early Renaissance France” at the Art Institute of Chicago through May 30, 2011.
The exhibit ends with a work by Leonardo da Vinci and his studio.
While there, be sure to explore the galleries either side of the special exhibit’s Regenstein hallways to see fine Whistlers and works of other famed artists.
Also take the elevator from the modern wing upstairs to the rooftop patio. Visitors can snap a great view of Millennium Park and the skyhline even if they aren’t eating in the adjacent restaurant.
The Art Institute's rooftop patio is a great place to look down onto Millennium Park and take in the skyline. Photo by Jodie Jacobs
Go over to the Merchandise Mart on the Chicago River, a few blocks west of Michigan Avenue. The main floor has showrooms open to the public with great home decorating ideas. If at the Mart April 29 through May 2 see Art Chicago, an international fair that showcases contemporary and modern works.
Take a Chicago River Architectural Tour. Spring is the start of the boat tour season and Chicago is known as an architectural destination. Several organizations and companies offer good tours.
Drive north to Glencoe on I94 to Lake Cook Road and turn east for half a mile to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Spring blooms such as Dutch Crocus, surprise walkers around every curve and path at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Photo by Jodie Jacobs
Spring is a fun time to explore its paths. Just about every turn uncovers another bulb opening or another plot of color. Take paths through the Japanese Islands and other islands to watch birds returning north and see trees beginning to bloom.
Stop in the Circle Garden to see colorful foxglove set against artistic fountain sprays and see what’s blooming in the English Garden and in the vegetable gardens.
Even though the weather is fine for walking outdoors, save time to visit the greenhouses to see cute topiaries and find out what is blooming indoors.
Take a stay vacation or plan a party to cure cabin fever
You’re not alone if you have a mega fever – cabin fever that is. Just as all that snow melted from the last blizzard and the weather seem to be turning the seasonal corner, either another blast of icy cold or the white stuff has us hurrying back indoors.
Take a stay vacation or plan now to visit somewhere interesting, like Chicago, this summer
Here are four doable prescriptions to ease cabin fever.
Green isn’t just the color of lawns and leaves when the weather finally cooperates. It also comes with an Irish accent and a lively, musical lilt. Plan now to host a fun St. Patrick’s Day party or talk with friends about getting together at an Irish pub that will have a dance group or live music. Begin planning now to have something to look forward to a few weeks away.
Take a stay-vacation where you only have to travel to a nearby B&B, resort or downtown hotel. Many places are offering good deals before the Spring Break and Easter rush. Choose a place with a spa or one that is near a fine restaurant or live theater to make the getaway even more special. Need an excuse? Isn’t it a half birthday or anniversary of something?
Start planning your summer vacation. Look on line for a range of accommodations, things to do and transportation options. By starting now you should have more lodging and price choices. And you start to feel more connected to the places you hope to go instead of house bound by snow and cold.
Remember the 2011 blizzards will be conversation items for years to come. So, gather your photos and memories, put them in a scrapbook and close the book on this winter.
